Mbombelan radio station founder aims to uplift the youth
Mthokozisi Sithole aims to amplify the voices of the youth, providing a platform for them to showcase their talents.
After spotting a gap in the broadcasting industry in Mpumalanga, a radio entrepreneur, Mthokozisi Sithole, established Ubuthebe FM, targeted at uplifting the lives of young people in the City of Mbombela.
‘Ubuthebe’ means ‘coming together as a family’. The radio station is a platform for the youth to showcase their talents and gain media experience.
Sithole said that Mpumalanga lacks tertiary institutions offering media studies.
“If you look at the three major institutions of higher learning in Mbombela, which are the Tshwane University of Technology, the University of Mpumalanga and the Ehlanzeni TVET College, they do not offer a faculty for media or communication studies. Therefore, you will find that young people have an interest in the media space, but they cannot study it in their home province. They are forced to move away and the chances of them returning are slim. It is also a daunting task to find talent who are ready to do the work and that is why, as a station, we opted to give those who are interested training to equip them with media skills,” he added.
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Sithole said he believes in new talent and provides training and growth opportunities in media using Ubuthebe FM as a diverse medium for youngsters of all backgrounds, using their indigenous languages.
Ubuthebe FM broadcasts digitally and utilises the 88.6FM frequency. It covers the four local municipalities of the Ehlanzeni District Municipality.
Sithole said he ventured into the radio industry at a young age and gained experience on several radio stations including Ekasi FM and Nqubeko FM before establishing Ubuthebe FM in 2023, which was a dream become true.
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He said he grew up listening to the radio while herding cattle and goats in Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, before relocating to Msogwaba in 1998. He came to Mpumalanga to study marketing at the Tshwane University of Technology Mbombela Campus.
