Discover Shado Twala: How this media icon champions women in entertainment
Shado Twala, a veteran South African journalist, DJ, and entrepreneur, has spent over two decades shaping the country's entertainment landscape. Best known as a judge on SA's Got Talent since 2009 and currently hosting her own show on SAfm, Twala's journey from Soweto to the forefront of media exemplifies resilience and passion in an industry rife with challenges.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Shado grew up in Dube, Soweto during the apartheid government and went to high school in Swaziland, where she met her son's father.
- Shado started her career as a personal assistant (PA) to a high-profile figure in the North West National Parks Board.
- In the 1990s, she decided to pursue her love for music, Jazz music in particular, and established Khano Entertainment.
Shado Twala profile summary
Full name | Nomshado Twala |
Date of birth | 10th September 1958 |
Place of birth | Soweto, South Africa |
Shado Twala age | 67 years old as of 2026 |
Sister | Boli Twala |
Nationality | South African |
Shado Twala Facebook | |
Shado Twala Twitter | @shadotwala |
Shado Twala Instagram | shadotwala |
Relationship status | Single |
Occupation | Journalist, radio DJ, radio and TV producer, and entrepreneur |
Famous for | Being one of the judges on SA’s Got Talent and presenter of several Cape Talk podcasts |
Shado Twala biography
Shado Twala was born and bred in Cape Town along with her two siblings. Her sister is called Boli, and both their parents died. Shado Twala — no relation to Mary Twala — got her break back in 1989 in a national presenting competition when she was selected as the Best Presenter. This win allowed her to travel to New York on a scholarship to perfect her art of presentation, a prize that enabled her to become one of the 567 Cape Talk presenters among other roles.
How old is Shado Twala?
Shado Twala is 67 years old as of 2026. She was born on 10th September 1958 in Soweto, South Africa.
Early life
Nomshado grew up in Dube, Soweto during the apartheid government and went to high school in Swaziland, where she met her son's father.
Shado Twala was a bit of a cheeky child as well,
We used to go mountain climbing as well in Swaziland... cause we packed over the weekend, or was it boarding school? So to get away and go steal a bit of a drink, and smoke a bit of cigarettes, you had to go into the mountains.
She told Dudu Msomi.
Shado was not able to go to university because she got pregnant at an early age.
Career
Source: Original
Shado started her career as a personal assistant (PA) to a high-profile figure in the North West National Parks Board. After that, she became the PA of Mark Lamberti, who was the Marketing Director of Jazz Supermarkets. However, in 1989, she made a name for herself after winning the aforementioned national poll.
After her scholarship in New York, Namshado started her career in the 1980s at Bop Radio. She also worked for the Sunday Times, Old Mutual Jazz Heritage Magazine, Tribute Magazine, and Two Tone Magazine, where she used to write a couple of articles. Shado wrote about several topics, including democracy, art, women, and other things.
In the 1990s, she decided to pursue her love for music, Jazz music in particular, and established Khano Entertainment. The goal of the company was to produce music as well as nurture and develop local talent. They did not quite produce music on the level of Chicco Twala songs, although Khano did manage to expand to other African countries.
Even with her growing firm, Shado did not stop at that. She was also involved in public relations as the media liaison and PR officer for Ebrahim Rasool from 2005 to 2008. Rasool was the Premier of the Western Cape. Presently, she has another firm called Black Olive Entertainment. Nomshado is also the PR and Media Consultant for Just Mesh Creative Communications.
She has also had her voice featured in several commercials such as African Voices, Dennis Goldberg, Braam Fischer, Love featuring Mr & Mrs Walter Sisulu, Lillie’s Leaf Farm, and many more. Shado has also graced several corporate events such as the Presidential Inauguration, Table of Unity, Grand West, M&G Metropolitan Breakfast, and others. To cap it off, she joined the MTN Hall of Fame in 2011 and chaired the panel of experts for the Gugulethu Street Naming process and the Cape Craft Design Industries. She is in the judging panel for not only South Africa’s Got Talent, but also Youth Radio Awards and The Mbokodo Awards.
Shado spoke to Dudu Msomi about the challenges of working as a broadcaster during the apartheid government,
It was 1986; apartheid was still in its glory. We were a team of black people, broadcasting from underground; we broadcast from Cape 2. We had separate toilets, separate canteens... and seperate... we didn't have a window. We were not trusted at all. And that's why we had to speak English.
She went on,
You are going into hell for 3 hours, 4 hours, and you come out, you think, 'I did it! I did it! I represented my people!' You know? But we could tell our stories in ways that were very subtle. We could come back and report about what was going on in our communities.
Who are Shado Twala's family members?
Aside from her sister, Shado Twala's late brother was named Mutupi. However, most of her personal life is not documented on social media.
Who are Shado Twala's parents?
Shado Twala's mother worked as a factory worker and did not finish primary school. Her father was a jazz drummer and a broadcaster for the SABC. He also ran Moroka Swallows Football Club, which was based in Soweto.
Does Shado Twala have a husband?
The journalist has never married.
Shado Twala's children
She is a single mother to two, with Shado Twala's son being none other than Vusi Zion (formerly Vusi Twala). Vusi is a TV producer. Shado Twala's daughter is called Owami.
Latest news
Recently, the 2019 Mbokodo Awards were concluded on 7th November at Melrose Gallery in Johannesburg. Nomshado was one of the members of the adjudication panel, and after the awards, she came out stating that the awards were for the women who are giving their all in this society. It seems she is still going in her quest for empowering women.
What is Shado Twala's net worth?
The former radio host has never publicly disclosed her net worth. However, it is assumed to be in the range of $2 million to $10 million, drawn from her lengthy and illustrious career in radio and television.
What is Shado Twala doing now?
Since retiring from radio, Shado is the Chairperson of the Craft and Design Institute (CDI). According to their website, they aim to develop creative people, small businesses and the craft and design sector at large in South Africa. She also does regular appearances on radio shows and MC gigs.
CDI has grown from supporting just 63 makers in 2001, to a network of 8300 creative enterprises across all 9 provinces.
Trivia
- She is a fan of Jazz music.
- She grew up around music.
- Shado learnt ballroom dancing while young.
- She played netball and hockey in high school.
That is all you need to know about Shado Twala and her inspiring career journey. From the dusty streets of Soweto to making airwaves in the South African radio scene, Shado Twala has been a voice of inspiration and hope for many.
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Proofreading by Rianette Cluley, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
Jedidah Tabalia Jedi is a journalist with over 5 years working experience in the media industry. She has a BSc. in Human Resource Management from Moi University (graduated in 2014) and a working in progress MBA in Strategic Management. Having joined Genesis in 2017, Jedi is a passionate Facts and Life Hacks, Fitness, and Health content creator who sees beauty in everything. She loves traveling and checking out new restaurants. Her email address is jedidahtabalia@gmail.com
Glenn Omondi (Lifestyle writer) Glenn Omondi is a writer with more than 5 years of experience. He has a Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science from Kenyatta University, having graduated in 2025. He specialises in celebrity biographies, educational content, guides and listicles. Glenn finished the Google Digital Skills for Africa certification in 2020. You can reach him via glennomondi@gmail.com.
