Combine a honeyed silvery voice with brains and you get radio man... Keith Ngesi

Keith Ngesi's honeyed and silvery voice was first heard on the isiXhosa radio station, uMhlobo Wenene FM, a year after South Africa's vibrant democracy was born. Back then, this young lad from Grahamstown  Eastern Cape, South Africa, was clueless that one day, he would  own  and oversee the operations of  his online radio station, Keith Ngesi Radio.

Keith Ngesi, a big dreamer from Eastern Cape, South Africa... All pictures and videos supplied by Keith Ngesi Radio

To date, the station based in East London, Eastern Cape, has more than 200 000 end listeners whom in the past invested their hard earned data and  tune in. It also turned three years old the past weekend. 

The station's humbling beginnings is started in Keith's bachelor flat.

Ngesi who also present the evening show, Matters on Going said in addition to locals, the station also boasted listeners  as far as the United States of America, Australia, Ohio, France, Island, China, Middle East, We have a lot of listeners abroad. Some are South African ambassadors in these countries.

Keith and friends of the station celbrating its third year.

On social media, he speaks highly of his daughter

"The radio was born out of a prophecy from a South African prophet, Mangaliso Matshobane of Good News Community Church in the 2014.  He was visiting our church at the time. That sermon, was titled, are you the one, or should I look for another? When the prophet unpacked the message he said God wanted me in the communication sector. He said, I will do something different. Qouting him directly he said "Uzokwenza into engafaniyo nezinye. That message went straight to my heart and to my spirit.  I came across the same message again in 2015 since I had recorded it and it resonated the same way it did when first heard it years ago," he said.

He started on South Africa's second largest station, uMhlobo Wenene producing a current affairs programme, Apha Naphaya

• Keith admits, the loyal listeners put him and his team under a lot of us in a lot of pressure to deliver quality content. Some were relying on them are originally from home and relying on us to give them content and up dates on what is happening right here at home. 

"We had to get the extra help of expertise like doctors, lawyers, social workers, life coaches, businessman and woman to come give different content for our diverse  listeners or society which we pride ourselves in. 

"It is rare to have a media house that pride itself on the pillars of entertainment, current affairs, motivation, spirituality and technology all under one roof,". 

Starting a radio station  came with some level of material sacrifice as Keith did not have any funding back then. He had to downgrade to a bachelor flat and change his car to something less expensive.

 In the early days of the station, he interviewed guests in his flat until he could afford to move out.

On its third birthday, the station released about 10 graduates from Walter Sisulu University, Damelin, Nelson Mandela University who were doing an internship program. Almost all of them were struggling to get the six months to a year internship in some of these big media houses based here in South Africa.

" As small as we are, we were proud to have been able to give them a chance to advance their skills and we are acknowledged  by  higher learning institutions. One of our milestone this year is that we have another branch that has just opened in Johannesburg and we are interlink with them. 

Present to celebrate the third anniversary of the station were, former Dispatch editor, Sbu Ngalwa and award winning  South African journalist, Siphe Macanda.

Listeners who have come to celebrate the station turning three

"Growing up in Fort Beaufort I learnt everything about life. The first 13 years of my life I learnt hardship, I learnt sharing, I learnt sacrifice.

The were days where we literary went to bed on empty stomach. There were days where we would be sent to bed hungry because my grandmother was saving the little left for us to eat the following morning. She would comfort us by saying supper is not important, what matters is breakfast because we were going to school. My cousin and I learnt a lot there.  My mother was not working, only my aunt was and she often came to take my cousin for a holiday in Port Elizabeth and I would be left  behind. To me those days were painful. 

The line up

https://youtu.be/j33RO-Q9S-o

Proudly KNR

Keith's first taste of radio work started in 1995, interning for uMhlobo Wenene FM.
"How I got there was so strange, I can honestly say it was God's intervention. His hand played a role. I remember in my journalism class almost all of us were keen on working for the SABC but not all of us could accommodated. I mean that was the dream of any student based in the Eastern Cape at that time.

His lecture drew names all the names of the student and put them in a bowl. His name was one of the those lucky to work at the traditional isiXhosa radio station.
"When the internship ended, my boss then Fezile Mpunzi called me into his office. He was impressed with my work and was keen  that I continue working for the station, however. They did not have money to pay me. But I took the offer anyway, doing field reporting, news reading and field reporting. 

But part of the journalism sponsor agreement with the East Cape News Agency was that he had to go back and work for a community media house to exchange the skills he has learnt at the second biggest radio stations in the country.

 "It was a way of getting us to plough back into our black townships by trading our skills with young upcoming talented broadcasters. Before I left the station, I recommended my friend, Luzuko Koti to do a current affairs programme, Apha Naphaya,"

Before going back to the same station, he trained  students in the Eastern Cape and Free State. It is here that he met and developed a relationship with the likes of Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo, Lulama Matya. The station, called him again to come and work as a senior producer for the same current affairs programme but he was not paid for almost two years.

During the 3rd birthday celebration in East London

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT KEITH NGESI:
1.He was born Grahamstown 1974 and moved to Fort Beaufort, Nobanda village
2. Went to Nombulelo High School
3.Got an encounter with Christ in 1990

4. While a student at a boarding school he repaired shoes for students residing at the Themba dormitories

5. He once attempted to commit  suicide after he failed his matric

6.Got a scholarship with East Cape News Agency in partnership with Rhodes University.

7. His married and loves his daughter

8. He loves local government and was once a communication's manager for Baffalo City

9. He was the brains behind formation of Mdantsane FM and some for Izwi Lethemba FM when they were launch.

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