Van Niekerk joins RX Radio Board with bold vision for African expansion

• Targets RX Radio platforms in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe & Eswatini

Staff Writer

Following his recent recognition as South Africa’s Most Innovative CEO, Dave Van Niekerk has received another significant accolade with his appointment to the board of the RX Radio with aim of driving expansion across African markets including Botswana.

Based at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, RX Radio is an award-winning radio station run by and for children.

Its programming is created by young people living with chronic health conditions and is designed specifically for children receiving treatment in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

RX Radio has trained more than 170 young presenters between the ages of four and 18, many of whom live with cerebral palsy, autism and other serious or chronic health conditions.

Rather than allowing the hospital environment to become frightening or isolating, RX Radio gives these courageous young broadcasters the opportunity to step behind the microphone, present live programmes, choose music and interview business leaders, public figures and celebrities.

The result is far more than a radio station. RX Radio provides companionship and reassurance to children facing difficult medical journeys, reminding them that they are not alone. At the same time, it builds confidence among its young presenters, gives children ownership of their stories and helps reshape the way adults understand paediatric healthcare.

Despite its proven impact, RX Radio has faced ongoing financial challenges as it works to sustain and expand its vital youth-led broadcasting platform. The organisation has therefore sought to strengthen its strategic leadership by appointing directors who bring entrepreneurial experience, commercial insight and the ability to establish meaningful corporate partnerships.

Van Niekerk brings extensive experience in scaling businesses across Africa, raising capital and developing sustainable funding networks. His strategic insight and corporate relationships are expected to support RX Radio in strengthening its funding model, attracting new corporate partners and extending the reach of its programming.

“Children should be empowered to take control of their own narratives,” said Van Niekerk. “RX Radio gives young people a voice at a time when they can feel most vulnerable and isolated. By combining the extraordinary child-led spirit of RX Radio with stronger strategic leadership and sustainable corporate support, we can amplify those voices and reach many more children.”

Numeral Team Support

Van Niekerk’s team at Numeral Group is already working alongside RX Radio to strengthen its digital capabilities and make it easier for individuals, businesses and corporate partners to support the organisation.

This work includes developing more effective payment gateways and enhancing RX Radio’s website to create a simpler, more accessible donor experience. The objective is to enable both once-off and recurring contributions while providing corporate sponsors with clearer opportunities to fund specific programmes, broadcasting initiatives and future expansion projects.

The improved digital platform will also help RX Radio communicate its impact more effectively, reach new audiences and build a broader community of supporters around its work.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for people and businesses to understand RX Radio’s impact and participate in its future,” said Van Niekerk.

Van Niekerk said there are many companies that genuinely want to support meaningful initiatives for children, but they need a clear and credible way to contribute and see the difference their support is making.”

“These digital improvements will help RX Radio connect with those organisations, create sustainable funding relationships and ensure that more resources are directed towards the children who need them,” he buttressed.

Bold Vision

Although RX Radio is presently anchored at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, Van Niekerk believes its successful model has the potential to be introduced into children’s hospitals and paediatric healthcare facilities throughout Southern Africa.

His longer-term vision includes supporting the establishment of RX Radio platforms in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, working alongside hospitals, healthcare providers, governments, development organisations and corporate partners in each country.

The intention would be to adapt RX Radio’s proven child-led broadcasting model to the needs of children in each market, creating opportunities for young patients to share their stories, connect with other children and participate meaningfully in conversations about their health and wellbeing.

“Children across Africa face many of the same fears when receiving medical treatment … loneliness, uncertainty and the feeling that decisions are being made around them without their voices being heard,” said Van Niekerk.

According to him, their vision is to explore how RX Radio can be introduced into Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, giving children in these countries a platform through which they can connect, communicate and regain a sense of confidence and control.”

Each country’s platform would be developed in partnership with local stakeholders and shaped around its particular healthcare environment, languages, cultures and communities. The objective would not simply be to broadcast content from South Africa, but to empower children in every participating country to create and present their own locally relevant programming.

Partnerships

RX Radio and Numeral Group are inviting companies, foundations, development organisations and philanthropic partners to support the continued operation and regional expansion of this important initiative.

Corporate partners can contribute through direct sponsorship, programme funding, technology and digital support, broadcasting resources, employee participation and longer-term strategic partnerships.

Children’s hospitals and paediatric healthcare facilities in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Eswatini are also invited to engage with RX Radio and explore the possibility of establishing child-led broadcasting platforms within their facilities.

The regional vision will depend on collaboration between hospitals, paediatric specialists, governments, broadcasters, corporate sponsors and community organisations. Van Niekerk hopes to use Numeral Group’s business networks and operational experience across Africa to help establish the partnerships and sustainable funding structures required to make this vision possible.

“This is an opportunity for corporate Africa to participate in something with measurable and deeply human impact,” Van Niekerk said.

Every partnership can help a child feel less isolated, more confident and more hopeful about the future, h explained.

“Children should be able to heal together, share their experiences and confidently shape their own futures. The impact achieved by RX Radio in South Africa demonstrates what is possible. The  ambition is to bring that same sense of connection, confidence and hope to children across Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and, ultimately, the wider African continent,” he added.

Van Niekerk’s appointment represents an important step in RX Radio’s journey towards greater financial sustainability, broader corporate participation and a meaningful African footprint … ensuring that the voices of children living with serious health conditions are heard, valued and celebrated.