AZIZIPHO IS HERE TO CLAIM
HER SPOT IN
SPORTS PRESENTING
In a few years to come, Azizipho’s name will ring a bell in
the sports broadcasting world.
“
By: Lebogang Mabange.
I remember the first time I came here to
audition for sports, I think the look I got
from the guys here was like: “are you sure
that this is what you want?”. But deep
down I knew that this is it,” says the 21
year-old Azizipho Mapakati. Coming from eDutywa
in the Eastern Cape, Azizipho started her sports
presenting career at UJ FM in 2017. She’s currently
presenting sports at UJ FM on the weekend break-
fast show. Azizipho is passionate about sport, and
she says that she’s a fanatic. “The passion began
when I watched sports; where I grew up is like
ekasi, where soccer was just being played. So, I
just had that thing that I want to continue with
this, and just have fun analysing it,” Azizipho
explains. She then continues to say that she enjoys
football the most. Azizipho played sports at school
and was good at netball and hockey. She is the
kind of girl that sits and watch soccer for the whole
90-minutes and not get bored. Because of her
knowledge of sports, she prepares and writes her
schedule for the sports show, but have it checked
in studio before she presents it. UJ FM is a campus
radio station, but they also cover worldwide sports
news. They report on soccer, rugby, cricket, and
sometimes motorsports. “We talk about everything
honestly, it is all about what’s trending or what
are the most important parts of the headlines,”
she said. When asked if she listens to the sports
commentators on radio, her response was:
“I do, a lot. Actually, I love Umhlobo Wenene
because that’s where I grew up and that’s one of
the radio stations that we were listening to for
commentary. And yho! It was awesome.”
As a sports presenter at a campus radio station,
Azizipho wants to grow in and take it as far as
SuperSport and international platforms. In terms of
radio, she would love to grow and work for stations
like 5FM and Umhlobo Wenene. Carol Tshabalala,
a sports presenter on SuperSport International,
is Azizipho’s idol and she looks up to her in many
ways. Azizipho went on to explain that the reason
why she loves Carol is because of her hard work
and dedication, and she believes that Carol got
where she is today because of the hard work and
dedication. “With the guys in sports, I enjoy
Thomas Mlambo because he’s active, and the way
he’s skillful, he’s so good at it,” she shares.
On the campus radio level, she is inspired by her
colleague Phemelo, and says that he’s good at his
job, loves the tone of his voice, and has taught her
how to do things around the radio station. As the
only female presenting sports at UJ FM and consid-
ering that this is a male dominated space, Azizipho
feels like people always doubt females who present
sports, but that doesn’t get to her and things are
about to change. She further says that: “Honestly,
I work better when I’m underestimated. You’ll
never see it coming from me. Once you underesti-
mate me, that’s when I’m going to work at my best
because I’ve got a point to prove at that moment.”
Azizipho’s favourite soccer team is Orlando
Pirates; her favourite rugby team is Sharks; and
in other leagues or internationally, she’s a Chelsea
and Barcelona fan. During the soccer World Cup,
she had her money on Brazil, but was impressed by
other teams that she never thought would play so
well like Russia and Croatia. Her favourite athlete
worldwide is Caster Semenya; her favourite soccer
player is Didier Drogba; and her favourite rugby
player is Francois Pienaar.
An advice Azizipho would like to give to any female
who wants to go into sports presenting is: “I would
tell them to nurture that dream that refuses to
die. What I’m trying to say is, if the dream is
there, you can do it. The moment you see it, it’s
there. It doesn’t matter what the environment
you’re in is about. Have confidence in yourself,
believe, and watch it come to action. Lastly,
be fearless.”
95.4 FM is UJFM’s Frequency.
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE 37
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE 37