Masechaba Lekalake is an established TV Producer and Chief executive of Masechaba Media. In 2009, she was proposed by Mail & Guardian as one of the Top 300 young people. She is driven by sheer passion and the insatiable urge to succeed. She is also a highly qualified voice-over artist and other media experience includes directing music videos and hosting entertainment events.
My Name Means | ‘Mother of the Nation’ and it’s as if my parents knew that this would be my destiny. Ultimately in the same way that traditional healers and sangomas and doctors heal people, I think my calling is to heal, to create social cohesion, understanding, to empower and develop people through television and mass communication.
My Definition Of Success | Is living a balanced life. Balance just comes when you naturally focus on the things that 
are in you. It is always in ensuring that I am truthful to myself.
I Love What I Do | I don’t even have a Plan B that is how much I love what I do.
A Higher Calling | The reason why I feel that these challenges becomes easier to face every day is because what I do is bigger than me. It wasn’t a matter of waking up one morning and saying, I want to be on television. God has channeled me into this industry and he’s channeled my steps, in ways you won’t even believe.
Be Aware Of Who You Surround Yourself With | I believe it is absolutely fundamental for any human being to surround yourself with people who know more than you do. Because ultimately you can avoid a lot of pitfalls and you can learn a few tricks without having to go through the fire yourself.
A Word Of Advice | Trust yourself. Love yourself. Be smart. Believe in your own abilities. And never compromise your integrity for any reason whatsoever.
Learn To Love Yourself | Self-love is not something that just happens. It’s practiced. You have to make a conscious effort to love yourself every day. Even if you have to remind yourself of who you are and why you’re great. You will begin to appreciate yourself more once you understand the greatness that is already within you.
No Matter Who You Are | Be the best damn version you can be.
Wisdom Is Knowing | Sometimes to move forward, you need to take a step back.
My Faith Plays A Very Big Role In My Life | It’s my faith which has got me through the most difficult of times. I’ve always been aware of
a much bigger presence, a much bigger being, even before I was religious. I don’t make decisions only on the basis of facts. I’m very intuitive. I go with my gut. And I believe that that voice, that intuition, is a gift from God. All of us have it, we have the ability to listen to our heart. Once I’ve made a decision I expect to feel light.
Trust Yourself | Trusting and listening to your intuition requires courage. All of us know what we should be doing. Some of us don’t want to know, or we’re too afraid to make the decision or to change our minds, because we don’t trust ourselves. Being indecisive and not making a decision can cripple you more than making the wrong decision.
Become Comfortable With Failure | The reason why I am on the path to success is because I’ve failed so many times. You have to become comfortable with failing or with not getting things right in order to start to get things right. Failure is not failing. It is being challenged to see things differently, and allowing yourself to be redirected.
My Dream | Is to own media platforms. There is so much content, so many stories, so much inspiration among our people, but there’re not enough platforms to tell these stories. I would like to see us really create a competitive environment in a platform where young producers will finally get to display their work. It shouldn’t be so difficult for
producers to break into the industry. There is so much good content out there, there is so much potential, but I feel like we’re still playing it safe as an industry. We’re lazy to look for new talent, we’re lazy to give people a chance, because we don’t want to take the risk.
Never Let Go Of Your Dream | I’ve never been tested as I’m being tested now. I’ve knocked on so many doors, I have clung onto this dream that I’m never going to let go of. And I know that it’s going to happen. One way or the other.
Whether you’re a housewife, or a career person, you can run this country. You can impact on the world in ways that you would never believe, if you just believe that you can.
Read. Read. Read | You need to consume positive material. I would recommend that people read autobiographies. If you are someone who’s ambitious and you’ve been inspired by someone’s story, read about it. You’ll be amazed at how many times people fail before they get it right. Sometimes we feel unlucky or we think life is not working in our favour. Not realizing how difficult it was for other people before they got to where they’re going.
Transforming From Shy To Confident | I am naturally a shy person and it’s it is a big part of who I am. It’s a challenge that I embrace every day, and people don’t realise that. Television is much easier than dealing with a live crowd. I respect theatre actors. I’m a public speaker and an MC, but being in front of a live crowd, takes the life and soul out of me. I have to mentally prepare myself, From the morning, I don’t take calls, to the evening, when I have to get in the zone.
A Childhood Moment That Helped Transform Me | I was often teased as a child and called names, but there was this young girl called Tanisha Naidoo who one day said to me, “the only way to get over your shyness is to fake it till you make it. Just pretend to be confident. And I started pretending to be confident. I had this alter ego that helped me cope and then one day I realised that I wasn’t pretending any more and that I had become a confident person. Tanisha probably does not know the effect that her words have had on me, and the direction my life has taken.
We Need To Start Breeding Kids That Think Big | We need to be mindful of our children’s talents. Don’t impose something on your child that they don’t enjoy. We need to teach them that they are valuable to the country and to the world, and show them how they can become global players.
Be A Role Model | Kids do as we do, they don’t do as we say. My son knows his pleases and thank-yous because I speak to him that way. I try to teach through being.
My Father Taught Me How To Fight | I once came home crying because I’d been bullied, again by this girl used to beat me up every day and take my money. My father saw me and asked what happened and I thought that he’d try and console me and… but he didn’t. He told me that if I ever came home crying he would beat me. And right then and there he taught me 
how to box. He put his hands up and he taught me how to punch. He said, you will never come to this house crying again because somebody beat you out there. My father strengthened my spirit. He made me tough. I can survive. I’m also assertive because of him. I’m a very warm and caring person but I’m not the person you mess with. And this strength has really, really sustained me in this industry.
Take Ownership | The one thing that every single person can do, regardless of their background, their race, their creed, in this country, to better this country, is to take ownership. Take ownership of your own life. Take ownership of your immediate environment. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Take ownership of your country. It’s easier than people think. It’s not as difficult as we think it is. It starts with you impacting your immediate environment.
The Meaning Of Life | I believe that everything you do, your mere existence, should positively impact the world in some way or other. You should strive to be the kind of person who creates joy wherever you go.
