The dynamic radio station continues to make digital waves
The radio station its operations on August 22, 1999. It was chiefly a local broadcaster within the bounds of Gaborone city covering a radius of only 50 km from its central transmitter. That quickly expanded when Yarona FM went National to include 14 semi urban cities, towns and villages in Botswana. Yarona FM was Botswana’s first independent, licensed radio station. It has evolved to redefine the entertainment industry and conquer milestone after milestone in its journey to becoming the entertainment authority in Botswana.
The first Yarona FM station was located in African Mall, popularly known as The Red Hot Building. Yarona FM had a phenomenal line-up of multi-talented presenters such as Luz boy, Jazelle Kebakile, Lady T, Tshepo Ntshole, and Brando, who grew to become household names. There was also the era of MsB, Dollar Mac, Bonnie Dintwa and DJ Izzy. The radio station continues to produce world-class presenters even today with the likes of Mr T, Mdu Tha Party, Kedi, Martin Fani, and Lerato Modiega.
Since its inception Yarona FM airs the freshest and most relevant content which reflects the urban lifestyle which is guided by the desire for success and progress found in Batswana youth at large. The station is greater than any typical radio station as a result of its great competitions, promotions, charity initiatives, and community engagements. The radio station has been an engine of growth for the economy. As a prospering business, they have proceeded to drive growth, create youth employment and pay taxes that fund services and investments.
In 2014, this youth radio station went on to originate the first ever annual award ceremony popularly known as the YAMAs in Botswana. This in-turn gave local artists a platform to showcase their vast talents before a large audience. It was truly a stellar year for the entertainment industry at large as the shows received ample coverage on local television stations and best performing artists were recognized and awarded. The event has continued to grow and even host internationally-acclaimed entertainers like Bonang Matheba, HHP, and Oskido.
Furthermore, in May 2020, Yarona FM joined the DSTv Audio Bouquet. This momentous occasion was received with great excitement and positivity by Batswana youth. They saw the partnership as long overdue and believed it was the next logical step for Yarona FM. These are just a few of the milestones Yarona FM has amongst having an array of talented and qualified radio hosts, who make for engaging and informative content.
‘This year, the Yarona FM team plans to celebrate 22 in a major way. Twenty-two signifies a crown which depicts royalty. We therefore believe that this is the year to recognize our individual uniqueness and the unmatched quality of our character. It is time to come face-to-face with our true selves. Hence, we came up with the “Face Yarona” campaign concept. This campaign will be to unearth and discover a face for Yarona FM.’ said Station Manager, Kelly Ramputswa.
The Face Yarona competition will run for one month-long and will see participants utilizing various social media platforms to enter by sending a selfie and a video with hashtags from the radio station. More details with regards to the competition will be communicated through the social media pages. This competition stays true to the audience of the station who are mainly youth on social media.
“THE DYNAMIC RADIO STATION HAS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE WITH THE DIGITAL WAVES AND ARE ON SOUND CLOUD, TUNEIN, STREEMA, AND APPLE MUSIC TO NAME A FEW, NOTWITHSTANDING OUR ACTIVE PRESENCE ON FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, TWITTER, YARONA FM, ET CETERA. OUR DREAMS AT YARONA FM ARE QUITE MASSIVE, WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE, TO BE TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERS AND TREND SETTERS IN EVERY SPHERE OF KNOWLEDGE, NEWS DELIVERY AND ENTERTAINMENT.” ADDED RAMPUTSWA.