She constantly has her thousands of followers in stitches, with the cute videos she and her husband share on Facebook.
She is also no stranger to controversy, after Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba once posted a video online declaring, “I believe in indoda (men)”, a joke that had many feminists challenging her personal politics.
Nozibele takes the L’s along with the love all in her stride, though, always wearing her heart on her sleeve along the way.
“Remember that project I told you about? The one that’s close to my heart?” she teased on Instagram last month.
“This is it. I can’t wait to show you what God is doing in our lives. We’re changing lives, one person at a time.”
After her diagnosis with HIV in 2013, Nozibele has made it her mission to hold open conversations about her journey living with HIV.
The activist, YouTuber, and author finally shared this week that she’s venturing into TV presenting at the same time that Kagiso Media, the owners of East Coast Radio, announced her as the host of the Durban radio station’s first season of podcast ‘Don’t Hold Back – Say it Loud’.
She’s booked and busy. “I have joined Honey TV as a host for a brand new show called Yes, I have HIV,” she revealed on her Facebook page shortly after posting: “German broadcaster Deutshe Welle (DW), in partnership with Jacaranda FM, and East Coast Radio will host the first-of-its-kind podcast and provide access to the inspirational audio series – ‘Don’t Hold Back – Say It Loud’ – for as many of Mzansi’s youth as possible.”
Each show kicks off with guests sharing a special snack and drink with Nozibele. The snack and drink relate to a special memory that the guest has as they start to unpack the topic of the podcast.
Each ep then ends with a rapid-fire question session where the guest has 10 seconds to answer set questions from Nozibele.
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“We are so honoured to be Deutshe Welle’s production and distribution partner in Africa,” said Deirdre King, MD of Jacaranda FM which is the other local partner in the podcast series.
“It will target urban youth aged 20-35 who are usually the breakout start of the family (first to be university educated).
“These youth feel a lot of pressure to start a successful career from their families who live in rural communities and want to learn how to develop their careers and personalities whilst dealing with the pressures of their studies. Some of the youth are already listening to podcast to start their day with positive energy as they battle anxiety and depression with little or no access to professional help.
“After more than 20+ hours of in-depth interviews with South African youth, Don’t Hold Back – Say It Loud addresses their most concerning needs by employing a user-centred approach – from battling debts and suffering gender-based violence, to toxic relationships and fighting depression.
“The data collected to produce the podcast really highlighted that urban South African youth often feel isolated in their issues.”
In the series, Nozibele talks to notable South African thought-leaders, activists, and influencers on controversial topics that have a personal connection to each guest, either through their profession or their experience. The host is famous for her HIV/Aids activism and YouTube channel.
Now a published author and respected authority on the subject, the 31-year-old’s work was named as one of the web’s Top 15 HIV YouTube channels.
“With her direct, engaging, and empathetic hosting style, she is the perfect fit to address taboo topics - and to say: Don't hold back!’” Kagiso Media said in a media statement.
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“Kagiso (Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio), with its very successful and sophisticated media offerings, is an ideal partner for a digital partnership,” said Claus Stäcker, Director of DW’s African Programmes.
“As a long-time correspondent, South Africa has become a second home for me, so I am particularly pleased to start the first ever joint podcast in Africa right here - in Mzanzi, where the pulse is ticking.”
Don’t Hold Back – Say It Loud is both an audio and video production, with the video for each episode dropping a week after every podcast is released.
Episode 1 aired on 6 July and the next ep will be available on 13 July. Thereafter, a new episode will drop every month until season one concludes in March 2023.
