Kaya 959 has confirmed DJ Fresh as its new weekday breakfast host, stepping into the slot vacated by Sizwe Dhlomo.
DJ Fresh will be joined by long-time collaborators Thato Mataboge and Mpho Maboi when his Kaya FM breakfast show launches in July 2026. Picture: Ziyaad Douglas/Gallo Images
The question of who would fill the Kaya 959 breakfast slot left vacant by Sizwe Dhlomo has been answered, and the answer is a name familiar to anyone who grew up listening to South African radio.
The radio station has confirmed that DJ Fresh, real name Thato Sikwane, will take over the weekday breakfast show, which will air from 6am to 9am when it launches in July 2026.
He will be joined by producer and on-air collaborator Thato Mataboge, as well as Mpho Maboi, in what Fresh describes as “a reunion 20 years in the making”.
As reported by The Citizen in May, Dhlomo announced his departure from the station after six years, with his resignation effective 27 May 2026. Thomas Msengana, a familiar Kaya 959 voice, is currently holding the breakfast slot through June while the station prepares for the transition.
A career spanning three decades
Fresh’s CV reads like a map of South African radio history. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, he has held breakfast and drive-time slots at YFM, 5FM and Metro FM, while also building a significant profile as a DJ, music producer, entrepreneur and live performer.
His arrival at Kaya 959 marks a return to the breakfast format that helped define his career.
“Breakfast radio has always been special to me because it allows you to become part of people’s daily lives. Kaya 959 has built something unique – a powerful brand, a loyal audience and a strong connection with Gauteng. Thato and I are looking forward to joining an already formidable team of broadcasters and to creating a show that is entertaining, warm, insightful and full of energy,” Fresh said in a statement.
He added that the three of them (Fresh, Mataboge and Maboi) last worked together on the radio roughly 20 years ago, making the new show something of a full-circle moment.
“We feel like we’re coming home together, and we want to make mornings on Kaya 959 essential listening.”
What Kaya 959 says
David Tiltmann, acting managing executive at Kaya 959, described Fresh as one of the most influential broadcasters South Africa has ever produced and said his arrival signals a clear statement of intent from the station.
“We are investing in exceptional talent, exceptional content and exceptional audience experiences. Fresh brings all of that and more. Together with Mataboge, he will create a breakfast show that is intelligent, entertaining, culturally relevant and impossible to ignore.”
Tiltmann also addressed the commercial opportunity the new line-up represents, noting that Fresh is “one of radio’s most trusted voices” and that the show would offer partners a way to reach a highly engaged audience through premium content.
What to expect
Based on Fresh’s track record and his own framing of the show’s ambitions, listeners can expect a programme that leans into current affairs, culture and conversation, delivered with the kind of energy and authority that has made him a fixture in South African broadcasting for three decades.
“We want listeners to feel informed, inspired, entertained and connected every single day,” he said.
