A radio presenter is more than just a voice in the ether. In those intonations and inflections you get to know so well, in those catchphrases that work their way into your vocabulary, a radio presenter transcends the boundaries of the medium to become something close to your heart and mind. A friend.

If you’re lucky - “First-time caller, Kieno!” - you may even get a chance to speak to them, to make your own voice heard on air. But more than anything, a radio presenter is proof that dreams do come true.

For Kieno Kammies, who rides the early morning airwaves on 567 Cape Talk, radio was a way out of a little suburb called Elsies River, on the Cape Flats.

He dreamed in small steps at a time, of crossing the bridge into Parow, then crossing the freeway, then heading into the wild yonder of the mountain and the infinite ocean. His first job in the exciting world of media was as a runner for Reuters, a general dogsbody, a messenger and a maker of coffee.

But he made good coffee, he says, and that valuable skill allowed him to stick around and become a soundman and a cameraman at the SABC, where, one day, just for a laugh, he made a voice tape.

He was offered a weekend slot on Radio Good Hope, and after his first show, a fellow presenter called to tell him he was terrible and wouldn’t make it in the medium. But he stuck around.

“There are dots all over the place,” says Kieno, today one of the warmest and best-liked presenters on air. “You just need to start connecting them.”

When he’s not on air, he runs a business consultancy that aims to improve EQ, or Emotional Quotient, in the workplace. “I’m a capitalist with a social conscience,” he tells Ruda in this eye-and-ear-opening interview. “We should all be trying to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

How Kieno Kammies talked his way from the Cape Flats into the job of his dreams

As a young boy, Michael Mol knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. A hero. Not the variety that wears a cape and flies around with underpants on the outside, but the type that does good and helps people in distress.

Some dreams do come true, because Michael grew up to become Dr Mol, General Practitioner, saver and changer of lives. Including, as it turned out, his own.

One day, on a whim, and in the hope of winning a pair of stylish sunglasses, Michael entered the Mr South Africa  pageant, which strives to find a “model male” who is not only good-looking and fit, but possessed of inner strength and a great personality. Michael won, leading his father to hug him on stage and say, “Well done, son. What have you done?” Michael wasn’t sure himself.

For a while, he carefully balanced his two titles, Mr South Africa and Dr Mol, until his telegenic qualities and natural, easygoing charisma landed him a slot in front of the camera on Top Billing.

He became a full-time TV and media personality, although he did keep practising his medical skills, taking time off from showbiz to deliver his firstborn son, for example.

These days, Michael enjoys the best of both worlds, as the celebrity at the helm of Hello Doctor, an innovative company that offers medical diagnosis and advice by phone. Finally, he feels, he’s achieved his childhood goal. Not by being a hero, but  by making a difference in the lives of others.

He sat down with Ruda to talk about change, family, medicine, and why perfect strangers sometimes come up to him in the street and say, “Oh Michael, firstly, I hate you!"

Michael Mol, the dashing TV doctor who wants to change your life

Life is constant change and believe it or not we can handle every bit of it. Some people make the transitions look so easy, others come out looking weary and plucked. To be a voyeur and possibly pick up some tips to use along the way, can come in handy. Listen to Amore Bekker, Katlego Maboe, Gareth Cliff, Clint Brink and Farah Fortune chatting to Ruda Landman on how they adapted to change.

Change matters with Ruda - BrightRock

Change matters with Ruda: Individuals & Change

Becoming a parent is one of the most life-altering experiences – for some the event is a welcome occasion, for others not quite. Hear all about the changes that children bring here in the conversations Ruda Landman has with guests Tracy Engelbrecht – former teen mom, blogger and author of The Girl Who Couldn’t Say No, Jo-Ann Strauss – former Miss SA, entrepreneur and media executive, Rapper and producer ProVerb, Professor Jonathan Jansen, Actress, presenter, and author Bonnie Mbuli, Presenter, entrepreneur and sports junkie Graeme Richards and Creator of ground-breaking series, Soul City and Heartlines – Dr Garth Japhet.

Change matters with Ruda: Children & Change

They say the perfect relationship is the imperfect relationship. But is that really true for everyone? Ruda Landman explores this thought with high achievers in their field. Guests in this podcast include TV personality, Dr Michael Mol, Financial Guru and writer, Maya Fisher- French, Biokineticist and athlete, Letshego Zulu and her late husband Gugu Zulu. Listen in as they share some secrets that we all can use when looking for that elusive one.

Change matters with Ruda: Relationships and Change

The role of mentors is as old as we can remember. For a while, being called a mentor was stigmatised. Now the tables are turning again. In this edition Ruda Landman speaks to Clint Brink, Given Mkhari, Mpho Maboi, Graeme Smith and Kieno Kammies about the role mentors can play in our lives.

Change matters with Ruda: Mentors & Change

South Africans longed for emancipation for decades. When it happened, it came with its own set of challenges, but there was also abundant joy. The following guests help us remember the Changes in South Africa and the psyche of its people at various stages. Ruda Landman chats to Radio Personality Kieno Kammies, Journalist and Newspaper Editor Ferial Haffajee, Jonathan Shapiro – AKA Zapiro – and Carolyn Steyn.

Change matters with Ruda: Change in South Africa

Education – like change – is one thing we cannot escape. Ruda Landman discovers this first-hand as she speaks to Performer and Social Activist, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Rapper and Producer, ProVerb, Sangoma and life Coach, Gogo Dineo Ndlanzi, and Media Law Guru, Emma Sadleir about education.

Change matters with Ruda: Education & Change

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