NEWSREADER Lilitha "i2K Elibhadlileyo" Ntsundwani has a bright future ahead of him.
The new sensation in the SABC newsroom started his job on 1 April.
The 23-year-old from East London in the Eastern Cape said he was proud of how far he had come in life.
"I’m from a very poor background but today I am a news producer. I'm responsible for writing and reading bulletins for SABC's DTT channel and SABC1. But my journey was not smooth. I overcame a lot of stumbling blocks to be where I am," said Lilitha, who does the Xhosa news bulletins.
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Lilitha said he started selling fish on the streets on weekends and school holidays from the age of 12.
"This was between 2012 and 2016. My main customers were taxi drivers, hospital staff from St Dominics and social workers. I sold fish because I did not want to depend on anyone," Lilitha told Daily Sun.
He said he was raised by his grandparents.
"I can recall when I was doing grade 11 I had to leave my grandparents and attend winter school. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go because I didn’t have money for rent, groceries and other things. I was so hurt but I never lost hope," said Lilitha.
But those challenges taught him to be strong.
"I was disappointed but I wasn’t discouraged. I worked harder and ensured that I excelled in my school work. Eventually, my hard work paid off and I am glad to say I passed matric with good grades," he said.
By the time he passed matric he was already popular for loving indigenous languages, especially Xhosa.
He said he didn’t have money for the fees and was eventually rejected.
"This was a blessing in disguise because that’s when I got the chance to sharpen my craft as a presenter," he said.
Lilitha now uses his story to inspire other young people from similar backgrounds
