DJ Sabby in the saddle on Metro FM breakfast show

Bringing in some “spunk and fresh flair” is DJ Sabby’s main aim as he marks his first week as the new host on MetroFM’s breakfast show.  

Sabby, whose real name is Sabelo Mtshali, has taken over the driver’s seat from Moeti “Mo Flava” Tsiki, who has now joined 947. Saaby is joined by Kandice “Kandice Kardash” Coulsen. 

His big move to the commercial radio station took place in 2021 as the host of the weekend show, MetroFM Top 30. In May last year, Sabby’s radio career catapulted to greater heights when he was announced as the new host of The Bridge, which was formally steered by seasoned broadcaster Dineo Ranaka, a moment Sabby claims he had been “waiting for, for 14 years”. 

“This past Wednesday marks seven shows in the bag! It still feels surreal but it’s an amazing feeling– I’m still super excited and I hope this is a feeling I’ll have for a very long time,” expressed the 33-year-old radio host. 

“I was called in around March for an annual meeting. When I went into the meeting, I had the idea that I’d be hosting the bridge for another year [seeing that I was eight months in as the host of the show] but little did I know the team wanted me as the host of the breakfast show – something I thought would happen many years later with the public broadcaster.

“When they asked me to be the host, I was puzzled, so I asked them which breakfast show they were referring to, to which they replied, ‘For Metro’, and I said: ‘As in MetroFM?’... I proceeded and said to them: 'Get the f**k out of here!'.

"I can safely say that that moment was one of my career highlights because I couldn’t believe that was happening. I guess God works in mysterious ways.” 

While hosting such a show may seem like the best thing to ever happen to a broadcaster, Sabby lifted the lid, explaining the intense commitment that such a role requires.  

“Not many people are aware but hosting a morning show comes with a lot... you have to wake up quite early for the show and then you must do other things throughout the day. So, it’s certainly a big shift, and what’s worse is that I can’t nap during the day... so it’s a big readjustment,” he says.  

“However, I've always been on standby to take over the breakfast or drive slot... on my end, it was just a matter of when. I always live by the motto: ‘If you stay ready, you don’t ever have to get ready’. So, when the moment came, I was ready to take it up with all of me!”  

Sabby started honing his broadcasting skills at 14 years old in community radio. In 2009, he then went on to learn the ropes at KFM and moved to Johannesburg from Cape Town in 2010 to work at Highveld Stereo [now 947]. He later joined Y [formerly known as YFM] in 2011 and left in 2021 after 10 years at the popular youth station. 

“The mid-morning slot was a learning curve for me. I am all about touching on various topics and I’m quite pacey with the kind of radio that I do. Even after doing the drive show after such a long time on Y, I enjoyed moving to do the Top 30 on Metro, which is such a pacey show,” he adds.  

“I am aware of the big task that I’ve been given because this show is not for a specific region but for all nine provinces, so I will have to stay current and engaging in order to keep the listeners entertained and interested.”

With the forever changing landscape of radio in the modern era, Sabby, who has over a decade of radio experience, plans to fixate his time and energy on reintroducing himself and the new slot to the station’s audience as he possesses different qualities than the previous radio host.

“Radio is a connection. Radio is consistently being there... you court a listener; you make promises that you intend to deliver on. You are there when no one is there... as a host, you have to be on time and respect the personal space that you’ve been allowed in because all it takes is them clicking that button and they’re no longer listening to you. So, consistency is key when it comes to your relationship as a host with a listener,” Sabby shares.  

“Radio has taught me patience and commitment. We as hosts play a vital role in a listener’s life– that's why when the host takes a day off, most of the listeners’ day is off because of a disturbance in routine... that shows you how important a host is.  

“I believe I am entering my prime years in my radio career. However, the dream is to the Trevor Noah of this radio thing one day and I think I’m a step closer to it!”    

When asked how he’d like to be remembered, the goal-driven broadcaster said: “As a guy who has never tried to be what he is not on radio”. His future plans are to make solid radio imprints within the African and international landscape.  

“A lot of people expect me to be bigheaded, but I am simply just the easy-going guy you heard on radio that you’ll meet in real life. I’ve shared my flaws and highs... that’s why when things are looking up for me, a lot of people don’t take it as though I’m bragging because many people know my story.”     

"Some people still find it hard to believe I am Zulu. I love meat, Durban is one of my favourite cities. I love sneakers. Those are some of the key facts I would share. I am also a father of one."