Bring Back Shame in the Podcast Industry of South Africa
The latest episode of Piano Pulse has become a source of widespread conversation owing to rapper and singer-songwriter Sizwe Alakine confronting co-hosts Thakgi and S’fiso while recording on set about the offhand comments they made about award-winning musician and businessperson Gigi Lamayne, who is also Sizwe’s current partner. From cutting questions about what the worth of a person means to the dangers of judging people’s lives based on public perception – another sub theme discussed in the verbal squabble – the newest installment of the podcast reinforces the long-standing issue of the South African podcast industry being a cesspool of shock value-driven shows that thrive on unfruitful talks, injurious opinions, and topics that are altogether devoid of value.
The podcast industry of Mzansi has absolutely no shame, and it needs to be brought back to fashion.
While dissecting the segment of Scorpion Kings splitting, Piano Pulse hosts Thakgi, Munaka, and S’fiso were ambushed by the Metro FM Award-winning star, who calmly took a seat between Thakgi and Munaka and exchanged polite pleasantries with the hosts before making it a statement that he was there to watch them talk about him since they had already done so in their previous episode.
Sizwe Alakine | SUPPLIED
Thakgi | SUPPLIED
Taking charge of the direction of the conversation which Alakine called a “teachable moment”, the “Imithandazo” hitmaker steered the conversation back to the incendiary remarks they made about Lamayne, particularly about how they felt that he had “downgraded” by choosing her after the split from radio personality LootLove. Throughout his half-rant, half-lecture, the “Do It Like I Can” star questioned the integrity of the conversation surrounding Gigi, the grounds with which they had determined Lamanye’s worth, and the overall problematic nature of discussing people’s lives and life choices in a public platform in an abasing manner.
The amapiano musician, formerly known as Reason within the hip-hop sphere, also called to attention the pernicious effect that the “stupid” conversations had on how people spoke about women in general, highlighting that Lamayne and LootLove weren’t to be compared in the same way as people would relate to iPhone models. He also spoke of the impact Gigi has had in the lives of her employees as a woman running several businesses.
Thakgi and S’fiso had different attitudes concerning the encounter, with the former not backing down and doubling down on his stance about Gigi, while the latter humbled himself and apologised, admitting that he was at fault and that Lamayne wasn’t deserving of what they had said.
There are a couple of things to consider after Sizwe’s literal mic drop before walking off the visibly shaken room.
Watch the confrontation below:
The podcast industry of South Africa is filled with shameless shows and hosts who pass off damaging opinions as facts. And such a thing is dangerous when the platform is as big as Piano Pulse and circulates from Mac G’s YouTube channel. It has been a jocular conversation and a half among people on the socials about how podcast equipment should be more expensive and that there needs to be a license for making podcasts. However, in as much as this might be a joke, the episode of Piano Pulse in question shows that the hosts of these podcasts need to be mindful of the way they talk about people, and not only about those who are famous.
A few years ago, podcaster Rea Gopane found himself in a legal and money-heavy fix with internationally acclaimed model and entertainment powerhouse Bonang Matheba after making defamatory allegations against her, claiming that she introduced slain rapper AKA to drugs. The lawsuit he was hit with commanded that he pay Matheba half a million rands and issue a public apology along with a retraction of his deleterious accusations. Years later and it’s 2025, yet podcasters still haven’t learned that having the right to an opinion also means assuming the responsibility of making sure that their words aren’t damaging, let alone false.
The second thing that needs to be reflected upon is the way podcasts have become a microcosm of the way a misogynistic society views and classes women in general. How platforms that are meant to be wholesome, educational, and uplifting turn into sordid shows that mimic conversations usually held emakhoneni, where accountability is never found, only yes-men agreeing with each other over nonsensical takes.
It is not uncommon for South African podcasts with a wider reach among the youth to find episodes where the hosts are heard having degrading conversations concerning women, reducing the worth of women to body counts and whether or not they are virgins. If it’s not about sex, it’s about clubs, and if it’s not about that, then it simply comes back full circle and becomes about more sex and the overt objectification of women – such as on Piano Pulse episode in question that spoke of Lamayne as if she was simply a piece of furniture.
Gigi Lamayne | SUPPLIED
Podcasters need to understand that every conversation needs to be handled with kid gloves. Whether the matter touches a public figure or ordinary folks, recklessness should be frowned upon and the conscience need to be on from the moment the mics come on. Because the truth of the matter is that it’s not right to label Lamayne a downgrade – and it’s not right to call women in general downgrades either simply because they had children outside wedlock or because they aren’t a certain skin tone or because of anything else for that matter. Caution and proper conversational conduct need to be exercised because people are people – even those people watching that the hosts know nothing of but are touched by the remarks made since they fuel the collective perception of what is deemed right and wrong.
And also, just to double down once again, please bring back shame. If podcasters don’t know what that is, Google is up and running, and dictionaries are everywhere. And the best part of shame is that it is completely free. It is very advisable to get some. It will save podcasters a lot to have this as well as the audience.