Citizen Band (CB) radio has gone license free in South Africa: Great for local comms when power fails or just to chat to your community

This is now really a low barrier to entry as no rigorous exam required like with amateur radio licenses, and the operating procedures are also way simpler. You do however need to have a type approved radio i.e. a CB radio approved by ICASA, which is standard for all radio transmitters in the country. The type approval certifies the radio will only transmit on the approved frequencies, below the approved power levels, and without causing interference to licensed frequencies.

Government Gazette Vol. 695 23 May 2023 No. 48643 has promulgated this change.

Apart from communities being able to establish local nets to keep in contact and chat, having a CB radio can be useful when travelling (like truckers use) to make contact along the way, and if you have a 12V battery at home, you can also use it during a grid blackout to keep in communication with your community. With social networks fragmenting like they are, maybe it is time for analogue radio to make a comeback! The CB frequencies are really quiet right now, and not like back in the 1980’s when you could not get a gap to get on the air sometimes.