Aimed at creating awareness of issues experienced on a daily basis by those living and working around our operations, Anglo American South Africa has launched season two of its community radio drama series, Makarapa City.

The twelve-part radio drama series, recorded in six African languages, is based on an “edutainment” methodology, which uses radio as a medium to highlight the social issues that are typical in mining communities, while highlighting the difference Anglo American makes through its contribution to education, health, enterprise development and mine community development.

Makarapa City comprises a powerful cast of South African industry veterans, and fresh talent, that all have a zest for storytelling. The radio drama is a true reflection of what is playing out, not only in these communities, but in South Africa as a whole. The show brings to life full, well-rounded, characters that community members can identify with - from “JB”, the patriarch of the community, to Chaklas, the young rebel, and Loretta, the ambitious entrepreneur.

“Mine communities deal with a number of socio-economic challenges daily. These include indebtedness, health and HIV/AIDS and lack of amenities, to housing and infrastructure and lack of sustainable business opportunities. By using radio as a medium, we have connected with over 11 million listeners in our mining communities, on their platform of choice, to tackle the issues they face daily,” said Pranill Ramchander, Head of Corporate Communication for Anglo American South Africa.

The series is set around a feuding family, who live in Makarapa City—a fictitious mining community—and are caught between a more traditional view of the world, and the demands and challenges of a modern society around them.

Following season one, Anglo American commissioned a research survey to measure the efficacy of the radio drama series. The survey showed that 68% of the listeners found the radio drama easy to understand, while 65% of the respondents found the series informative and authentic.

“The conversations in mining are changing. Now more than ever, we need to create platforms that meet the need for authentic dialogue, that, not only highlight the challenges, but the progress we are making in our mining communities as well. We hope that Makarapa City can be a catalyst for real and sustainable engagement with our mining communities, concluded Ramchander.”