Xolani Gwala

Xolani Gwala is a South African journalist, television presenter and radio DJ best known as the host of Talk Radio 702’s Afternoon Drive and of the SABC1 talk show Asikhulume.

Gwala was born in 1975 in Impendle, a small town 60km away from Pietermaritzburg. He completed high school at St. Marys Secondary School and in 1993 studied for a diploma in Public Relations Management, also known as Media Studies, at Natal Technikon in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, completing it in 1995.

With nearly 20 years in broadcast journalism, in South Africa and abroad, Xolani has earned the respect of newsmakers and audiences across the country.

On television he has presented several programmes including Asikhulume and the South African version of the international reality format Dragons’ Den.

With many years in broadcast journalism, in South Africa and abroad, Gwala has experience as a reporter, news anchor, producer, talk show host, news editor and current affairs programme presenter in both English and Zulu, on radio and television.

His experience as a reporter, news anchor, producer, talk show host, news editor and current affairs programme presenter in both English and Zulu, on radio and television, make Xolani an exceptionally versatile media professional.

Xolani Gwala has an impressive radio career spanning decades, continents and platforms. His ability to summarise a discussion and identify the critical questions to pose to his interviewees enables him to get to the crux of the matter in minutes, a skill which is invaluable to a fast-paced daily show.

Xolani confesses that his fanaticism for current affairs means that even in his free time, he can usually be found reading up on news or issues that interest him. He does enjoy travelling and is a keen football fan, particularly if his team, the Kaizer Chiefs are playing.