From a very young age, Mikiele Dama always dreamed about sitting behind a microphone, and today, he is an accomplished radio presenter at Vhembe FM, hosting the Vhurangane show airing Mondays to Fridays, from 06:00 to 10:00.
Dama (24) was born in Phiphidi village. He started his education at Ratshitanga Primary and finished his matric at Denga Tshivhase Secondary.
He recalls his first introduction to radio, at Nzhelele FM in 2018. "When the station was conceived, I had a feeling that it would be a stepping stone towards the realisation of my future dreams. I knew I was at the right place at the right time, and I wasted no time," he said.
When asked what the secret to his success as radio presenter was, he said: "The most important thing is to engage with your listeners on issues that affect them on a daily basis. You must come up with something unique that will compel your listeners not to change the dial. My recipe for more listenership is to give them more unique local content that they will not find anywhere else."
Dama has a special message for aspiring radio presenters. "We all come from humble beginnings, and we don't become perfect all at once. The more time you spend in this industry, the better you become at what you do, but you must be willing to learn and accept your mistakes in order to improve your skills."
He encourages young people to always keep themselves up to date with his shows, so that they do not remain ignorant in a society where knowledge plays such an essential role. "Ignorance is no excuse. Young people need to take full responsibility for their own lives, or else they will find themselves living unfulfilled lives," he said.
Dama expressed his appreciation to the management at Vhembe FM for trusting him enough to offer him a stint with them in 2022. "I have now become a friend to thousands of listeners out there," he said.