After it was announced over the weekend that Unathi would be taking over Bridget Masinga's old slot on Kaya FM, some trolls felt as if the Idols Judge was too old for the new gig.
Unathi Nkayi is as experienced as they come when it comes to all things media. She has been on radio, she is a force to be reckoned with on television, she has released her own music and she has a large personal audience on social media too! It made sense, therefore, that when a platform as well-established as Kaya FM needed to replace the outgoing Bridget Masinga, they went with someone who has been there and done it all.
Unathi was unveiled as Kaya's new voice over the course of the past weekend and in a video statement, the presenter expressed her delight at joining the station when she said, "When I got the call to come home to Kaya, it was overwhelming for me. Not because I doubt whether I'm Afropolitan or not, but because I thought I wasn't ready."
However, her appointment did not come without criticism. A number of concerned fans took to the timeline to question why someone this "old" was being afforded the opportunity to replace Bridget when there were plenty of younger talents eager for the challenge. It felt like a resurgence of the #OpenUpTheIndustry debate once again.
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One person who wasn't here for the madness is Kgomotso Moeketsi, who called out Unathi's critics by writing,
"I’m looking at the comments on Unathi joining the Rosebank station and am so offended for her by people calling 40 year old her ‘OLD’. It’s amazing how young people see ageing as a curse until someone dies at 41 and they call them young. Ageing is a privilege and radio is a skill"
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When Unathi caught wind of the age comments, she wasted no time in reaching out. Speaking to Tshisa Live, Unathi said, “People who obsess about age are people who are insecure about what they have achieved at their age. Do they expect a 19-year-old to host Kaya FM? Kaya doesn't speak to 19-years-olds, it speaks to my generation. I don't engage in age issues. I don't speak age,”
It's funny that most of the criticism came about before Unathi had even uttered a word on air. What's the betting that, when she does make her on-air debut, fans will be impressed by her display? Such is the fickle nature of our industry sometimes
