Durban — Gender pay equity in the entertainment industry came under the spotlight this week when Penny Ntuli, Gagasi FM presenter, resigned, causing a buzz on social media.
Ntuli, who has a huge following on social media including over 36 million likes on TikTok and is a brand ambassador for BMW SMG, revealed that the station offered to pay her R711 a show which translated to R2800 a month for a graveyard shift on Sundays between 1am and 4am.
Her colleague, Hope Mbele, who hosted the weekend breakfast show, was offered the same pay.
Ntuli declined to elaborate about her resignation when contacted by the Sunday Tribune, saying she had already detailed why on social media.
However, others in the industry have spoken out about their plight.
Seasoned broadcaster Penny Lebyane took to X, revealing that radio stations treated women broadcasters unfairly and the pay gap between them and their male counterparts was massive.
“If l told you how much l make on radio currently you’ll be equally shocked and even the highest amount l made when l left #MetroFm in 2010/11 l was never more than 30k, even when l hosted 12:00 to 15:00, but men even with a single show got (paid) more and my co-hosts got more.”
A woman radio presenter who did not want to be named said that the Gagasi FM saga was nothing new in the industry. She said that she was hurt by Ntuli’s story because for years people around her would not believe that she did not earn good money. She said there was an assumption that because she broadcast from fancy venues and interviewed celebrities, she was well-paid.
“The treatment that we get in the industry sometimes makes it hard to love the job we do. How do you focus at work on an empty stomach and bills that are piling up? As much as we have talent, and we love what we do, which is ‘serving the community’. But beyond the mic we have bills to pay, and family to support. That’s the reason why we wake up daily. The only thing that could remedy this situation is compassion from managers and bosses,” she said.
Another radio presenter who also asked not to be named said that not all hope was lost for women in the industry.
“I believe that the radio industry is a highly competitive industry with vast pool of incredible talent. I believed that radio has evolved. Over the years we have seen more and more women taking up space in the industry and hosting prime time shows. There has been no better time than now for women to take advantage of the opportunities in radio,” she said.
Brand business owner Brunette “Lumkah Fabulas” Mlambo, who has been in the industry for 20 years, said that there was a notable inequality between men and women.
“In the current media landscape, women still face significant challenges compared to their male counterparts, including unequal pay, limited representation in leadership roles, and pervasive sexism,” said Mlambo.
Sunday Tribune