By Adam Wakefield
It was an inauspicious night in the late 2000s at the Voice of Wits when KG’s career took an unexpected path.
“One of the DJs didn’t pitch for the evening show and they needed someone to make sure that we stayed on air. I figured it couldn’t hurt to open the mic up. They liked it and gave me the show. It was called Essential Soul. I can still hear the opening liner now, ‘Katlego is not the essential soul man! He is the essential soul man!’” KG says.
That moment of serendipity has led to KG working in both store radio for the likes of Dischem, Nandos and Shell, and hosting a show on Saturday morning on Kaya FM since 2012, called Breakfast with Katlego. KG says store radio is a great place to prepare a person for commercial radio, with the content being very specific and client driven.
His show on Kaya FM is, according to KG, a “Saturday morning variety breakfast show”.
“I produce in such a way that every bit of content is podcast worthy. So essentially, it’s a collection of podcast features separated by great music and all tied together by me. We talk health and fitness, property investment, luxury lifestyle and we are frequented by some of your favourite personalities,” he says.
Very separate and different from his radio commitments, KG is the host of digital and adventure travel series
The BucketList Challenge. KG engages in epic adventures “to encourage and inspire black consumers to lead a less sedentary life on the weekends".
“It sees me and the BucketList team travelling through the country and continent to some beautiful places and taking part in some epic adventures,” he says.
“It’s for us to get out and create memories while visiting some of our country’s and continent’s wonderful destinations.”
A final string to KG’s bow is his motivational speaking, where he draws on his experiences in both business and in life, including being homeless, and twice dropping out of university.
“I share principles that I have found to work and share real world stories that speak to these points. I am in a place now where I am evolving my message and content,” he says. “These days, I speak on not just overcoming challenges but more how we as Africans must seize the opportunity to solve African problems through innovative thinking, ‘Afro-Vation’.”
KG’s career has taken many twists and turns since its nascent origin, and judging by the variety of activities he is currently involved in, including those of the more adventurous, Katlego “KG” Mabusela is a name you are likely to hear in unexpected places.
For more information, connect with KG on Twitter.