2020 Momentum gsport Awards Woman in Radio winner Itumeleng Banda continues to rise as she joins The Desert Battle as presenter on national broadcaster, SABC.
The young, vibrant and talented Banda has ventured from community and campus radio, to stepping onto the big scene on our television screens.
On Tuesday, Banda chatted to gsport Writer Lonwabo Nkohla on IG Live where she reflected on her journey to date, the lessons that she has learnt and where she would like to be in future.
Before the IG Live, Banda also had a brief conversation with newsroom scribe, Tlamelo Kganakga. Here’s what she had to say about her new gig:
Itu, how does it feel to have a show on the national broadcaster?
It’s absolute bliss! It doesn’t feel real. Every time I go and shoot, I feel gratitude and excitement but then I get reminded of the time I was on radio on Massiv Metro. I used to do a show called Massiv 11 and we had the African edition and that’s basically a TV show I’m doing now but then it was in radio format. So, I believe the preparation has been there over the years. I think I did the show for two years and finally it was my big moment. Being on the national broadcaster, I try my best not to think about it like that, because I don’t want to put myself under pressure, but I do know that every time I open my mouth I need to make sure that I’m giving people insight, I’m teaching them something new and just making them enjoy African football content. I think African Football content is something that’s not widely consumed here in South Africa but there are people who are truly interested in African football and if there’s one person who’s going to do the job, I don’t mind being that person because it is a subject I truly enjoy and I believe so many people should know about it.
I’m very grateful, I’m really blessed. If you do know me, you’ll understand that TV is actually my first love because I wanted to get into television before radio, but I believe everything works the way it is supposed to and it’s perfect timing and I guess this is the right time for me to be on television but I do know that there’s so much more that I need to learn. My job right now is to respect my viewers and that is by me putting in the hard work, that is by me doing my research, that is by me driving and initiating sustainable and great conversations that they’ll enjoy. So, it’s a bit stressful but at the same time, this is what I’ve been praying for, for the longest time. This is something that I’ve always wanted, so I’m grateful and I’m happy. It really makes me happy. I still don’t believe it, like sometimes I wake up and I’m like, “Guys, I’m actually a television presenter, like does that sound real?” So, I really love every moment of it.
Please do give us a breakdown of the show.
It is basically a show that gives you insight into the 2022 FIFA World Cup but from an African perspective, the name of the show is The Desert Battle. Simply because Qatar is a country that’s like if you look at it a long time ago even taking it back to 2010, it was literally like a desert and then the city emerged out of nothing for the World Cup, that’s why it’s called the Desert Battle, because all the teams are there and fighting in the desert. We talk about the African teams that are participating at the World Cup, African personnels that are at the World Cup, so it’s five participating African teams but we also look at the other players who are part of other squads who have African lineage, so that’s basically what the show talks about. It is a World Cup show, if you are a lover of African football, this is definitely a show for you, especially if you are following the World Cup.
Remember to check out the IG Live for more on Banda’s rising career!
Photo 1 Caption: Sport Presenter Itumeleng Banda pictured on the red carpet at the 2022 Momentum gsport Awards at The Wanderers on 14 September 2022. Photo: gsport
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