Former Ukhozi FM Presenter Sbu Buthelezi Reveals Shocking R12,000 Salary Despite Breaking Listenership Records
Former Ukhozi FM broadcaster Sbu Buthelezi has shocked the public after revealing that he was earning a mere R12,000 per month before deductions at the station, despite pulling in the highest listenership numbers.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Podcast, Radio and Stuff, Buthelezi boasted that no radio presenter across all South African stations has ever broken his record of pulling over 3.6 million listeners on a single show. He achieved this milestone on his Sunday gospel show, Indumiso.
Despite his massive audience, Buthelezi disclosed that his take-home pay at the end of the month dropped to around R9,000 after taxes and other deductions.
“I know the suffering of radio presenters,” Buthelezi said, recalling how former colleague Lucky Nkosi once highlighted the struggles of being on air without money while the public assumes broadcasters are wealthy.
Buthelezi explained that weekend presenters like Nkosi face a completely different financial reality compared to weekday hosts.
He noted that listeners often get confused when high-profile weekday presenters like Zimdollar (Zimiphi Biyela) publicly make statements such as, “R50,000 does nothing for me,” assuming that every presenter earns that much.
These financial struggles inspired Buthelezi to plan his own digital station, Crown Radio Pro.
He envisions a station free from financial hardship, capable of competing with giants like Metro FM for top-tier talent.
Buthelezi stated that his online audio and visual station aims to elevate the lives of its presenters so that their lifestyles match the audience they serve.
He also plans to expand the station’s reach to provinces where Ukhozi FM has failed to connect.
Furthermore, Crown Radio Pro’s afternoon drive show will exclusively play Maskandi music—a traditional genre he claims other mainstream stations previously ignored but are now trying to copy.
Efforts to get a comment from the SABC spokesperson were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Buthelezi’s journey with Ukhozi FM ended abruptly on June 29, 2022, following allegations that he defrauded listeners through a failed chicken farming scheme.
He was initially suspended before his contract was terminated due to the reputational damage caused to the station. It was alleged that he used Ukhozi FM’s platform to advertise his company, Abombuso Investments, prompting a flood of listeners to invest their money.
While a large number of investors are still crying over their lost funds, Buthelezi maintains that justice was not served, arguing that he was axed without being given a fair opportunity to defend himself.
