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Cape Town - Quietly and confidently Xolani Gwala is building the breakfast show into a whole new experience over at Talk Radio 702. He's an astute analyst, a listener and the host with the most heart, but what shapes the man behind the voice?
I've met the breakfast host before. When he was on 702 in the afternoons and I was producing the drive show at a rival station, I'd rush out of the door to catch the last hour of his show. It was my daily routine and a bit of a cheat. This time around, the meeting is different. We're at the 702 studios and he's on the breakfast slot.
I have been watching him work, trying to remain invisible, experiencing his focus and his politeness first-hand. He extends the same to his team. There's Darius Mothibe, the sound engineer whom Gwala introduces as "the boss", EWN sports editor Cindy Poluta and Mashudu Masutha, who delivers the business report. They move in and out of the studio on a morning when the versatile Gwala's big stories are the Chris Hani memorial of the day before and the ignorance of politicians on the effect the credit rating downgrades will have on the economy.
When the tables are turned, Gwala looks slightly uncomfortable being the interviewee, but manages to answer each question in the manner of a storyteller.
He has interviewed world leaders, but maintains that the greatest stories most often come from the regular people on the street who make for the best interviews.
Many can relate to some of the tear-jerking moments on the show when Gwala handles the pain and concern of callers with the attention, grace and sensitivity they deserve – a reflection of the genuine ubuntu he extends.
"These are difficult times for this democracy. There's anxiety and panic," says the man with his finger on the pulse of the national psyche. "Sometimes I get a sense that it's better that we go through this now and then effect whatever changes are necessary than to let things go on for 36 years like in Zimbabwe.
Tune in to the 702 Breakfast Show with Xolani Gwala, weekdays at 06:00 to 09:00 on 92.7FM.