101.9 Chai FM

ChaiFM is Africa’s only Jewish community radio station and outside of Israel, we are the world’s only English medium Jewish talk station. We broadcast from Johannesburg, South Africa on 101.9FM and globally we are available on audiostream, the free ChaiFM App and on Tune in radio. Chai means life and our programming reflects that and encompasses all aspects of life and spirituality. Take a listen and get hooked on life!!

In April 2005 while driving with my mother she related to me that she had a dream in which she heard me on the radio. There were three very significant things about this conversation; firstly my mother never recalls her dreams, secondly she explained that she “had” to tell me her dream with an unusual sense of urgency and lastly the seed she planted began to grow inside me and I got this image in my mind of exactly how it needed to be done and what it would look like. Immediately quitting my job, I began to learn about the many aspects of community radio; conducted community research, interviewed many community members, collected over 2500 signatures of support and I fell in love with my community. Five weeks later the first application for the community radio license was submitted. In 2005 the laws governing community broadcasting licenses stipulated that applications could only be by invitations to apply. At that time ICASA (the issuing body) would identify available frequencies and publish them in the government gazette with an invitation to apply. What’s amazing is the fact that 2005 was the first time in 9 years that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) had published invitations to apply.