OFM

What OFM does

OFM is a Bloemfontein-headquartered commercial radio station that has broadcast to Central South Africa since 1986, reaching audiences across the Free State, Northern Cape, and North West provinces. Its core product is a 24-7 live FM broadcast combining music, hyperlocal news, sport, traffic, weather, and dedicated agricultural programming (The Agri Hour), delivered alongside a layer of digital products: native iOS and Android smartphone applications, a Windows desktop application, web live streaming at ofm.co.za/listenlive, on-demand Catch Up, OFM Podcasts, and International Podcasts. Distribution extends beyond audio into messaging channels (multiple WhatsApp verticals and Telegram) and social platforms (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram), supporting a multi-platform media brand rather than a single-channel broadcaster.

OFM operates as a division of Central Media Group (PTY) LTD, a South African private media parent that also encompasses Mahareng Publishing, Digital Platforms, Redstar Agency, and Central Outdoor, providing group-level governance, digital platform infrastructure, and corporate back-office. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising airtime and sponsorships sold via an account-executive direct sales team against a rate card dated 1 October 2019, supplemented by premium-rate SMS competition entries at R1.50 per SMS to shortcode 36636. Supporting revenue-adjacent services include the OFM Production Studio (commercial audio production) and OFM Closet (branded merchandise e-commerce). Non-revenue editorial and community-facing extensions include OFM Cares and Featured initiatives (Agri Aid, The Silent Pandemic, SANBS blood donation drives, tourism and environmental campaigns), live community events, and event galleries that reinforce audience engagement across the broadcast area.

The station is privately held, with 51-100 employees, no disclosed funding history, and no M&A activity on record. Compliance footprint includes POPIA (data protection), the BCCSA Code of Conduct (broadcast content), and Section 54(1) of the Lotteries Amendment Act plus the Consumer Protection Act for competition mechanics. Customer concentration risk on the advertiser side cannot be precisely sized given absence of named accounts, but the B2B sales motion targets Central South African regional businesses, implying a fragmented regional advertiser base rather than enterprise anchors.

Name

OFM

Legal name

Central Media Group (PTY) LTD

Website

https://ofm.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

OFM is a Bloemfontein-based commercial radio station broadcasting to Central South Africa's Free State, Northern Cape, and North West provinces with hyperlocal news, agricultural programming, and music, monetized through advertising airtime and premium-rate SMS competition entries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

Keywords

• Commercial radio broadcasting
• Regional radio station
• Digital audio streaming
• Radio advertising sales
• Agricultural news programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloemfontein

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: OFM generates revenue primarily through selling advertising airtime and sponsorships to businesses wanting to reach its broadcast audience in Central South Africa. The station offers various advertising packages with different placements and durations.
2. Competitions: Revenue is generated through SMS competitions at R1.50 per SMS to shortcode 36636. Entry to competitions is restricted to listeners within OFM's broadcast area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OFM operates a commercial radio station based in Bloemfontein, broadcasting music, news, sport, traffic, weather and dedicated agricultural programming (The Agri Hour) across Central South Africa's Free State, Northern Cape and North West provinces. The broadcast is supplemented by digital distribution through iOS/Android smartphone apps, a Windows desktop app, web live streaming, podcasts and catch-up audio. Revenue is generated primarily by selling advertising airtime and sponsorships to businesses, supplemented by SMS-based competition entries.

Product overview

OFM (the Sound of Your Life) is a South African commercial radio station based in Bloemfontein, operating as a division of Central Media Group. The core offering is live broadcast radio with accompanying digital products including smartphone apps (iOS/Android), a Windows desktop application, on-demand podcasts, and catch-up streaming. The platform extends to events management with photo galleries, competitions, news content across multiple categories (Central SA, Sport, Agriculture, Business, International, Lifestyle), and special interest editorial features such as Agri Aid, The Silent Pandemic, and environmental campaigns. OFM also offers professional production studio services for advertising and provides weather updates. The product portfolio functions as a unified media platform combining traditional radio broadcasting with digital distribution across mobile apps, desktop software, and web streaming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OFM Live Radio Broadcast

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Central Media Group (CMG)coreOthersOFM is a division of Central Media Group (PTY) LTD, the umbrella company that also encompasses Mahareng Publishing, Digital Platforms, Redstar Agency, and Central Outdoor. CMG provides corporate governance, social media oversight, and group-level policies for OFM and its sister companies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Algoa FM: Algoa FM is a regional commercial radio station serving the Eastern Cape and Garden Route. It competes in the same product category as OFM — regional commercial FM broadcasting with digital extensions — and has a similar size and advertiser base focused on a defined provincial footprint.
• Jacaranda FM: Jacaranda FM is a major South African commercial radio station broadcasting to Gauteng and Limpopo. It is directly comparable to OFM as a regional commercial radio operator with a multi-platform digital strategy (web, app, streaming) and an advertising-led revenue model targeting a specific provincial audience.
• Cape Talk: Cape Talk is a Cape Town-based talk and news commercial radio station. It is comparable to OFM as a South African commercial radio broadcaster with a strong regional news and talk format, multi-platform distribution, and an advertising-driven business model.
• East Coast Radio: East Coast Radio is a regional commercial radio station based in Durban and serving KwaZulu-Natal. It is directly comparable to OFM as a provincial commercial FM broadcaster with multi-channel distribution (broadcast, web, app) and an advertising-led revenue model.
• Smile 90.4FM: Smile 90.4FM is a Cape Town regional commercial radio station. It is directly comparable to OFM as a regional commercial FM operator with a similar size, multi-platform distribution, and advertising-led revenue model targeting a defined local audience.
• KFM 94.5: KFM 94.5 is a Western Cape regional commercial radio station operated by Primedia. It is directly comparable to OFM in product offering (regional commercial FM with music, news, and digital streaming) and audience model (provincial listeners consuming music and news).
• Heart FM: Heart FM (previously Cape Talk's sister station) is a Western Cape commercial music and lifestyle station under Primedia. It is comparable to OFM in operating model — provincial commercial FM broadcasting with digital and event extensions — but with a different format focus.
• Good Hope FM: Good Hope FM is a Cape Town-based regional commercial radio station under Primedia. It is a direct peer to OFM as a South African regional commercial FM broadcaster competing for provincial audiences and advertising budgets with similar digital distribution channels.

Broad incumbents

• Primedia Broadcasting: Primedia is one of South Africa's largest commercial radio groups, operating 947, KFM, Cape Talk, and others. It is a broad incumbent comparable to OFM at the group level, since OFM competes for the same national advertising budgets and operates in the same regulatory environment.
• SABC Radio (RSG, 5FM, Metro FM): SABC operates South Africa's public broadcaster radio stations including RSG (Afrikaans), 5FM, and Metro FM. It is a broad incumbent comparable to OFM as the dominant national radio competitor that defines audience expectations and competes for both listeners and advertisers in the broader South African radio market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OFMNuus
• Facebookfacebook.com/ofmthesoundofyourlife
• Instagraminstagram.com/OFM9497
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ofm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OFM