The saying ‘do not despise the day of small beginnings’ best describes the rise of Rinae Tshikovha from a village boy to a renowned entertainer and a highly sought-after professional master of ceremonies.
With a mixture of formal education and natural talent, Tshikovha has become the talk of a town with his hilarious dance moves and bone-chuckling jokes.
Born at Maniini village in Thohoyandou 34 years ago, Tshikovha moved to Itsani village where he was raised by a single parent. Growing up without a father never deterred him from following his dreams. “My talent started showing off when I mesmerised soccer-loving people during my days as a defender, but my rise to stardom took off like a house on fire when I joined multi-award-winning gospel group Worship House as a tenor backing vocalist,” he said.
Just when people were getting used to seeing him behind the microphone, Tshikovha, who holds an academic degree in criminal Justice and an LLB from the University of Venda, also became a professional master of ceremonies.
Even the sky does not seem to be the limit for this lanky all-rounder as he slotted into this new challenge with ease and won the hearts of all and sundry. Tshikovha, who also works as a legal advisor, said he was proud of his achievements so far, but he was still working hard to achieve more.
“I want to be the example that a person’s disadvantaged background cannot stop his dreams if he is willing to work hard to achieve them,” he said. “I encourage the youth to stay positive and surround themselves with people with whom they share the same aspirations.”
Tshikovha added that the youth must refrain from abusing alcohol and drugs if they had a vision to impact their communities in the future. “The opportunities are there for the youth to capitalise on, but the world of today needs sober-minded people who are prepared to go an extra mile and move out of their comfort zone to achieve their targets,” he concluded.
