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Tumi's a rare talent worth treasuring

Tumi Voster shows a bit more of herself as a contestant in the upcoming Tropika Island of Treasure, starting on Monday on SABC3.

While she may have grown up in front of our eyes from the days of Yo-TV as a child star to a corporate climber and radio darling, Voster remains private.

Her brand of celebrity is understated and subtle, perhaps a winning formula for a longer stay in the game.

She is beautiful, confident, polite and sometimes intimidating with her lady-like demeanour, but underneath it all, Voster is just a hard-working glamour queen who has shunned the it-girl tag.

Voster tells me that going to the Maldives to shoot Island of Treasure was the stuff bucket lists are made of.

"I did a bit of travelling last year, which was nice, and going to the Maldives was so exciting. I can say the location they chose for this season tops all the other seasons. I can't put into words the beauty of the island and the Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Resort where we stayed," she says.

Voster says signing up for Island of Treasure afforded her a chance to show off her fun side, and that being on a reality show took her out of her comfort zone.

She says there are a lot of emotions, as the competitive celebrities such as actor Naymaps Maphalala, singer Karabo Mogane and former Miss SA Melinda Bam and their partners go head to head for the R500000 prize money.

"There's nothing to prepare you for a show like this, and this season was different to the others, with lots of plots and twists. I told myself that I was there to have fun and be open for whatever the competition brings.

"Everybody in a reality show has different agendas and true personalities come out. I put 150% of me in but I went to have fun and get to know people around me better. It was a great time."

She won't breathe a word on how far she went in the competition or if she won.

Voster co-hosts the 7pm to 10pm radio slot on 5fm Mondays to Thursdays with Linda Mbuso. She returns on Saturday for her solo show, The Saturday Situation, between 5pm and 7pm.

"My first love was TV, where I started. As I grew older radio took over everything," she reflects.

She has presented on Yfm before moving to 5.

"I have found my longevity and love. It has expanded me to be a multi-dimensional brand. There are so many lives I impact as I narrate conversations with young people every night."

Far away from camera lights and radio microphones, Voster is a corporate woman as international urban marketing manager at Universal Music, handling big-name artists such as Dre, Kendrick Lemar, Jay Z and The Weeknd.

She tells me that she studied marketing and communication.

"I'm a creative and I love coming up with ideas and strategies and projects for local and international brands to expose them and make them relatable to create sales."

She also dabbles in fashion, working with brands like Adidas, Land Rover and Sunglass Hut.

The secret to juggling all the balls is in time management, she says. Having a supportive mother also goes a long way.

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