Icasa, the broadcasting regulator, says it will still go ahead with instituting a 60-70% local music quota on all radio stations in the country over the next year. This week, the SABC announced that it will pilot a 90% local music quota on the majority of its platforms over the next three months.
Veteran musician, Don Laka, who has spearheaded the campaign for more airtime for local musicians has previously alleged that the glut of international music on South African radio has resulted in the loss of 15 000 direct jobs in the music industry. He also pointed out that the hundreds of millions of rands that leave the country every year in royalty payments to foreign artists, could instead have been used to support local acts.
