Radio personality leaves her troubled teen years behind
21-year-old Rito Oprah Phiri of Namakgale in Phalaborwa went from a troubled teenager to a radio personality through sheer determination to succeed.
Phiri says she fell into the wrong crowd as a young girl and fell pregnant when she was 16 years old. “I repeated Gr 9 and wanted to drop out, but my parents pushed me to continue. I remember how the news made my dad cry; he had never imagined me in such a situation. Looking back, I lacked accountability and awareness,” Phiri says. She matriculated at Frans du High School in 2021 and taught herself graphic design.
“I pushed hard marketing myself around the right people, especially artists because I knew they were connected.” In September last year she managed to secure her first paying gig as a MC at CeeBoy Teanets’ birthday celebration. She has also worked with the likes of Appreciate Makhubele (a popular TikTok personality), Janisto and CK, Richie Teanet and Cee-Boy Teanet, Zimba Wa Bolobedu, Barolong Movement and many more Limpopo artists.
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“These people have opened doors for me,” she says. “I hosted my first event, my birthday celebration, at Epic Water Park in Mashishimale. “I now also do event organising and have built good relationships with owners of resorts and shebeens.” Phiri has started a charity called the Thato ya Modimo Foundation, named after her son. “I believe he is reason enough to have other children also have the beautiful life he has,” she adds.
After her successful birthday celebration, she wanted to give back to her community and reached out to the children at Horisani School for the Disabled in Lulekani. “I collaborated with Emelda Ralph, known as the Mother of the Streets. I’m hoping to work with her again,” Phiri says. Earlier this year she started to take part in TikTok radio challenges and posted it on social media. It caught the attention of Phalaborwa FM. “I couldn’t work with them at the time because I was still finding myself. “I reapplied last month and got a chance to be a Phalaborwa FM presenter,” she adds. “My motto is never to give up, don’t let the harshness of this world get to you, if you fall, get up and keep moving.”



