From ruling the airwaves to rebuilding from scratch, media personality Dineo Ranaka is learning the hard way that podcasting is not just radio without a mic in the studio.
The outspoken broadcaster, famous for her magnetic presence on Kaya FM and a fiery stint on Podcast and Chill with MacG, has opened up about the bruising reality of launching her own digital show, The Dineo Ranaka Show, on YouTube.
She has also worked for Y (formerly YFM) and 5FM.
“On radio, you inherit an audience because of station loyalty. With podcasting, you start from zero. You’re not just the voice; you’re the brand,” she said.
Live broadcasting
It is a shift that has rattled even a seasoned pro like her. While she once commanded millions of listeners, convincing fans to follow her online has proved tougher than expected.
On X (formerly Twitter), one user summed it up: “On radio, people listen for the station. Podcasting? You’ve got to make them listen for you.”
To claw back her momentum, Ranaka is going back to what she knows best, which is live broadcasting.
“I think I shine live. Pre-recorded is not me. When the live session ends and it saves, that is magic,” she said.
Now, she is exploring platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, determined to resurrect the spontaneity that once made her irresistible on radio.
Severe chronic depression
Her transition has unfolded alongside personal battles with severe chronic depression and temporal lobe epilepsy.
She has spoken openly about these struggles, along with her difficult exits from Podcast and Chill and Kaya FM; the latter, she says, was a “toxic environment”.
In July 2023, she had been off air for almost two months after suffering from another episode of depression, which resulted in her contemplating suicide.
Ranaka approached the station’s mandarins after her discharge from a mental hospital in Pretoria and proposed a mutual separation agreement.
The pressure of adapting to a fiercely competitive digital space while managing her health has tested her in ways she never anticipated.
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