3 minute read
10 minutes with local taste makers
David Mbeha
Iremember watching TV when I was about sixteen years old and seeing David, with his brilliant gap-tooth smile, winning the TLC Next Great Presenter search. It was a moment of revelry, witnessing a Namibian, born in a small village called Ngoma in the Zambezi Region, on an international television show. For David, it was destiny.
Today, David is an established presenter. But when he was seventeen years old, living in Grootfontein with his mother, he would rush home impatiently anticipating the moment he could sit down and watch The Oprah Winfrey Show. America’s television matriarch so deeply inspired him, not necessarily for her captivating presentation style, but because everything she said came from a place of love. David says that his heart is his driving force. And truthfully, you only need to spend a moment in his company or listening to his new podcast, Uninterrupted with David Mbeha, to know this to be fact.
Growing up in a home filled with laughter, love and gospel music, it is no surprise that David manifested into the relatable, down-to-earth presenter who captivates crowds. Launched in May of this year, Uninterrupted is his newest venture and comes from a deep-seated desire to rip off the band-aid and step into his purpose: to guide conversations seeped in sincerity and encouraging peers to believe in their own magic. “The show is a love letter to myself and anyone who is on the journey of finding themselves,” says David.
While he currently holds a job in the corporate sector – a practical move during the pandemic’s dry spell for MC opportunities – it has always been David’s calling to be a presenter. Returning from an introspective hiatus, David hosted the Miss Namibia 2023 pageant on 8 July this year. Once again, the twentysomething is the poster child for manifestation, as he fondly remembers a video, recorded by his late mother, of his seventeen-year-old self pretending to host the pageant. For David, the pursuit of passion is a testament to the beauty of the human spirit, and a reminder that dreams, no matter how audacious, are meant to be chased.
David undoubtedly has his sights set on becoming a household name throughout Namibia and beyond. Hosting the coveted Miss Namibia pageant marks his ceremonious return to the industry, and we can expect to see and hear much more of David on our screens and earphones in the coming months. His advice for aspiring presenters is heartfelt: Analyse the why behind your aspirations, for it is the purpose that must shine brighter than the allure of glitz and glamour.
