Pasi finds her passion in coaching, and that precious family time
Much-loved former radio host back on screen and loving it
It is believed that those who can’t do, teach – and those who can’t play, coach.
But veteran broadcaster Mapaseka Mokwele has flipped the script and that’s the vibe I get as we catch-up on what she has been up to since hanging up her radio mic at Kaya FM last year April.
Combining her passion and profession, Mokwele has been dedicating most of her time to her newfound career path as a qualified life, relationship and leadership coach. But that’s not all she’s about.
Five minutes into our telephone chat, I get the inkling that if I looked up the meaning of carpe diem, I will be greeted with her face. She sounds like the type of person that if I was looking for tips for self-care Sunday I would undoubtedly look her direction.
Mokwele adores and loves her husband of 18 years Thabo (aka Tbose) and their five kids. She doesn’t need to tell me this, but it’s in how she switches the pitch of her voice as she talks about her family.
“There is no formula to being married. We would be lying if we said there is a formula,” Mokwele chuckles softly. “The only thing that I have learned over the years is that he fell in love with me, so I must just be me. I fell in love with him and that’s all I want.
“People always say their partner changed and yes people have to change because we grow and develop. What I liked 18 years ago maybe different from what I like today. I’ve had kids, they will be changes to my body and how I see life.”
Mokwele rose to fame as host of Motswako as well as the face of SABC
3’s prime time English news bulletin and Morning Live.
Her much-loved primetime show on Kaya FM, Home with Mapaseka, which aired from Mondays to Thursdays addressed serious to lighthearted issues affecting people, from family, intimacy, parenting, sex and sexuality.
After seven years she decided to bid farewell to Afropolitan listeners as their voice of reason.
“Of course I miss it. It was a lovely show. I enjoyed it. Sometimes you need to go, move and develop at different times in your life,” Mokwele explains her decision to depart the show.
While all her TV and radio gigs have been prestigious, they mostly happened at awkward hours that clashed with her family time. Mokwele has been using the down time in the last year to catch up with many lost moments.
“I love where I am in terms of my family life with hubby and kids,” Mokwele shares. “I’ve got beautiful, lovely babies and watching them grow has been such a great feeling and being able to be there. For example I’m enjoying that I’m home in the evening with my children. If you think about it I did Kaya in the evening, news in primetime and when I did Morning Live I would get up in the wee hours.
“I’m enjoying cooking dinner for my family and eating it with them.”
Last Thursday she made a return to TV as one of the experts on M-Net’s new reality TV show The Single Wives SA – based on the popular Australian format. The show zooms in on six previously married and unlucky in love women embarking on an expert-led journey to getting their groove back.
“It’s a journey that I have been on for a few years. I started coaching and I’ve been enjoying it – in fact I found my passion there,” Mokwele explains.
“When I was still doing radio I decided to go back to school and focus on the coaching.
“When we watch this show we are going to enjoy the journey that these women go through and possibly see a lot of ourselves.”
One of three children, Mokwele was born in Naledi, Soweto, before moving to Pimville, also in Soweto. She cites her parents as her love role models. They were together from their late teens until her father died six years ago.
“I know love today because of my parents because of the love I saw between them,” Mokwele observes. “Six years after my dad passed away, my mom still goes on about him. I grew up in that love.”
Her 24-year broadcast career was born by chance as host of Your Own Business on SABC2 in 1996.
“I went for an audition and it was pure luck. I auditioned and got it,” Mokwele recalls.
“When I started doing it I was surprised that I could do this based on the reception I got. For me I was all about fun because I was young and to be honest I didn’t think it was going to be a career 24 years later.”
A few years later she kicked off her career as news anchor on Voice of Soweto and she has never looked back.
‘‘ I love where I am with my family life ... I enjoy that I’m home in the evening with my children