Alexandra, Johannesburg: Alex FM’s The Real Deal, the morning magazine show hosted by Lebogang “Lebo” Mapeka, has been nominated in the Community Radio category of the Telkom Radio Awards. For the Alex FM team and the listeners who make the show part of their mornings, the nomination is a moment of shared pride.
On air from 9 am to noon, The Real Deal brings warmth, humour and candour to conversations about issues affecting women and children. The show makes room for the subjects people can struggle to raise in their own lives. For a mother carrying the pressures of a household, or a listener used to being overlooked, hearing a familiar concern treated with dignity can make it easier to speak about.
Mapeka’s passion for radio comes through in the connection she builds with people. Her humility makes her approachable, and her empathy is evident in the way she gives people time to find their words.
She brings the same respect to a light-hearted exchange as she does to a difficult conversation. That care gives The Real Deal much of its character and offers hope to listeners who may feel they have nowhere to turn.
“This nomination means so much to all of us who bring The Real Deal to air,” said Mapeka. “I think about the woman who takes a breath before she tells us what she’s going through, and the person listening at home who hears a little of her own life in that story.
Sometimes that is what gives you the courage to reach out. To our listeners, thank you for trusting us with your stories and making room for us in your mornings. This moment belongs to you and to the Alex FM team who make the show possible.”
Originally from Alexandra, Mapeka began her broadcasting career in 2016 at Ikutani FM in Mpumalanga, where she hosted the afternoon drive show. She joined Alex FM in 2023, working in social media and as a voice-over artist while co-hosting The Midday Cruise.
Before entering broadcasting, she studied building and civil engineering at Central Johannesburg College and early childhood development at the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance. She also worked as a junior legal secretary.
Beyond the studio, Mapeka founded Mommy JunctionSA to support mothers rebuilding their lives after separating from their children’s fathers. The organisation encourages women to reconnect with their own ambitions while navigating the demands of keeping life steady for their children. It reflects the same respect she brings to the microphone, where a person can speak about a difficult chapter and still be heard as someone with plans and hopes of her own.
For Alexandra, the nomination is a chance to celebrate a show shaped by the people who tune in, call in and keep the conversation going long after the microphones are switched off.
For Media Enquiries, please contact:
Lebogang Mapeka
Cell: +27 (0) 83 791 2838
Email: [email protected]
