A young Eastern Cape man who amassed quite a following on TikTok where he posts clips of himself reading news bulletins in isiXhosa, is finally living his dream of being on TV.
Lilitha Ntsundwani from Tsholomnqa always wanted to be a news anchor for the public broadcaster. Last year he recorded himself reading a right of admission notice at the SABC headquarters and signed off: “Soon, and very soon, I will be here.”
Ntsundwani has more than 60,000 followers on TikTok, with 500,000 likes.
Videos of the 23-year-old reading news bulletins on TikTok trended online and caught the attention of the right people.
In January, he received a call that would change his life — an offer to join the broadcaster. Now the poet, MC and public speaker — who describes himself as a language enthusiast — gets to write, produce and read news bulletins for millions of viewers.
Ntsundwani, who was born in Tsholomnqa and went to high school in Dutywa, said he never envisioned himself anywhere else but on the airwaves or on TV bringing South Africans the latest headlines.
“I did not know anyone at the SABC I could send my demos and my CV to, but I believed that one day I would be there and I was called.”
He pursued an engineering degree after matriculating but could not complete his studies due to financial challenges.
Last year, he attended an event as a poet in Johannesburg, which is when he visited the SABC offices.
“Remember you are not allowed to get in at the SABC unless you are an official. I went and recorded myself reading that notice and posted it on my socials and signed it off saying 'soon, and very soon, I will be here and will be able to enter'.
“My vision has always been clear — I wanted to be there and wanted to use my language ... I wanted my language because I wanted to shift the narrative that isiXhosa news is only for old and antisocial people.
“I am very social and young. I was determined to shift the narrative.
“This has been a dream that has come true for me. The place feels like home to me,” he said.
He is now rubbing shoulders with seasoned news readers. His role model is Siyavuya Sineke. Ntsundwani recently shared his picture alongside the star.
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'Soon and very soon, I will be here': Youngster TikToks his way into SABC news job
Lilitha Ntsundwani's dream of reading news on the SABC comes true
Image: Supplied
A young Eastern Cape man who amassed quite a following on TikTok where he posts clips of himself reading news bulletins in isiXhosa, is finally living his dream of being on TV.
Lilitha Ntsundwani from Tsholomnqa always wanted to be a news anchor for the public broadcaster. Last year he recorded himself reading a right of admission notice at the SABC headquarters and signed off: “Soon, and very soon, I will be here.”
Ntsundwani has more than 60,000 followers on TikTok, with 500,000 likes.
Videos of the 23-year-old reading news bulletins on TikTok trended online and caught the attention of the right people.
In January, he received a call that would change his life — an offer to join the broadcaster. Now the poet, MC and public speaker — who describes himself as a language enthusiast — gets to write, produce and read news bulletins for millions of viewers.
Ntsundwani, who was born in Tsholomnqa and went to high school in Dutywa, said he never envisioned himself anywhere else but on the airwaves or on TV bringing South Africans the latest headlines.
“I did not know anyone at the SABC I could send my demos and my CV to, but I believed that one day I would be there and I was called.”
He pursued an engineering degree after matriculating but could not complete his studies due to financial challenges.
Last year, he attended an event as a poet in Johannesburg, which is when he visited the SABC offices.
“Remember you are not allowed to get in at the SABC unless you are an official. I went and recorded myself reading that notice and posted it on my socials and signed it off saying 'soon, and very soon, I will be here and will be able to enter'.
“My vision has always been clear — I wanted to be there and wanted to use my language ... I wanted my language because I wanted to shift the narrative that isiXhosa news is only for old and antisocial people.
“I am very social and young. I was determined to shift the narrative.
“This has been a dream that has come true for me. The place feels like home to me,” he said.
He is now rubbing shoulders with seasoned news readers. His role model is Siyavuya Sineke. Ntsundwani recently shared his picture alongside the star.
DispatchLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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