The station says that the final, hosted live on The Great Drive with Kyeezi, saw five finalists — three from packed, live campus auditions and two from a flurry of online auditions.
Each received a branded Good Hope FM Campus Presenter Search laptop bag and headphones for making it to the final. The finalists then went head-to-head for the training programme with Good Hope FM, as well as R5 000 in cash, the station adds.
The five included:
- Naledi Kedimotse from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in District 6
- Amber Eland from Northlink Tygerberg Campus
- Mihle Ngxishe from the University of the Western Cape
- Zenande Bholoti from the University of the Western Cape, and
- Kezia Lategan from AFDA Cape Town.
According to the station, the finalists all strutted their stuff behind the mic to impress the Good Hope FM judging panel. The judges included, among others, Good Hope FM's programme manager Gerard Muller as well as award-winning creator, writer, actress, comedian and producer Shimmy Isaacs.
The station says that ultimately, the young talent who impressed them the most and received a golden ticket start in the world of radio was the 20-year-old Mihle Ngxishe, a third-year LLB student from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.
"I was nervous, but very excited. This is something I have wanted for the longest time. Behind the scenes, there was good, healthy competition, and all of us were encouraging each other," says Ngxishe.
"My biggest support in my brother and friend were here, praying with me the whole time. I just needed to focus and remind myself by saying, 'Girl, you've got this!'" adds Ngxishe.
"When the announcement was made, it took some time to settle in! I was first screaming at the top of my lungs, then just absorbing the amazing energy that everyone around me was giving off. From the activation at my campus to the final, it was vibrant, it was diverse, it was everything," Ngxishe says.
"I always knew I wanted to be in broadcasting. One Christmas when I was about five years old, my grandma bought me a toy radio of sorts. I would play with it all the time. As I grew older, everyone said that I have a voice for radio, but I didn't want to go at it with just the voice and not that love, so I spent time developing that love, and radio is where I felt at home," Ngxishe says.
Ngxishe adds that she's most looking forward to expanding herself as a brand at Cape Town's original, and absorbing as much knowledge as she can while bringing the voice and relatability of the everyday person to the airwaves — focusing on things that ordinary South Africans feel passionately about.
Muller says, "Good Hope FM is all about the best in music, news, opinion and entertainment, but we're also about enabling the brightest young stars that our nation has to offer. We have been overwhelmed by the popularity of this year's Presenter Search and even more so by the sheer amount of phenomenal broadcasting talent that the Mother City and surrounding areas possesses."
"It's bursting at the seams with potential, and we're proud to give these youngsters an opportunity and a platform to shine. Congratulations to everyone who took part because it takes a massive amount of courage, and to everyone who made it to the top five," adds Muller.
"A huge congratulations to our winner. We look forward to working with you, to see your career take flight and, if previous winners are anything to go by, playing our part in shaping you into a broadcasting force to be reckoned with," concludes Muller.
For more information, visit www.goodhopefm.co.za. You can also follow Good Hope FM on Facebook, X, or on Instagram.
*Image courtesy of contributor