Sky Alpha Radio has gone where no broadcaster in Lesotho has ever gone before and it joins several other digital broadcasting pioneers in Africa who are set to ring in the democratization of knowledge and the airwaves throughout the continent. Since its inception over a year ago, Sky Alpha, which broadcasts across the globe, has amassed over 165 000 listeners in 165 countries.
Mr. Mollo considers himself a citizen of the world, having been born in Denmark to Basotho parents and grew up in South Africa. He is a serial entrepreneur with interests in various businesses including craft brewing, cannabis farming, and digital media. His daily reminder to himself is that “there’s nothing to do, but to do it...” In this interview, Mr. Mollo discusses issues on pioneering internet radio in Lesotho with Advocate Mothepa Ndumo (MN).
MN: Internet broadcasting is still very much in its infancy in Lesotho, why did you decide to invest in a pioneering start-up like Sky Alpha Radio?
KM: The digital realm is where the world seems to be headed. The digital economy has caught alight everywhere in the world, and while Lesotho may lag behind a bit, we will certainly be heading that way too, so it made sense to me to be an early adapter.
I also wanted to be the change I have wanted to see. I have always yearned for a particular type of content on the radio in Lesotho and thought this might be the opportunity for me to try and deliver it myself. It was a no-brainer investing in the concept because it is my firm view that the growth opportunity for an entity like ours is exponential.
MN: You mentioned some very exciting expansion plans for Sky Alpha recently, would you care to elaborate on those plans and the rationale behind them?
KM: Sky Alpha HD is on the right growth path. With any luck, it will continue that way, and people will carry on engaging with what we are doing. We feel like the media space in Southern Africa is ripe for an integrated multimedia content platform.
Sky Alpha TV is already upon us and we are going to polish that side of the business till it is world-class. We are working on providing a blog space for people across the globe to contribute as well, but we would like to encourage Basotho writers especially.
We would really like to see the creative industry booming and providing not just livings, but comfortable livings, for the players in the space. I call it the creative economy, and I think it is the next big growth area.
Our interest is not only altruistic though, but we also feel there could be an economic benefit for our business. Who knows, perhaps one day will be counted amongst the biggest media platforms in Africa and the world? That is our ultimate goal, but in the medium and short term, we want to transition into a full-service multimedia corporation.
