Victor Molefe honoured to be nominated alongside legends: Robert Marawa and Tsholo Leokaoke

Ukhozi FM sports broadcaster Victor Molefe says it's a huge honour to go head-to-head with industry titans such as Robert Marawa (947) and Tsholo Leokaoke (Lesedi FM) at the 2024 Telkom Radio Awards. 

Molefe, 45, will have to wait until tomorrow night to find out if he's a winner or not.

“It’s the first time that I am nominated as an individual, the other times it was a team, so this recognition means quite a lot to me,” he said. 

“It speaks to the impact that I have made in the radio space, especially at Ukhozi. I’m also proud of the station that I work for; we have been able to reach people in their language and we have also managed to gain the trust of our listeners who know that the information they’re receiving is the same top quality as other English language radio stations.”

With more than 20 years in radio and journalism, Molefe prides himself with diversifying his career. “I respect Robert and Tsholo very much. I grew up listening to Robert when he was at Metro FM. He was one of the broadcasters who inspired me a lot going into the industry. I ended up working with him and getting to know him – and this close relation helped me see how important it is to value and respect your craft as a sports broadcaster,” said Molefe. 

Molefe, who is from Impendle, a town in Umgungundlovu district municipality in KZN, said winning the award would mean the world to him. “I don’t know what I’ll do should I win. I’m just grateful that I got nominated. Winning will actually be a bonus to me and my career. It is also a reminder that I am recognised no matter how big this pond is,” he said. 

“For years, it would bother me that despite the high ratings of our show, we didn’t really get a nod, but with this not happening, it taught me the importance of focusing on the main thing, which is the listener, and not necessarily awards.”

Molefe said though his career has been long and challenging, overall it has been a rewarding journey. “I joined the SABC newsroom as a general reporter who covered different beats. I then worked my way up and honed my journalism skills in current affairs in Joburg, and then moved to Ukhozi – where I did this for 10 years before I moved to sports reporting in 2010,” he said.