Twenty years on, DJ Fresh returns to commercial radio with a clear sense of purpose, a reunion two decades in the making, and something to say about why radio still matters.
Katlego Sekhu
DJ Fresh is back on commercial radio. And he is the first to admit it comes at a cost.
“Being off gave me time with my kids, time to make music, time to travel,” he said. “I’m going to lose all of that.”
It is a candid admission from someone who has given more to radio than most. During his years at the SABC, Fresh made a choice that still sits with him. He shelved an international DJ career, turning down gig after gig because the schedule would not allow it.
“The number of international gigs I had to turn down is mind-blowing,” he said. “And part of me wonders, was it worth it?”
That question hangs in the air for a moment. Then Fresh answers it, not with certainty, but with something closer to peace. Because what has brought him back is not obligation. It is a reunion he did not expect to feel this much about.
“To be reunited after 20 years, for me, it’s almost a dream come true,” he said. “We have an opportunity for one last dance.”
The show is not built on nostalgia, though. Fresh is deliberate about that. The audience they are speaking to grew up with them, moved through life with them, and is now somewhere in their thirties and forties, navigating a different set of challenges.
“We’re intentionally speaking to the people we raised,” he said. “The people who were in primary school, high school, first year at varsity. We’re hoping you are 20 years older, wiser and rich.”
It is that sense of community, of shared experience across time, that also explains why Fresh believes radio is not going anywhere.
“Radio creates community in a way no other medium can,” he said. “Like-minded people communicating in real time, with music as the soundtrack.”
In an era of podcasts and streaming platforms, Fresh is clear-eyed about what radio offers that nothing else does. You do not have to subscribe. You do not have to log in. You press a button and it is there, in your car, at the office, on your phone.
“It’s a companion,” he said. “And the feedback is immediate.”
For Fresh, the return to commercial radio is not a step back. It is a conscious choice to show up, one more time, for the people who never really left.
Don’t miss the Kaya Breakfast Show with DJ Fresh and Thato live from 1 July on Kaya 959.
Read Next: Exploring Mpho Maboi’s passion for cars: KAYA Exclusive
