When Shift Happens is a podcast about navigating change, hosted by Saray Khumalo, the first Black African woman to summit Mount Everest.
After being turned back three times by avalanche, earthquake and injury, Saray returned to the mountain and reached the summit on her fourth attempt. That journey shaped her understanding of resilience, courage and what it takes to keep moving when everything tells you to stop.
In this podcast, Saray speaks with leaders, professionals, athletes and change-makers about the moments that tested them. Together, they explore how to respond when plans shift, confidence wavers or life moves in an unexpected direction.
Each episode offers practical insight, honest reflection and grounded lessons for anyone navigating career moves, personal transitions or new seasons of life.
New episodes drop every Monday at 5:00am.
Listen first on jacarandafm.com under JacPod and wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Follow or subscribe so you do not miss an episode.
Shift happens.
What matters is how you rise.
Let's go higher.
A JacPod Original by Jacaranda FM.
Accepting setbacks and learning from failure: Sibusiso Vilane on grace under pressure
What does it really take to handle life when things don’t go to plan?
In this episode of When Shift Happens, host Saray Khumalo sits down with South African adventurer and speaker Sibusiso Vilane to explore what happens beyond the big moments, when the pressure builds, expectations shift, and the outcome is uncertain.
From his early life in rural South Africa to summiting Mount Everest, Sibusiso’s journey is often told through milestones. But this conversation focuses on something deeper: how he has learned to navigate setbacks, manage pressure, and carry himself with humility through both success and failure.
They unpack the mindset required to keep going when things fall apart, how to rebuild confidence, and why grace under pressure is often the real measure of growth.
This is a conversation about resilience, perspective, and the quiet discipline it takes to keep moving forward.
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Sibusiso Vilane is a South African adventurer, motivational speaker and author of To the Top From Nowhere. He made history as the first Black African to summit Mount Everest in 2003, and again in 2005 via the more challenging North Ridge route.
He has since completed the Seven Summits and reached both the North and South Poles, becoming the first African to achieve the Explorers Grand Slam.
Raised in a rural village, Sibusiso’s journey from humble beginnings to global recognition continues to inspire audiences worldwide. Through his work as a speaker and mentor, he shares lessons on perseverance, purpose, and the importance of staying grounded, especially in the face of adversity.
6 Apr 2026
Rising from nothing: Frank “Dr Mags” Magwegwe on resilience and leadership
What does it take to move from survival mode to building a life with purpose?
In this episode of When Shift Happens, Saray Khumalo speaks to Frank “Dr Mags” Magwegwe, researcher, behavioural scientist and financial wellness expert, about the shift from survival to leadership.
As a young man arriving in Johannesburg, Frank found himself homeless and forced into a daily fight for survival. With no safety net and no clear path, he had to make decisions that would shape his future from the ground up.
This conversation explores how that experience shaped his thinking, from the role of education in changing his trajectory to the mindset required to move beyond survival and begin building something sustainable.
It also reflects on leadership through a different lens, grounded in lived experience, as well as the habits and choices that help people regain control and move forward with intention.
Guest bio:
Frank “Dr Mags” Magwegwe is a researcher, keynote speaker, applied behavioural scientist, and resilience and wellbeing expert. His work combines academic insight with lived experience, following a journey from homelessness in Johannesburg to leadership in financial services and academia. He focuses on helping individuals, teams, and organisations navigate adversity, make better decisions, and build sustainable success.
30 Mar 2026
Leadership is not a solo act: Helena Dolny and Totsie Memela-Khambula on support and mentorship
No one gets to the top alone.
In this episode of When Shift Happens, Saray Khumalo sits down with Dr Helena Dolny and Totsie Memela-Khambula to explore the role of support, mentorship, and community in shaping strong leadership.
From moments of crisis to career-defining decisions, they reflect on the people who stepped in, stood alongside them, and helped them navigate the hardest climbs.
It’s a conversation about leadership that goes beyond performance. One that centres emotional intelligence, trust, and the understanding that real progress is rarely a solo journey.
Dr Helena Dolny is an accomplished leader, author and organisational change expert, with experience spanning community development across Africa and senior leadership roles in major institutions.
Totsie Memela-Khambula is a transformational executive and global consciousness coach, known for her work in ethical leadership, governance, and human-centred transformation.
23 Mar 2026
The inner climb: Louis Carstens on why failure matters more than success
Failure teaches you more than success ever will.
In this episode of When Shift Happens, Saray Khumalo speaks with Louis Carstens, psychologist, mountaineer and executive, about the lessons that come from being turned back and choosing to go again.
From multiple attempts on Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain in the Himalayas, to navigating major career shifts, Louis reflects on resilience, ownership and why the most important decisions in your life cannot be outsourced.
“In life, you’ve got to own your life. You’ve got to take accountability. You can’t outsource critical decisions to other people.”
It’s a conversation about what it really takes to keep moving forward when things do not go to plan.
New episodes drop every Monday at 5am.
Listen first on jacarandafm.com under JacPod, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
16 Mar 2026
Redefining success: Zureida Ebrahim on leadership and perspective
Success at the top can look certain from the outside. But the reality of leadership often involves moments that force you to rethink what success really means.
In this episode of When Shift Happens, Saray Khumalo speaks with Zureida Ebrahim, Group Chief Operating Officer at Old Mutual, about the shifts that reshaped how she thinks about ambition, responsibility and leadership.
It’s a thoughtful conversation about perspective, pressure and the moments that quietly change how leaders see their work and their lives.
New episodes of When Shift Happens drop every Monday at 5am.
Listen first on jacarandafm.com under JacPod, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
9 Mar 2026
A quieter kind of leader: Zakhele Mkhize on responsibility and purpose
Some leaders speak loudly about success. Others speak quietly about responsibility. Zakhele Mkhize belongs firmly in the second group.
Widely respected in South African business circles, he is not someone who usually seeks the spotlight. In fact, this conversation with Saray Khumalo is the first podcast he has ever recorded.
Zakhele is a Chartered Accountant, entrepreneur and founder of Entsika Consulting, a black-owned advisory firm he established in 2009. Over more than two decades he has built and led businesses across multiple sectors while advising organisations in both the public and private sectors.
Born in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Zakhele worked from a young age to help support his family. He credits education with changing the trajectory of his life and today holds a BCom, BCom Honours, MBA from GIBS and a Master of Divinity, and is currently completing a Doctorate in Business Administration.
In this episode of When Shift Happens, Zakhele reflects on responsibility, humility and what leadership really asks of us. It is a thoughtful conversation about stepping up when the moment calls for it, and about the kind of leadership that grows from character rather than recognition.
When Shift Happens explores how people respond when life shifts beneath their feet and what those moments reveal about resilience, purpose and leadership.
Listen first on jacarandafm.com under JacPod, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Follow or subscribe so you do not miss an episode.
2 Mar 2026
Leading with authenticity when everything shifts: Khensani Nobanda
What does real leadership look like when your identity, purpose and certainty are shaken? In this episode of When Shift Happens, Saray Khumalo speaks with Khensani Nobanda, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Nedbank, about the deeply personal shifts that reshaped how she leads, lives and defines success.
Behind one of Africa’s most respected executives is a story of profound loss, difficult decisions and the courage to rebuild from within. Khensani shares how stepping away from her career after her brother’s death, and later navigating further personal tragedy, forced her to confront who she was beyond her title and what kind of leader she wanted to become.
This conversation offers powerful lessons for leaders navigating uncertainty, pressure and change.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
• Why authentic leadership begins with self-awareness
• How personal adversity can reshape your leadership style
• Why vulnerability builds stronger, more trusted teams
• How to separate your identity from your job title
• What it means to lead with purpose, not position
Khensani’s story is a reminder that leadership is not defined in moments of control, but in how you respond when everything shifts.
23 Feb 2026
This is my story: Saray Khumalo on resilience, failure and rising
Before she could ask others how they navigated change, Saray Khumalo had to live it herself.
In this opening episode of When Shift Happens, Saray shares her personal story in her own words and reflects on the moments that shaped her leadership, her resilience and her purpose.
This is the foundation of the podcast and why it exists.
From next week, Saray sits down with leaders, professionals and change-makers to explore what happens when life shifts and what it takes to rise.
When Shift Happens is a JacPod Original podcast, co-produced by Jacaranda FM.
New episodes every Monday.
11 Feb 2026
When Shift Happens launches 23 February 2026
Three times, Mount Everest turned Saray Khumalo back. Avalanche. Earthquake. Injury. On her fourth attempt, she reached the summit and became the first Black African woman to do so.
When Shift Happens is a new podcast about navigating change, resilience and rising under pressure. Hosted by Saray Khumalo, the series explores what to do when life shifts unexpectedly and how leaders respond when the stakes are high.
Launching 23 February 2026.
Follow or subscribe now so you do not miss Episode 1.
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