Innocent Vundla has turned his passion for radio into a powerful voice for his community. Despite facing challenges and limited resources, he founded VTG RADIO FM, an online radio station that brings hope and inspiration to the people of Amaoti.
KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (12 November 2024) – Hailing from rural KwaZulu-Natal in Eshowe, where resources were scarce, Innocent Vundla always had two burning desires to succeed in life.
The first was to further his studies and go to university, which he was eventually able to do after moving to the city to obtain his B.Ed degree from UNISA.
During the pandemic’s stage 5 lockdown period which turned many lives and industries upside down, Innocent decided to follow his second dream and stepped out into the world of broadcast media.
Innocent, fascinated by the possibilities of radio to impact people’s lives, studied online with the intention of starting a radio station. Meanwhile, he and a group of friends secured filming equipment and began producing content for YouTube.
Using some of his film equipment and installing software for radio broadcasting, he launched VTG RADIO FM (Vundla’s The Golden Studios) which now has an established township audience in Amaoti and a daily programme line-up running from 7 am to 8 pm.
Innocent wears the hats of producer, director and radio jockey, always keeping in view his mission of being a “voice for the voiceless in Amaoti”, inspiring the community with messages of hope.
While searching for organisations operating in Amaoti, he made contact with The Domino Foundation which has been working in the area for two decades. The relationship saw basic aspects of the rudimentary VTG studios upgraded by the non-profit organisation.
At the end of October, Domino facilitated an enriching experience for Innocent at East Coast Radio studios in Durban. There, he had the opportunity to meet renowned radio personalities, engage with the station’s technical and production teams, and learn from experts in news, marketing, finance, and digital media.
Innocent described the experience as life-changing and said he had learnt some critical lessons about ensuring his audience consistently has as good a listening experience as possible. He also valued the technical input he was given as much of what he knew was still in the realm of the theoretical.
“We so enjoyed interacting with this amazing man with his passion for radio. At ECR, we love being part of the colourful and creative KZN community, and we believe in collaborating to help each other grow,” said Brenden Cavanagh, ECR Sales Manager.
Innocent is a visionary and, because VTG RADIO FM is still only online, he is looking to acquire a frequency transmitter so he can reach a much wider audience to be an agent for community change.
He can be contacted at vtgstudiosofficial@outlook.com.
Sources: The Domino Foundation
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