This years’ Radio Days Africa conference held at Wits was not short of power players in the industry who gave their insights and accounts of the radio arena. The event was aimed at highlighting the ever-growing and fast changing industry of radio, and Africa’s particular role in the business.
Zambian born South African actress and radio host Masechaba Lekalake answered the question: Is prime-time radio a male preserve? And she was not short of answers.
"We need more men who are about pushing quality on air in spite of gender."- @Masechaba_L #radiodaysafrica2015 pic.twitter.com/sUz74f0wZ8
— Radio Days Africa (@RadioDaysAfrica) July 2, 2015
Lekalake is well known for her radio show Power Life on Gauteng’s Power FM 98.7, and she expressed that in South Africa,we are doing very well in getting women onto radio and “We should give ourselves a pat on the back.”
"As woman. If we continue to steel for crumbs, we will continue to get crumbs."- @Masechaba_L #RadioDaysAfrica2015
— Radio Days Africa (@RadioDaysAfrica) July 2, 2015
She also emphasized that we need to do away with the idea that when a woman comes into the industry it will be difficult, Lekalake says we need to start changing that agenda.
She co-anchored her presentation with Leo Manne of Trace TV. Manne touched on the evolution of radio from an audio platform into a visual one, where webcams are placed in radio studios and now audiences can see what a presenter may look like.
The patriarchal nature of our society continues saying to woman they are not good enough for the radio.- @LeoManneZA pic.twitter.com/zKzQrKQfQi
— Radio Days Africa (@RadioDaysAfrica) July 2, 2015
Lekalake stressed that if a woman is strong and has a story to tell, it should be told.
Related article: African language radio content now available online on social media
Related article: Five things you need to know about radio in South Africa
