Gareth's Guests

‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’ One of Facebook’s many mantras that struck a nerve for Michal Oshman, and so it became the title of her latest book. Inspired by her grandmother - a holocaust survivor - Michal has lived day by day looking over her shoulder in fear, but recently turned her life around to encourage people to live, fail hard, learn and connect. Currently working in the TikT...

If you recognise the name “Carrie Bradshaw”, you lived in an era of prime time television, where 'Sex and the City' dominated the airwaves for years, but also became a cultural phenomenon - redefining modern relationships. Gareth sits down with the creator of the series, Candace Bushnell, to discuss her inspiration behind the literature and how it was picked up on television, being a single woman...

You might ask, who still writes columns... let alone who still reads them? Aspasia Karras is the editor-at-large of Sunday Times Lifestyle, and she joins Gareth for a general catch-up. They dive into interesting topics like vaping, self-inflicted pain, and the trappings of branding and self-image. www.cliffcentral.com

Tim Urban has spent years writing stick-figure-illustrated posts on his blog, Wait But Why. Thanks to his creative and unique way of seeing the world - and all of its issues - he has now written his first book, What’s our Problem? Gareth speaks to him about the book, and some of the compelling topics that Tim tackled in it. www.cliffcentral.com

Avid gamer, professional streamer, author and academic... Thea seems to be doing it all at the age of 25, while keeping a cool head and conquering the world. Gareth discusses her accolades in neuropsychology (in which she is obtaining her Master’s degree), and her relationship with the King of YouTube - Mr Beast. Not to mention everything in between from writing her book, 'The Marked Children', to...

South African treasure Louise Carver joins Gareth Cliff and Lebang Kgosana in the studio for a long overdue catch-up. With 7 albums, 11 South African Music Award nominations, and 2 Billboard No. 1’s, it’s a no-brainer that Louise is easily one of South Africa’s most precious talents. Together, they discuss life after COVID, her booming business ventures, the tragic death of Derek Watts, and her re...

Bruce Fordyce - A household name and South African legend. Best known for winning the South African Comrades Marathon a record nine times, the "Winged Messenger" sits down with Gareth Cliff to discuss the special moments in his career, his involvement in today's athletic culture, and his interests in anthropology and archaeology. www.cliffcentral.com

As we enter the final months of 2023, many of us are feeling a weight on our shoulders... unsure about the future of South Africa. It’s cool-headed, focused individuals, like Vusi Thembekwayo, that we rely on for leadership and insights. Gareth Cliff speaks to Vusi about SA’s business landscape in the current political climate, the role every concerned South African should play, and what Vusi's st...

Paul Slabolepszy is a literal legend of South African theatre. He tells Gareth Cliff about his family's history, mixing sport and drama, his lifelong partnership with Bill Flynn, the new version of one of his famous plays, what inspires his writing, and the true meaning of legacy. www.cliffcentral.com

You might know her as Dr D from her many years on 702, but in this in-depth discussion, Dorianne Weil shares some personal stories about meeting Mandela, her arduous fertility fight, grieving the loss of her husband, and how to find happiness. www.cliffcentral.com

Ben Goldsmith has written a beautiful book about a terrible tragedy. After losing his teenage daughter in a freak accident on the family farm in Somerset, England in 2019, Ben was drowning in the depths of grief and despair. His deeply personal story of how he found his way back through the healing power of nature is both moving and inspirational for anyone who has experienced a great loss. www.cl...

Award-winning writer, Darrel Bristow-Bovey joins Gareth to talk about his new book ‘Finding Endurance: Shackleton, My Father and a World Without End’. Don’t miss this somewhat philosophical discussion about the relationship we have with our fathers, the true meaning of success, and how to ‘win’ at the game of life. www.cliffcentral.com

She is a notorious South African actress who has released a new book, exposing the truth about the local entertainment industry. Not only does Vatiswa Ndara talk about her experiences within that world, she also drops some big names that have treated her and many others wrong. It has been a pretty dark road for Vatiswa over the last few years, and Gareth sits down with her to unpack her career, he...

Gareth Cliff sits down with Howard Sackstein, a lawyer by training and an entrepreneur by profession, to talk about his life and career in the political space. Howard is the founding member of the Jewish anti-apartheid movement, which actively fought against the apartheid regime. With tons of other accolades such as heading up the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) as Executive Director, and n...

Mike Teke - a man of principle and passion in South African business - sits down with Gareth Cliff to discuss his fascinating life growing up in the townships during the apartheid era, as well as his outlook on life. He explains why relationships built on professionalism and respect are extremely important - as well as keeping a line between people in business and his personal life. Enjoy listenin...

Slikour has been as busy as ever in the world of entertainment. Having released a new book, he joins Gareth Cliff and Lebang Kgosana in studio for a tell-it-all interview about his life, career, and recent realisations about the world. One hour with the South African hip hop mogul is not nearly enough to unpack his legacy, as well as his new platform that will change the music industry on take-off...

Daisy de Melker... a widow and nurse living in Johannesburg, South Africa became a notorious offender worldwide in the 1930s. This serial killer with blatant intent and disregard for the law is covered by South African author, Ted Botha - who had no intent on writing this book, but stumbled upon the largely untold story and decided to do a little digging.

Harry Oppenheimer is an icon of South African history, with an extraordinary life wrapped up in a nexus of politics, business, and wealth. Author Michael Cardo has been granted first-hand access to the Oppenheimer chronicles and historical documents from within the family - to script a truthful, but gripping biography. Gareth sits down with Michael to discuss some of the behind-the-scenes experien...

Meet the man behind the political commentator! Solly Moeng - a columnist, expert in brand reputation, and regular contributor to the Burning Platform - joins Gareth in-studio to discuss his life overseas as a part-time lecturer and full-time South African. Due to political reasons, he has been chased out of the country and is waiting for his chance to return. Solly divulges some interesting inform...

A man of history, a man of culture, multiple personas... and one proudly South African legend. Pieter-Dirk Uys sits down with Gareth Cliff to discuss his life, career, family and precious moments. Hear about where he grew up, his family, the influences for his satiric characters, and some heartwrenching moments that changed his life.

Michael Jordaan, FNB’s youngest CEO and a notoriously successful entrepreneur - both locally and internationally - has a one on one with Gareth Cliff to discuss his incredible career and the current entrepreneurial space in South Africa and the world. Don't miss this inspirational and patriotic conversation on South Africa’s business landscape.

Samsung’s former African powerhouse, Sung Yoon sits down with Gareth Cliff to discuss his journey around the world, working for one of the biggest and most competitive organisations on the planet. He also describes his love for South Africa, and the consumers on the African continent.

Dr John Laband is a Professor Emeritus of History at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. He has authored, co-authored and edited over 20 books on warfare and military culture in Africa, specialising in the Zulu kingdom and in 19th-century colonial conflicts in southern Africa. He speaks to Gareth about his latest book, where he explores the strategies of both the Trekkers and the Zulu Empire run...

UnCancelled brings you another thought-provoking conversation, this time featuring Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng. In this episode, she sits down with Gareth Cliff and Phumi Mashigo to share her thoughts on higher education in South Africa, and discuss the controversy around her split with UCT. As a respected academic who is unapologetic about setting out to make education fashionable, Prof Phakeng holds...

Gareth Cliff and Simon Sebag Montefiore finally meet in person for another history geek out session. They delve into the process of writing about historical people and events, ancient empires, and modern wars. Plus, some fantastical fun as they imagine travelling back in time to some bygone eras.