Across Africa, community radio stations face a paradox: They are deeply trusted, widely relied upon, and yet chronically underfunded. While large media houses struggle with declining revenues and digital disruption, smaller regional stations often operate on even thinner margins.

For Temwa Mhango, director of Radio Tigabane in northern Malawi, the central question is blunt and practical: “We need to look into issues of how we can survive.”

Drawing on Radio Tigabane’s financial growth since 2023, Mhango outlined how a regional station transformed community trust into structured, diversified, and measurable revenue. 

For Mhango, survival begins with clarity about distribution.

“How can we survive as a regional radio? First, we need to see the platforms that we use.”

Meeting customers on their chosen platforms

Radio Tigabane broadcasts on FM — “we broadcast through the radio FM band … 104.2 FM” — but it has also embraced digital platforms to extend its reach, Mhango said: “As the technology is advancing, we also go with the times. We are also on Facebook. We are also online.”

This expansion is not about chasing trends. It is about ensuring no segment of the community is excluded. Listeners who rely on traditional FM remain served, while younger or urban audiences can access content via livestream and social platforms.

The key insight here is that platform strategy is revenue strategy. Each distribution channel creates a new monetisation opportunity, from livestream coverage to digital promotion.

Rather than designing revenue models in isolation, Radio Tigabane anchors its services in local demand. The station first assesses issues in its catchment area and then plans services accordingly — “plan what type of services are we supposed to offer,” Mhango said.

This approach has expanded the station’s offerings beyond traditional broadcasting. Today, Radio Tigabane provides:

• Live radio F.M. broadcasting.

• Online Radio News writing.

• Facebook live streaming.

• Online article coverage.

• Public address system services for functions.

“These services are the ones that we charge … for people to pay us for us to survive,” Mhango said.

By embedding itself in weddings, graduations, meetings, and development initiatives, the station has become part of the region’s social and economic infrastructure. Revenue flows not just from advertising slots but from being indispensable to community life.

Financial growth follows platform growth

Since 2023, Radio Tigabane has recorded steady financial growth.

“We are witnessing a great growth,” Mhango noted, referencing the station’s improving financial performance over three years. 

Monthly income has risen significantly between 2023 and 2026. This growth has not been accidental. It reflects deliberate diversification and stronger financial management practices.

Importantly, growth has been matched with rising operational commitments — expanded programming, additional staff, and higher transmission costs. Sustainability here does not mean minimizing ambition. It means scaling with discipline.

As Mhango put it: “We are a small radio station, but we have to survive. We need to move on.”

One of the station’s core revenue streams remains sponsored programming: “We have the sponsors programme … live or recorded. We charge per hour US$115.”

Agriculture projects, health initiatives, youth programmes, and economic empowerment efforts frequently approach the station to reach local audiences. Negotiation is part of the process, but there is a clear minimum pricing structure.

However, Mhango was candid about the instability of relying solely on sponsorship. Funding cycles fluctuate. Project timelines end. Engagement is inconsistent.

“Sometimes this month, none will approach you.”

That unpredictability creates cash flow pressure — especially for stations with fixed operational costs.

Diversification into non-media ventures

To counter volatility, Radio Tigabane introduced a bold diversification strategy: a student hostel project.

Located near a tertiary institution, the station identified a critical accommodation shortage. It expanded its premises and built a 10-room facility, with each room accommodating 12 students. Fees are charged per bed, creating predictable monthly revenue.

The strategic value is significant. Unlike project-based sponsorship, student housing provides recurring income. It underwrites salaries and operational costs, reducing dependency on external funding cycles.

More importantly, it strengthens community trust. “Through this, people have built trust in us, and they are able to give us the business,” Mhango said.

Format pricing, budget strategy

Another key feature of Radio Tigabane’s revenue strategy is formal pricing discipline. When organisations approach the station, “we present the rate card, we discuss,” Mhango said.

While there may be minor adjustments — “sometimes … some deductions, but not much” — the existence of a clear rate structure signals professionalism.

This matters for community stations. Informal pricing often erodes margins and undermines sustainability. A transparent rate card ensures that goodwill does not result in undercharging.

Mission-driven media can, and must, be commercially literate.

Perhaps the most transformative shift for Radio Tigabane came through formal budgeting.

“At first … we decided to consult some of the experts in terms of the financial management disciplines. They advise that you need to have a budget.”

Budgeting was not treated as a bureaucratic requirement but as a strategic instrument. As Mhango put it, “That budget will challenge you on how to get the money to sustain that budget.”

In other words, the budget became a target to meet and exceed.

From 2023 onward, annual budgets increased progressively. Each increase reflected confidence in revenue growth and the ability to sustain expanded programming and staffing levels.

“Because of how we perform … that gave us a go-ahead that we can manage to sustain that budget.”

This disciplined scaling differentiates Radio Tigabane from many small stations that expand prematurely or operate without financial forecasting.

Financial sustainability has translated into tangible operational strength. The station supports core staff salaries, provides stipends to volunteers, pays government taxes, maintains transmission sites, and covers utility and production costs.

Volunteers are not treated as unpaid labor. As Mhango clarified, they “are not those ones who are working freely, but we give them a little something at the end of the month.”

This reinforces staff morale and retention, critical factors in small media markets where skilled personnel are limited.

At a time when many outlets are grappling with shrinking advertising markets and donor fatigue, Radio Tigabane demonstrates that sustainability is achievable, even at a regional scale.

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