Five minutes with radio presenter Nhlosenhle Sibeko

Rising radio star Nhlosenhle Sibeko swapped being a listener for a job as  host.

Nhlosenhle, aka NLS, is a radio presenter at Boston Media House. He hails from KwaZulu-Natal but grew up in Hartbeespoort, North West.

The 26-year-old became interested in radio and broadcasting as a listener while being driven to school.

“I would listen to radio and it always provided comfort for me, to the point where I got interested in it and now I'm here. I also had a huge love for music. Radio made sense to me. Music is such a huge part of my personality — that and connecting with people. Radio happens to be the perfect mixture between connecting with people and music,” he said.

How would you describe the vibe and genre of your show? Is it more music-driven, talk-based, interview-focused or a mix?

I would say it has an energetic vibe and the show is mainly music-driven. Yes, there are interviews, but it's purely music-driven and that reflects my personality.

How would you describe your on-air persona? Is it close to who you are away from the mic?

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to study media and major in radio, and one of the things that they teach us from the get-go is that there is no such thing as an on-air personality. You need to be yourself. On radio authenticity is key. So, I would say that my personality on air perfectly resembles my real-life personality because it's one and the same thing. I can't be somebody else on the radio when radio is about authenticity.

As a presenter with a voice and a growing platform, what do you stand for? What message or impact do you hope to bring to your audience, both now and in the future? Is there a particular cause, or value, you’re passionate about amplifying through your work?

With the platform I have, I try to push for youth empowerment, because if there's one thing that we have to realise and recognise is that we live in a digital age where people have a lot more talent that they want to put out there. I want you uplift the talented youth. I want to use this platform to uplift young people. A lot of young people are getting into content creation, into music, into more creative spaces and we need an outlet where young people can be discovered and the way young people can be pushed out there through traditional media. So that's what I want to do. I want to use my voice and my platform to recognise the creativity and the talents of the youth because times are changing. It's good that we embrace it and monetise that creativity.

What do you think sets you apart from other presenters?

Truthfully, you'll never hear somebody like me. There's only one like me. I think that's the thing: me being authentic, me being myself, and me being diverse. I grew up in a situation where I can adapt to anything and everything. And I hear stories from everywhere — from the high-class, middle class and lower class. I've seen it all and I use those experiences. I use the fact that I'm able to get along with everybody. I use that to my advantage and that helps me be authentic and able to connect with anybody. That's what radio is about. It's about the connection with the listener.

When you graduate, where do you see yourself going next in radio or the media world? Any dream stations, cities or roles you're aiming for?

I really have a huge interest in the business of radio, in the marketing, the business and the overall running of a radio station. But first, obviously I would like to start from the front, so work as a presenter/producer. That's what I've been studying and trained for mostly. I want to start out as a presenter/producer, get into the structures, learn the trade to become the best presenter/producer, and then I want to really put full focus into trying to understand and excel in the business end of radio as well. That is my passion. When it comes to dream radio stations, obviously I would love to work with the top radio stations that I listen to. I don't want to limit my options because I know the industry is small, but obviously the major radio stations that reflect the energetic vibe that I can bring. But later in my career I would love to do some talk radio as well because I do have the spirit of debating in me.

Do you see radio as a long-term career goal or is this one step in a bigger media journey? 

Before studying media, I didn't see radio as a long-term career journey, but after studying radio I can definitely see myself doing this for the rest of my life, and there's more to it than just what we hear on air. The business of radio, those principles and those philosophies can also be transferred into any other thing. But yes, I do see radio as as a long-term career but also as a stepping stone in the context of the whole media journey.