Noxolo Grootboom

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Noxolo Grootboom

Noxolo Grootboom was South African Broadcasting Corporation’s veteran broadcaster and linguist until her retirement on 30 March 2021 after working for the public broadcaster for 37 years. She is known for her closing line after every bulletin – ndinithanda nonke emakhaya, which loosely translates to I love you all at home.

Background

Noxolo Grootboom grew up in Fort Beaufort in rural Eastern Cape. The name Noxolo which means mother of peace, was given to her by her grandparents. [1] Noxolo was forced to move to Johannesburg just after she finished matric and stayed with her mom and her two brothers in Dube, Soweto.[2]

Age

Grootboom was born between 1959 to 1969.[3]

Career

Grootboom started at SABC in 1983 as a typist and made her way to television screens where she anchored for more than two decades. Her career highlights include broadcasting the funerals of former SACP Secretary-General, Chris Hani, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and Nelson Mandela.[4]

One day during lunchtime, she bumped into a colleague working at a current affairs show who told her they were in need of a secretary, and that is how she switched to SABC News' current affairs division. At the time SABC News' current affairs division had only one presenter for the isiXhosa programme, and for some reason, he did not show up. Noxolo's manager referred her for the job and she presented that programme. Another day, one of the main isiXhosa news anchors was not well, and they needed someone to hold the fort in her absence, and so Noxolo Grootboom was asked to hold the fort.

Grootboom disappeared from the screens but continued to work behind the scenes at the SABC News department as an editor in the output section. She returned in 2018 after she was asked to anchor the SABC's funeral proceedings for former first lady Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. About her signature sign-off, she said:

"One day I was writing my close in the office for the news bulletin, and I thought to myself, 'What is it that I can say to show how much I appreciate the way they have welcomed me in their homes?' And I just thought that I will say, 'Dinithanda nonke emakhaya.'"

[2]

Retirement

Noxolo Grootboom retired on Tuesday 30 March 2021. Her last bulletin was at 19:00 on SABC1.[2] The Presidency then announced that Cyril Ramaphosa had moved his address from 7.00 pm to 7.30 pm to allow people to witness their favourite broadcaster for the last time.[5]

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References

  1. Rethabile Radebe, Noxolo Grootboom made anchoring in isiXhosa fashionable, TimesLive, Published: August 2, 2020, Retrieved: March 30, 2021
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Thinus Ferreira, End of an era as SABC's isiXhosa news anchor Noxolo Grootboom signs off after 37 years, Channel24, Published: March 30, 2021, March 30, 2021
  3. Masego Seemela, 7 things you didn't know about: Noxolo Grootboom, Sowetan Live, Published: March 30, 2021, Retrieved: March 30, 2021
  4. Nokwanda Ncwane, Noxolo Grootboom: SABC veteran broadcaster announces retirement, The South African, Published: March 27, 2021, Retrieved: March 30, 2021
  5. Refilwe Pitjeng, NOXOLO GROOTBOOM GETS EMOTIONAL AS RAMAPHOSA MAKES WAY FOR HER LAST BULLETIN, Eye Witness News, Published: March 30, 2021, Retrieved: March 30, 2021

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