When Carol Ofori moved to Durban in 2020, shortly after the birth of her daughter, she never imagined how quickly the city would become home.
“If you came to me in the hospital and said I was going to be living in Durban before the end of the year, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she laughs.
Six years later, the East Coast Radio presenter, MC, voice artist and author is happily settled in Mount Edgecombe. And while her voice is familiar to thousands of listeners, there is much more to Carol than the woman behind the microphone.
Warm, curious and enthusiastic, she is as comfortable discussing current affairs as she is talking about her children, a favourite restaurant or a sunset cruise on the Zambezi.
Born in Mahikeng in the North West and raised in Soweto, Carol started out in campus radio before moving through retail and community radio to 947, Metro FM and eventually East Coast Radio.
Trained as a journalist, she began her career covering hard news before a programme manager suggested she had “too much personality for news”.
Presenting proved a natural fit, but the journalist in her never disappeared. She remains fascinated by people and the stories behind the headlines.
“I think 20 years in radio alone is something to be proud of,” she says.
Durban has given her more than a career opportunity. She still marvels at being able to walk beside the ocean and is a passionate advocate for the local food scene.
“We might not have the array and the fanciness of it all, but from a taste perspective, we trump Joburg any night.”
Her love of storytelling extends beyond radio to children’s literature. Carol is the author of six books in The African Adventures of Sena and Katlego series, inspired by her desire to introduce young readers to the richness of the African continent.
With a Ghanaian husband and a strong Pan-African identity, she wants her children to grow up seeing Africa as a continent to explore, rather than simply a place on a map.
“My life’s mission is for more Africans to see the similarities in themselves, and not so much the differences.”
That philosophy has become a family project, too. The Ofori’s have travelled together to Zimbabwe, Ghana and Kenya, with a sunset cruise along the Zambezi among Carol’s favourite memories.
Motherhood has also changed how she sees herself. She speaks candidly about matrescence, the psychological transformation that comes with becoming a mother.
“I wish it was more spoken about. You are a different person after becoming a mother.”
Her advice to women is to take stock of their lives: Are they happy? Are they kind to themselves? Are the people around them adding value or draining their energy?
“Everything starts with self,” she says.
It’s advice shaped by experience. Moving to KZN just before lockdown meant building a new support network while her husband was still largely based in Johannesburg. Family, faith, friendship and time together remain central to her life.
Her days are packed with radio, voice recordings, events, school runs and finding time to write. She and her husband also make a point of having a weekly date night.
And there are more stories to tell. Her daughter has requested a book of her own, and Carol has several manuscripts in progress, although she admits writer’s block has slowed her down.
It’s a frustrating challenge for someone who has spent two decades making a career out of finding the right words.
But perhaps that is the point. Carol does not seem particularly interested in arriving at a finished version of herself.
There are still books to write, places to see, questions to ask and stories to tell. And judging by the enthusiasm with which she talks about all of it, plenty she has yet to discover.
Details: www.carolofori.com; IG: @carolofori
Photos: Katlego Mokubyane Makeup: Vanessa Makole
Clothing: The Fifth Glenwood Stylist: Siyamthanda Ndube
