Sol Phenduka Explains How ‘Podcast and Chill’ Interviewed the Wrong Man by Mistake

• Sol Phenduka broke his silence on the Podcast and Chill blunder after footage surfaced of the crew unknowingly interviewing the wrong guest
• The mystery man, Mr Maleka, never corrected the crew when they addressed him as businessman Benjy Maponya during the mix-up
• Sol revealed he had already grown suspicious before recording began but was brushed off when he raised the alarm with a crew member

Sol Phenduka has finally spoken out about one of the most talked-about blunders in Podcast and Chill's history. Footage that surfaced online showed Sol and MacG sitting across from a gentleman who eventually dropped a bombshell mid-session, revealing he was not the person they believed him to be.

The intended guest was businessman Benjamin "Benjy" Maponya, who was later brought in for the actual interview to discuss his fractured friendship and collapsed business partnership with mining magnate Solly "MySol" Madibela. The man who arrived first, however, turned out to be a Mr Maleka, and it was a case of mistaken identity that unfolded entirely on camera.

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How the mix-up unfolded

On 9 October 2026, Sol took to social media to walk his followers through the sequence of events. According to him, Maleka simply walked in when the crew was already expecting their scheduled guest and never once corrected anyone when they called him by the wrong name.

"He simply arrived when we were expecting a guest and never bothered to correct Dudu when she addressed him as Mr Maponya when receiving him. Even Mac addressed him as that, and he seemed cool with it," Sol explained.

By his own admission, Sol had already begun connecting the dots before the cameras rolled. He had pulled up the real Maponya's Facebook profile on his phone, quietly preparing to challenge the man if necessary.

"I was confused, but Mac had a very long intro. If you noticed, my phone was already open on the real Maponya's Facebook. I didn't search. I was waiting to ask him why he is being an imposter; he is not him," Sol wrote.

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He also attempted to stop the recording before it even began. Just as Maleka settled into his seat, Sol quietly pulled aside Executive Producer Duduzile "Dudu" Methula and flagged his concern, showing her a photo from social media. Her response? She told him the guest may have simply changed in appearance and suggested Sol raise it on air.

See Sol Phenduka's posts below.

Laughter and a silver lining

Once the penny finally dropped for everyone in the room, the mood shifted from awkward to hilarious. Sol, MacG, the crew, and Maleka himself all burst into laughter as the full weight of the situation hit them.

Maleka clarified that he had actually come to the studio for an entirely separate interview, meaning the mix-up was a genuine coincidence. Rather than take offence, he laughed it off along with everyone else.

Sol described the incident as "One of my podcasting career highlights" and was quick to note that Maleka was far from an ordinary walk-in. He called him a "Serious dude" and revealed that Maleka is a taxi owner, among other ventures.

Fans of the podcast now have more to look forward to, as Maleka is set to appear on David Mashabela's podcast, where Chillers are already eager to hear his take on the whole ordeal.

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Watch Mr Maleka's appearance on Podcast and Chill below.

MacG disses Cassper Nyovest's Billiato

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to MacG dragging Cassper Nyovest's alcohol brand, Billiato.

The podcaster labelled Billiato a flop, all while thanking his fans for supporting his alcohol brand and helping it grow.

Source: Briefly News