Pretoria - Working up the ranks as a radio personality takes a massive personality, hard work and tremendous dedication and passion.
This is the attitude of radio DJ and entertainment personality-turned podcast master Isaac Percy Mabasa, 29, known as Percy Sleash SA, taken from popular American singer Percy Sledge.
Mabasa was not deterred when his contract was not renewed with Sefako Makgatho University FM (SMU FM) in 2021, but instead looked at other options to continue to ply his much-loved broadcasting trade.
After his five-year stint with SMU FM, the Pretoria West-based radio presenter looked into popular online radio which paved the way for the now popular Culture Spotlight Podcast which he claims has garnered over 4 million listeners.
“I have numbers. On Tik Tok I have about 30 000 followers and views all around are about 4.6 million and on YouTube I have about 1.7 million subscribers,” he boasted.
Born in Ga-Rankuwa H ospital but raised in Soshanguve, Mabasa started his radio career in 2001 with SMU FM, doing the breakfast show.
He was with Ga-Rankuwa FM until early this year and had short stints at Pheli FM and Commuter FM.
“Radio was never part of the plan. I was doing music and our songs were not played on radio, then I taught myself how to present and eventually fell in love with radio.
“I have learnt that radio is very influential and you can do anything when you have such a big platform,” he said.
Mabasa relates how he started as a musician, but opted to do it part-time because of his new-found passion, the Culture Spotlight Podcast.
“I started as a musician, which I still do although part-time. Culture Spotlight Podcast found me at a stage where I didn’t actually know what to do after my 5-year contract at Smu FM ended.”
He said the best thing about having his own podcast was that he was able to express himself and do whatever he deemed fit.
Mabasa sees the popular MacG as his only competition because his podcast is ranked number one in Pretoria.
“We profile some of the biggest names in the city … names of people who are doing big things. I give a platform to the underrated and I’m appreciated for that,” he said.
“It’s about unpacking the hidden truth to the public, although one might call it controversial,” he said
Mabasa thinks the only challenge facing budding radio presenters is community radio stations not paying them for their work.
Asked if he thought he had what it takes Mabasa said: “I am what it takes”.
Pretoria News