Munya Vomo
In a husky voice, Sjula Dlamini says: “I forgot to ask the producers what to say.” He speaks in the same tones he uses on Date My Family and I can’t help but chuckle.
This is a different sort of interview. We rarely talk to voice-over hosts of TV shows. Faceless people are a hard sale in diary meetings, but Dlamini is special. While you may not have met him, or know what he looks like, he has been the voice behind Mzansi’s favourite dating show, so you may feel you know him well.
“I talk like people do in the streets. I say what people are thinking,” he says nonchalantly.
This is part of why people love him. He is a street-smart guy who is always armed with something clever to say.
He recalls how he got the voice-over job: “I got a call from the producers and they wanted me to do a voice test to see if it could work. I did it and they called me back.”
“When they explained what the show was about, I told them I was in. I was excited and I wanted to be part of it and so when they told me I had got it, I was really happy,” he added.
Date My Family is about South Africans who seek love through meeting the families of their potential dates. Dlamini is not supposed to be part of the conversation. He is the host we never get to see, but his prominence is felt thanks to his voice-over style.
“I didn’t think it was going to be this big, but I knew it was going to be a success. Next thing you know I was seeing social media reacting to it every Sunday and I was really surprised. It’s really great to be part of something and not know how far it’s going to go then have people appreciate it. Every Sunday I get so many mentions on Twitter and then I remember the show is on,” he says, again trying to play down his success.
So how much freedom does he have to say what’s on his mind on the show?
“Seventy percent of it is script. I do get to ask producers if I can add certain things. Some things I say don’t get approved and I am okay with that. We all try to get the best show out there and not be offensive doing it. You still want people to come for the next episode. Besides the viewer, you still want the contestants for future episodes.
“I am a TV producer so I write for the shows that I produce.
“I have never done comedy and I am not sure I could handle it. The one thing I really want to do is radio. I want to try that out next year and perhaps do it in sport as I am passionate about that,” he says.
And it’s not a bad idea because we need more cheerful people like Sjula on the airwaves.
Date My Family airs on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) every Sunday at 6pm.