South Africa Mourns Darren Scott: Legendary Broadcaster Passes Away at 61

After a long and valiant battle with melanoma, a type of skin cancer he had fought for almost forty years, veteran radio DJ and sports broadcaster Darren Scott passed away at the age of sixty-one.

The broadcasting community in South Africa is in mourning following Scott’s death, which was confirmed on Tuesday. On social media, friends, fans, and coworkers have been posting condolence messages.

Over the years, Scott, who is well-known for his witty banter, inventiveness, and intense passion for radio, worked at some of the best stations in the nation, including Radio Bop, 5FM, Jacaranda FM, East Coast Radio, and more recently, HOT 102.7FM.

In a heartfelt statement, HOT 102.7FM, his current station, said:

“Darren has had a lot of hospital stays over the past few months, which has been really challenging. Darren will always be known for his love of radio, humor, inventiveness, and altruism. All of us at Hot 1027 and listeners nationwide will miss him.

Over the years, Scott had been candid about his battle with cancer. In a December 2024 Facebook post, he disclosed that he had been living with melanoma for 38 years, having received his initial diagnosis in 1986. The cancer returned aggressively in spite of numerous treatments and hospital stays.

Scott had once moved to the US to be near his kids. But because medical care was so expensive, he went back to South Africa to work and save money for his care.

To help pay for his medical bills, his ex-wife, Sarah-Kate Accetta, started a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign in April 2025. The public’s deep love and respect for him was demonstrated by the campaign, which raised over R410,000 toward a goal of R960,000.

In addition to his sons, Mark and Matthew, Scott leaves behind a legacy that radio listeners nationwide will always treasure. We will never forget his voice, enthusiasm, and dedication to the radio.

Rest in peace, Darren.

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Sourced:The Citizen

Picture: X/@thecrowetips