The decision to leave the national radio station came about a month before his contract with Radio 2000 ends on 30 March.
Nearly a year after the excitement of returning to mainstream radio, DJ Sbu unexpectedly announced his resignation from Radio 2000 yesterday.
“After much reflection and consideration, I have made the decision to resign as a morning radio host at Radio 2000, part of the South African Broadcasting Corporation,” said Sbu who hosted the station’s The Big Breakfast Show.
The decision to leave the national radio station comes about a month before his contract with Radio 2000 was to end on 30 March.
A seasoned broadcaster who has hosted some of the country’s biggest shows, Sbusiso “DJ Sbu” Leope said the decision to leave wasn’t easy.
“My time at Radio 2000 has been filled with invaluable experiences, cherished memories and the joy of connecting with our wonderful audience,” he said.
Sbu was on air yesterday morning despite the resignation.
Radio 2000’s breakfast slot has had four hosts since 2019. Previous breakfast show hosts include Phat Joe and Bongani Mtolo, who steered the show before Glen Lewis took over.
Sbu took over the breakfast slot after Glen Lewis, who is now at Kaya FM, left the station.
The Citizen reached out to DJ Sbu and the SABC for comment and the story will be updated if and when it comes.
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Sbu’s desired return to national radio
Prior to joining Radio 2000 in 2024, Sbu had been hinting about his desire to return to national radio. In 2023, speaking on his YouTube channel, the entrepreneur openly expressed his openness to this possibility.
“Would I go back to the SABC should the opportunity present itself? If an opportunity to represent my country presents itself I’ll gladly take it on,” he said in 2023.
Sbu had last worked for the state broadcaster in 2015. He then got fired from the station after a guerrilla marketing episode at the Metro FM awards, where he promoted his energy drink, Mofaya, without consent from his bosses.
Earlier in 2024, speaking in another video titled Why I would go back to the SABC, Metro FM or Ukhozi FM, if the deal makes sense, Sbu spoke about the power and reach that mainstream platforms still have.
“It comes with some form of credibility, obviously bigger numbers and you end up becoming a fabric of the culture of society in South Africa,” the former Friends Like These host said.
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Change of heart
Now, nearly a year after his desired return to radio, Sbu said he is preparing for a new breakfast show that will be launched in April.
“This new opportunity presents a fresh chapter in my career, and I am eager to embrace the possibilities that lie ahead,” he said.
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