The Radio Archives collects and receives material from all the SABC Public Broadcast Services (PBS) Radio Services of which selected material is catalogued and preserved in the various archive repositories across the country, as well as on a server from 2012 in Johannesburg. The regions are also preserving to the same centralised server since 2024.

A small percentage of the collection is donated by former staff or the public.
The collection includes 78 r.p.m. disks, acetate records, old broadcast tapes, mini-disks, CD’s etc.

The Radio Archives has an ongoing oral history project. The project focuses on supplementing the Radio Archive catalogue by including interviews with personalities broadcast by the SABC. In addition, it has established a collection of natural and habitat sounds of Southern Africa, The Wildlife Sounds of the African Bush. 
 

The SABC Sound Archives preserves material for the following reasons:

1) To preserve SABC broadcasts and raw material as a corporate function;
2) To be of service as a well-organised source of broadcast material to the SABC;
3 To preserve permanently highlights in the history of the development and broadcast patterns of broadcasting in South Africa;
4) To bequeath to future generations an audio-image of South Africa at certain periods as it was portrayed by the SABC;
5) To provide researchers with information and facts on sound carriers that are not available in any other form;
6) To preserve, as part of the National Broadcaster’s function and as far as possible, complete recordings of the South African 
culture legends and oral traditions, including a comprehensive set of nature and habitat sounds of South Africa
 

Contact details:

SABC Radio Archives: Johannesburg

Manager: Karen du Toit
dutoitk@sabc.co.za 
+27 11 714 2718

Requests: Joseph Lobeko lobekoj@sabc.co.za   +27 11 714 2848
                Akhona Mfula mfulaa@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 4881

Administrator & Restoration Officer: Brenda Klassen klassenbr@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 3351

Ikwekwezi Archivist: Danile Mohlamme mohlammeda@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 2386
Sport Archivist: Kgothatso Modipa modipakl@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 4671
Restoration Archivist: Obakeng Phiri phiriot@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 2045
Springbok Radio: Sipho Hlophe hlophesg@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 3034
Channel Africa Archivist: (Intern): Philasande Khumalo: khumalopm@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 
News & Actuality Archivist (Intern): Nothando Mngadi mngadin@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 7872
Music Archivist: Florence Ramikosi ramikosifm@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 3054
Afrikaans Archivist: Marianne Valentine valentinem@sabc.co.za  +27 11 714 7591
Transcription Archivist: Malebone Makena makenamk@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 2827
English Archivist: Tumelo Mahlaka mahlakatc@sabc.co.za +27 11 714 1605


SABC Regional Archives and Archivists:
 

Contact details for all  TV and Radio sales related queries:

Email:  content@sabc.co.za

Telephone number  +27 11 714 8066