Radio Africa champions wellness, youth empowerment in staff forum

Radio Africa Group has taken an inspiring step forward in honour of Mental Health Awareness Month - May - as top leadership addressed young employees in a candid, interactive breakfast session that blended compassion, transparency and empowerment.

Speaking to a room full of staff under the age of 30 on Thursday, the Group's CEO Martin Khafafa and Human Resource Manager Jemimah Ngode delivered heartfelt messages about wellness, resilience and the realities of navigating a dynamic media industry.

Advocating for mental wellness, Ngode stated that her office will continue being a safe space and supportive towards achieving a healthy status.

“I love seeing people happy, but I also need you to understand that it is okay not to be okay,” she said.

Ngode emphasised the importance of breaking the silence around mental health in the workplace, urging staff to normalise speaking up, exercising, eating healthy and seeking support both at home and at work.

“Normalise speaking about your mental health state. Normalise getting support in your workspace and at home. There is no stigmatisation about that,” she said.

She noted that Radio Africa Group has partnered with various psychiatric hospitals to help any staff member who needs support in the specialisation.

The tone shifted to a deeper level of transparency as the CEO Khafafa took the floor.

In a rare show of vulnerability, Khafafa reflected on the emotional toll of recent layoffs, describing them as one of the toughest decisions of his leadership.

“I hate signing layoff letters. It impacts me emotionally and physically,” he said.

Khafafa explained that while the media industry is facing significant upheaval, the recent restructuring was driven not by individual performance but by unit profitability amid a tough economic climate.

“We were hit hard by the high cost of living and other factors. We had to let people go,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Khafafa made it clear that young employees are the heart of Radio Africa’s future.

“I started this talk with you because you are 30 years of age and below—you can restart and reset,” he said.

“You represent the future and the dynamics of this company.”

Khafafa encouraged the team to build their personal brand beyond the job.

“Ask yourself—what is your equity? What do you stand for? This organisation should help you build yourself so that if we unfortunately part ways, you’ll know you achieved something,” he said.

Highlighting discipline and consistency, Khafafa held up media veteran Maina Kageni as an example.

“Maina Kageni has a work ethic. From 6 am to 10 am, you will find him in the studio. He’s a millionaire, but he still shows up. That’s work ethic. Emulate that,” he said.

Khafafa encouraged the young employees to work on achieving their goals and helping others climb up the ladder alongside them.

Wrapping up with an empowering message, the CEO said, “You are the future. It’s your time. We can only give you hindsight—our role is to empower you. The only one you owe is yourself.”