As a young, soccer-mad boy living in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Robert Marawa
listened to the commentary of local football derbies on a small, crackling FM
radio. As a teenager, he spent hours practising his presenting skills on his
family’s home video recorder, reading from newspaper clippings his mother
had carefully kept for him while he was at boarding school in Hilton. Marawa’s
dream was to be a sportscaster who would be beamed into the homes of South
Africa’s footballing fans.

Robert Marawa’s career has exceeded his wildest imagination. ‘Madluphuthu’
has become arguably South Africa’s most popular and most recognisable
sports broadcaster. With his quick turn of phrase, his baritone voice and his
direct, no-nonsense approach, he has earned a loyal following on radio and
television over the past two decades.

In Gqimm Shelele, his signature sign-off phrase, Marawa shares his
broadcasting journey from hosting World Cups and interviewing presidents to
his multiple firings, controversial suspensions and what he believes are the
political forces behind attempts to end his career. He confronts the cabal that
has repeatedly driven him off air, the tabloid reports about his personal life and
his multiple near-death experiences and health scares.
With his trademark passion, Marawa addresses issues of transformation, sports
administration, mentorship, political leadership and why Bafana Bafana keeps
failing to win. He also shares his insights on what has made him a successful
and popular radio and television broadcaster, giving a much-anticipated,
behind-the-scenes look at his career.