Hosted by Kyeezi from The Great Drive, the day delivered wall-to-wall auditions as entrants stepped up to impress a judging panel made up of station management, The Morning Show host Leigh-Anne Williams, The Roger Goode Breakfast host Roger Goode, The Great Drive co-host Celest Anthony and The Lunch Club co-host Carissa Cupido.

After a full day of auditions, five entrants emerged as the official Top 5 finalists for Good Hope FM Presenter Search 2026. They are confirmed as Sasha Japtha, originally from Cape Town, raised in Durbanville and now living in Blue Downs; Dineo Lekometsa, originally from Bloemfontein; Caleb Alonzo, originally from Cape Town with roots in Table View, Gordon's Bay and Somerset West, now studying at Stellenbosch University; Clifford Demas, originally from Westlake in the Southern Suburbs and now based in Parow; and Anslin Gysman, originally from Philippi, says the station. Each of them now step into the next phase of the competition. 

Listeners can follow their journey as the Top 5 join The Great Drive for live on-air interviews from Monday, 16 to Thursday, 19 March, giving Cape Town the chance to hear their stories.

The finale will take place on Friday, 20 March, when The Great Drive broadcasts live from the SABC Auditorium in Sea Point for a showdown where the finalists will deliver their final links in front of a live audience before the winner is announced. The entire journey will unfold across Good Hope FM's airwaves, website, app and social media, giving fans front-row access to every moment, adds the station.

The winner prize package includes full radio training by professionals in the industry, R5 000 cash, a R3 000 Tiger's Milk voucher and a range of Good Hope FM branded items. The runner-up will also receive a full set of promotional items, with yet more prizes being added to the list as the competition progresses. 

Reflecting on the turnout, Masi Mdingane, Business Manager for Good Hope FM and 5FM, says, "Cape Town showed us once again just how much raw talent lives in this city. The passion, the potential and the hunger we saw in that audition room was incredible. It's an honour for Good Hope FM to open doors for the brightest young stars and connect them to real, meaningful opportunities in broadcasting. This platform has launched super successful careers before, and the talent we saw this weekend proves that the Mother City's next big radio voice is out there and ready."

Since its launch in 2009, the Good Hope FM Presenter Search has helped start the careers of some of South Africa's radio personalities, including Nick Hamman, Rinaldo Felaar, Noni Radebe, Dalin Oliver, Kyeezi and 2024 winner Mihle Ngxishe, who now hosts her own show on the station. The 2026 finalists stand on the same stage, with the same world-class training opportunity ahead of them. 

Good Hope FM calls on Cape Town and the rest of Mzansi to support their favourite finalist and be part of the journey as these five rising stars compete for the chance of a lifetime, concludes the station.

For more information, visit www.goodhopefm.co.za. You can also follow Good Hope FM on Facebook, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of contributor