Dineo Ranaka breaks her silence and speaks about 'coming home to MetroFM'

Dineo Ranaka is returning to MetroFM after her 2022 departure for a short-lived stint on Kaya 959.

Ranaka will host The Saturday Top 30 show.

While the station’s 2025/26 line-up will stay the same for the most part, with Siyabulela “Supta” Sithole, who was at Y for 11 years, joining MetroFM as the host of Midnight with a Smile weekdays between 12.00am and 3am.  

Exiting the station after 13 years is Rob Byrne, traffic reporter. Nthabeleng “Mat Elle” Matela and Khanya “DJ Kayeezi” Siyengo will also bid farewell. 

“I actually received an offer from Kaya 959 to do their breakfast show slot. I then showed them [MetroFM ] the offer. They could not match the offer at the time and I ended up taking the offer with Kaya,” Ranaka said.

“I only took the offer because I knew breakfast was one of the things I wanted to do in my future. I want to put it straight that I was never fired from MetroFM and there is no animosity, and I’m glad to be coming back. I feel like I’m back home.”

Ranaka added she had no intention to return to her old midmorning slot, which will continue to be spearheaded by Khutso Theledi.

“I have no desire to play Sis Dolly [#AskAMan] again and help people with their love or life issues. I believe a weekend show will do me good as I will get to introduce radio back into my life in dribs and drabs. Yes, I do believe I have been brought back to my purpose, especially when I thought I closed the door at Kaya 959 three years ago,” she said.

“God paved this path for me. Yes, it does feel like a full circle, even though I’ve had many. I love the Top 30, I’ve done it before — I love the energy music gives me. I am glad the people from Metro are entrusting me with one of the flagship weekend shows.

“When the offer came, I said to God, ‘OK, I see what you’re doing’. For me, this is a beautiful return because my heart was no longer in radio. I’m seeing this as another opportunity to have an influence and I can’t wait to connect with the listeners.”

Having been open about her mental health in the past, the mother of three said she was in a good place.

“Dineo is very relaxed now. She’s got a fragile nervous system and life has, to a degree, dealt difficult cards for her, but she stayed resilient and conquered,” Ranaka said.

“Human beings were created to take a break — between then and now, God has done so much work, and he has delivered me from anger.

“I went back to God and said, ‘Please teach me how to get better’, and he delivered me from mental health and financial problems, depression and issues I couldn’t handle. So I’m happy to say, things are balanced now.”