By Qabaqongo France
My top seven “it” radio girls are Bonang Matheba, Pearl Thusi, Minnie Dlamini, Pearl Modiadie, Lerato Kganyago, Luthando Lootlove Shosha, and Thando Thabethe – in no particular order.
They each are afforded the “it” girl badge due to their dominance of our media platforms like gracing our TV screens, tabloid magazine covers and newspaper front pages, being faces of cosmetics, car and retail brands, having a huge social media following, radio gigs, you name them. Obviously, Bonang Matheba has for a long time been, and still is, getting bigger TV , MC and endorsement deals than the other six “it” girls due to her work ethic, hardworking management, momentous social media following, best presenting, articulation, interviewing skills, amazing fashion sense, popularity, facial beauty, posh hairdos, physique, her experience in the industry, and many many other things.
The other six ladies each have their own success stories in the media landscape and in other aspects. However, this piece is more about the above mentioned ladies and their radio stints. Bonang Matheba had a split mid-morning show on YFM before landing a job on Metro FM as the host of the mid-morning show, that was called The Front Row, which was recently scrapped following her unexpected resignation from the station. I regard a mid-morning show as the prime time show, especially on Metro FM, the biggest English, urban and commercial radio station in the country. The #AskAMan feature on her show trended throughout the day every weekday on Twitter. However, Twitter following or trends don’t necessarily translate to a high listenership figures. That is all there is to her radio life currently.
Pearl Thusi volunteered as a radio presenter by joining The Real Phat Joe on Saturday mornings on Metro FM, and was subsequently offered a graveyard show on early Sunday mornings, which was called The Black-Out. She eventually resigned from the station last year.
Minnie Dlamini had a short stint on Ukhozi FM where she was presented entertainment news and related content, and was at some point an entertainment news reporter on Adil’s show, that was called The Metro FM Experience, which was a top 40 hits countdown show airing on Saturdays from 12 noon till 3 pm. She did not stay long on the show though.
Pearl Modiadie used to host a graveyard show on YFM, then took a break on radio, before landing a job on Metro FM as a host of the weekday mid day show, called The Great Escape , alongside Among Mokoena.
Lerato Kganyago got a radio gig on Metro FM as a host of the Saturday mid day show, that was called The Five Star Show, with William Lehong as her co-host. She then joined MoFlava as a co-host on the split breakfast show, that was called The Morning Fix, then moved with him to host the afternoon drive show that was called The Drive, until she was recently moved to host the mid-morning show called The Bridge, alongside Dineo Ranaka. So, Lerato Kganyago basically co-hosted the weekday split breakfast show, the weekday afternoon drive show, the Saturday mid day show and now co-hosts the mid-morning show. She has done all these shows in about two years, and with not much prior radio experience.
Luthando Lootlove Shosha was on a regional radio station in the Eastern Cape a few years back. And was recently hosting the Saturday breakfast show on Metro FM, alongside Adil. She was heard on Saturday and Sunday evenings , but it’s not yet clear which show she will now be hosting, if at all, since the are just a few changes that are still to be made on Metro FM this coming weekend
Thando Thabethe used to be on Y FM before joining 5 FM to host the Sunday 10 am to 1 pm show, that was called Beats By Demand. She then moved to The Roger Goode show and was doing traffic reporting. She was subsequently offered a weekday 10 am – 1 pm show, that was called The Thando Thabooty Show, and she will now be hosting the afternoon drive show on 5 FM starting on the 1st of May 2017. She is the first female presenter to host the afternoon drive show on 5 FM
Thando has achieved a lot at such a young age, and within a short space of time. Out of all these “it” girls, I think she is the only one who does radio presenting, TV acting and TV presenting and excels at all of them. In radio I can now put her in the league of Azania Mosaka, Anele Mdoda, Dineo Ranaka, and Unathi Msengana.
