Paena defines what it means to push for glory
From radio host to department spokesperson, Paena Galane has the experience to handle the heat.
POLOKWANE – Spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, Paena Galane, has an illustrious career in the media and communications industry which makes him the right candidate for the job.
“I was born in Kalkspruit, Ga-Maraba and grew up in Mohlonong, Ga-Mashashane. My wife, Macy, resides and works in Pretoria along with my three children who are in school there. Although it gets difficult living apart, we make time to visit each other as often as possible,” he told BONUS.
He has worked for many political bigwigs in his career as he was the media and parliamentary liaison officer for the former Deputy Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, who he worked with again as the spokesperson for the Department of Sport and Recreation from 2010 until 2014.
Paena obtained a diploma in commercial practice at the then Technikon Northern Gauteng (TNG) now Tshwane University of Technology. He decided to indulge his love for the media industry and joined the campus-based community radio, TNG FM, as a news reader.
“It was not long before I was offered a position as a DJ and I had my own show which earned me the nicknames of The Funny Little Man and Furious Paena due to the exclusivity of the music I played on my show.
“As time went on I occupied various positions within the station and became the station manager,” he said.
During his tenure at TNG he was elected as the general manager of the South African Students Press Union where he served two terms. Paena’s talent soon caught the attention of Thobela FM management who recruited him to join the station in the sport department.
“I continued in the sport direction when I joined SABC in the sport department where I stayed for two years before I joined the World Summit on Sustainable Development Youth Section as communications officer. I later joined the National Youth Commission as communications officer,” he added.
He also dabbled in music production where he worked with artists such as DJ Taurus of Mamelodi-fame, Thabza le Madonga, Ali Baba, and Galboy among others.
Soon the call of his Limpopo roots became too strong and he joined the Department of Public Works as spokesperson in 2015.
In his free time Paena loves travelling and has travelled across the globe with his family or watching basketball and listening to hip hop. One of his guilty pleasures is collecting sneakers and he has indulged in collecting more than 100 pairs.
