It is a wet Wednesday, a day that will go down in history as a gloomy and dark day, not only because of the wet and cold weather conditions in Johannesburg but because political climate in the country. It is said that before a seed can be reborn it must first die, so as our country evolves and finds itself, it is people like Motshidisi Mohono who crop up as the offspring of a country reborn. We took the time out to speak a daughter of the soil and an African Queen who embodies Africas raw potential, not only in form but in substance. She carries the torch that others look towards for inspiration.
Motshidisi “Mots” Mohono is a major events, television and radio sports presenter and host who was born in Katlehong and has two siblings and two loving parents. We ask Mots to tell us about her childhood:
Motshidisi Mohono is a young girl who grew up in a Katlehong in the East Rand. I grew up in a house with my two younger siblings, and we were raised by my mom and my dad. I had a very fun childhood and as a very smart child I always obtained very good grades at school.
We asked Mots what role her upbringing played in moulding her as a world beater:
I think in terms of character you have to be strong and be resilient and courageous as you know when you raised in the township you are surrounded by social ills, you realise that you have to go the extra mile if you want to step up and come out of that environment. Girls my age were struggling not doing well at school, falling pregnant at an early age. My parents especially my dad worked really hard to shelter us and protect us from that environment and he also taught us to be strong and smart, to work hard and to be resilient and never to take no for an answer.
Growing up were you ever in doubt about achieving your dreams or were you always self-assured and confident in your abilities?
Not at all! The first time I was awarded anything was in grade three when I was given the award of best grade three learner and that is when I realised that being smart has its perks in that it can open doors and get you a seat at the table. So working hard then just became standard procedure for me and I think that is something every child needs to be instilled with from an early age. That is to say that your hard work is rewarded and you do not have to take shortcuts and that your talent and your knowledge will always shine through.
For the young and aspiring girls and boys out there, what does being a Presenter do, what does a typical day on set entail for Motshidisi Mohono?
Presenting is like inviting yourself to other people’s homes. Where I become the audiences friend, I open my world to the audience and I say to the audience this is my panel of experts what would you like to know from these experts. At that moment I am the medium between the audience and the panel asking questions that the audience would ask if you were in studio.
A normal day when you are a presenter doesn’t necessarily start on the same day that you are required on air. You have to do your checks, know the sports teams and league tables and prepare days prior to going live on air. You need to know about the different players, whether they on the bench or whether they have been left out and know the whether it is injury or form related. By the time you live on air and having a chat with guys in studio you must already be well informed about the game.
Every occupation comes with its perks and downsides, please tell us about your experiences a presenter or host.
Obviously the perks are being around some of the best sporting minds from around the world. I don’t just work in rugby, I do a lot of netball and hockey and have met amazing people in the process. There are few down sides to the job and those are things that you can handle like some people still not being open to the idea of women being leaders in sport. I have personally wanted to represent a demographic that I feel is being left aside in black people and women. I want to represent the girls that feel there’s no way one can take up a leadership role in sport and I want to pioneer that path that makes people feel they can do anything.
You have achieved a lot in your career, having hosted the Laureus World Sports Awards, tell us about your experience:
I hosted the Laureus in Berlin last year, where I came face to face with the Boris Bekkers , and Louis Figos’ of the world. It is spectacular how human they become standing right in front of you when you engaging them. I however hope to see more South Africans participating in the awards and being nominated for awards.
You participated in Lady Rugga. Please tell us how that came about.
It was a dare, I had been on radio for three years by then since 2008. A friend of mine said that they think I should go to these auditions. I sat with a bunch of friends and they took me through on what I needed to know about rugby on a whole lot of things like positioning the play, the scrums, lineout etc, I really felt out my depth, it would have been easier if it was a football audition. I was the 8th person on the day to be given the green light after my audition. I couldn’t believe that I had made it. I suppose having been on radio helps one to articulate themselves better. As they would say the rest is history.
What sort of impact do you think the appointment of Siya Kolisi will have on transformation and black rugby as a whole:
This will have a huge impact as it is a big step forward, a huge move, kudo’s to the Stormers for having their first black captain. Everyone needs to feel represented and people don’t realize the magnitude of having the black guy who grew up tough and made it through the toughest time s to get to where Kolisi is today. He’s a Hero and someone that everyone can look up too.
You are an ambassador for success, and many youth, men and woman look up to you. What is your message to them?
Know what you want to do, zero in on that one dream, do everything in your power to make sure that you get that. Don’t feel like the world owes you anything we have all been through tough times in life. People in the higher echelons of industry will tell you, don’t let the tough times be a hindrance to making your dreams come true, go in 100% do your research, ask questions on where to go do internships get together with people in the industry and use the opportunities. We need to get out more and be exposed, pick a unique industry.
