South Africa - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Muzi FM is a social innovation within the communication space. Providing community radio services to the local community that is left without a media voice, and also the corporations and businesses that do not have access into the township market.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Muzi FM is a community radio station that serves the IsiXhosa community of the Garden Route. The Garden Route region is dominated by English and Afrikaans Media, with almost a million population, almost 40% of the region consists of the Black community and yet they do not have a media outlet that includes them, this is therefore a huge gap to fill and a great opportunity to take advantage of. Businesses need access to the township community, corporations suck as Total Energies, with these great opportunities would need to approach Big stations such as uMhlobo Wenene for example in order to advertise, hoping this opportunity would reach the marginalised communities, but yet it doesnt because uMhlobo wenene is not speaking directly to the needs of those marginalised communities, that is what community radio stations get to fill because they speak directly to the needs of those communities. This is a solution that corresponds to the SDGs

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The problem we are solving is a communication issue within society, this enables us to bridge the communication gap and solve the language berrier problem within the Garden Route region. The Youth, Women, and Businesses need this media platform as a job creation mechanism within the Garden Route for the township economy,

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

It provides access to markets for corporations that need access to our listenership base in order to advertise and market their products. It enables the community to have a media channel they can use for community dialogue and engagement. It is a job creation mechanism that continues to harness talent and provide a platform for talent to be exploited for the betternment of women and youth within our society.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Based on the services of the business, corporations such as First National Bank, and other institutions and supermarkets, retailers, and food brands use the radio to market their products and services, The second leg is government agencies that have service delivery obligations, they use the radio to market their services and engage with the community. Based on the services of the business, corporations such as First National Bank, and other institutions and supermarkets, retailers, and food brands use the radio to market their products and services, The second leg is government agencies that have service delivery obligations, they use the radio to market their services and engage with the community. Lastly the listeners, without the listeners we can not have entities looking into us for advertising purposes, so we need the listener statistics etc.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-02-19

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

1

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

All directors and staff involved have extensive media experience from the SABC and PriMedia. I for one, worked with Radio2000 and Radio 702, and YFM, and with community stations such as Heartbeat FM and Eden FM.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://muzifm.africa/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

i) Communication services (telecommunications, media, interactive services)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

The jobs we are creating as Muzi FM are to help curb poverty and increase employment opportunities within our community.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Without poverty, no one goes hungry. On a weekly basis we hold feeding schemes where we cook for the children with whom are from households that have parents who are without jobs.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

We promote healthy living through the media partners that work with us by educating listeners on the importance of diets, gyming, and changing eating eating patterns.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

We have workshops and training programs that are accredited, this means our staff and volunteers have an opportunity to use the training received from Muzi FM elsewhere for better opportunities and Jobs.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

80% of our staff including management consists of women, this contributes to gender equality and provides a good balance of allowing women to dominate in this technical space.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

Our office space as an organization has water tanks that purifies rain water into drinkable water. We are currently talking with a potential partner who will provide us mobile toilets for us to use for our roadshows as a radio station to help us promote sanitation as some of our communities are still using pit toilets.

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

In our office space and studio, we are using a 3.5KW solar panel, which is renewable energy, and helps us lower the costs of electricity with.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

We are the self proclaimed "ambassadors of the Township economy" as we provide Enterprise Development opportunities within our region. If you look as our Facebook, (Muzi FM) you will see our publications of workshops we have been doing to best promote Decent Work and Economic Growth.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Our product offering is quite an innovative one and our clientele affirms this.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

80% of our staff are females, which eliminates the injustices of inequality.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

As Ambassadors of the Township economy, sustainable communities are a pillar for us as we continue to fight crimes

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

We believe in the right of work.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

We do not contribute towards emissions and pollutions in the air for any reason whatsoever.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

We are in the Coastal region of the garden route and life below water is valuable to us as majority of our communities rely on Fish.

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

Without Land we wont be able to have office space as an entity, and we promote the Land reforms that are supported by our constitutions within South Africa. and we respect life, hence we promote healthy living and work with all life to achieve this goal.

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

We engage in dialogues that promote peace and justice, and we work with Legal institutions by providing them airtime of our station.

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

6

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

We believe in Partnerships to best drive our objectives forwards

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

6

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

6

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.08 Justification for my startup

Our product offering as a whole is quite an innovative solution that is competing with the best in the industry. We have an unfair advantage because we are industry experts and consists of women and youth who have a different view and thinking on how the media related to the current generation. Our innovation solution extend beyond that just radio.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

My competitors are radio stations and advertising agencies that are within the ICASA spectrum in terms of licenses. They have a far wider reach of listeners, which is why we are persuing ICASA for our Licensing in order to have a class broadcasting license and be reachable throughout the whole Garden Route

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes, in my business, 80% of my staff is women, and we are promoting women empowerment in the media space, and we have an event dedicated to women scheduled for the month of August to promote and empower women owned businesses.