For Relebogile Mabotja, the real draw has never been the microphone, the camera, or the trophy potential that comes with being seen. Her focus is people\u2014specifically, the moments they choose to share when they trust the person holding the conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love people, and I love getting to know and understand them through their vulnerability, honesty and storytelling,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis platform, and the viewers and listeners who continue to engage with it, are a gift I do not take for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mabotja\u2019s Relebogile Mabotja Podcast, produced through her own Lebotja Media Production, has now earned her a nomination for Podcast Presenter of the Year at the Basadi in Music Awards 2026\u2014an acknowledgement of her expanding influence within South Africa\u2019s podcasting scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing that my little corner of the industry, and the contribution I continue to make within it, is seen is something I will always be deeply grateful for,\u201d Mabotja says.<\/p>\n
\u201cConversations have the power to create sharing, connection, laughter, healing and truth, and I hope to continue playing my part through this powerful medium.\u201d<\/p>\n
The podcast has grown its reputation on that same idea: giving guests space to go beyond the headline and into the real story. The series leans into long-form, unhurried discussions that encourage public figures, entrepreneurs and creatives to open up in ways that feel more human than performative.<\/p>\n
Her lineup has included comedian Celeste Ntuli, musician Donald, education advocate Gugulethu Ndebele, and reality TV stars from Married at First Sight Mzansi<\/i>. In each case, Mabotja approaches the session less like a traditional interview and more like an invitation for honesty\u2014one that makes it easier for guests to speak freely.<\/p>\nA media career built over nearly two decades<\/h2>\n
Mabotja has been honing that conversational skill for close to 20 years. She began her media journey at 18 as a production assistant on e.TV\u2019s Craz-e<\/i>, and since then she has moved across multiple areas of entertainment, including acting, radio, music production, and executive production.<\/p>\n
Previously, she explained that people who know her best from a single on-screen role are often surprised when they see her take on something completely different.<\/p>\n
Her radio career includes time at Talk Radio 702 and Metro FM. On Metro FM, she co-anchored the Fresh Breakfast Show<\/i> before shifting into the afternoon drive slot on The Kings Suite<\/i>. She later returned to 702 with Afternoons with Relebogile Mabotja<\/i>. On television, she has presented Unpacked with Relebogile Mabotja<\/i> on SABC 3, while earlier acting credits include Rhythm City<\/i> and Isidingo<\/i>.<\/p>\nProducing beyond the microphone<\/h2>\n
Off-screen, Mabotja also leads Lebotja Media, her music and podcast production business. She works alongside Black Swan Media, the company behind live broadcasts for Miss South Africa<\/i>, as well as The Voice South Africa<\/i> and The Single Wives SA<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Her behind-the-scenes contributions include work on the Miss SA 2022 Live Finale, which earned a South African Film and Television Award for Best Entertainment Show. In 2024, she was named executive producer of the SAFTAs.<\/p>\n
The Basadi in Music Awards highlight women\u2019s contributions across music, media and entertainment through a public nomination and voting system.<\/p>\n
For Mabotja, the nod is a sign that her approach\u2014building one candid conversation at a time\u2014is resonating. \u201cFor now, Mabotja says the nomination is simply confirmation that the work \u2013 built one honest conversation at a time \u2013 is landing,\u201d with the host adding that she hopes to keep contributing through the same platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope to continue playing my part through this powerful medium,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Read more | Loyiso Bala bids farewell to Umhlobo Wenene FM and truFM after 5 years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For Relebogile Mabotja, the real draw has never been the microphone, the camera, or the trophy potential that comes with being seen. Her focus is people\u2014specifically, the moments they choose to share when they trust the person holding the conversation. \u201cI love people, and I love getting to know and understand them through their vulnerability, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Relebogile Mabotja BIMA Stage: Real Love & People","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Relebogile Mabotja opens up about why her real love is connecting with people on the BIMA stage\u2014sharing vulnerability, honesty, an","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-celebrities"],"yoast_head":"\n