Women’s Month: Karabo Ntshweng, the hostess with the mostest

Throughout her 17 year career in the local broadcasting industry, media personality Karabo Ntshweng has proven to be a formidable force.

This vibrant and witty presenter kicked off her career on SABC1’s popular youth television programme YoTV, which groomed her into the impressive host she is today.

She recently made her weekday radio debut as the host of Early Mornings With Karabo on 5FM every morning between 4am and 6am.

Karabo opens up and shares some personal and fun tidbits about herself:

Ideal dinner date with influential people

Karabo admits that if she had the opportunity to host three people, dead or alive, for dinner, her first guest would be author Toni Morrison. “My love for books was largely influenced by her writing.”

She says she would also want Brenda Fassie and Elon Musk around the table.

Most embarrassing moments

“Live TV is a beast. So many things can go wrong. I’ve had my braids literally start falling off while I was doing a live TV show before. I’ve also had a co-presenter faint live on air and I had to pick up the pieces – and did a really bad job at it.”

Lifelong dream and aspiration

“I was one of those kids who changed what they wanted to be literally every day. But an author is one of them. Instead of playing outside with other children I’d be writing my own children’s books.

Being proud of the woman she has become

“I have invested in myself heavily since I was young. Growing up as a ‘child star’ so many things can go wrong. You see this in Hollywood so often. I am grateful I have surrounded myself with people who ground me.”

Her dream gig would involve loads of travel

“Imagine being paid to travel and experience different cultures for a living while documenting it!

“I am absolutely fascinated by human behaviour and how our cultures and background influence how we navigate the world so presenting a show like this would be a dream come true.”

The person who made the biggest impression on her life

Meeting and interviewing Nelson Mandela continues to inspire her as the years go by.

“I was so nonchalant about it when it happened, but as I grew older, I realised what a big deal that was. It’s a career highlight for sure.”

Three of her favourite cities are …

“I love Thailand for its island vibes and the friendly people, New York City because I’m a sucker for city living and that place is the ultimate city destination and Cape Town because I never ever get tired of how happy my heart is when I am there.”

What would be inside her dream closet

“My dream closet includes lots and lots of Nike sneakers and Adidas gear because that’s literally all I wear. In fact, I see myself owning Rainbow’s closet in the series Black-ish. They style her incredibly well!”

What she loves about radio broadcasting

“My favourite thing about radio is realising how similar we all are and how many experiences we actually share.

“We’re all different and extremely diverse, which is something I love about South Africa so much, but we really are the same in many ways. That’s the best thing about radio, you really get to know your audience.”

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