Mhlontlo Buhle Geleba has always had the dream of speaking and talking to people on radio and television, and now it has become a reality. The 24-year-old began broadcasting on a community radio in Mdantsane township in the Eastern Cape at the age of 12, and through hard work and sheer determination has now become one of the youngest television anchors and producers on public broadcaster SABC.
Recently Mhlontlo covered the 2024 national elections in a show called Elections 360 Daily, which helped people understand what the elections were about, and provided them with the opportunity to voice their thoughts and experiences of it. She’s a producer for a local show called Kids Newsroom, which enables children to participate in the national discourse. Mhlontlo is also involved in an initiative organised by the United Nations Population Fund called the Youth Advisory Panel, which empowers the youth by giving them a platform to express their views on issues such as human rights.
Mhlontlo believes that education is key to reducing the inequality gap in South Africa, and that intersectoral initiatives are the way to develop the country and its young people. She wants to ensure that the media industry is one where people can have viable careers.
Bachelor of Arts (Media & Sociology), University of the Witwatersrand
BA Honours (Media), University of the Witwatersrand
Completing an MA in Cultural Policy & Management, University of the Witwatersrand
I became a national TV anchor at age 24, making me one of the youngest anchors on national TV, covering the 2024 elections in a show called Elections 360 Daily. It equips the public with accessibility and understanding of the elections, and gives them the opportunity to voice their concerns, experiences and thoughts about the national and provincial elections.
I have worked in broadcasting since I was 12 years old, and this opportunity was the defining moment in my career since I began broadcasting at community radio level in the township of Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape.
I have learnt that it takes hard work, determination and resilience to truly see and feel the impact of the investments made in a dream. I have also learnt that relationships are everything, that being yourself is priceless, and that the work you put in will speak for itself.