Radio has always been South Africa's biggest broadcast medium and the sector's deregulation in 1996 led to an even bigger proliferation of radio stations. For example, there are about 4 radio stations available to Johannesburg listeners. South Africa's mass market station Lesedi FM broadcasts nationwide and is by far the most popular, appealing to Sesotho-speaking South Africans with 6.38 million listeners per week.
Broadcasts range from the country-wide and regional radio stations of the state-owned and funded SABC to fully commercial privately owned stations to community stations that target specific cities, towns, neighbourhoods or ethnic groups.
The majority of radio stations broadcast in English, although the other official languages of South Africa are represented on the airwaves as well. The industry is regulated by ICASA.