With the gsport Awards edging ever closer, anticipation is building ahead of the milestone event that is set to celebrate its 20th edition. Someone who knows all about what it means to be part of such a prestigious night is Mpumi Manyisi.
The well-known sports journalist is not only a former winner but also a Finalist in the 2025 gsport Awards; after having been nominated in the Women in Print category. Manyisi walked away with the same accolade in 2022, and says that becoming a gsport winner changed the trajectory of her career.
“Winning the gsport Award opened so many doors for me.”
2022 Woman in Print Award Winner, and 2025 Finalist, Mpumi Manyisi
“There were people from different media houses wanting to write articles about me. I had a lot of people wanting to interview me, wanting to know more about my story, and people were starting to be aware of who I am, and what I do.”
The sports journalist said that when she won her first gsport Award, she was working in community radio, and being able to win such a prize at that stage in her career was something that gave her the belief and motivation to work hard for what she wanted to achieve in the industry.
“When I won the gsport Award, I was still working for a community station, and if you work for a community station, sometimes you doubt yourself,” says Manyisi. “You don’t think you can do well when you repeat to people who are in mainstream media.”
“When I was put amongst people in the mainstream media, that sort of spoke to me and spoke to the work that I was putting in, that I should not look down on myself, and just make sure that I believe in myself and believe in the work that I’m putting out.”
“And it also gave me a motivation to work even harder and to want to achieve more and know that there’s something that I’m doing right, and the fact that I am still on track as a journalist.”
Manyisi urges this year’s Finalists to ensure they are present, and savour the moment as it happens, and wants to remind the Nominees that they must soak in the recognition they deserve.
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“You deserve the recognition. Be proud of yourselves. Trust the process and enjoy the space that you’re in currently. Enjoy the nomination. Being nominated alone says someone sees you. Someone sees the work that you’re putting in. So don’t give up, you know, let it be a motivation for you to continue working even harder and having the zeal to achieve more in life and your career.”
Manyisi’s first taste of sports journalism came when she auditioned for a sports gig at Jozi FM and was successful in getting the job. This captured her imagination and led her on the path of journalism. She pointed out that journalism can lead you down many career paths, but storytelling was what she was passionate about.
“I can say it is, it is the umbrella career for people who want to be in the media. If you want to be in communications, journalism can cover that. If you want to be in radio, being a producer, presenter, or journalist would help you navigate those spaces, and that’s the reason I decided to choose it, and the fact that I just actually love storytelling. I wanted to learn the art of storytelling and understand it better. So, fast forward to when I joined Soweto TV. I then joined eTV as a content producer on their Morning Show, and I then joined the public broadcaster SABC Sport as a journalist and a multimedia reporter.”
So what does Manyisi think of the growth when he comes to the women taking up spaces in the industry? She is of the opinion that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. This is the sentiment of many, and she feels that gsport plays a huge role in creating parity in this instance.
“We need more organisations such as gsport4girls to make sure that the spotlight shines on women, and so that women can get the platform and the recognition that they deserve, to get the motivation to do better and to open up more opportunities for other women.”
She also urged women of the industry to do their part in creating more opportunities for fellow females and to be the mentors the younger generation needs.
“Don’t just be pleased with being the only woman and being the first too, but you must make sure that now that you open the door that has been open for you. How are you uplifting others and opening the door for other people or other young girls, you know? So that’s why mentorship is also important, that in our respective roles, we also have other young girls that we are helping in the process.”
Manyisi also paid homage to the women who inspire her. Cynthia Tshaka, gsport-founder Kass Naidoo, and Carol Tshabalala are some of the names she mentioned, and she says they have not only paved the way for women in the industry, but their passion and mentorship are a great example of who they are.
“They treat their work like they’re doing it for the first time, When I watch them or see them in their element. They are always willing to share the wisdom that they have and share the knowledge that they have, I look up to them in terms of how specific they are in how they deliver their work. It inspires me to want to be like that and also have an eagerness to be excellent in everything that I do.”
Main Photo Caption: With the gsport Awards edging ever closer, anticipation is building ahead of the milestone event that is set to celebrate its 20th edition. Someone who knows all about what it means to be part of such a prestigious night is Mpumi Manyisi. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: 2022 gsport Award winner and sports journalist Mpumi Manyisi is in the running again this year, and encourages fellow Finalists to live the moment.
Photo 3 Caption: Manyisi paid homage to women who inspire her including Cynthia Tshaka, Kass Naidoo, and Carol Tshabalala.
Photo 4 Caption: The industry professional urged women to do their part to create opportunities for women, and to be mentors to the younger generation.
Photo 5 Caption: “We need more organisations such as gsport4girls to make sure that the spotlight shines on women,” says 2022 Woman in Print winner, Manyisi.
