- Rorisang Thandekiso is the host Wheel of Fortune SA.
- The TV and radio host marks off 19 years in entertainment.
- She says she chooses jobs that positively impact people who are watching or listening.
Rorisang Thandekiso has made history as the first-ever woman to host South Africa’s rendition of the internationally acclaimed game show Wheel of Fortune. But, to her, it was just another audition she put her all into.
With the first episode debuted on S3, the stellar production level of Africa’s first rendition matching the standards of the show franchises worldwide that have been running for decades.
Not to mention the distinct diversity and unmatched humour that comes out of Mzansi that gives the show that South African flair.
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Catching her in between shooting the series while in hair and makeup, Rorisang reveals to TRUELOVE the moment she realised she was making history.
“I think for me, it was a rigorous audition process with many great talents who also had the opportunity to give it a try. I think we were just a nice fit and I think Wheel of Fortune is just one of those shows where the personality of the show in itself and whoever runs it has to be a beautiful marriage and I think it was that.
“I only started taking notice of everything else afterwards like with the press release and everything and I’m just like, oh actually this is what’s happening! But like honestly going in, it was just an incredible opportunity to be on a game show.”
When South Africa’s adaptation of the legendary game show WOF kicks off on the 8 April at 19:30, Rorisang Thandekiso will rewrite global television history. Rorisang is the first female ever to anchor an edition of the big-name game show franchise, in over 40 countries pic.twitter.com/CXkoF4P50O
— Rorisangt (@Rorisangt4) April 7, 2024
A career almost 20 years in the making
Rorisang’s career in broadcast entertainment began when she was just 15 years old on YoTV and she has done everything from kids’ television and magazine shows to news formats and radio hosting, now adding game show hosting to her impressive CV.
Now, at 34, Rorisang even surprised herself by realising that she will be marking off 20 years in entertainment in 2025, exclaiming “Now I’m ready to retire!”
What is your favourite time of day? Sleep time is my favourite.
What’s the best compliment you’ve received? ‘I love your heart’. I think that made my heart warm when somebody said that.
What’s a cause that is most important to you? I would say people reconnecting with their Maker … I think the world is rife and hectic and everybody just needs a place where they know they’re unconditionally loved and that God is there for them.
One vice you wish you could give up is… Red Bull. I just told someone to pass me my Red Bull actually!
Your favourite piece of clothing that you currently on is… This Ghanain dress that my father bought my mom on one of his trips. It’s currently my screensaver, I did a photoshoot without telling her that I stole it but it’s officially mine and it’s my favourite.
Sharing what she counts as her most notable achievement in her career, Rorisang says, “My first show. My first time appearing on television was a talk show on YoTV called Blue Couch and I think I always refer it because YoTV was this fun, bubbly, kids running around. But Blue Couch was kind of different, it was a talk show. So, we would talk about all sorts of topics. Bipolar, my parents are getting divorced, what exactly do I want to do when I leave school.
“And that show really began powerful conversations between young people in South Africa. I was invited all over the world because of a show like Blue Couch where young people and kids finally had a voice. We used to joke about it and say, ‘The aim is to become Oprah’, but in our true sense it was a platform where kids could talk about serious things that most people think kids don’t think about. Today, it’s probably sitting as one of my greatest moments.”
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Making dreams happen
Rorisang holds her spirituality dear to her and all of the opportunities she takes on need to speak to who she is, as seen with her Metro FM Command Your Day segment on weekday mornings.
The same can be said for taking on Wheel of Fortune, explaining to us that “I really struggle with gig mentality. Like I said with Wheel of Fortune it was a fit. I’m a South African that speaks different languages, that has lived in different parts of South Africa, that interacts with all sorts of South Africans, so that’s just the natural me. So, when I get on the game show, that’s not something I’m putting on.”
Helping change the lives of every day South Africans is an opportunity that Rorisang is grateful to be a part of.
“Dreams happen, you know. Somebody walks away with a car, their lives are changed forever and I think personally those are things that warm my heart. I’m genuinely upset when we get to the bonus round, and somebody misses an opportunity of R100 000.
“I probably start crying before they do because I’m like ugh, I understand! I think it’s very difficult for us to pick stuff that are far away from who we are. I think viewers are a lot smarter, a lot more exposed. It would be clear as daylight that it’s not a perfect fit,” she says.
Working on her book that she describes as sharing her heart and her mind, shooting Wheel of Fortune and being back on radio has Rorisang’s schedule full to the brim with exciting opportunities for the country to get to know her better.
