Denver Naicker’s Get Real Talk Show moves to DStv - IOL

KwaZulu-Natal talk show host Denver Naicker is taking The Get Real Talk Show into a new chapter, with the programme moving from an Indian-focused platform to a predominantly African channel on DStv.

Naicker, a retail manager who grew up in Chatsworth and now resides in Morningside, began his career in the media industry eight years ago.

The move marks a significant shift for the seven-year-old show, which Naicker said would retain its core identity while expanding its audience to viewers across cultural and generational lines.

Naicker, who has worked in the media industry for more than eight years, said the programme was created to highlight influential people, motivate audiences and give viewers an insight into the journeys behind successful individuals.

The show also regularly features celebrities who share their personal and professional journeys, with Naicker emphasising that success often came after years of hard work.

“We focus a lot on celebrities where we feature them telling their stories from how they had started to where they are now. It shows that success does not just start at the top, you have to work very hard to get where you want,” he said.

The transition to a predominantly African channel is expected to broaden the programme's reach beyond its original Indian-focused audience.

For Naicker, the move represents an opportunity to bring different cultures together through television while introducing elements of his Indian heritage to a wider African audience.

“It means a great deal, because as we are moving into the diverse part of South Africa and celebrating so many years of democracy, the show has come a long way from where we had started,” he said.

“For me, touching ground in the African market is going to be something that is going to work to my advantage, as I have always wanted to bring out a little bit of the Indian taste into the African culture - not that it already is not there, but I am proud to now take the show into a proudly African channel.”

Naicker said the move had been in the pipeline for some time and followed the conclusion of the show's previous chapter after seven years.

“The decision did not just happen overnight. It has been a planning process now for a while, and the decision was that my previous journey had come to an end and it was time to make a new move,” he said.

For Naicker, becoming the first Indian talk show host on the predominantly African channel is not simply a personal milestone, but an opportunity to encourage others to pursue their ambitions.

“It means if I can do it, anyone can,” he said.

“For me to do what I love on a regular basis, and do it on a proudly KZN ground, it means that I am doing something right.”

Naicker said he hoped the platform would allow him to become a voice for people in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa, particularly when it comes to empowerment and motivation.

“I will be the voice that champions empowerment and motivates individuals that nothing is impossible,” he said.

The programme will also break new linguistic ground on the channel, with The Get Real Talk Show set to be the only English-language show on the platform.

Naicker said the new format would incorporate more isiZulu as part of its effort to connect with its expanded audience.

“We are going to use this to our advantage. Of course, there is going to be a lot of isiZulu speaking in the show now,” he said.

Rather than positioning the programme around one particular cultural group, Naicker said the new version would seek to speak to South Africans from different backgrounds and generations.

“For us, it is not only about being Indian or being African, it is about showing that we can speak to any individual out there,” he said.

“We are going to use this platform to speak to both the younger and the older generation and show them that, you know what, nothing stops you from living your dream.”

He said the programme would continue encouraging viewers to speak out about issues affecting them rather than remaining silent.

The new-look programme will also incorporate more African culture, with Naicker promising changes in both its presentation and content.

The move to DStv is also a milestone Naicker said he had envisaged since launching the programme.

He also credited the opportunity to his faith.

“I have to thank God as well, that is the main part of everything, God makes everything possible,” he said.

Naicker described The Get Real Talk Show as a programme with a strong KwaZulu-Natal footprint, saying its reach had expanded beyond the province over the years.

“Over the years, we have put not only a provincial, but a national footprint, making us a strong name,” he said.

“Get Real, from where it started off to now being the largest talk show in KwaZulu-Natal, we are really proud of it.”

However, the latest chapter will not mean starting from scratch. Naicker said the show's existing team would remain in place, including its executive producer, while the programme would receive a refreshed look and feel.