Capital FM
Blantyre’s news, business and music station, on air since 1999. Tune in on 96.4 or 96.6 FM, depending on where you live. Its online streams were not working when we tested them, so FM is the sure way for now.
- 96.4 & 96.6 FM
- FM uses no data
- On air since 1999
Quick answer: Tune your radio to 96.4 FM in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and other main towns, or 96.6 FM in places like Zomba, Dedza, Rumphi and Mulanje. Those are the numbers Malawi’s regulator MACRA gives Capital Radio, and the ones the station itself advertises. Old lists that say 102.5 are out of date. Capital FM’s online streams did not play when we tested them in October 2026.
Three ways to follow Capital FM
Capital FM frequencies
Under MACRA’s current FM plan, Capital FM uses 96.4 in some areas and 96.6 in others, so two nearby transmitters do not clash. In Blantyre, its home city, it is 96.4.
- 96.4 FM
- 96.6 FM
Northern Region
- 96.6FMChitipa
- 96.4FMKaronga
- 96.4FMLivingstonia
- 96.6FMRumphi
- 96.4FMMzuzu
- 96.6FMChikangawa
Central Region
- 96.6FMKasungu
- 96.4FMNkhotakota
- 96.6FMDwangwa
- 96.6FMNtchisi
- 96.6FMDowa
- 96.4FMSalima
- 96.4FMMchinji
- 96.4FMLilongwe
- 96.6FMDedza
- 96.4FMNtcheu
Southern Region
- 96.6FMMangochi
- 96.6FMZomba
- 96.6FMMwanza
- 96.4FMBlantyre
- 96.6FMMulanje
- 96.4FMNgabu
- 96.6FMNsanje
Older numbers. Radio directories and apps still list Capital FM on 102.5 or 102.6 FM in Blantyre, from before MACRA moved Malawi’s stations to new numbers in 2024. Those are out of date. If your number is quiet, try the other one, then tap Scan on your radio. A licensed frequency does not always mean a transmitter is running in every area.
No radio set? Use your phone’s FM app
- Plug in wired earphones. The cable is the aerial, so Bluetooth earphones will not work.
- Open the FM Radio app. Many Tecno, itel and Infinix phones have one built in.
- Type 96.4 or 96.6, or tap Scan and look for Capital.
- Want the loudspeaker? Switch the sound to the speaker, but leave the earphones plugged in.
It uses no data and no airtime. iPhones do not have an FM app.
Can I stream Capital FM?
Not for now. We tested every online link we could find on 17 October 2026, and none of them played:
The station’s own stream link, shared in its posts on X, leads to a streaming server that no longer carries Capital FM.
Online Radio Box, a popular radio site and app, uses that same dead link, so it stays silent.
Zeno.fm has a Capital FM Malawi page, but its Listen button did not start the station, while other Malawian stations on Zeno played fine in the same test.
The station’s old website, capitalradiomalawi.com, no longer opens.
- Stream link
- Off
- Online Radio Box
- Off
- Zeno.fm
- Off
- Website
- Offline
Worth a quick check later. Streams come back when a station switches its encoder on again. Open the Zeno.fm page and tap Listen, or watch Capital FM’s Facebook page for a new stream link. Until then, FM is the only way to hear it live.
Capital FM news and updates
We found no way to replay past Capital FM shows. The station posts news, clips and announcements on social media, where it calls itself @capitalfmmw.
Video uses far more data than radio. On a small bundle, stick to FM.
Who runs Capital FM?
Capital FM, licensed as Capital Radio, is a privately owned commercial station based in Blantyre. Journalist Alaudin Osman launched it on 29 March 1999. Its slogan sums up the mix: News. Business. Music. Between news and talk it plays adult contemporary music.
Capital is best known for its talk shows, such as Straight Talk, where politicians and public figures answer questions on air. That has put it at the centre of press freedom rows: reporters were arrested over an interview in 2004, and in 2005 the station challenged an old law that limited what the media could say about leaders.
In September 2022 Capital went off air after MACRA revoked its licence over unpaid fees. The station paid, applied again and was granted a fresh licence (Nation, IJNet). Since MACRA’s 2024 frequency change, it has advertised itself on 96.4 and 96.6 FM.
- Type
- Commercial radio
- Base
- Blantyre
- Since
- 29 March 1999
- FM
- 96.4 & 96.6
Capital FM FAQ
Is Capital FM the same as Capital Radio?
Yes. MACRA’s licence list says Capital Radio. The station calls itself Capital FM Malawi on air and online. It has nothing to do with Capital FM in Kenya or the UK.
Why does my radio app say 102.5?
Apps and directories still show Capital’s frequency from before MACRA moved Malawi’s stations to new numbers. Today the station uses 96.4 and 96.6 FM.
Why does the online stream not play?
The server behind the station’s stream link no longer carries it, and the Zeno.fm stream would not start when we tested in October 2026. Only the station can fix that. Use FM in the meantime.
Can I listen from outside Malawi?
Only online, and none of the streams worked when we checked. If one comes back, it will work from anywhere. Malawi is on Central Africa Time (GMT+2).
Which frequency should I try first?
In Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and the other towns marked 96.4 above, start with 96.4. Elsewhere start with 96.6, then try the other one.
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