Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is one of South Africa’s most recognized radio personalities, civic activists, and media entrepreneurs.
Based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, she built a loyal audience over more than a decade of radio broadcasting before transitioning into national prominence through her founding of the March and March movement a grassroots civic campaign that has organized protests across South Africa against undocumented foreign nationals and for the prioritization of South African citizens in healthcare and social services.
Fiercely outspoken, deeply community-oriented, and politically unafraid, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma embodies the power of a media personality who uses her platform not just for entertainment, but for social and political mobilization.
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Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma: History · Bio · Photo
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Full Name: | Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma |
| Born: | July 6, 1986 |
| Age: | 39 years old |
| Birthplace: | KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Occupation: | Radio Presenter, Podcaster, Civic Activist, Media Entrepreneur |
| Spouse: | Xolani Zuma (married August 10, 2024) |
| Relationship: | Married |
Early Life
Jacinta Ngobese was born on July 6, 1986, in KwaMashu, a township north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Her early life was shaped by circumstances that might have defined a lesser person by vulnerability instead, they defined her by resilience. Her mother had her at a very young age.
Jacinta never met her biological father, whose family had been forced to flee their area due to political violence in the turbulent years of South Africa’s transition era, and who separated from her mother before her birth.
She was raised by her grandparents in KwaMashu a community that, like many South African townships, was simultaneously marked by hardship and remarkable social solidarity. Her grandparents’ guidance provided the stability and values that would anchor her journey. She grew up in KwaMashu and has spoken with deep pride about her roots in the community throughout her public career.
From her school years, Jacinta demonstrated natural leadership. She has said in interviews that she has always been a leader and never a conformist taking initiative from her schooldays to stand up for fellow learners who could not fend for themselves.
The same leadership instinct extended into her church life, where she led youth groups, and into every community environment she inhabited. It is this organic, community-rooted leadership identity that would later make her March and March movement feel authentic to the thousands of South Africans who joined it.
Education
Jacinta Ngobese studied Supply Chain Management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban. It was during her time at UKZN that she made the life-changing discovery of her passion for radio broadcasting.
She attended a campus radio station audition on what may have been an exploratory whim and was selected, launching a career that would eventually define her public identity far more than any supply chain management role ever could.
Her academic grounding in supply chain management, while seemingly unrelated, gave her an analytical and organizational discipline that has been evident in her professional and activist work.
Career
Jacinta Ngobese’s broadcasting career began at UKZN’s campus radio station, where she was discovered and began developing her distinctive on-air voice.
In 2009, she made her first major professional move when she joined Vibe 94.7 FM in Durban, one of the city’s prominent radio stations. The following year, 2010, she joined Inanda FM, continuing to build her profile in KwaZulu-Natal’s radio landscape.
In 2011, she joined the legendary KZN radio station Gagasi FM as a producer and member of the on-air crew of the Alex & The Morning Crew show alongside Alex Mthiyane and Kini Shandu. She also had her own on-air slot, Fresh Start, on Gagasi FM. Her time at Gagasi was instrumental in shaping her broadcast style and audience connection.
In 2019, Jacinta joined Vuma FM, a prominent KwaZulu-Natal commercial radio station where she hosted the mid-morning show “Cruise with Jacinta Ngobese”, airing from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The show became enormously popular and established her as one of KZN’s most beloved and recognized radio voices. In December 2020, she won the Best Radio Presenter Female award at the KZN Entertainment Awards, a recognition of her remarkable audience connection.
In 2023, she organized a highly praised “provincial wedding” for one of her listeners a community event that demonstrated her ability to transform radio into genuine social impact. That same year, she was selected for a prestigious media programme in the United States a significant international recognition of her professional standing.
In March 2024, she was nominated for the Ladies in Media Awards (LIMA) in Ghana in the categories of African Female Radio Entertainment Show Host and Voice-Over Artist of the Year. She also won the Best Radio Presenter and Best Influencer awards at the Sebenza Women Awards.
Jacinta departed Vuma FM in 2025, concluding a six-year chapter at the station. Following her departure, she launched a new podcast, “Zoom in with Jacinta MaNgobese Zuma” on YouTube, continuing to engage her audience in a new digital format.
Beyond broadcasting, Jacinta is the founder and leader of March and March, a civic movement she established in 2025 to campaign against undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa and to advocate for the prioritization of South African citizens in public healthcare services. The movement has organized peaceful marches in Durban and has expanded its reach nationally.
In January 2026, a public violence case was opened against the movement, and Jacinta voluntarily handed herself over to police at the Point Police Station in Durban on January 27, 2026 a move that demonstrated her willingness to face legal consequences for her activism and which drew significant national media attention.
Awards & Nominations
- Best Radio Presenter Female KZN Entertainment Awards (December 2020)
- Best Radio Presenter & Best Influencer Sebenza Women Awards
- Social Media Influencer of the Year Sebenza Women Awards
- LIMA Ghana nomination African Female Radio Entertainment Show Host (2024)
- LIMA Ghana nomination Voice-Over Artist of the Year (2024)
Social Media
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is a powerful social media presence in KwaZulu-Natal and nationally:
- Instagram: @jacintangobese
Personal Life
Jacinta Ngobese married her partner, Xolani Zuma, on August 10, 2024, in a deeply community-rooted celebration.
Their wedding began at her home in KwaMashu E Section and concluded at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu a venue choice that symbolized her connection to her township roots and her community.
The event was widely covered in South African media and celebrated by her large fanbase across KwaZulu-Natal.
She has adopted the hyphenated surname Ngobese-Zuma following her marriage. She has spoken at length about the importance of community, family, and activism in her life, and describes herself as a woman who has always been motivated by an instinct to protect those who cannot protect themselves a value instilled by her grandparents and amplified by her grandmother’s example of quiet strength.
She is a proud mother and describes motherhood as one of the most important aspects of her identity. As a public figure who grew up without her biological father and was raised by her grandparents, she has spoken movingly about family, resilience, and the determination to build a better life for the next generation.
Net Worth
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma’s net worth has not been officially disclosed.
As a veteran radio broadcaster with over 15 years in the industry, a podcast host, media entrepreneur, and activist with a significant social media following, her income derives from her broadcasting career, sponsorships and brand endorsements, her podcast, public speaking engagements, and the growing media profile associated with her March and March movement. She is widely considered one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most commercially valuable media personalities.
FAQs
Who is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma?
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is a South African radio presenter, podcaster, and civic activist. She is best known for hosting “Cruise with Jacinta Ngobese” on Vuma FM and for founding the March and March anti-illegal immigration movement.
How old is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma?
Born July 6, 1986, she is 39 years old as of 2026.
Who is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma’s husband?
She married Xolani Zuma on August 10, 2024.
What is the March and March movement?
March and March is a civic movement founded by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma in 2025 that campaigns against undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa and advocates for the prioritization of South African citizens in healthcare and public services.
What radio stations has Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma worked at?
She has worked at UKZN campus radio, Vibe 94.7 FM, Inanda FM, Gagasi FM, and Vuma FM.
Where is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma from?
She was born and raised in KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Conclusion
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is a South African woman who has transformed every platform available to her into a vehicle for community empowerment.
From her humble beginnings in KwaMashu raised by grandparents after a father she never knew and a mother too young for the responsibility to the mid-morning shows of Vuma FM and the front lines of South Africa’s most visible civic movement of 2025–2026, she has demonstrated that authentic leadership comes not from privilege, but from pain transformed into purpose. Her story continues to unfold and South Africa will be watching.
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