Rofhiwa Mayimele, from Mauluma Tshikhuthula village in Nzhelele, is a well-known newscaster for the Thohoyandou-based community radio station, Vhembe FM.
Rofhiwa (27) completed her bachelor of arts degree in media studies at the University of Venda in 2019. "I was recognised by the editor of my school's newspaper, called Nendila, in my first year of studying. This was after I wrote an article as a class assignment, and from that time on I started working as a volunteer writer for the paper, under the supervision of Mrs Mabogo," she said.
Her modules also included radio studies, so, at that time, she did voluntary work at Nzhelele FM as news reporter as well. This, she says, was where she fell in love with radio.
After leaving Nzhelele FM, Rofhiwa joined the Opera news hub to become a content creator, and in 2021, she joined the Vhembe Observer, where she still does some freelance writing. She joined Vhembe FM as an intern journalist in 2022, and from there on, she says, her love for this industry just kept on growing. "I worked really hard at Vhembe FM, until I earned a slot as Tshivenda news reader. In March this year, I was also appointed as the news editor. Every day I continue to set my goals high because the sky is the limit," she said.