Academic researcher Sibongile Gangxa joins Power FM to present a Sunday lifestyle show

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

This is the time for changes on radio stations as programmes are being tweaked, on-air talented line up being reviewed, bringing new talent and in some cases, with some losing their positions as presenters.

Therefore this time of the year, is a period that makes many a radio presenter uncomfortable and nervous as they are not sure whether they still have a position or not as programme managers review shows to see which ones are working and which ones are not.

Unfortunately radio stations in this country have a bad and opaque culture of how they treat their treat their on-air talent as in most cases, the radio presenters are not told in time whether they still have a job or not in order to prepare themselves for a life without their influential positions on which their livelihoods depend. In short this is the time when many a radio presenter almost all of them freelancers are gripped with intense anxiety over the future.

However one person whose future on radio is sealed is polished academic researcher Sibongile Gangxa , who is joining Power FM to present a Sunday lifestyle show.

Technically however Sibongile is not new to the stationasshe is employed full time at MSG Afrika, the company that owns Power FM, holding the position of commercial and stakeholder relations manager.

 Gangxahas been roped in to host Power Life every Sunday from 21:00 to 00:00.

“A powerhouse, Sibongile holds a Bachelor’s degree in law and politics from Rhodes University and an honours degree in public policy and development management from the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance. She is currently training towards a Neuro- Linguistic Programming Certification.

She is a media practitioner who has extensive experience in the public relations and media industries. Boasting a media career that spans almost 10 years, having started as a Drive time news anchor on YFM, after successfully completing the 6- month Y-Academy programme.

With a two-year stint as an articles clerk at two prestigious commercial law firms, Sibongile returned to her first love, radio and went on to produce successful night-time and daytime talk radio shows at Gauteng-based radio station, Power 98.7. She spent three years as an Executive Producer, responsible for the content and execution direction the station took across programming. During her time in Programming, she was responsible for some memorable radio moments that gave POWER 98.7 a competitive edge in the talk radio space.

Her creative rigour and deep understanding of the intersectionalities at play in South Africa’s socio-economic landscape, directed her into a space where she could use these insights in the innovation and commercial environment of POWER 98.7 where she has been Commercial & Stakeholder Relations Manager since 2020. She is a proponent of humanizing radio concepts in ways that don’t only create conversations, but that do so in ways that connect brands with audiences in authentic, sincere and creative ways – ultimately shifting perspectives and action,” a statement released by the Gauteng based station states.

Sibongile is also currently in the development phase of a mental wellness software/app, Safe Space which seeks to respond to the prevalence of mental illnesses in South Africa. This was inspired by her participation in Alexander Forbes’ 2018 installment of the Benefits Barometer which was themed around the wellbeing economy, illustrating the causal link between a strained economy and the wellness of its workforce.

She also sits as an advisory board member of Iziko Connect, an Eastern Cape based public Wi-Fi network, insights and digital marketing platform that seeks to bridge the digital divide – bringing content and access to opportunities through digital literacy initiatives in the rural outskirts of the Eastern Cape.

“She is also a thought leader contributor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training, assessment and advisory firm, Cohesion Collective, delving into issues of organizational culture change, transformation and other nuanced lived experiences of marginalized members of society within the institutions they work for. In her capacity as a researcher and as a writer, she adds to this EDI world of knowledge with compelling long format articles that speak to both human realities and technical insights on how organisations can mirror the aspirations of the society they exist within, tangibly.

Using research and creative content solutions, Sibongile’s body of work seeks to address developmental challenges in a human-centered fashion and captures the zeitgeist in ways that compel introspection, reflection and meaningful action,” adds  Power FM.