Some South Africans will know her as the bubbly hostess who recently brought several TV shows. But the majority will agree that they fell in love with her on the radio, where she hosts The Power Life – a health, lifestyle, and sex talk show. In one of our previous articles we already mentioned that radio is South Africa’s youth number one medium. So meet one of the main radio heroes there Ms. Masechaba Lekalake.
“Power Life is the one show on the station that cuts across various demographic segments. It expands on the serious matters of the heart and reflects on people’s personal issues, challenges, struggles, and triumphs. People find it easy to talk to me because I listen with genuine interest. Even strangers from outside the radio realm find it easy to connect with me. Radio became the first platform where I could tap into my calling, and it is where I can make an impact on society.”
Born in neighbouring Zambia to Soweto revolutionaries some 31 years ago, Masechaba spent the first five years of her life in Lusaka and a few more months in Zimbabwe. Aged just 6, she took the long flight to the United States, where she joined her parents in California.
“My parents travelled a lot, so keeping friends wasn’t easy. I moved to the US when I was 6 because my parents went to study there. During those years I would spend most of my time alone because my parents were busy with their studies. I was what they would call a latchkey child, meaning 90% of the time, I was home alone,” she stated.
Masechaba would go on to study in the bright lights of Oakland for seven years. Having returned home in 1995, and having written short stories that were published in local children’s magazines in the United States, Masechaba knew that her destiny was in the media industry.
“I’m a shy person, but I have learnt to be confident. The confidence was a conscious effort, because I didn’t socialise easily. I found solace in books instead,” she confided.
Back home, her broadcasting career kicked off at Urban Brew studios, but she subsequently resigned and became a freelance writer before joining the SABC. She then went on to become the anchor of terrestrial TV channel eNews Africa.
She has established herself among the cluster of vibrant young female broadcasters, with other media experiences that include directing music videos and hosting entertainment events.
Power FM is barely a year old, but Masechaba took it to dizzying heights when she won the station’s first MTN Radio Award. Power Life won the Best Commercial Night Time Show.
“I believed that we could win the award because I like to affirm positive things, but at the same time we were up against very good shows. It’s an honour, because this was our inaugural year and the first time at the awards. The team is very happy with this achievement, and we hope to grow from strength to strength,” she professed after winning the award.
She looks up to Power FM colleague Lerato Mbele and believes that women in radio have what it takes to match their male counterparts.
“I don’t subscribe to this industry’s fickle sheep mentality! If God created you different, why on earth do you want to be like someone else? I’ve always been and will always be 100% me, inside and out,” she divulged.
She is also riding the crest of a wave as the Chief Executive Officer for Masechaba Media, and she is currently an Ambassador for the Gauteng Tourism Authority, Seychelles Islands, and Rainbow and Smiles.
Fact File
Full Names: Masechaba Lekalake
Date of Birth: 1983
Place of Birth: Lusaka, Zambia
Likes: Picnics and inspirational books
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