Soli Philander

The man who likes to laugh a lot tells us about his passion for peaches, the mountain and releasing doves from City Hall

I am ... fond of laughter, babies, old people, dogs, nature and potato samoosas (not necessarily in that order).

Where were you born?

Somerset Hospital, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.

Where do you live?

Rosebank. Yes, we have one in Cape Town.

Who do you share your house with?

My wife Toni, my two daughters Danya and Kyla, my two sons Caleb and Ethan, a default daughter Lauren (when a child needs help and his/her parents are unable to, there should be default parents they can fall back on - we helped Lauren through matric and she lives with us now). My three dogs. There are a couple of outside buildings on the property so my good friend Desiree and my brother also live with us.

How did you get into your career?

I got into the entertainment industry when I went with a friend to an audition, stood in for someone at the reading and got the part. I've always been in radio and grew up on a diet of Springbok and The English service on a Sunday. I did a character called Rosie September regularly on SAFM breakfast with John Maytham, a character called Basie with Lawrence Dube on Metro and eventually got my own show on RSG on a Saturday morning. From there I moved to Punt Geselsradio and finally to Capetalk.

My radio show ... is called The TimeOut Taxi and it's on Monday to Friday from 1pm to 3pm. It's spontaneous and often unplanned, as with a taxi ride in Cape Town. The content is current, meaningful and fun but most of all reaches out to every person who is a part of one of the world's most popular cities. Be it money, spirituality, cooking or DIY.

How do you deal with callers who never stop talking?

It's hard to gauge - not generally an issue on my show, but on the occasions it's happened I've interrupted. I've also been known to shout (not at them, just making a noise to get their attention).

The difference between Cape Town and Joburg talk radio listeners is ... probably the laughter. We laugh a lot. And wallow in things Capetonian.

I'm predisposed to ... yellow cling peaches.

What's your favourite building in Cape Town?

The City Hall, although I haven't been inside for ages I love the look of it, and The Good Hope Centre - it always reminds me I know people in Australia.

What's the ugliest thing about Cape Town?

Gangsterism and Tik.

What is the most memorable moment you've had in Cape Town?

The "Silence the Violence" peace march in 2006 organised by Capetalk on request from our listeners. The silent march was held to protest against escalating levels of violence in the city. I was asked to release the doves on the balcony of the City Hall and I remember feeling incredible sadness for what we as a nation had collectively lost. But I also had a sense of hope bolstered by the fact that people cared enough to show up.

How do you get around?

Mostly my wife schlepps me around in our bakkie between schlepping children around.

I can't go a day without ... looking at the mountain (or for it when it's misty or cloudy).

If you inherited R100-million, what would you do with it?

Sorry, there is no way in any universe that I'm going to inherit that kind of money, and I'm glad. Those kind of riches do not come without headaches. I'm also not going to pretend I'd give it all away, I doubt I have that kind of strength of character and then all the issues of how much for who and judging people or issues on who or what is most deserving - where's the fun in that?

What CDs are you playing in your car?

We listen to Capetalk in the car, but we've been known to do Jason Moraz, Talking Heads, John Legend and Playing for Change.

If your house caught fire what would you save?

Assuming the family was safe, my paintings and my books.

What are your creature comforts?

My dogs. I find them creatures very comfortable. We don't believe in ostentation, so we tend to have the standard household stuff. I don't really have anything that's exclusively mine - my Acer Notebook I suppose. And any cling peaches in the house.

What are you reading?

There's A Spiritual Solution to Every Problem by Wayne Dyer, who I'm a big fan of. And as soon as the wife has finished with it, I'm going to re-read Duncton Wood by William Horwood. I'm also hoping to make time this year to re-read The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

When I go out at night ... looking for the best Cape jol, a must-visit is a club called The Galaxy in Rylands. Long Street is like a smorgasbord of venues and the Camps Bay Strip does very well for itself.

I always collect ... stones.

My friends and I like ... parties - big and small - in my back yard.

My most valued possession is ... my sense of humour.

If you made a movie about Cape Town what would you call it?

God's Holiday Home.

Perfect happiness is:

Perfectly impossible. Happiness is a way of being, and no one can be one way all the time.

Have you ever taken public transport in Cape Town?

I grew up using public transport in the days of trains and buses. As I only started driving in my 30s I was a regular on taxis in Joburg and Cape Town. The last time I used public transport I took a taxi and a train home from work. The taxi was already full but insisted I board and I was very snugly enveloped by two rather healthy-looking mamas all the way to the station. The train was full but the vibe was very gemoedlik and the journey a whole lot quicker than when tackling the ironically-named rush hour by car.

Everything in moderation but ... it's very hard to say no to good chocolate.

I met my partner ... in the early '80s at Club 58 in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. She was a friend of a good friend that had moved to Joburg from Cape Town. We went to a friend's flat and spent the night talking about our favourite movies and books until the sun came up and then went for breakfast. We were friends for almost a year before things got romantic.

If money could buy happiness ... I'd be amazed. Seriously, I'd probably give away my R100-million inheritance with the proviso that that is what the recipients spent it on. o