Radio Bop legends reunite for nostalgic comeback on the waves

Veteran radio legends including Vusi Manzana, Vincent Maseko and Mina Pilane are set to create nostalgia among listeners as they come together as Radio Bop makes a return to the airwaves on Friday after a 30-year-long closure.

Set to relaunch as Radio Bop Africa on Friday, the once-contemporary urban black station in Africa will be broadcasting from its original location of Mmabatho in the North West. The station will serve content as a professional commercial radio station that will reflect honest diverse voices and sounds of the African community.

Another familiar voice who will be returning to the station is renowned motivational speaker and MC, Hector Mathabe, who is now part of the new owners of the station and will also be the programmes manager.

“I agreed to be part of the station again because I believe in this brand. Radio Bop was a pioneering station and is a brand that I believe should not have been closed in the first place. It was an institution of black excellence and of course I would want to be associated with a brand like that,” he told Sowetan.

Having been part of the original Radio Bop as far back as 1994, Mathabe said he's grown as a broadcaster since then and has adapted and adopted the ways of the new media, and has embraced the digital era.

On why the founders of the station chose to relaunch Radio Bop and not start a completely new station, Mathabe said they identified a gap in the market that only Radio Bop could fill.

“Those of us who grew up with Radio Bop back then were used to its standard being high and when listening to modern radio I failed to find a station that comes close to the radio standard that Radio Bop had set. With that being the case, we looked at the relaunch from a business side.

“Branding is branding and people are emotionally attached to brands. So Radio Bop is a brand that you cannot just discard because it is a people's brand and people get excited when you mention the name... so we're giving people what they want. We hope the new version can live up to the iconic standard,” he said.

Marketing and PR officer Lerato Phoku promised listeners a bigger and better experience. “Not only will Radio Bop Africa be returning with state-of-the-art technology and a fresh new-look, but it will also bring back some of its legendary presenters and former staff members.

"These familiar voices and faces that made history through Radio Bop will surely evoke nostalgia and excitement among long-term listeners, supporters and followers as they join forces to deliver engaging and entertaining programmes starting from 1 December 2023,” Phoku said.