This article uses radio broadcasting as a lens into the fraught relationship between the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party during exile. Unlike the armed struggle, which waxed and waned, radio broadcasting remained a constant preoccupation for many constituencies within this alliance. This article provides several examples of the growing emphasis on radio broadcasting during the three decades of exile, explores the theoretical underpinnings of this strategic turn, and concludes with a discussion of the role of radio in the context of the camp mutinies in Angola. During this time, radio broadcasting underwent a significant transformation, beginning as a clandestine voice in the dark and ending as a significant means of public representation with a truly international reach. To illuminate this history, I will bring some of the literature on broadcasting in Africa into conversation with the voluminous writings on the South African exile community. © The Editorial Board of the Journal of Southern African Studies. © 2009 The Editorial Board.

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radio nationalism Communication South Africa communism