Soli ‘The Owner’ Philander
'The Owner'
Soli Philander has been bringing his amazing energy to the media industry for the past 3 decades. Soli has presented many TV shows such as ‘Are you smarter than a 5th Grader’, ‘Liriekeraai’ and ‘Let’s Fix it’. Radio is a platform that Soli has worked on extensively and he also writes for various newspapers and magazines. Mention the name Soli Philander to anyone in South Africa and a guaranteed smile will beam across the faces of thousands of people who have a fond memory of when they have seen and heard him on television, radio and in person. He is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s most well known and best loved entertainers.
Roshan ‘Wonderbra’ Philander
The Wonderbra
Roshan Philander, our Wonderbra, gets her nickname from her unfailing ability to lift and support. Stylish, sexy and super-smart she embodies the modern, young city mother. Attentive, aware and ambitious she is the classic businesswoman. Caring, compassionate and confident, she imbues The Taxi with a passionate femininity. Her laughter is pure Mother City, her delight is in charming others and her quiet insights betrays a maturity beyond her years.
It would do her a disservice to isolate the fact that we are related by marriage, but at the same time I hope you spot the brag. From the moment Rosh stepped onto The Taxi she was an inspiration, Gracious under pressure, effective when trouble-shooting and supremely efficient she has, with her ready smile, egalitarian approach and quick wit, burrowed her way into the hearts of all associated with this vehicle. Whilst acknowledging that no-one is indispensable at the same time it’s impossible to imagine what we would do without her.
Lerato Matona our Ghaadtjie
Our Ghaadtjie
It’s difficult to look at The Ghaadtjie, Lerato Matona, and recognize the young father from Kanana who came to seek his fortune in the Mother City.
Whether in full control at the steering wheel, facilitating the loading and off-loading of Taxi-traffic or rounding up the passengers on the morning Pick-up, this confident crusader for a better life for his loved ones has emerged as a smooth-voiced, sensitive soul with a keen sense of the ridiculous and a passion for community. Always eager to brighten your day, he abandons himself to musical expression and active engagement with passengers in a way that is hard to resist. Flush with the values of The Taxi he has come to mirror the possibilities invested in this vehicle. A laughter addict, a care-junkie and a stylista with all the makings of an opinionista, this Kapetown import has long ago earned his stripes as Kapetonian. To prove it you just have to hear him wax lyrical about the mountain.
Romany Thresher the BackSeat Driver
"The BackSeat Driver
Our Backseat driver, Online Specialist Romany Thresher, regularly leans on the hooter about the Online Strategy of The Taxi. Juggling setting up Outside Broadcasts, Specialist Business Interviews and managing our website with constant input on our Social Media engagement, she also promotes our activities and tracks the effectiveness of our approach. With her background in Online Development and Small and Start-up Business marketing her input is invaluable when negotiating the high- and by-ways of Internet Activity.
Originally from South Africa and now caught between here and London, her experience in setting up her own Online Business in the competitive European arena gives her the edge now that Social Media is finally coming into it’s own on this part of the continent. Passionate about empowering individuals her insight into the workings of the World Wide Web and her solution-driven determination makes her a valuable asset to The Taxi.
Egon ‘The Taxi Hottie’ Seconds
'The Taxi Hottie'
Egon Seconds holds the record for the most tries scored by a Western Province rugby player. He was born and grew up in a small community called Factreton in CapeTown and attended local schools where he was a keen soccer player and athlete. Raised by his single parent mother, Egon spent his youth torn between the dubious attractions of toughing it out on streets or heeding his mother’s chastiment and getting an education. His mother won out and he went to Jan Van Riebeeck High where he was introduced to rugby. His natural ability and instinct, coupled with speed honed by years of practice of hasty escapes, saw him selected to play for the Western Province provincial rugby side and establish for himself a formidable reputation and scoring record.
Egon is currently engaged as a rugby scout identifying promising talent among the youth and is a generous mentor to the youth and enthusiastic proponent of sports development. Together with his close friend, Martin Myers, he is part of the duo presenting ‘MESport’ on Taxi Radio every Thursday afternoon from 2 to 3 pm.
Adrian “BabyFace” Botha
"BabyFace"
Adrian Botha, known to the crew as Babyface, is the epitome of a young South African man with something to say. Articulate, insightful and entertaining he will often steer The Taxi in a direction that leaves all a little shaken.
Having spent most of his journalistic life so far reporting on the doings of communities on the Cape Flats and those of similar persuasion, Adrian can often bring valuable perspective to input on community. Determined to not only prove that young people have a valid contribution to make to society, but that knowledge of how they interpret their experience is an imperative, his Babyface belies a keen intellect and his penchant for chasing the laugh can mislead you into thinking him the joker. The truth is that he brings a nice, neutral take to the complexities and challenges that faces a conscious young man finding his way in the world today. Plus what is a taxi if not sometimes a little unpredictable.
Martin ‘The Manic Sports Guy’ Myers
'The Manic Sports Guy'
Martin Myers has two great passions in life besides his voluble love for his wife, Razia and daughter, Casey. These are the Irish rock band, U2, and the New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks. Few are capable of making a career of combining music and sport but Martin does so seamlessly.
His musical career spans a quarter of a century and includes a gamut of associated professions including, inter alia, being a music publicist, sound and lighting specialist and events organizer for some of the biggest names and prestigious events in the industry both in South Africa and abroad. Add a love for fashion and a talent for compiling memorable fashion shows for top SA designers as well as dedication to the cause of empowering the development of people in the music industry in making sustainable careers for themselves and one could forgive Martin for feeling self-satisfied.
But Martin Myers has also earned the broad respect of the sporting community for his commitment to bringing the game of rugby, in particular, into the homes, hearts and heads of sports lovers around the country. His ‘On the Couch’ morning sports show on Heart 104.9 has a faithful and vocally engaged audience and his is a respected voice among sports journalists. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in the game including both the current Springbok and All Blacks captains.
Martin Myers and Egon Seconds take an unconventional approach to sports reporting on their ME Sports show on Taxi Radio every Thursday and provide great conversation and entertainment in this year of the Rugby World Cup.
Nick Plummer
Nick Plummer
What can one say about Nick Plummer that hasn’t already been said? Quite a lot, actually… Born very early in his life, Nick was raised by a family of elves in a mystical, ancient emerald forest, somewhere in the middle of England. He was eventually found by a kind old blacksmith, who taught him the ways of The World.
Eventually, with a degree in music to his name, Nick once had the amazing ability to play any musical instrument quite badly, but these days he sticks to just playing the tuba quite badly. However, the iRev is trying to persuade him to polish off his fiddle, and join him in a performance of the Bach Double Violin Concerto. This is something that Nick’s humanitarian tendencies are forbidding him from doing at the moment.
Moving to gloriously sunny Cape Town from the damp, grey, UK weather in 2006, Nick quickly learned how to operate in South Africa. He became a mover, a shaker and a networker. He is passionate about good service in the Tourism Industry, is a wine and golf lover and is the only man in an all-female home, filled with a very tolerant wife, two young daughters on whom he dotes, and a labrador puppy – “even the dog’s a bitch.”
His burning desire to be a broadcaster was granted just over 4 years ago, when Fine Music Radio took pity on his plaintive pleading, and gave him a safe Sunday Afternoon programme, when most of the listeners would be having a nap. Eventually, he progressed to the Saturday Breakfast Show, which he made his own, as well as filling in on the weekday drivetime spots when asked.
He survived a short period on the overnight schedule on Cape Talk, but it was his ability to get listeners up, awake, out of the house and as far away from the radio as possible, that was spotted by Soli and Grant. These behemoths of innovative radio invited Nick to join The Taxi crew, bringing his typically English humour to this unfettered, truly global station.
