Remember When... with Andile Ndlovu

Before tennis in South Africa became a ghost serve, we had Amanda Coetzer — 1.58m of giant-slaying grit — and Wayne Ferreira, the forever dark horse who outlasted most of his rivals. This episode looks back at the era when South Africans actually showed up on tour… and won. It’s part memory lane, part state-of-the-union — from Amanda’s wins over Hingis and Graf to Wayne’s marathon career (and hair...

Before playlists and streaming apps, there was Musica. This episode dives into the rise and fall of South Africa’s once-iconic music retailer — from Saturday mall trips to hunt down your fave CD, to its unexpected shutdown in 2021. We talk about its evolution, what went wrong, and why its closure still stings for a generation who grew up browsing its shelves. Was Musica just another victim of digi...

On 1 December 2005, South Africa’s Constitutional Court handed down a judgment that would forever change what love could look like under the law. The Civil Union Act — the first of its kind in Africa — gave same-sex couples the right to marry. But it didn’t happen quietly. In this episode, we go back to the fierce national debate, the homophobia disguised as tradition, and the courage of ordinary...

UPDATE: The IPL will resume on 17 May 2025 - https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c2kq085wg0do.amp In 2009, just months before the soccer World Cup would put South Africa on the global stage, something wild happened: we hosted the entire Indian Premier League. Not a few matches — the whole damn tournament. It was last-minute. It was chaotic. It was brilliant. But behind the sixes, stadium fi...

In this episode, US screenwriter Richard Wesley joins host Andile Ndlovu to reflect on the making of the 1997 Showtime film “Mandela and De Klerk”, starring Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine — a production that remains one of the most debated depictions of South Africa's transition to democracy. Wesley opens up about how he was approached to write the film, the research process he undertook, and wh...

A quick one — I’m bringing back the podcast in a new way. If you’ve got a throwback, a pop culture memory, or a random nostalgic story, I want to hear it. Voice note me your “ Remember when …” moment and I might turn it into a short episode. Details inside! Also, please check out previous episodes!

ENJOY! 

[Audio clip(s) courtesy: etv.co.za] Please! Did you heat that amazing theme song? It brings back so many memories of evenings spent on the couch in front of the TV, watching eTV’s youth drama “Backstage”. It's true, many of the guests who have appeared on this show are not always the most obvious or expected, but I went with a woman who, when things were falling apart both on-screen and behind the...

Some might argue that the Miss SA Teen pageant NEVER mattered, but don't forget that it gave us some queens who have gone on to make big waves in their respective careers. Sure, there have been some forgettable periods and winners, but the pageant also gave us Gina Athans, Phuti Khomo, Zizo Beda, and Celeste Khumalo.  The latter was the las winner of the Miss SA Teen pageant in 2011. We talke...

Now, I don’t mean to attack the public broadcaster here, so please don’t misconstrue the point of this episode. However, there was this period between 2004 and 2009 when it seemed like the commissioning editors there were suddenly made aware that queer people exist in this country and because of their mandate to reflect our society in all its divergent cultures and identities, there was an obvious...

Before we all became too cool for school, we all wanted to be part of the Soul Buddyz Club. No? Just me, then. But whether you joined the club or not, I'm certain you never missed an episode of Soul Buddyz on SABC 1. Hamilton (with those dreadlocks) being bullied. Thapelo losing his parents to AIDS and having to bring up his younger sister. Avril having to face the same uncle who used to sexually...

In the inaugural season of the Castle Premier League (now known as the DStv Premiership), Gordon Igesund led Manning Rangers to the impossible dream: the league winners title. Previous winners of the league (then known as the National Soccer League First Division) included Cape Town Spurs, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and Mamelodi Sundowns - and the smart bet on the winner of the newly establis...

The story goes that when Mam' Letta Mbulu and Bra Caiphus Semenya landed back in the country in 1991, after 26-years of being in exile in the United States, she was left saddened by the "lack of ubuntu" and living conditions she found her people living in. She soon hit the studio to work on a new album - Not Yet Uhuru.  She reflected on this, as well as her relationship with her life partner,...

It is 19 July, 1996 and it is the Summer Olympics! All eyes are on Atlanta, where 10, 318 athletes from 197 countries have descended on the capital city of the state of Georgia. South Africa, competing in only its second Games since readmission after a 32-year absence, sends 84 athletes. Only of them is a young Penny Heyns. Five days later, she beats Australian, Samantha Riley, and American, Amand...

Remember When.... At the dawn of a new millennium, the media mogul, Simon Fuller (also known as the man who launched The Spice Girls) successfully launched TV singing competition Pop Idol in the UK (which produced Gareth Gates and eventual Season 1 winner, Will Young)? Not long after that, the franchise launched in South Africa, and put the power of turning ordinary people into singing stars in th...

How many of you were allowed to watch Yizo Yizo? I know I wasn't. In fact, I am pretty sure that for every household that watched it, there were two that didn't permit it. Of course, I always managed to sneak episodes at a friend's house. I recently rewatched the show - this time in the (dis)comfort of my own home -, and let's just say that as brilliant as it was, I get why it caused such a stir a...

If this podcast was an album, it would undoubtedly be Rihanna's R9. It's been in the works - at least the idea - for SO long that even I almost got over it. But just like we've had to dig through Robyn Fenty's back catalogue and reminisce, this podcast is similarly ALL NOSTALGIA! I'm really going to be exposing my age here, but a lot of the interviews and topics on this podcast will celebrate peop...