Faith Mangope used to describe her start in media as a “random coincidence”. Now she calls it a purposeful day.
When one of her lectures was cancelled, the industrial psychology student accompanied her best friend to a Primedia radio presenter audition on the Wits University campus. Mangope got the job and started as a call screener at Talk Radio 702.
Three months into a gruelling schedule of working night shift and studying full time, she was promoted to producer and host of her own morning slot. Her sights were firmly set on executive producing, which she did for David O’Sullivan’s drive-time show, and then YFM DJ Sbu’s breakfast show, which she also co-hosted.
Hosting YFM’s Frank Talk radio dialogues and penning a column for The New Age newspaper helped Mangope find her niche in media: approaching current affairs topics from a youth perspective. In 2014 she was chosen as a Young African Leaders Initiative fellow. She got to meet President Barack Obama and make a short speech before introducing him on stage to address the fellows.
At 29 years old, she is currently an anchor on eTV’s Sunrise breakfast show and runs the media company she founded, FTA Media.
Twitter: @FaithMangope
