DJ Cleo’s Friday night radio shakeup makes Nomonde Sky’s radio dream come true

Since joining Radio 2000 earlier this year, musician DJ Cleo has given the station’s listeners a different feel to their Friday night radio experience through live performances by a variety of artists on his show, The Eskhaleni Party.

To make things more unique for his listeners, real name Cleopas Monyepao, DJ Cleo announced on social media that he would like to have four young co-hosts for the month of August on his show.

Poet Nomonde ‘Sky’ Mlotshwa is known to many as a poet who has built her reputation through videos on social media and live performances in different parts of the country.

Her followers were aware of her radio-hosting dream and they tagged him on Cleo’s post to try her luck.

“I was tagged by my followers to submit mine and I did and sure enough I’m one of the four co-hosts chosen,” poet the lass from Tembisa told The Citizen.

@nomonde_sky02 Tomorrow, the 23rd of August i’ll be co.hosting with Dj Cleo live on radio 2000 at 22:00pm till midnight. Please tune in, call in, wish me luck, lets have a party please🥹🥹🥹 #EskhaleniParty #nomondesky #iam #word #radio2000 #levelup #levelupAfrica #RadioDreams ♬ original sound – Nomonde Sky

“There’s a part in the promo videos we did with him where he says ‘your radio boss might be listening’ and with tonight I’m hoping my radio boss listens and I get employed on the spot,” she said laughing.

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Growth through Social media

Through social media, Mlotshwa has built an ardent following.

Sometimes hilarious, other times serious as the topic she’s tackling, but her work is never short of being done painstakingly and this has probably made it easier for her work to be shared and rehashed many times on different social platforms.

@nomonde_sky02 Favourite ex #sky #word #fyp #nomondesky #fyp #her #womensMonth #iam #tiktoklevelup ♬ original sound – Nomonde Sky

“Social media has been extremely vital in exposing me to a wider audience. People share my stuff on their statuses and their friends get to know of me if they don’t already,” Mlotshwa said.

She currently sits at more than 300,000 followers on TikTok. Her poetry is honest, bordering on social commentary through gripping storytelling.

“I’m getting more shows and more bookings because of the shares, likes and new followers too. So much so [that] I’ve been booked to perform in Swaziland in September.”

Along with her poetry, Mlotshwa does voiceover work.

“I just did voiceover work for an event happening in Manchester so yes, all these gigs I am getting are a sign of my growth.”

She performed on eNCA in June in commemoration of Youth Month.

Mlotshwa is currently preparing for a performance at King’s Kraal in Bryanston on the 29th of August.

“Swaziland on the 28th of September and the late great poet Celow Mpungose’s tribute show happening in association with poets cafe in Middleburg on the 26th of October and some collaborations on the pipeline that people will be blown away by,” she said of her immediate future plans.

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