Power 98.7 FM

Power 98.7 launched on June 18, 2013, as a commercial Gauteng station operating under a distinct Talk Pop Sports and Business format. Catering to progressive professionals and the emerging middle class, it rejects traditional talk radio’s rigid tone. Instead, the station shapes its grid around an urban professional’s daily psychological flow: Awakening → Mobilization → Deep Focus → Respite → Commute → Wealth → Reflection. The station’s authority relies on the political weight of its hosts. Sociologist Tessa Dooms anchors POWER Breakfast, handling sharp policy debates before tossing to sports veteran BBK. Mid-days feature POWER Talk with Mondli Makhanya, former editor-in-chief of City Press, who drives intense civic dialogues. After POWER Lunch and the sharp wits of POWER Drive, the focus turns to money with POWER Business, analyzing JSE trends. Nights close with POWER Perspective, where former Johannesburg Council Speaker Colleen Makhubele deconstructs regional governance. Weekends offer curated jazz, house, and R&B, featuring Lerato Mvelase and Clementine Mabena.

This is not a station for casual background music or light, escapist banter; the heavy analytical focus will quickly exhaust casual listeners. To tune in, audiences can use 98.7 FM across Gauteng, or access the live digital streams via their official website and mobile apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

I streamed the station via their mobile app this week during the morning rush. The audio feed was perfectly stable, though the automated jump into a loud, regional car dealership ad felt jarringly abrupt. The on-air execution, however, was flawless. I watched Mondli Makhanya masterfully anchor POWER Talk when a caller phoned in to complain about Johannesburg’s municipal failures. Instead of nodding along, Makhanya cross-examined the listener on local council budget allocations, cutting through standard platitudes to force a high-stakes debate on accountability right through the traffic updates.