often lacks it. It allowed her to sustain herself in an industry that can be unpredictable. “When I left YFM in 2011, I was a freelancer which meant I needed to manage my own money, sort out my own taxes and more. In the seven years of being a freelancer, I had to learn how to run my own financial books and that’s where my Accounting degree came in handy. The work put in towards my degree made me conscious of money in a way that many people aren’t,” she said. More importantly, it reinforced the idea that talent alone is never enough. As her career expanded, so did the scale of the stages she occupied. Rugby World Cups, international tours, high-stakes matches – moments where the pressure is palpable and the margin for error is slim. Reflecting on the British & Irish Lions Tour, she describes it as a peak of sorts. A culmination of years of work, preparation, and persistence. And yet, it unfolded in silence. No packed stadiums. No roar of the crowd. Just the echo of players’ voices and the awareness of what was missing. Even so, it marked something significant – not just in her career, but in her understanding of it. She had arrived in spaces she once thought were unreachable, carrying her voice with her. That voice, though, had to be shaped. Early on, there was a temptation to fit in. To blend. To become what the industry seemed to reward. It was advice from Carol Tshabalala that interrupted that thinking.
Over time, Mohono began to turn inward, to build from who she already was rather than who she thought she needed to be. It changed the way she worked. It deepened her presence. It made her unmistakable. Today, she speaks about the industry with both optimism and clarity. There is movement – more women visible in sport, more support, more recognition. You see it in the athletes, in the coverage, in the growing investment. But she is careful not to mistake visibility for completion. There is still work to do. Young people, she said, need to understand that the industry is layered. That there are roles beyond the presenter, stories beyond the obvious, spaces still waiting to be filled. And when it comes to women, those stories need to be told fully. “We need to turn our women into heroes,” she said. “That’s when they transcend.” To students who look to walk this path, her advice is grounded, almost matter of fact. “Be on time. Do the work. Respect the crew and everyone around you. Know your craft. And above all, be yourself because that is where the connection lives, and that’s what captures your audience – the unpolished, the real you.” It’s the same principle that has carried her. Not perfection, not performance, but presence. A willingness to do the work, to learn the lessons, to stand in who she is without apology. From the streets of Katlehong to the world’s biggest sporting arenas, Motshidisi Mohono has built a career that feels both hard-earned and deeply personal. Not because it was easy, but because she stayed with it and with herself every step of the way.
“YOU ARE THE MAGIC,” SHE WAS TOLD. “YOU BEING DIFFERENT IS WHAT YOU BRING.” IT SOUNDS SIMPLE. IT ISN’T. IT REQUIRES UNLEARNING – THE QUIET WAYS YOU SHRINK YOURSELF TO BELONG.
Ms Motshidisi Mohono at the 2026 Academic Opening, held at the AW Muller Stadium at the Auckland Park Bunting Campus, on Friday, 6 February 2026.
ALUMNI IMPUMELELO
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