Soweto TV's Tidi Sehlako on shaping communities through music
Broadcasting from the heart of South Africa's largest township, Soweto Community Television (Soweto TV) has become a cultural cornerstone for local entertainment and representation.
At the forefront stands Tidimalo Sehlako, the host of Just Music, whose platform seeks to elevate South African artists to compete confidently on the international stage.
Tidi is crafting a space where local talent shines alongside global music, creating new pathways for homegrown artists.
In an interview with TRUELOVE, she invites viewers behind the curtain of her remarkable career, offering an opportunity to get insight into her journey, creative process and vision for the future of South African broadcasting.
The impact of Soweto TV
The platform brims with local talent. In as much as it is showing young people what is out there and encouraging them to dream bigger, it is also showing the narrative that 'you start small, you start wherever you are with whatever you have and you will definitely make it'.
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Through reaching communities that are on the outlying areas, they are also aiming for quality broadcasting.
'We're reaching more people, especially those who cannot afford all these streaming platforms, people whose affordability isn't in the middle class,' she says.
Long-form impact in a short-form world
Social media content continues to grow rapidly, with platforms like TikTok shaping how people consume content. As a result, attention spans and audiences have changed, engaging videos that deliver value in seconds.
'If you look at the time frame that it's on, it's catered for a specific demographic. You get young children coming from school. They knock off, come home and the first thing they want to do is get the lowdown on what's fresh in terms of music - what we're listening to, what's going to be trendy on TikTok.
READ MORE | How Mongiwa Hazel Ntuli bagged an actuarial science degree at 17
'For those three hours from 14:00 to 17:00, whether they're doing homework or chores, we are there in the background or on the forefront if they're actually watching. They're listening to the music, the content and all the information we're giving them about music, helping them stay afloat in that area.'
She notes that even though we are in the socoal media age and people overly scrolling, there is still an appetite for content that keeps you abreast of what's happening.
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