‘One part of me is genuinely upset with myself’: DJ Fresh explains abrupt departure from 938 radio

DJ Fresh (Thato Sikwane). Picture: Instagram/ @djfreshsa DJ Fresh has explained his abrupt departure from Johannesburg community radio station 938. The DJ, real name Thato Sikwane, and Unathi Nkayi were among the first presenters announced for the station, which launched in 2025.

DJ Fresh spoke about his exit on his podcastWAW! What a Week with DJ Fresh. He said he left 938 due to financial challenges at the station.

“To everyone asking, why didn’t you say goodbye? Because you were on air on Monday or Friday, and then on Monday you were not,” he said. “The truth is, things reached a stage where the staff were not being paid,” he said.

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He said the situation continued for several months. DJ Fresh said he relied on other income and savings during that period. “But once you get to the point where you haven’t been paid for so many months that it no longer makes financial sense to keep showing up, that’s where I was,” he said.

He said his decision to stay initially was also driven by his passion for radio. “One part of me is genuinely upset with myself, because that’s not how I operate,” he said.

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