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BRC’s new RAMS survey has reached 29 380 respondents, surpassing its interim target and completing over 75% of the annual sample.
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Wave 4 ends in September 2026, completing the first full annual sample for South Africa’s new radio currency.
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RAMS is built on a 36,000-person national sample to measure radio audiences across all provinces and demographics.
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The survey uses a blend of face-to-face (85.3%) and online (14.7%) data collection, with weighting to ensure national representation.
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The BRC will release radio audience data only after Wave 4 validation and confirmation of the reporting timetable.
The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC) says its new Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS) is on track to deliver South Africa’s next radio trading currency, with more than 29 000 respondents already captured ahead of the completion of Wave 4 fieldwork.
The survey has reached a cumulative sample of 29 380 respondents across its first three waves, surpassing its interim target of 27 000 and completing more than 75% of the planned annual sample of 36 000 respondents.
Wave 4 fieldwork is currently under way and is expected to conclude at the end of September 2026. Once completed, it will provide the first full annual sample on which the new RAMS currency has been built.
The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa is modernising its radio and media measurement programmes to ensure audience data remains accurate, reliable and representative of South Africa’s evolving media consumption habits.
Independent reviews and previous survey rollouts highlighted the need for a stronger sample design, improved weighting methods and more statistically stable datasets before granular audience metrics could be released.
Modernised audience data gives broadcasters and advertisers a clearer view of multi-platform and on-the-go listening habits, moving beyond traditional drive-time metrics to better reflect radio’s all-day relevance.
New radio measurement system takes shape
The BRC commissioned RAMS to create an independent, future-focused radio audience measurement currency for South Africa. Research company GfK, an NIQ company, was appointed to design and conduct the study using a national annual sample of 36 000 respondents.
The first three waves of fieldwork were conducted between September and November 2025, January and March 2026, and April and June 2026.
According to the BRC, each wave has strengthened the overall sample, improving representation in demographic groups that required additional development, including white respondents, men and people aged 55 and older.
The survey uses a deliberately disproportionate sample across metropolitan, urban and rural areas to ensure sufficient data for detailed analysis across South Africa’s diverse population. The results are then weighted to reflect the country’s actual population profile.
Snapshot of South Africa’s adult population
Beyond measuring radio audiences, RAMS provides an updated picture of South Africans aged 15 and older, representing an estimated 45.3 million people.
The current population profile shows:
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49% male and 51% female
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22.4% aged 15–24
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23.2% aged 25–34
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21.8% aged 35–44
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13.9% aged 45–54
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9.6% aged 55–64
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9% aged 65 and older
Geographically, Gauteng accounts for 26.7% of the adult population, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (18.9%), the Western Cape (12.8%), the Eastern Cape (10.8%), Limpopo (9.4%), Mpumalanga (8%), North West (6.5%), the Free State (4.8%) and the Northern Cape (2.1%).
The BRC says this data provides advertisers, broadcasters and media agencies with a current population benchmark beyond radio listening behaviour.
Blended methodology for broader representation
RAMS combines face-to-face recruitment with digital diary collection to improve participation across different communities and levels of connectivity.
Across the first three waves, 85.3% of diaries were placed through face-to-face recruitment, while 14.7% came via online panels. The methodology is supported by a weighting framework designed to ensure nationally representative results despite the disproportionate sampling design.
Industry milestone
BRC CEO Gary Whitaker said the survey’s progress marks an important step in rebuilding South Africa’s radio audience measurement currency.
“When we embarked on the new RAMS, our objective was not simply to replace the previous survey. We wanted to build a radio measurement currency that reflects South Africa today and provides the scale, methodological rigour and stability required by broadcasters, agencies and advertisers,” he explained.
Whitaker said reaching nearly 30 000 respondents brings the industry close to completing the first full annual sample, while reinforcing confidence in the survey’s methodology, governance and technical standards.
What happens next?
The BRC said no radio audience, station-level or listening data is being released as part of this update.
Following the completion and validation of Wave 4, the council will announce the timeline for the next phase of RAMS reporting and the rollout of the new radio currency for broadcasters, media agencies and advertisers.
