Redi Tlhabi

Redi Tlhabi (née Direko; born 1978) is a South African journalist, producer, author and a former radio presenter.^[1] She presented The Redi Tlhabi Show on Radio 702 for over a decade. Her broadcasting career spans years spent at Kaya FM, being a newscaster for the SABC and later, eMedia Holdings owned eNews Channel Africa, eNCA. Tlhabi has an Honours degree in Political Economy and English Literature. She has been a television and radio journalist for the SABC and eTV.^[2]

Redi Tlhabi in 2017

After 12 years of working for 702, a radio station in South Africa, Tlhabi announced her departure at the station. She was set to leave for the US for a fellowship. She has since postponed her move to America.

Controversy

In 2013, Tlhabi won the Alan Paton Award for her book, Endings and Beginnings.^[3][4] The book describes Tlhabi's relationship with a notorious gangster as she was growing up, after the death of her father. Tlhabi claims that she changed the names of the characters, but the mother of a gangster of the same name claims that the names are accurate but is disputing some of the facts in the book.^[5]

Personal life

Tlhabi married Brian Tlhabi, a medical practitioner, in 2010.^[6] She is the mother to 2 daughters, Khumo and Neo, and the stepmother of comedian Lesego Tlhabi.^[7]

Books

• Endings & Beginnings: A Story of Healing. Jacana Media. 2013. ISBN 978-1-4314-0461-2.
• Khwezi: The remarkable story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo. Jonathan Ball Publishers. 2017. ISBN 978-1-8684-2727-7.

Awards

• 2013 Alan Paton Award for Endings and Beginnings.