Local media personality Unathi Nkayi is back on the airwaves! The broadcaster on March 1, hosted her first show on radio station Star 91.9FM.
The seasoned broadcaster hosts the ‘All Star Drive’ from 3pm to 6pm alongside Justin Toerien on the radio station.
For her first official show, Star 91.9FM held a live broadcast of the show at Jozi Gin Bar in Cedar Square.
IOL Entertainment got to join the fun and witness Unathi and Justin do their thing and also meet the rest of the presenters such as Nicole da Silva, Greg and Lucky and Mzi at the community radio station.
Nicole, who also had her first broadcast, chatted to IOL Entertainment about her sentiments about being a part of Star 91.9FM.
“It’s been amazing to have a first again, I didn't think I would be able to have another first in my career. And also being at a station that is so exciting and so excited to have me there, which is really lovely.
“I think it’s also really wonderful that there is such an established range of talent here. Everyone is excited, the music is amazing.
“I love that it is 80% local and I also love that the women we have on the station not only have supportive roles but also have roles where we are independent and can stand alone, which is really great,” she said.
Unathi boldly expressed her excitement over her new venture. She may have had a little nerves prior to going on air but she handled the show like the pro she is.
The chemistry between Unathi and Justin was amazing to witness, one would have thought the two had a few practise runs before the broadcast, but Unathi revealed that there was no practise session, just pure authentic energy.
When it comes to her thoughts on her first broadcast with Justin, Unathi felt that it was too short and felt like 30 minutes instead of three hours.
“It felt like 30 minutes!” she said.
“Our first link was our first link. My heart is still beating.”
After the broadcast and before the celebrations kicked off IOL Entertainment caught up with Unathi about her new chapter.
“It’s a new chapter, you know and it’s a very scary chapter because I was asked to come help start a new radio station.
“Something I never thought I would ever do. We know that radio stations in South Africa are established and they have been for a while.
“So it’s very humbling to be trusted with a new baby, it’s very humbling to be trusted with a blank canvas and for the team to trust me to join them and to say we trust you enough to grow this beautiful baby of ours,” she said.
Over the years, Unathi has worked at some of the top commercial radio stations in South Africa such as Metro FM and most recently Khaya FM. Star 91.9FM on the other hand is a community radio station and also not relatively as popular as her former stations.
For some this may seem like the broadcaster is taking a step back in terms of her career but Unathi isn’t bothered about what the naysayers have to say.
“Well for me it’s a first, I never think or prioritise what people will say about me, for me it’s for the very first time I get to broadcast to my community, from my community, for my community.
“It’s absolutely beautiful, I mean what a missed opportunity if I wanted to focus on any negativity that other people are saying, I would be missing the point and quite frankly I wouldn’t be deserving of this role.
As to why she decided to join Star 91.9FM, well simply put Unathi explained it was because of station manager Caren du Preez.
Unathi and Caren previously worked together at Metro FM, so these two ladies are definitely not strangers to each other.
“She’s the greatest female boss that I’ve ever had in my life. She is encouraging, she believes in people, she gives people their time and space.
“She literally called me and she’s like I can’t offer you the world but what I can offer you is legacy.
“Those were her words, she said I can't offer you the world Unathi but I can offer you something that I know means the world to you and that’s legacy and I said Car say no more,” she shared.
Unathi and Justin’s first show had a segment called ‘Therapy Tuesday’, Unathi revealed that listeners can expect more topics that resonate with listeners.
“We want to bring fun again on radio and we are true broadcasters so we want to make the show about the listeners.
So for me we are taking it back to that and this is why we are going to have ‘Therapy Tuesday’. All our features are about our listeners and how we can help them more.
Unathi went on to reveal that the show will tackle “proper issues that people see and experience”.
The media personality over the past couple of months has experienced her share of public moments but as she steps into this new chapter, she seems refreshed and is not focusing on the negativity of the past.