MATTHEW HIRSCH
Sea Point resident Katlego Maboe, who won the SAFTA award for best presenter for two years running, said he got into TV by accident.
“I studied accounting and was part of a cover band called Flip A Coin. At an event we were at, I was told I would be good on TV.”
Mr Maboe went for an audition and has now been on TV for the past six years – first with Dekat, wildlife show 50/50 and now with the lifestyle Expresso Show.
“It never really sinks in,” the 29-year-old who is originally from the North West Province, said of the award. “It is something that is voted for by the public (and) it is incredibly humbling to have their stamp of approval.”
He said he didn’t have a speech prepared when he accepted the award but his first point was to thank the audience. His second was to dedicated to his late grandmother, who died last December.
“I wasn’t worrying about the award because I was hosting and also sang and did a skit on the night. It was the best night of my TV career. My whole family was excited (about the award) as well as my extended TV family.
“It was a complete surprise to me that I ended up on TV. I used to watch shows like YoTV as a kid and think how cool it would be to be a presenter.
“Morning TV has a lot of legs and every single morning feels new.”
He says he hopes to one day go on to produce his own TV show and says it will always be a part of people’s morning routine.
His advice to youngsters looking to get into the industry was to do it for the love of it and not to get famous or rich.
“The moment you stop loving what you do, it will be a drain on you. For example, for me waking up at 3.30am every morning doesn’t seem great but it is amazing because I love what I do.”
Mr Maboe also said it was important to have a back up plan.
“I studied accounting because of my mother’s wishes to have a fall back plan. You might be flavour of the month and then gone the next because there is somebody new.”
As for the future, he said it was exciting for him and his fellow presenters that the show was now being broadcast in the United States via YouTube.
He also said he was planning to get back into music and had written and co-produced a song called “Race Against Time”, which can be heard on YouTube.