- Radio personality Ayanda MVP has poured her natural competitiveness into netball, revisiting a childhood passion that financial constraints once kept out of reach.
- She sees exercise and self-discipline as vital tools for preserving her voice and building a lasting career in both broadcasting and sport.
- To Ayanda, MVP is no longer about validating herself in every space; it means deciding which opportunities are worthy of her energy.
Ayanda MVP is known for her laughter, her intense competitive streak and the vibrant presence that has made her a familiar voice on radio. Yet behind the woman leading Home Run, energising audiences and hunting down interceptions on the netball court is a person who understands that talent alone cannot create a long career. For her, endurance comes from staying active, remaining focused and protecting her peace.
“The gym became my way out of the stress and pressure people in our country deal with,” she says. Her concerns are deeply personal: running a household on a single income, looking after her dogs, and dealing with society’s expectations around dating, marriage and having children.
Working out gave her a private space to unload feelings that Ayanda MVP could not openly show to the public.
“There are so many emotions I experience at the gym, things I’m able to release,” she says, remembering periods when heartbreak fuelled the intensity of her workouts.
Now, though, Ayanda has encountered an unexpected obstacle: she is content.
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Her trainer noticed she was no longer training with the same aggression and asked what had changed. Ayanda had a simple response: “I’m not angry. No man has disrespected me or made me feel like a clown,” she says with a laugh. “I’m happy. I’m really happy.”
That happiness has not dulled her urge to compete. Instead, she has redirected that fire.
Netball has allowed her to reconnect with the younger Ayanda who adored sport but did not have the chance to participate. “My parents couldn’t afford sports because you needed specific shoes, league money and a uniform,” she explains. Pulling off an interception can awaken her inner child. “The little girl inside me is shouting, ‘Did you see that? I saw that!’”
There is something meaningful about being chosen now.
Ayanda recalls childhood matches where she was not picked first. So when she arrives at an arena and hears someone ask, “Ayanda, can you play with us?” it still thrills her. “I’m like, ‘Yoh, you want me? I’m there!’ That inner child, guys,” she says.
That is also why the MVP Netball Challenge represents more than exercise for her. She wants arenas to host the programme, offering people access to sporting venues, competitive play and prizes that may assist with expenses such as league registration fees.
The same commitment carries into her work behind the microphone.
“When I entered radio, I understood that I didn’t only want a place in radio — I wanted to become an asset,” she says.
Her approach is straightforward: when repeating the same gym routine no longer brings progress, creative work should not be allowed to become stagnant either.
On Home Run, she has stepped into the role of “big sis” alongside Sinaye. But she believes leadership requires continued personal development. “If I have to keep teaching Sinaye, how do I make sure I’m consistently bringing creativity?”
Her fitness routine also safeguards the career-making instrument she relies on: her voice. She does not scream at concerts, works on strengthening her diaphragm and recognises the stamina needed to MC for several hours. She then jokes about another goal further down the line: “One day, when I’m competing in Mom and Dad races, I want to win. I want to sprint. I can’t wait.”
That may be the clearest description of Ayanda MVP: always getting ready for the next race.
The initials MVP also have a deeper meaning. While they stand for Most Valuable Player, they privately represent Mdluli, Voice and Phindile — linking the person she was before her public identity with the woman she has become.
Life has shown her that being valuable is not the same as being accessible to everyone. She has turned down club appearances because training takes priority, and she carefully chooses the energy she allows around her.
She has not forgotten the people who once doubted her either.
“An elephant never forgets, shem!” she says, laughing.
While it is delivered as a joke, it reflects real maturity. Ayanda no longer feels compelled to convince every room of her worth. She already understands it.
For her, becoming MVP was never about claiming victory in every contest.
It has always meant knowing which games are worth playing.
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