Every weekday afternoon, Lerato Mashile’s voice fills the airwaves on Bush Radio, hosting the afternoon drive-time show Everyday People, bringing community stories and music to listeners.
More than just an afternoon drive host, she is a storyteller, a listener and a woman deeply committed to creating conversations that inform, inspire and uplift.
In a media landscape where representation matters, Lerato has carved out a space that reflects the strength, resilience and diversity of the communities she serves.
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In an exclusive interview, Lerato spoke to BONA about her work in radio and acknowledging Women’s Month.
BONA: Tell us more about your upbringing and how it impacted you.
Lerato: I’m the oldest of three girls, so you can already imagine that after mom and dad, I’m the deputy parent, which came with a lot of strictness, lovingly, even though my baby sisters might disagree. I’m Johannesburg-born and raised in Rustenburg.
BONA: What first inspired you to pursue a radio career?
Lerato: I always loved media, having listened to the radio growing up, particularly Highveld Stereo (947), listening to the Grant and Anele Show.
While my love of radio goes back many years, I always thought radio would come at a later stage in my life, especially with me being an avid reader, so I always knew after watching Devil Wears Prada that I wanted to be a writer/journalist, writing for Cosmopolitan or Teen Zone.
I studied English Literature and Linguistics at UWC, and a lot happened during my time at university. After graduating, I chose to move back home to Rustenburg, North West. I spent a week there, and since I had already begun gaining experience in media through writing and photography, I decided to pitch an internship to a community radio station near my former high school, Fields College.
I expressed my interest in interning there while I figured out my next steps. That is how I started producing content for the breakfast show at one of the biggest community radio stations in North West, Mafisa FM.
I worked there for two years before moving back to Cape Town, where I applied to Bush Radio, and that opened me up to working as a content producer for the daytime show, Back Chat, before being asked to take over the drive-time show, Everyday People, six months into my internship.
BONA: Everyday People is all about real stories. What draws you to authentic, human-centred conversations?
Lerato: I think before anything, I’m a storyteller who’s always curious about people, the way they think or just live their lives, so I love learning about people. I find it beautiful to use radio, which is one of the most intimate forms of media, to connect with people.
BONA: What does Women’s Month personally mean to you, and how are you celebrating the women who have inspired your journey?
Lerato: This year’s Women’s Month is significant given that it’s the 70th anniversary. As a UWC English Literature and Linguistics alumnus who learnt about the history and now forms part of celebrating that bravery, Women’s Day means a lot. Not only am I blessed to see women being relentless in the pursuit of what sets their heart on fire, but I also get to see women redefining what it means to be a woman.
While I recognise the challenges we continue to face, I am thrilled to see that, despite adversity, women are reclaiming their joy, their softness, and their power. It’s during these moments that I want to celebrate women even more through conversation, showing young people—especially little girls—that they can pursue all of their big dreams.
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BONA: With GBV in our country, when you hear the phrase “the power of women,” what comes to mind?
Lerato: Resilience is what I think of when I hear “the power of women,” especially in the face of the GBV crisis in our country. Women continue to rise, lead, nurture, rebuild and fight for justice despite carrying unimaginable pain.
I do, however, also think the true power of women shouldn’t only be measured by how much we can endure. It should be reflected in a society that protects us, values us and allows us to thrive without fear. Resilience is inspiring, but it should never be mistaken as permission for women to keep surviving what should never happen in the first place.
BONA: What message would you like to share with women who may be doubting their own strength or potential?
Lerato: I am a God girl first, so I will always run to 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” There is a quote I always run back to whenever I feel my imposter syndrome kicks in: “If you weren’t capable, the opportunity would never come along. You belong.”
Those two things are a beautiful reminder that whatever is calling you, be it opportunity or decision, is meant to serve as catalysts in your journey of life, but you can only know that if you answer, so do it scared but do it anyway.
BONA: If you had the opportunity to dedicate one episode of Everyday People to Women’s Month, what stories would you want to tell?
Lerato: If I had the opportunity to dedicate one episode of Everyday People to Women’s Month, I’d call it “The Women We Don’t Talk About Enough.”
I’d tell the stories of the women who keep South Africa moving but rarely make the headlines. From the grandmother raising a second generation of children to the young woman who survived human trafficking and is now advocating for women’s rights, to the young entrepreneur building a business from her room using her phone.
I’d also want to challenge the idea that women only deserve attention when they’re surviving something. I want us to celebrate women in their joy, creativity, leadership and reinvention.
To ask what freedom looks like for South African women, not just in safety. Most importantly, I’d want listeners to walk away recognising themselves or the women in their lives, because extraordinary stories are often found in everyday people.
That’s the heartbeat of Everyday People, reminding us that behind every woman is a story worth hearing, honouring and worth celebrating.
BONA: As you continue your career in the media space, what legacy do you hope to leave through your work on Everyday People and all the other platforms you’ve been a part of?
Lerato: I hope my legacy is that people felt seen because of the stories I chose to tell. Whether it is on Everyday People, behind a microphone, in the pages of a magazine, or producing conversations that mattered, I want my work to remind people that ordinary lives carry extraordinary stories.
I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t just chase headlines but chose humanity, someone who created spaces where people felt safe enough to be vulnerable, to celebrate, to grieve, to heal and to hope. Growing up, I understood the power of hearing someone who sounded like you, who understood your world.
That’s the kind of storyteller I strive to be. Every interview, every feature and every conversation is an opportunity to build empathy, preserve someone’s truth and remind listeners that they are never alone, so I will continue to strive for compassion in every conversation, purpose in every platform, and hope that every story shared continues to echo long after the microphone is switched off.
As Women’s Month reminds us of the power of resilience, leadership and purpose, Lerato Mashile embodies these qualities with quiet confidence. Through every broadcast, she does more than entertain—she creates meaningful conversations, gives a platform to diverse voices and strengthens the connection between Bush Radio and the communities it serves.
Her journey is a testament to the impact of using one’s voice with authenticity and intention.
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