THE QUINTESSENTIAL HUSTLER

“Thank you to the Fresh Breakfast team for laying the entertainment red carpet for us. We will continue on that path for the next three hours…” Dineo Ranaka’s words blare out of my car speakers as I listen to Metro FM’s mid-morning show, The Bridge, on the Monday when we’re meant to, finally, meet for our interview. My mind immediately tries to decipher how she came to be so gifted with words — so, I make a mental note to ask her this question later. Ten minutes after this thought, a WhatsApp voice note from the 35-year-old radio and club DJ sends my excitement levels crushing down. She is, yet again, asking that we postpone our interview because — following a weekend packed to the brim with her DJing gigs — she’d like to catch up on some sleep after work. Silently freaking out about the looming deadline, I get her to commit to meeting the next day.

Dineo insisted that we conduct the interview in the comfort of her home,