Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma (born July 6, 1986) is an award-winning South African radio personality, MC, event organiser, DJ, voice-over artist, and activist. She is the founder and national leader of the March and March movement.
Ngobese-Zuma has worked for several radio stations since her school days, including Inanda FM, Gagasi FM, and Vuma FM. She was named Best Radio Producer at the 2014 MTN Radio Awards.
| Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma | |
|---|---|
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| Personal Details | |
| Name: | Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma |
| Born: | July 6, 1986 (age 39 years old KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal) |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Supply chain management |
| Alma mater: | University of KwaZulu-Natal |
| Occupation: | Radio personality, activist, DJ, event organizer, MC. |
| Spouse: | Xolani Zuma (m. 2024) |
| Children: | Adunyiswe (daughter) Lwandile (son) |
Background
Jacinta Ngobese was born on July 6, 1986, in KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal. Her mother had her at a young age, and her grandmother raised her. Her parents separated before her birth, so she never met her father, who fled because of political violence.
Academic Qualifications
Ngobese studied supply chain management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Career
While she was at university, Ngobese-Zuma tried out for the campus radio station when it first started. In 2009, she moved to the Durban-based radio station Vibe 94.7 FM. A year later, she joined Inanda FM.
Ngobese later moved to Gagasi FM as a producer. She joined Alex Mthiyane and Kini Shandu on the Alex & The Morning Crew show in 2011. She later landed her own on-air slot, Fresh Start.
In 2014, she was named the Best Radio Producer at MTN Radio Awards for work on Gagasi FM’s Alex & The Morning Crew show. She has also won other awards, including the Best Radio Presenter (Female) award at the KZN Entertainment Awards in 2020.
In 2023, she bagged the Best Radio Presenter and Best Influencer on Sebenza awards. She was selected by the University of KwaZulu-Natal to participate in the International Visitor Leader Programme (IVLP).
Ngobese was nominated for African Female Radio Entertainment Show Host and Voice-Over Artist of the Year at the Ladies in Media Awards (LIMA), Ghana.
She presented a weekday mid-morning show, Cruise on Vuma FM. Her contract with the radio station was terminated in July 2025.
Ngobese-Zuma is at the forefront of the March and March movement, campaigning against illegal migration. She founded the organisation, which coordinates nationwide demonstrations against illegal immigration.
As an event organiser, she organised weddings for her listeners, Nkosinathi Hadebe and Zandile Cele, in 2023. She has launched her podcast, Zoomin with Jacinta Ngobese, which attracted over 8,000 subscribers within the first 24 hours of going live.
She was honored as the Leader of the Year at the Engineer Your Life award in May 2026.
Personal Life
Jacinta Ngobese got married to Xolani Zuma on 10 August 2024. Their wedding, which began at her home in KwaMashu E section, ended at Princess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu. She has two children, daughter Adunyiswe and son Lwandile.
She is not biologically related to Jacob Zuma. She gained the “Zuma” surname after marrying her husband, Xolani Zuma.
References
- Zama Nteyi. “From airwaves to YouTube podcast, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma stages comeback”. Sunday World.
- Jabulani Langa. “PICS: Top presenter marries Zuma!”. Daily Sun.
- Drum Digital. “Meet radio’s best producer Jacinta Ngobese”. Drum.
- Jabulani Langa. “Presenter starts year on a high note!”. Daily Sun.
- Tribune Reporter. “From radio waves to the frontlines of anti-illegal migration activism”. Sunday Tribune.
