By Kristy Hesom
DJ @ Large started his radio career while he was studying a BCom Law degree at Wits in 2011. Voice of Wits (VOW) FM had been closed for a few years, and when it re-launched in 2010, DJ @ Large saw his opportunity to join the new station, who were looking for new voices and personalities, criteria he knew he could meet. In 2010, his application wasn’t accepted, but in 2011, he tried again. DJ @ Large says applying was a tedious process that involved sending the station his CV, filling in forms and then, finally, debuting on air. “It was so freaky because I’d never been on radio before,” says DJ @ Large.
His love for radio stemmed from his childhood; “I always loved radio, and I have a particular link to YFM because on my way to school it was all we would listen to. I ended up loving the station, loving the personalities, and just loving the medium of radio itself.”
Little did young DJ @ Large know that one day he would be working at the station he grew up listening to. In mid-2014, DJ @ Large heard that YFM was looking at him and feeling him out. At the end of 2014 he decided to contact them, but when he got no response, all he thought was; “Oh my god. What’s going on?” Not one to give up, he contacted YFM again in 2015 and the station’s programme manager got in touch. “Look, I’ve been listening to your show anyway, we really like your vibe, we like your energy and we’d like you to be part of the station” is what DJ @ Large recalls the programme manager saying. When asked how this made him feel, DJ @ Large had one thing to say; “Yoh!”
DJ @ Large was given the weekend slot from 18:00 to 21:00 on YFM for the pre-party show, Stoep 992. After his first show, the hashtag #stoep992 was trending in South Africa. He says he doesn’t think he did anything specific to get the show trending. Instead he reckons that the way he presents, and what he was talking about was a real shock to people. He also says that he didn’t even know the show was trending until it was over.
“I was so nervous, so focused on making sure nothing switched off and everything was perfect. After the show, I realised ‘oh my word, this show is actually trending’. So for me, it was unbelievable. It was validation as well that I am a personality that’s going to keep growing.”
Radio isn’t his only love - DJ @ Large co-founded Authentic Brand Love, a digital marketing agency, with a university friend earlier this year. The gap that the two of them found was that promotions need to move from in-store promotions and events to social media because that’s where the young people are.
DJ @ Large is also a part of
YFM’s Youth Development through Investigation and Dissemination of Information (
Ydidi) where DJ’s can volunteer to speak to the youth. DJ @ Large says he took this further, and partnered with other DJ’s from other stations. “Even if the advice we give is not related to entertainment, but, just in general, to give them a perspective of what we had to go through to get to where we are, and what some of the challenges are. Being a radio personality, there’s a certain level of trust, so when you speak to young people, they are more inclined to listen,” he says.
As for the future, DJ @ Large says he wants to take over the radio space completely; he definitely wants to do daytime radio, and would love to have a drive-time or breakfast show. He believes that it’s important to work with young people on the same path as he is, and would like to work with Tweezy, a producer; YFM radio host, Ayanda MVP; and YFM content producer, Kopz.
DJ @ Large had big dreams for himself, and through his hard work and perseverance he is testament to what other’s can achieve.
You can catch DJ @ Large’s show, Stoep 992, on YFM on Saturday and Sunday’s between 18:00 and 21:00.