That’s Kendal on TV
Kendal Makgamathe from the Vice-Chancellor's Office doubles up as news anchor on ENCA over weekends.
If you switched on ENCA last Saturday morning and thought that you recognise the face staring back at you, you were absolutely right! That is Kendal on the television.
Kenda Makgamathe, well known to the Wits community for his role in the Vice-Chancellor's Office, has for the past couple of months been spending his time on weekends, anchoring the news show on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
For most Wits staff and students, Makgamathe is the go-to person when you need to reach the VC's office about something important, where he manages external relations at the VC’s office.
"People approach me when they need to connect with the VC on various issues," he explains. "It could be an event, a partnership proposal, or someone who just needs to be heard. My job is making sure these requests get handled strategically – helping people find the right channels and making sure the VC has what he needs to respond effectively."
This means turning complex issues into clear briefing documents, coordinating with different parts of the university, and sometimes saying no diplomatically when proposals don't align with Wits' mission. One day might involve managing a diplomatic delegation, the next helping a postgrad student navigate administrative problems, the other would be connecting to business and city officials, to facilitate inner city rejuvenation, where he acts as Wits’ contact point to the JoziMyJozi project.
But ask him what drives him, and it's not the paperwork. "This job puts me in touch with so many different lives and stories. It's about engaging with people and helping them move forward."
Makgamathe's path to both roles started in live events. He produced stadium shows in Cape Town before working with Host Broadcast Services during the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup as a logistics coordinator.
"It was intense – high performance, global audience, being part of showing the world what South Africa could do," he remembers.
Broadcasting followed, where he worked as a sports news anchor and journalist at the SABC, then events and business development at Tshimologong. Each step built his communication skills and ability to manage complex situations – exactly what the VC's office needed when he joined in 2021.
The television work came about through a reconnection with a former colleague at ENCA. When the opportunity arose to anchor weekend morning shows, Makgamathe couldn't resist.
"It fulfils something important for me," he says. "News is always about people – their challenges, how they cope, their humanity. I want to tell those stories in a way that doesn't just inform but helps people understand."
He sees his newsroom role as providing context and pointing toward solutions, not just reporting problems. "There's usually a way to help viewers see things differently or imagine better possibilities."
For Wits, he believes his television presence is actually valuable. It creates opportunities for the university's academics to contribute to national conversations. "If used properly, it can bring academic voices into discussions where they're not usually heard," he says.
One experience shaped how Makgamathe thinks about South Africa's challenges. Walking through Houston, Texas, one evening, he noticed how functional everything seemed – decent pavements, working streetlights, well-maintained buildings.
"It convinced me that fixing this country isn't that complicated," he says. "We can have proper roads, painted buildings, lights that work. You see it in parts of Joburg too. The difference is intention."
That conviction influences his approach at Wits, whether he's helping a student with bureaucratic problems or preparing briefings for the VC's meetings with visiting dignitaries.
Managing two demanding roles means juggling constant emails, competing requests, and different audiences. Sometimes the balancing act keeps him awake. But Makgamathe sees his dual roles as complementary rather than conflicting.
"At Wits, I help connect people within the institution. On television, I help connect people to see the bigger picture. Both are about stories and about people. Both are about finding solutions."
His work at eNCA is driven by passion; his work at Wits, he says, is driven by purpose. "Working at Wits feels like being part of the solution for South Africa," he says. "Higher Education is one of the few sectors that still function properly, that gives people what they need to succeed."
[SRC] https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/general-news/2025/2025-10/thats-kendal-on-tv.html
