WINNER OF THE GOOD HOPE FM PRESENTER SEARCH 2026 ANNOUNCED FOLLOWING ELECTRIC FINALE

After two weeks of excitement, anticipation and pure radio magic, Good Hope FM officially crowned the winner of the Good Hope FM
Presenter Search 2026 following an unforgettable grand finale at the SABC Auditorium in Sea Point on 20 March.

What began with a call for entries that drew an overwhelming response from across the Mother City and beyond, followed by a full day of packed auditions earlier this month, has now culminated in one rising star stepping into the spotlight on Cape Town’s Original.
From the moment entries opened, aspiring presenters flooded the Good Hope FM app with submissions, each hoping to claim their moment behind the mic. The auditions that followed were electric, with bold, bright talent filling the auditorium as they faced the judging panel made up of station management, The Roger Goode Breakfast’s Roger Goode, The Great Drive’s Celest Anthony and The Lunch Club’s Carissa Cupido.

The Great Drive’s Kyeezi was on MC duties for the event. After a full day of stand-out auditions, five finalists were selected to move into the
next phase of the competition: Sasha Japtha, originally from Cape Town, raised in Durbanville and now living in Blue Downs; Dineo Lekometsa, originally from Bloemfontein; Caleb Alonzo, originally from Cape Town with roots in Table View, Gordon’s Bay and Somerset West, now studying at Stellenbosch University; Clifford Demas, originally from Westlake in the Southern Suburbs and now based in Parow; and Anslin Gysman, originally from Philippi.

This past week, listeners got to know the Top 5 a little better as each finalist joined The Great Drive for live interviews, sharing their stories, their passion and their dreams with Cape Town. The excitement spilled over onto the SMS lines too, with the Predict the Winner competition heating up the phone lines as fans backed their favourites.
Yesterday’s finale brought all that energy into one unforgettable moment. The SABC Auditorium was packed to the brim with family, friends and supporters who came out in full force to cheer on the Top 5. The atmosphere was electric as the finalists were interviewed live on air by the judges before delivering their final links in front of the crowd.

Every voice, every moment and every beat of the show built toward the final announcement, where the judges returned from deliberation and revealed the winner of Good Hope FM Presenter Search 2026: Sasha Japtha. Along with the title, she walks away with an incredible prize package that includes R5 000 cash, a R3 000 Tiger’s Milk voucher, a range of super cool Good Hope FM branded items and, most importantly, the opportunity to undergo world-class radio training from some of the most experienced and respected industry professionals in Mzansi.

This is the kind of training that has kickstarted real broadcasting careers, and now Sasha steps into that same legacy. Reflecting on the journey and the incredible talent showcased throughout the competition, Masi Mdingane, Business Manager for Good Hope FM and 5FM, says: “Every single person who stepped up to that mic showed us just how much talent the Mother City holds. This Top 5 in particular reminded us why Cape Town continues to produce some of the freshest, most exciting voices in the country. They are a perfect fit for Cape Town’s Original, a station that brings you the biggest interviews, the stories that matter, the causes that change lives and the tunes that soundtrack your world. It has been an honour to open this platform to the next generation of broadcasters. A huge congratulations to Sasha.” The winner of the R3 000 Tiger’s Milk voucher for predicting the winner will be announced on air on Monday.

Follow Sasha’s journey and relive the best moments from the competition on Good Hope FM’s social media channels, download the Good Hope FM App, listen live across the Cape or visit goodhopefm.co.za for exclusive content, behind the scenes footage and more. You can also get all of Good Hope FM and the SABC’s best content on SABC PLUS.

Be part of the moment. Cape Town’s next radio star has arrived.