Bloem - Dec 22

Bloem’s Best on-air
MMoving from campus radio
to commercial radio, Yolanda
Maartens Brown shares the
journey that brought her to
radio in Bloemfontein, a city
that she describes as the
hidden gem many in South
Africa don’t know about.
“I joined the campus radio station PUKfm at the North
West University in my honours year. At first, I joined
because I thought it would be a perfect past time
because I enjoy talking, coupled with an interest in
music. Then two years flew by and I learnt a lot about
myself - I managed to find my voice through it.”
The perfect opportunity for her to switch stations
presented itself in 2009 when she won OFM’s
popular talent search competition, The Radio Voice,
which afforded her the chance to broadcast from
Potchefstroom over weekends for two years.
“In 2011, I moved to Bloemfontein to join Huistoe
with Johrné van Huyssteen as his producer and traffic
presenter. I basically did a bit of everything – read
sport, traffic, and weather, attended festivals across
the region, did traffic from the Eye in the Sky, and
interviewed a variety of artists and celebrities from
South Africa and around the world.”
After taking a break from radio in 2015, Yolanda
returned on-air in 2020.
“For those 5 years, I worked as the regional manager
at the Reach for a Dream Foundation, which truly
changed my life. Working with children with
life-threatening illnesses put a lot of things into
perspective for me. In 2020, the timing for me to return
to radio was right and although the world was on its
head with the pandemic, this offered me the chance
to settle back in behind the microphone and it is good
to be back.”
Three years back in the industry, Yolanda has managed
to meet a few milestones of her own that she treasures
dearly. “I am super honoured to recently have been
voted the Best Radio Personality and presenter of the
Best Radio Show in the Bloemfontein Courant Best of
Bloemfontein Readers’ Choice Awards. I don’t think I
will stop celebrating soon.”
On a personal level, she has reached a few other big
achievements and continues to celebrate them as she
has grown accustomed to.
“Owning a house is something I truly cherish and
don’t ever want to take for granted. Completing my
master’s degree was also a moment I won’t ever forget,
receiving it cum laude was the cherry on top. Also
being selected as a Rotary Exchange Student out of
many applicants in KZN was an honour - representing
my country in every aspect of my life for an entire year,
what a privilege.”
Radio may have brought her to Bloemfontein but it has
been the people that have kept her here. “My husband,
Charlie Brown, and I are both from Potchefstroom and
we have two border collies that keep us on our toes,
and a passion for the outdoors whether that involves
off-roading in our little 4x4’s, fishing, going for a game
drive or watching the sun set.”
This festive season, Yolanda has her house filled with
a variety of sentimental Christmas decorations that
she collected during her year in Berlin, Germany, as a
Rotary Exchange Student.
“I enjoy surrounding myself with these items, lighting
my special candles, and obviously having fruit cake as
often as possible. My hubby plans to roast a gammon
for the two of us as we can’t be with family this year
and then we plan to eat gammon into the New Year,
LOL,” she ends off.
getitmagazine.co.za/bloemfontein
December 2022 Get It Bloemfontein 23