“Passion is everything” ~ Tiyani Wa Ka Mabasa, The FARPost Guru!

From a small town in Limpopo to owning the fastest growing digital news site, Tiyani Wa Ka Mabasa tells us how he pushed through the midst of uncertainty and overcame the fear of the unknown. The man who is deep rooted in journalism principles goes through the conversation with Kgothatso Malepe. 

Kgothatso-- Who is Tiyani Mabasa?

Tiyani— I was born in Rotterdam village in Limpopo. I come from a family of four. I am the eldest amongst four brothers. In fact, we were five brothers but, unfortunately, one passed on. I studied Journalism at Technikon Pretoria, before the name change to Tshwane University of Technology when I was doing my final year. Initially, I worked for TUT's Journalism Department in Radio Production, working with first years and then freelanced for Soccer Laduma, before taking up fulltime employment at Laduma in January 2006.

 

Kgothatso--When you were growing up, who did you look up to?

Tiyani— I didn't look up to anyone, but I was inspired by my late father who passed on four years ago. I just enjoyed reading. I grew up reading a lot about football, my late father used to buy Football magazines. When Kickoff established their yearbook in 1994, I never missed a copy. It was an

annual magazine; it came with players information such as their full names, age, where they are from and etc, I have always made it a point to know such information because when I write about a player or interview them I have to know what I am talking about and I carried that mentality with me to date. Down the line I started reading a lot of stuff written by Matshelane Mamabolo from The Star. When I got to varsity, I read BBC news, I was interested in their style of writing and I would check things like an introduction to a story. I learnt a lot of things by myself, I am more self-made.

 

Kgothatso—Have you ever been on the field of play?

Tiyani—I used to play during school holidays. We used to play from 8-5, until we couldn't see the ball anymore, because it was dark. The biggest problem in South Africa is that when you get to matric, you have to choose between varsity and football. But not all of us are made for office jobs. I’m not saying people shouldn't go to school. We were brought up to believe that one should go to school, tertiary then work - it is a survival mode. We must find a way to balance making parents happy and kids fulfilling their potential. How do you do that? For example, there was a Transnet School of Excellence. It produced the likes of Daine Klate and Steven Pienaar, there children are being taught in school while also playing football. There was a guy who became injury prone and he eventually went on to get an office job. That way, your future is protected either way.  

 

Kgothatso—What was the influence in choosing writing and preaching about the beautiful game over pursuing a professional football career?

Tiyani— I realised I wasn't good enough to play professionally, but I knew my passion for football and writing would see me through.

Kgothatso—When you went to varsity, sports journalism was not a popular career path to follow then, what was the inspiration to embark on the journey, were you not discouraged?

Tiyani—I was discouraged a lot, even my father suggested that I should study Law because I was good at speaking English. I remember even in my second year in varsity he was not convinced, he did not ask how I was doing. Even when I started working, he did not think that being a Football Journalist is a career. It was only after 3-4 years working that my dad realized that I was on to something. Once you have found a purpose in life, nothing and no one can discourage you. If you want to walk from Pretoria to Johannesburg to raise awareness about a particular campaign even if someone can say it is hot, you will do it anyway. Recently Kabelo Mabalane and Peteni Kuzwayo ran from Johannesburg to Durban to raise awareness on their #HopeWithEveryStep campaign. Bottomline is when your mind is made up, no one can stop you. That is the attitude I have always carried in life. I was discouraged when I left Sowetan to establish my own company FARPost, I was told things like “there is no guarantee that I will make it” but if you know what you want, nothing will stop you.

 

Kgothatso—Do you remember the first article you wrote for a professional publication, take me through it, how was it, were you having nerves on how it will be received?

Tiyani—Yes, it was first at varsity but there was no pressure there because they were grooming us. In my second year of journalism, I wrote to Soccer Laduma and I told the editor: I read your publication week in and week out, and this is what I think you are missing. It was around February 2005 and in March 2005 I started doing some freelance work for Soccer Laduma. I did an interview with Andre Arendse, I was very scared. I sent it to the editor for approval, when it came out, I was going to work, and I saw a guy selling newspapers. I then saw Andre Arendse on the cover page, I even thought maybe it is someone else’s interview. I paged through the paper and I saw the interview, and I saw another one as well, it was so emotional. After that interview, they gave me more interviews, I would buy so many Soccer Laduma newspapers - say four of the same - and my own father bought the paper and saw my name, he called to ask me if is my name in the paper, my father was so emotional. When he said “ok” I did not know if he is happy or not, I called mom and she said my dad had been crying all day. My father was such an emotional person. He worked as a train guard and every week he would buy Soccer Laduma.

Within three months I had gotten the hang of what is required and expected of me and how things work. More and more people read my articles.

Kgothatso—You have worked with big brands such as kickoff. Soccer Laduma and the SABC, one would say that you have made it in this sports industry, but you keep surprising us, you have now established your own digital news site, FARPost. What is your Ultimate goal?

Tiyani—My passion is not misplaced, my football passion that is. I got into this because I did not want to be another person, I wanted to write about football. If you can find your passion, something that really hits home you won’t go wrong. I meet people who claim to be passionate but a few days later you realize that this is foreign to them. Let me give you a practical example of a passionate person; at FarPost we have a guy called Prince Sobayeni, we hired him because without fail he covers our overseas-based players. He would write so many stories, he comes up with content every day, sometimes you would suggest something to him only to find out that he is already working on it, he is so passionate about what he does and discovers new players abroad all the time.

My burning desire has always been to help South Africa get to a point where we discover the best football stars in all corners of South Africa. At one point we were beaten by Cape Verde, a country with approximately 500 000 people whereas we have a population of about 60 million people. South Africa is so vast, we must reach out to all the areas and identify the talent. Why is that we are not producing players who are as talented as the Messi’s and Ronaldo’s of this world? Why is it that others have fallen by the wayside before they made it? The day I die, if I helped the country then I would know that I have achieved my ultimate goal.

 

Kgothatso—Let us talk about FARPost, it has become one of the fastest growing news sites, where do you see it in a decade?

Tiyani—it will be the biggest football publication in the country, no disrespect to anyone else. FARPost's approach is different, today we did a story of a development coach, we do not care which division you are in, a top story can come from anywhere. FARPost was established on solid journalism principles, we do our research, once we put information out there it is because it has been verified and has concrete evidence. For example; the Lesedi Kapinga story, we reported in March that Kapinga will be making his way to Mamelodi Sundowns because we were clear and had concrete evidence. We had seen the contract. We dig deep and when we publish something, we do not go back on it. We publish facts and nothing else!

You do not sustain yourself by publishing stories without facts, that is the problem with some publications. If you are doing the right things consistently you can do it for many years to come. FARPost is very stable. FARPost has never made a cent but fortunately we have a very understanding investor, he understands our vision. Imagine FARPost with its own generated income, it will be 10 times better. 

Kgothatso—What does it take to start a digital news site?

Tiyani—We live with fear in our lives, we are so fearful. I wanted to start my own company at age 30 but I only started at 38 because for 8 years of my life I was scared, scared of what exactly? I don’t know! So even if you have a job what if tomorrow you are retrenched, or the company shuts down? We should not have the fear of starting over or fear of the unknown. A lot of us have the potential but we live in fear.

 

Kgothatso—With the world moving fast in terms of technology, how do you manage to remain relevant?

Tiyani—You remain relevant by doing the right things. People love us because when we say something people know that it is confirmed. When we broke news that Gavin Hunt might be heading to Kaizer Chiefs, one of the comments was “if FARPost says it, then it is true”. 

Kgothatso—What can you say to young   people who aspire to follow in your footsteps?

Tiyani—Passion is everything, do not get into it because you want to be the next Tiyani or the next Robert Marawa. Get into it because you are passionate. Be true to yourself.

 

Kgothatso—We are just few days post women’s month, What is your view on the status quo of South African women’s football, do you see us reaching the final stages of the world cup one day?

Tiyani—If we do the right things, yes. There is no money in women’s football, and they are doing so well. It was not even professional when we almost won the AWCON and qualified for the World Cup, imagine the possibilities if there is money. But I am not discouraged because even men’s football started the same way, there were a few investors and for a while competing with other top teams in the continent was just a dream.

Look at Desiree Ellis she won CAF coach of the year two years in a row. For me the easiest way will be for PSL teams to have professional women’s football teams. Look at Mamelodi Sundowns ladies and Bloemfontein Celtics ladies, you can see that they are doing well because it is a professional set up. Imagine if Chiefs and Pirates can have ladies’ teams, it will advance women’s football quicker. I strongly believe that if they can do that we will get somewhere, it can grow much faster that way. Do not be discouraged, speak to people who were there when men’s football started, it was like this. It is only a matter of time before our women’s football advance.  

Kgothatso—Do you think the SAFA National women’s league will encourage more women to make a career out of football?

Tiyani—It is discouraging at the moment because how do you get into a job that will not help you support your family? But being professional will get more women because they will be getting paid better. It is a situation whereby you get into it but there is nothing much for you in it. But eventually it will get to a point where young girls will get into it and survive through it.

 

Kgothatso—How have you been surviving during this unpleasant time of covid-19?

Tiyani—In terms of football coverage there was no much difference except that we cannot go to the stadiums. This period, unpleasant as it is for many, it has given us a lot of time to tell football history. Our followers are between the ages of 16-44, a 16-year-old boy does not know that Mamelodi Sundowns once won the league three seasons in a row in the late 90s. We survived.