My story in radio started long before I ever entered a studio. My father was involved in the early days of Capital Radio in South Africa and helped roll out FM transmitters across the former Transkei, which today includes parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. He began in electronics and later moved into studio engineering. I grew up surrounded by the hum of transmitters, circuit boards, and a love for sound.

Ironically, I never planned to follow in his footsteps. I originally wanted to study business management. That was the path I thought I would take.

In 2000, after matriculating, I took a gap year and traveled to the United States. I worked at a summer camp in Pennsylvania as a lifeguard and first aid/CPR responder. It was a season that taught me responsibility, teamwork, and leadership. When I returned to South Africa, I was unsure of my next step. My father introduced me to contacts at ADSAT Corporate Communications, and that is where everything began.

I joined ADSAT in 2002 as a Production Assistant for Radio Hypermarket, which was part of Pick n Pay’s in-store radio network. What started as a three-month trial turned into three years of hands-on experience producing adverts, promotions, and in-store audio content. I discovered a genuine love for sound design and production.

Around 2004, I began working part-time at Classic FM 102.7 in Johannesburg as a studio controller for The Alec Hogg Show. When the business show later moved to Rosebank, I joined full-time as a Production Assistant. For several years, I created promos, commercials, and content that shaped Classic FM’s sound.

By 2009, I wanted to broaden my skills beyond commercial production. I moved to Port Alfred to help launch a new community station called Kowie FM. I handled everything from music programming and production to technical setup and operations. It was an intense and rewarding experience that taught me how to build and run a radio station from scratch. Although the project faced financial challenges and ended within a year, it laid the foundation for my next chapter.

After returning to Johannesburg, I briefly rejoined ADSAT before co-founding a start-up called Frequency Works, which provided IP-based in-store music for Woolworths, Virgin Active, and Mike’s Kitchen. The venture lasted about a year before closing, and shortly after that I was invited back to Classic FM, this time as a Broadcast Engineer.

This became a defining phase of my career. I began leading outside broadcasts, modernizing studio systems, and managing major technical transitions. In 2016, I oversaw Classic FM’s migration from analog to digital, moving from the Jorissen Street studios to Melrose Arch and implementing advanced Audio over IP systems such as Axia Livewire, Pathfinder, and iProfiler.

When Classic FM went into business rescue in 2019, I stayed on to keep the station operational during the transition to new ownership. I continued until mid-2021 when Classic 102.7 merged with HOT 102.7 FM. I was the only engineer from the original Classic team retained and played a key role in building HOT’s new Axia-based broadcast network.

During that period, I also designed and built the studio facilities for Star FM, which later became 91.9 FM in Sandton. The project became another proud milestone and remains one of Johannesburg’s most respected community radio setups.

From around 2015, my interest in audio production expanded into music production. I began composing and producing electronic and trance music, creating a space where technical precision meets creativity. I release music under two profiles: as Augmented Echo, where I focus on futuristic and emotional soundscapes, and under Gareth David, where I produce trance and progressive tracks on SoundCloud. Music production has become a creative outlet that complements my career in broadcasting and deepens my understanding of sound.

In October 2022, I received a call from Gagasi FM in KwaZulu-Natal offering a senior technical position. It was an opportunity to lead a much larger FM network spanning eight transmitter sites and serving over 1.5 million listeners. I accepted without hesitation.

Since joining Gagasi FM, I have introduced new technologies, improved system efficiency, and strengthened both IT and broadcast infrastructure. Over the years, I have worked across multiple disciplines. I have produced audio, created video content, designed graphics, and built and managed websites from scratch. I have been deeply involved in broadcast engineering, transmission, and the delivery of audio to transmission sites. I work extensively in IT and cybersecurity, managing firewalls, domain setups, backups, and disaster recovery systems. I have led projects involving power redundancy, studio builds, and outside broadcasts. My work integrates creativity, technology, and strategic thinking into one goal: improving reliability and performance at every level of operation.

This year marks my 23rd year in broadcasting. From in-store retail radio to large-scale FM networks, my journey has been about learning, building, and evolving. I continue to work with stations across South Africa, offering technical insight, infrastructure design, and strategic guidance.

Radio has always been about connection, and my mission is to help every broadcaster deliver reliable, high-quality sound that connects people and communities.

If you share that vision, let’s connect.