Sibaphiwe “Sibs” Matiyela is a voice-over artist and newsreader. You’ll probably recognise her dulcet tones from 5FM although she’s had an impressive career that spans multiple radio stations. Starting out at campus radio, Sibs has worked her way through news desks across the country for over a decade. Voice-over work is a natural extension of her talents and something she’s excelling at now, but it turns out breaking into the industry was a lot tougher than she first expected. While her radio journey has been put on hold for now due to the SABC’s recent restructuring, Sibs is a tenacious and talented woman who won’t be held back by adversity for too long.
In this episode of the podcast, we get into life before and after 5FM. We hear how she’s been dealing with the recent upheaval and discuss some possibilities for the future. Sibs takes a fond look back at her extensive career. She fills us in on how hard she hustled to eventually earn a slot on national radio. It’s a journey filled with endless phone calls, rejections, and perseverance. Whenever she has been given an opportunity to shine she’s done just that. We also discuss her journey with queerness and the importance of representation in media whilst taking a look at some of the more troubling aspects of broadcasting. It’s an enlightening and entertaining chat. Enjoy.
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Keep up with Sibaphiwe Matiyela on Twitter. Check out her voice-over reel on the OSM Website.
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