Silence. Four on-air presenters, a content producer and a videographer all need to compress 8,000+ kms worth of travel, 20 broadcast days, nine provinces and countless memories into a few sentences.
“We have so many moments that made this year’s Heritage Tour special, that it would be impossible, not to mention unfair to this country’s rich and beautiful diversity, to decide on just one moment that stands out,” says Mike Bower, the 5 Drive content producer.
5FM has done six heritage tours in six years. 2022 is the longest, and most ambitious logistically, and in terms of on-air planning and sponsored content.
Each week on the 2022 5 Drive Heritage Tour was themed according to the roots of nature’s four elements – wind, water, fire and earth… each with its own highlights.
She says that kicking off the tour in The Cradle of Humankind was a way to pay homage to those who came before us – going back to the roots from which we grew and starting the tour on a respectful and focused note.
It was also on this leg of the tour where Jude van Wyk, 5 Drive sports presenter discovered his favourite story and part of the tour. His roots in the town of Carnarvon run extremely deep. When they explored the town and its story, we discovered a distant family member who, some time ago, walked from Cape Town to Carnarvon in search of a new, better life.
It was on this leg that they were able to expand their content to include a few friends of the station who joined them in Cape Town, such as influencer Andrea Katzeff, who challenged the team to a rugby ball kicking competition, and they met up with artist Anica Kianna to explore Madiba’s remarkable heritage.
For Nadia Romanos, the show’s news reader, the highlight of this leg was a strawberry-picking contest in George, which she won.
They visited the Nelson Mandela Museum, which focused on the life of Nelson Mandela to highlight the strife and conflict that South Africa – a democracy born from fire - has been through. This was a major highlight for the entire team as this time in our history taught crucial and valuable lessons that we as South Africans, but also the entire globe, could learn from.
In addition, across the tour, the diversity of people, delicately nuanced stories and breathtaking scenery frequently had the team in awe about this wonderful place we call home.
Whilst experiencing these highlights and numerous other uniquely special experiences, one’s first commitment is to your listener – delivering a solid, consistent on-air product no matter where you’re broadcasting from.
Taking them on a journey throughout our country, inviting them to see what you see and live it with you… with the overarching goal of reigniting their pride and fuelling their passion to build an even greater South Africa.
The second commitment is to your sponsoring client – in this instance Suzuki South Africa. Making sure that you go beyond “just a read” and “just another ad” and truly immerse yourself in the brand. To find content angles that take listeners on a total brand experience, as opposed to just being the on-air equivalent of paging through the advertorial columns.
To leave them with more than just a brand name and, since we’re talking heritage, to leave them with a brand story that’ll stay with them for years to come. All this whilst also servicing the many other brands who invest in the station and making sure that they get the best ROI they can, time after time.
“What were the challenges and where can we improve?” asks Bossenger.
“All things considered, the 2022 5 Drive Heritage tour went really well. We planned thoroughly and had systems in place for just about every challenge we could face when it came to tech, travel time, accommodation, exploration and content creation slots, show setup, crossings, media and client appointments etc,” says Bower.
“Load shedding and the resultant, near constant signal issues, were at a level that few could have anticipated, but we made it work by pooling every single human and tech resource at our disposal. It comes down to expecting and planning for the best, expecting and planning for the worst, expecting and planning for everything in between, but also consistently honing your ability to think on your feet," he adds.
Looking ahead to 2023, Hamman says they will take all that they have learnt in six years and make it even bigger, better and more engaging.
“South Africa has many more gems in its treasure chest. As a national broadcaster, it is our privilege, but also our duty to share this. As long as there are new people to be met, places to be seen, hidden treasures to discover, stories to be told and great radio to be made, that’s where you’ll find us,” says Hamman.
