Catching up with TV presenter Janneth !Gaoses

After winning the best TV presenter of the month award at the international Zikomo awards, NBC TV personality and actress Janneth !Gaoses (JG) takes Confidente’s Rosalia David (RD) into her world of television while giving a glimpse on how she managed to bag her first international accolade.

RD: How do you feel after winning the best TV presenter of the month Zikomo award?

JG.: I am honestly humbled. It is great to see that the effort you put into your craft is paying off and that you get recognition for your work.

RD: What does the award mean to you?

JG: This award means the world to me. I’d like to think that I truly put in the work and to see that people are noticing it, is a moment that needs to be celebrated.

RD: Kindly provide a brief background on who you are, where you are from and when exactly the presenting bug bit you?

JG: I was born and raised in Windhoek.

I grew up in a house with seven siblings. Our parents always made us believe that the sky was the limit, which is something I still believe in today.

I discovered my love for presenting after I quit my marketing degree in 2012. I was in my second year and knew I had to find and fulfil my purpose elsewhere.

RD: How exactly did you get into television broadcasting? What would you say inspired you to pursue a career in this particular industry?

JG: I began recording educational and entertainment videos for private and government institutions – as a side hustle at the time.

In 2014, a friend told me she had recognised my love for the creative industry and suggested that I pursue a qualification in that field. Other people also told me I was a good fit in media – meaning they saw something I wasn’t able to at the time.

Finally, that same year, I took their advice and applied to the College of the Arts. I completed a Diploma in Television Production and got to the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation through an internship. I knew then, that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, whether part-time or full time.

The rest is history, as they say.

RD: Did you ever see yourself receiving international recognition?

JG: I honestly did not expect anything of this sort. It means people out there are watching, recognising and appreciating one’s hard work, not just here at home in Namibia, but elsewhere in SADC and the rest of Africa. I would like to thank Zikomo Africa Awards for bestowing me with this prestigious award. This is the first award of my career, so it is really special!

RD: With the sports industry dominated by men, what would you say are some of the challenges you face?

JG: Some people believe that if an opinion or a piece of information is not coming from an experienced male presenter, then it can’t be true. The continuous underestimation of women in sport and the belief that they do not deserve to be appointed in leading positions must come to an end. We are equally as valuable as the men in sport and we can make the same impact as they do. We deserve to be given meaningful chances and if not, we will create our own opportunities.

RD: Apart from being a TV presenter, what else do you do and how do you manage to juggle all at once?

JG: I am a mom first to my amazing two-year-old baby boy and I work as a production assistant at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation.

I am in my final year, studying for a Bachelor in Communication at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.

I also write movie and series scripts in the unlikely event that I have free time on my hands. I too have a great passion for acting. Among others, I’m an actress in the Third Will series, Namibia’s first local series, which I co-wrote.

RD: What exactly fuelled your passion for sports and how are you finding it so far?

JG: I came to the NBC sport desk as an intern and to be honest, I had no clue about sports in general, so you can imagine how frightened I initially was. I questioned how I would survive in this field as I had no knowledge of the various sport codes. I would get anxious about tackling a cricket story because where do I even begin?

I, however, wasn’t alone. I was under the guidance and mentorship of Katrina //Gowases, who took me under her wings and taught me almost everything I know about the world of sport now. I will be forever grateful. I also had input from my other experienced colleagues, who shared their skills and knowledge on how to conduct interviews, write scripts and stories.

RD: What was the worst blunder you ever made on Live TV?

JG: My worst blunder was freezing on air, forgetting to link viewers to the next story. I just stood there for a good few minutes staring into the camera not saying anything before snapping out of it … Awkward!