Thandoluhle Boitshwarelo’s dream of being on radio came alive in 2021 when she auditioned for the Yarona FM Game Changers competition.
After standing out from the pack for her charisma and fun personality, Boitshwarelo got a chance to host her own show last year called The Beat.
We caught up with Luhle to find out how it’s going so far.
Kindly please introduce yourself and what you do?
My name is Thandoluhle Boitshwarelo, a qualified SHE Officer and Director of The Butterfly Promotional Agency.
I am also a radio host for Yarona FM’s The Beat.
When did you get into radio?
In 2021, I auditioned for Yarona FM’s Game Changers competition, an initiative aimed at finding new talent and generating fresh content for Yarona FM.
There was a lot of training and mentorship that ran into 2022 for about a year.
Then, exactly 12 months ago, I officially became a Yarona FM presenter.
Have you always wanted to be on radio?
Not at all!
I have always dreamed of being on TV.
It wasn’t until 2019 that I fell in love with the idea of being on radio, especially being able to interact with callers.
At the time, I was working for a production company called Mowana Pictures.
I guess they started seeing potential in me and they offered me my first TV show gig.
It had a radio show element to it because there were microphones and I had to put on those big headsets like they do on radio.
Also, people could call in and I got to engage with them.
By the time I was introduced to Game Changers, I already had some knowledge and experience of how live radio works and decided to try my luck.
Tell us about those few minutes before going on air, what goes through your mind?
Gosh!
A lot goes through my mind.
It suddenly hits you that thousands of people are listening to you, relying on you to feed them with information, educate them and most importantly keep them entertained for the duration of your programme.
Can you recall your biggest blunder on air? How did you fix it?
I can’t seem to get over this moment, no matter how hard I try!
So, I was doing day time weekend radio at the time.
I was still new to professional radio and I wasn’t so good at the technical stuff.
It was time for the news and my job was to cue the newsreader in.
I didnt know which buttons to press so I just froze.
Scariest seconds of my life.
I somehow came out of it though and the show continued.
Since then, I made it a point to learn as much as I can, including tasks which aren’t necessarily mine.
Woah, that must have been scary. What about your most memorable moment?
I recently attended the Northern Trade Fair in Francistown doing the outside broadcast and I loved every moment of it.
The last time I attended the fair was six years ago, I was a mere promo girl at the time and I returned to Francistown which is actually my hometown, as a Yarona FM presenter.
It really reminded me of my journey and how much I have grown since.
Love that for you. So, what does Luhle do for fun?
I have such an outgoing personality, always out and about mingling with friends and family.
I love taking my people out on dates, whether it’s picnic dates, eating out, all that stuff.
I also really love travelling.
What about when you’re at your lowest, who or what do you turn to?
I go to God! I have a strong personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and I turn to God for counselling, guidance and motivation.
I also have a very prayerful circle of people who hold me high to the Holy Spirit when life has hit me hard.
A word of advice to a young girl who religiously listens to your shows and dreams of one day also being on radio?
If you can dream it, then believe it.
Just tell yourself that if I could do it, so can you.
Five things that people don’t know about you?
1. I’m a poet
2. I don’t drink but trust me to be the life of the party
3. I was bullied a lot when I was growing up
4. Football is my favourite sport…defence being my strength
5. I’m an action movies type of girl
