MOFOKENG HAS COME A VERY LONG WAY

By Monwabisi Jimlongo

Radio 2000 and SABC TV’s Brian ‘Bruno’ Mofokeng has come a very long way before making it in the sport broadcasting industry. 

Armed with a finance and accounting qualification, Mofokeng never thought of a career in broadcasting until a client he was doing books for suggested a career in radio. 

Mofokeng, who was born in Central Western Jabavu (CWJ), Soweto,  and grew up in Mayfair, hesitated before taking up the advice.

“After getting my diploma in computer science and another in finance & accounting, I worked in the corporate world and one day while browsing a newspaper I saw an ad about an academy for Audio & Visual Broadcasting opening up in Orange Grove. I was hesistant until a client I was doing books for said something about my voice. She told me about the same school I had read about in the newspaper earlier,” Mofokeng remembered. 

“I knew then that was no coincidence, but a sign. I had exhausted my sick leave days and dreaded going to work everyday. I signed up immediately.” 

Mofokeng stuck to his day job as he waited for the right moment to go work on radio.

“Upon completing the year-long certificate I started another year-long training in radio at Can-I FM. I did all this while keeping my 9-5 job. I was approached by some guys at Buwa community radio to join them late in 1999. A few months later Buwa and the Soweto community radio joined forces to form what we now know as Jozi FM,” Mofokeng said.

“My mom loved music and radio. One of her wishes was to hear one of her kids on radio. So when Jozi FM launched officially in April 2000, that dream was realised as my mom heard me on radio for the first time. She had the entire neighbourhood tune in for my first show. We had just moved back to Soweto a year earlier. That was one of her many proudest moments. When I returned home that night from doing my radio show, I found her crying tears of joy. I still remember that moment like it happened yesterday.”

The father of two’s interest in radio grew and he spread his wings in 2001. 

“A year later I was invited to join the first ever retail radio and TV station for Jet/JetMart stores in the SADC region along with Jon Gericke of SAfm,” he said. 

“While at JetFM I applied for a job at Radio BOP and had just signed my first professional contract when the SABC pulled the plug on the radio station on the eve of doing my first show in Mahikeng. I was distraught and in pain. I had just lost my mom a few months earlier and my career was going nowhere.”

It was, however, clear that Mofokeng was destined to work at SABC Sport as he finally got an opportunity to work at the public broadcaster.

“SAfm’s then sport executive producer Helen Mittwoch was shopping at Jet stores and heard my voice and invited me to join her team. That opportunity opened more doors for me as not only was I a reporter on SAfm, I was also a producer on Radio 2000’s week-day drive show,” Mofokeng revealed. 

“The 2010 FIFA World Cup saw my career taking another turn as I joined Radio 2000 as one of their commentators. That was followed by a TV commentary contract, travelling all corners of our beautiful country and the world. To say I am living my dream would be an understatement. I have never been sick since I joined the broadcasting world. Yes we have challenges, but I am grateful.” 

Departed commentators Zingisile Mathiso and Cebo Manyaapelo played a huge role in Mofokeng’s broadcasting career. 

“These gentlemen believed in my talent and showed me the bigger picture. May their departed souls forever rest in peace,” Mofokeng said. 

“My dream is to become a broadcaster of choice for everything African sport one day, especially football, to run a media house, which must include a radio station and unearth as much talent as possible in the world of sport and music. And to have my talent scouting and player management agency.”

With some broadcasters ‘obsessed’ with winning awards, Mofokeng has a different take on such.

“I am not a believer in awards, especially the ones where you have to submit your own entry. I have never entered any, bar the two where the station submitted on my behalf,” he said.