South African television and radio personality Zanele Potelwa is fast-becoming one of the biggest names in the local entertainment space today. She is a voice on popular youth station 5FM where she serves as the traffic presenter on the station’s weekday breakfast show ‘The Roger Goode Show’ and hosts the 10am- 2pm slot on Sundays!
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Fans can also find Zanele on their television screen as a presenter on SABC 1’s lifestyle magazine show ‘Selimathunzi’.
Now, Zanele opens up and shares some interesting tidbits about herself fans may not have known.
1) Zanele Considers Her ‘Selimathunzi’ Gig As Her Biggest Achievement In Life So Far
Zanele has always been obsessed with television and landing a presenting gig on one of her favorite local shows has been one of her greatest achievements. “This is definitely my biggest achievement so far because it is my first TV gig ever and it’s on a legendary show that I grew up watching on the biggest TV platform in the Southern Hemisphere. I don’t take it for granted at all and I’m so excited to keep growing on it, oh and happy 25 years to ‘Selimathunzi’! Here’s to many more!”
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2) Zanele Loves Rewatching Classic Films And Television Shows From The Early 2000s
Zanele’s passion for the film and television industry runs deep – so much so that she unashamedly admits that she loves watching films from the early 2000s over and over again. “I know some of the greatest movies from that era word for word,” she says as she rejoices about the fact that ‘A Cinderella Story’ is available to stream on Netflix so that she can take a break from rewatching ‘Friends’ for the umpteenth time.
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3) Zanele Is Either Always Early Or Always Late
Contradictory, right? Zanele admits that she has two very different approaches when it comes to being on time. For work, the star admits that she is always early. “I am never late for work. If switching on a mic, best believe I’ll be there early. That’s something I am always sure of,” Zanele says. “On the contrary, social gatherings? If you’re lucky, I might make it in time for the final song of the night – I’m terrible.”
4) Rome Left An Everlasting Impression On Zanele
The Italian city of Rome was one of the most important cities in ancient history and played a massive part in contributing to the modern language, religion, society, technology, law, politics, government, warfare, art, literature, architecture, and engineering. Having such an immense effect on civilization as we know it, the city left a rather large mark on Zanele during her travels. “I’m in love with everything about the place,” Zanele says. “My primary school principal used to tell us stories about the colosseum and I became obsessed and I couldn’t wait to visit the city – and I was absolutely blown away! I got to walk the beautiful streets, ate the best pizza I’ve ever tasted and I can’t wait to go back so I can go inside the colosseum!”
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5) Zanele Had Dreams Of Being A Doctor When She Was Young
When she was a young girl, Zanele had dreams of becoming a doctor. “I think a small part of the reason was I come from a family of doctors but, more than anything, I wanted to help people. Although my career path ended up in a whole other direction, my time at university broadened how I saw the world and I realized no matter what profession you choose, you can help people in your own way and it’s something we should all incorporate into our daily lives.”
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6) Zanele Is A Champion Debater
Zanele’s love for public speaking inspired her radio career but did you know that Zanele was also a champion debater? “I loved debating so much and as part of the debating team, I travelled to Australia and New York,” Zanele says. “In fact, I placed third in the World Championships in Australia for one of the categories and placed 22nd overall in the whole tournament.” Zanele adds “I went to New York as a prize for winning a national science debate about nanotechnology & biotechnology. For six whole days, I was the Blair Waldorf of the Upper Eastside. It was incredible!”
7) Zanele’s Most Embarrassing Moment On Air Was Calling A Guest By The Wrong Name
While Zanele has mastered the art of presenting on both television and radio, she, like every presenter, has had a few embarrassing moments. “I once called a legendary DJ by the wrong name. I will never forget it! I welcomed him to a live TV show with this epic introduction, called him iconic, and went on to say the wrong name. At least the interview went well but I’ll never forget that, nor stop laughing at myself for it!”
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8) The Entertainment Industry Has Taught Zanele To Be Resilient
When asked what the biggest lesson being in the entertainment industry has taught her, Zanele says “I have learnt that I’m resilient. In our industry, hearing ‘no’, even if it’s just a few times, is something we all have to get used to – but you keep pushing.” Zanele adds “I believe that ‘no’ is always meant to steer you in the right direction of where you’re actually going because what’s yours will never miss you.”
9) Zanele Has Dreams Of Interviewing Some Of The Biggest Names In Entertainment
As a presenter, Zanele loves speaking to just about anyone and getting a deeper understanding of who a person is. So, it’s unsurprising that she has dreams of interviewing some of the biggest names in Hollywood today. My dream personalities to interview would be Trevor Noah, Oprah Winfrey, and Denzel Washington – and it’s all because of the same reason: their stories fascinate me. They all had to fight for their dreams. The paths their lives have taken were unlikely given how they grew up and where they came from but they had the audacity to not just dream but to make those dreams a reality. That’s extraordinary and I have so many questions that I can’t wait to ask them one day.”
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10) Her Brothers Helped Shape Zanele Into A Sports Fanatic
Zanele admits that she’s a massive sports fanatic and that she can only blame her brothers for being so passionate about the sport. “I absolutely love sports and I watch everything from rugby to soccer, cricket, netball and everything in between!. I am obsessed. My two brothers definitely played a massive role in my love for sports because, as a kid, I was always outnumbered by the remote. So, sports channels were the order of every day. I can’t believe that today I am thankful for all those times they wouldn’t let me watch my Hannah Montana!”
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