After three years away from the 947 airwaves, veteran broadcaster Hulisani Ravele has returned to the station, describing the moment as one filled with peace, gratitude and a deep sense of purpose.
Hulisani, who has spent more than two and a half decades in broadcasting and entertainment, made her return to 947 this week when she joined Bolele Polisa for The Frequency, as the station celebrates women throughout August through conversations about their journeys, purpose and the lessons that have shaped them.
Reflecting on the unexpected return, Hulisani shared an emotional message with her followers, revealing that exactly three years ago she had been preparing to walk away from broadcasting altogether.
“This time three years ago, I had submitted my resignation letter and was preparing to hang up my headphones @947joburg and step away from my broadcasting career of over two and half decades. I didn’t know what was next, all I knew was this is what my spiritual guides were asking of me,” she wrote.
For Hulisani, who grew up in the public eye, the decision to step away marked a significant change after decades of being a familiar face and voice to South African audiences. Her broadcasting journey began as a child in the late 1990s, with her rise to prominence coming through SABC1’s much-loved youth programme YoTV, where she became known to viewers as CeCe.
She successfully made the transition from child television presenter to mainstream broadcaster, later working across television and radio while building a reputation for her warmth, authenticity and ability to connect with audiences.
After leaving YoTV in 2008, Ravele continued to expand her career, including work at SABC1, hosting Quiz Me and exploring radio through platforms including 5FM, UJ FM, Capricorn FM and Power FM. Her radio journey eventually brought her to 947, where she joined the station in 2019 as a weekend breakfast presenter.
Her time at 947 became an important chapter in her career. She previously described landing at the station as a dream come true.
“The station managers had a chat, and I was thrilled to be asked and trusted to fill in. My journey thus far has been beautiful. My show and my abilities have grown in leaps and bounds. It’s a station I have always dreamt of being on, so I still pinch myself sometimes that I am here.”
In August 2023, she announced that she would take a sabbatical from radio and television after 26 years in the entertainment industry. At the time, she said the break would give her an opportunity to embrace stillness, explore new experiences and discover what the future held.
Three years later, her return to the station appears to carry a very different meaning.
“Today, I return to the 947 airwaves for the first time since then. My spirit is at peace and I could not be more blessed and joyful that this return is to be in conversation with @bolelepolisa,” she said.
Hulisani also paid tribute to Polisa, whom she clearly holds in high regard, writing: “Oh Ma’am, I love you and I honour you.”
Her return comes during a month-long celebration on The Frequency, where Polisa is putting women at the centre of the conversation and exploring the experiences behind the women they have become.
“Throughout August, Bolele’s show, The Frequency on 947, is celebrating women through honest conversations about their journeys, their purpose, the lessons they’ve gathered and the stories behind who they are today. Turning up the volume on ‘Her Frequency’. How sublime,” Ravele wrote.
The broadcaster encouraged listeners to tune in from 7pm to 8pm, marking what could be more than just a return to a familiar microphone. For Ravele, it is a return shaped by a period of stepping back, listening inward and allowing life to unfold beyond the studio.
After more than two decades of broadcasting, her latest chapter suggests that sometimes stepping away does not mean the end of the journey. It can simply mean making space for the next version of yourself to emerge.
