The Sandton Times Hour Nominated For ‘Best Talk Show’ In The 2025 Telkom Radio Awards

The Sandton Times Hour marks another significant milestone as it celebrates its fifth anniversary with a prestigious nomination for South Africa’s ‘Best Talk Show – Community’ in the 2025 Telkom Radio Awards.

The Sandton Times Hour seamlessly bridges FM broadcasting with modern digital platforms and consumption.
The nomination reinforces the show’s reputation for quality production, vibrant storytelling, and consistent innovation.
The show continues to shine with strong radio presence and growing global podcast listenership.
Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.

The Sandton Times Hour has once again cemented its place among South Africa’s leading audio properties, with the show officially shortlisted for ‘Best Talk Show’ in the Community category at the 2025 Telkom Radio Awards in South Africa. It marks yet another milestone for the Sandton-based programme, which continues to blend sharp storytelling, compelling interviews, and lifestyle-rich content into a weekly hour loved by listeners across the country – and increasingly, across the world.

The nomination builds on an impressive track record. In 2024, The Sandton Times Hour was shortlisted for Podcast of the Year at the African Podcast and Voice Awards (APVA) and secured a spot among the “30 Best South Africa Podcasts” by Feedspot, ranking third in a competitive field of thousands. Feedspot applauded the show’s relevance, authority, and consistent freshness – qualities listeners have come to expect week after week.

As the show proudly marks its fifth year, its latest recognition is particularly meaningful. Born in the first week of South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, The Sandton Times Hour evolved from a weekly podcast into a radio-and-digital hybrid that now broadcasts every Monday from 7pm to 8pm on 91.9 FM, while remaining accessible across global podcast platforms. What started during one of the most uncertain periods in modern history has become a signature media product dedicated to ‘Africa’s richest square mile’ and beyond, offering a curated blend of news, views, entertainment, luxury, lifestyle, travel, motoring, and food.

It’s an absolute honour to be nominated for ‘Best Talk Show’ in the Community category in the 2025 Telkom Radio Awards, placing The Sandton Times Hour on a national platform, up against other deserving community talk shows. As someone that has always been passionate about radio, the nomination alone is a massive win. Thank you to the judges for recognising the heart, hard work, and passion that goes into every episode.

// Host and Producer of The Sandton Times Hour, Alexander Leibner

A Year Of Big Transitions And Bigger Conversations

2024 marked a significant turning point for the show, as it transitioned from Mix 93.8 FM to its new home at Illovo-based 91.9 FM. Despite the shift – or perhaps because of it – the show continued to attract a remarkable line-up of voices from across South Africa and beyond.

Listeners were treated to insights from Tourism Seychelles Principal Secretary Sherin Francis, Sous Chef Thokozane Shongwe sharing his journey from Tembisa to The Maslow Hotel, Carl Gotham, Advanced Design Director at SAIC Design Advanced London, Aram Lello, Lead Architect behind Olympus Sandton, and Victor Shange, Acting COO of the Gautrain Management Agency.

Thought-provoking conversations continued with Sarah Dusek, Co-Founder of Few & Far, renowned economist Dawie Roodt, South African politician Helen Zille, Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner, and even an exclusive first look inside the cruise ship Norwegian Aqua. This impressive roster underscores the show’s commitment to going beyond headlines – bringing listeners face-to-face with leading thinkers shaping business, culture, travel, food and innovation.

Crafting A Signature Style

Part of The Sandton Times Hour’s appeal lies in its distinctive formula: a mix of engaging “dinner party-style” content, dynamic news cues, and aspirational lifestyle segments. Over the years, regular contributors, returning voices, and the occasional character have added flavour to the listening experience. Each episode is thoughtfully produced, often taking listeners on-location for immersive soundscapes, building a reputation for strong production values and thoughtful presentation.

The Telkom Radio Awards: A National Benchmark Of Excellence

Now in its 15th year, the Telkom Radio Awards remain the only industry-wide accolades in South African radio, celebrating talent and innovation across commercial, public, community, and campus stations. With rigorous judging panels selected for industry expertise and linguistic diversity, the Awards are widely regarded as the gold standard in South African audio.

Radio remains one of the most impactful mediums in South Africa, bridging communities and giving voice to our nation’s rich diversity. Through the Telkom Radio Awards, we’re proud to celebrate the creativity, resilience, and relevance of radio professionals who continue to inform, entertain, and inspire.

// Chief Marketing Officer of Telkom, Gugu Mthembu

Shows are evaluated through a detailed submission process, with a 6-minute highlights reel offering judges a concentrated snapshot of each submission’s strengths – from content to presentation to sound quality.

This year, The Sandton Times Hour is nominated alongside:
• VUT FM 96.9 – Centre Stage
• Alex FM – Alex FM Talk
• Radio Riverside – Die Anker
• Zibonele FM – Kuyenzeka

Additionally, 91.9 FM celebrates nominations across seven categories, spanning Afternoon Drive Show, Breakfast Show Presenter, Day Time Show, Sports Bulletin Reporter, and more – reinforcing the station’s impact in the local radio landscape.

A Hybrid Powerhouse: Radio Meets Digital

What truly distinguishes The Sandton Times Hour is its seamless integration between traditional FM radio and modern digital platforms. The show broadcasts on 91.9 FM, but listeners increasingly tune in, at their own time, through podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Afripods, Jollof Radio, and Podcast Party. In 2024, the show expanded even further by adding YouTube Podcasts, growing its multiplatform footprint. Locally, listeners can tune in through the LiSTN app, via 919’s web stream, or through African Media Entertainment’s suite of digital stations: Simply Smooth, Simply RnB, and Simply Gospel.

The audience footprint tells an interesting story. On Spotify, listeners show a perfectly even male-to-female split, with a core age bracket of 28 – 59 years making up 67% of streaming. While South Africa accounts for half of the listenership, the rest is spread across Nigeria (20%), the United States (15%), the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Qatar, and the UAE – demonstrating a truly global reach.

Half of online listeners still tune in via The Sandton Times website, often engaging with articles while catching up on weekly episodes. Meanwhile, YouTube Podcasts and local platform Podcast Party continue to show steady growth.

A Nomination Well Earned

As The Sandton Times Hour celebrates its fifth anniversary – and its biggest recognition yet – the show continues to represent the very best of modern South African audio: versatile, dynamic, global in reach, and proudly local in voice. Winners will be announced at The Telkom Radio Awards Ceremony on Saturday 6 December 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Whatever the outcome at the 2025 Telkom Radio Awards, the nomination alone affirms the show’s success and its growing influence. For loyal listeners and new followers alike, one thing is clear: The Sandton Times Hour is only getting started.

The Sandton Times Hour is released every week, on these major Podcast platforms and on The Sandton Times Homepage:

Take a moment to subscribe, share and review or rate The Sandton Times Hour on your favourite podcast platform. Also, catch The Sandton Times Hour every Monday, on 91.9 FM from 7pm to 8pm in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

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