DJ Fresh and Thato Wake First-Time Voters
Kaya 959 hosts show visits first-time voters at home on South Africa's 4 November municipal election day.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Civic Engagement
Live Poll
Did you vote in your local municipal election this year?
On 4 November, South Africans voted in local municipal elections, and DJ Fresh and Thato visited first-time voters to wake them up on Election Day. The wake-up segments were part of an initiative by Kaya 959 to put first-time voters in the spotlight on Kaya Breakfast.
Why it matters
The segment encouraged young South Africans to take part in the municipal elections by highlighting first-time voters on a popular morning show. It reflects an effort to draw attention to civic participation among the youngest eligible voters in South Africa.
The segment featured three first-time voters aged 18, 19 and 18, woken up in Diepkloof, Midrand and Centurion. The source does not report how many nominations Kaya 959 received or the turnout among the featured voters.
The players
Kaya 959
Kaya 959 is a Johannesburg-based commercial radio station known for its Kaya Breakfast programme.
DJ Fresh
DJ Fresh is a South African radio personality and DJ who co-hosted the wake-up segments.
Thato
Thato is a South African radio personality who co-hosted the wake-up segments with DJ Fresh.
The details
DJ Fresh and Thato left the studio to visit first-time voters at their homes on Election Day. Parents, family members and friends could nominate voters by WhatsApping the keyword 'ELECTION', the voter's name and surname, to 063 688 0959.
Timeline
4 November 2026: South Africans vote in local municipal elections, and the wake-up segments take place.
5 November 2026: An article describing the Election Day wake-up segment is published.
Civic Engagement
The segment is placed within South Africa's 4 November 2026 municipal elections, where a commercial radio station used a morning show to promote voter turnout among first-time voters. It follows a pattern of broadcast media being used to encourage electoral participation among young South Africans.
First-time voters aged 18 and older can take part in municipal elections in South Africa, and the segment shows how family and friends can nominate someone for a wake-up call. Readers who want to join similar initiatives can contact the station through the WhatsApp number given in the segment.
The takeaway
The segment shows how a simple morning-show wake-up call can draw attention to first-time voters on election day. Readers who want to get involved can nominate a first-time voter they know through the WhatsApp method described.
Further reading
For more on how citizens take part in local government, see Civic Engagement coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KAYA 959.
Live Poll
Did you vote in your local municipal election this year?
