LISAKHANYA NDWAYI
Two aspiring broadcasters from the Eastern Cape have been named winners of the 2026 TruTalent Search competition sponsored by Telkom, earning presenter contracts at TruFM.
Azole Jezile, 30, and Tsholofelo Bozo were announced as the winners on May 8 during the finals held at The Capital hotel and resorts complex after weeks of public voting and competition rounds.
Jezile, who entered the competition for the third time, told the Go! persistence and passion for radio finally paid off.
“It was not the first time I joined TruTalent, it was for the third time. Last time I made it to the top 10. I am thirsty for radio and I have a calling for radio, so I decided to join again this year,” he said.
Jezile said he was overwhelmed after hearing that he had won.
“When I found out I won I had mixed emotions and not that I undermined the participants that I was contesting with. I was surprised because winning is not a small victory, especially knowing the work of the contestants in the competition,” he said.
He credited community support and networking for helping him succeed.
“Going to the ground, events, workshops, business people, artists and friends helped a lot to get me where I am now,” said Jezile.
The new presenters are expected to begin their temporary contracts with TruFM in June.
“People can expect a vibe from us, new voices, educational shows, entertainment and information,” Jezile said.
Bozo, 26, said radio had always been part of her life as she grew up around the industry through her father, Khgotso “Kid Nkayi”, who previously worked at CKI FM, now known as TruFM.
“I took it from my father, I grew up around that. There was a time in 2009 where I came across the opportunity to be at TruFM and I was doing education and then from there it was louder,” she said.
Bozo said her early exposure inspired her to pursue studies in broadcasting at Walter Sisulu.
“That grew and I went to study versatile broadcasting at WSU and then I saw it is something that I like,” she said.
Despite failing to make it in previous attempts in 2023 and 2024, Bozo said she continued building experience at Kumkani FM while also applying to study for a diploma in journalism.
Versatile broadcasting lecturer and former television presenter Jeff Moloi said TruFM finalist Bozo was already a natural radio talent before joining the institution in 2020.
Moloi said he first met Bozo during the Covid-19 period when she enrolled at the university, describing her as a “fully complete DJ” even at the beginning of her studies.
“I’ve known her since 2020 when she came to us. As much as I would love to talk about what we’ve done to help her become what she is, the reality is that Tsholo was a TruFM person even before she came here,” he said.
The TruTalent competition, hosted annually by TruFM under the South African Broadcasting Corporation, aims to discover new youth radio talent in the Eastern Cape.
This year’s edition began in April with SMS voting campaigns that narrowed contestants from a top 16 to a final top four.
Finalists including Bozo, Jezile, Lunathi Ngqele, Anita Rula and Lihle Waya campaigned for votes through social media and community mobilisation drives.
Mnquma Local Municipality also congratulated Jezile following his victory.
Municipal spokesperson Loyiso Mpalantshane said the municipality was proud to support Jezile’s journey through publicity and marketing on its social media platforms.
“The Executive Mayor congratulates Mr Jezile on this victory. He is a very good example of the municipality’s commitment towards advancing youth development.
“He has displayed a lot of hunger and determination to succeed and it has finally paid off,” Mpalantshane said.
“His story will inspire scores of young people to chase their dreams without failure. Lastly, we thank all those who voted for him,” he said.
