Maki Molapo was born in Ficksburg, a small town in the Free State and raised in Lesotho between Leribe and Maseru. She spent most of her time in Leribe because she attended school in Ficksburg and it was nearer for a day scholar. Maki attended Primary School at Quantum Combined Independent School, which was later shutdown. She then moved to a school in the location still in Ficksburg, called Roma and moved back to Quantum before it was shut down and was promoted to grade 7. Throughout all this up and down she still commuted to Leribe everyday, specifically Tsikoane and Hlotse. “So I’d go to Maseru during the school holidays. That’s why I identify as ngwana wa Lesotho because everything I know and am stems from there”. After Quantum Maki moved to Ficksburg High School where she completed her matric.
After high school Maki moved to Bloem, which was the last place she had hoped to move to. “I initially wanted to move to Cape Town but the logistics were too costly so Bloem was the most affordable option and boy am I grateful”. She attended Motheo TVET College and completed her N6 in Financial Management and then went to the Central University of Technology where she completed her degree in Language Practice. “It was at this point where the foundation of my career started, hence I said earlier that I’m grateful that I came here. Something Godly orchestrated”.
Maki says she initially had no interest in radio, at least from a broadcasting position. However, she listened to it because of her family who blasted Lesedi FM every single day. As for the media industry, she had her sights set on television because of Jam Alley and YoTV. “Watching those young people have that much fun was a wonderful experience! I honestly fell in love. The funny thing, though, is I have fallen completely in love with radio”.
On what inspired her to go into the media industry, she mentions the YoTV presenters yet again. “I can’t leave out the greats who held it down on Jam Alley as well. The thing about it is that these people just always looked happy, they were having fun, they were truly enjoying themselves and were entertaining us while they were at it”. Maki admits that she lowkey wanted to eat those nik-naks in the huge fish bowl and pick the squares; middle center, top right etc. Apart from that, she really wanted to make people happy and engaged on something. “The older I grew the more I learned about what the industry has to offer so it’s a number of inspirations but those two set it off”.
As far as projects she’s been a part of are concerned, a lack of resources has been the biggest challenge because that hindered them from doing the wildest things their young minds could think of but she’s also grateful because she learnt how to think like there is no box. Apart from that, the only other challenge has been figuring out who Maki Molapo is because that sets the precedence of what she believes she has to offer in this ginormous industry.
Maki is most proud of her growth as a broadcaster. “I am proud of having been a part of something new and this refers to everything I’ve been a part of; whether it was new to the audience or new to me, I’m super proud of myself for having tried anyways. There were flops and poppings but I grew and I’m proud”.
On why she’s a woman that ROCKS, she lists her curious and inquisitive nature about the world and everything in it. “My fearless ambition, my imperfect relationship with God and my ancestors, my inconsistent and imperfect effort on self-love, my positive spirit, my love, my sense of humour and everything else in between”.
Although she can’t share her plans for the future due to the fact that she’s caught between speaking things into existence and not sharing anything to avoid jinxing it, she knows for sure that it will suffice as a dream for the future – #ReTloBaDiLegende.