DJ Fresh

DJ Fresh (real name Thato Sikwane) is a South African disc jockey who became known first for his breakfast slot on radio station YFM (which he hosted for eight years) and later as the host of the Drive Time (16h00 – 19h00) on 5FM.

He is the co-host – with DJ Euphonik – of the SABC1 music magazine series Club Culture, from 2011-2012.

DJ Fresh has 13 house albums under his belt and has shared the DJ booth with a number of international artists, including “Little Louie” Vega, Frankie Knuckles, Armad Van Helden and Dominic Spreadlove and played in Southport in 2000 and at the legendary Pacha in Ibiza in 2002.

He was also part of a team of DJ’s who performed at the Miami Winter Music Conference.

Apart from launching his company Big Dawg Productions, Fresh has established the DJ Fresh Annual Shcolarship programme, which awards tertiary scholarships to deserving students who cannot afford it.

Another of his projects is the “Rollback Xenophobia” campaign, and he has raised money for organisations like POWA and the Cancer Association with unique initiatives like “kissathons”.

Currently a guest at any club venue across the country worth its salt, as well as a regular at nightclubbing institutions like Randburg’s Calabash.

In 2000, Fresh invited YFM to adopt 100 matriculants from Gauteng’s star schools who every Sunday attended extra classes until exams were over. He also arranged career talks for the learners with people from different sectors.

In 2001 another scholarship programme was established. The DJ Fresh Annual Scholarship is an extension of an existing scholarship, but this time in partnership with Rosebank College, which awarded 5 scholarships, Monash University (10 scholarships) and Boston Media House (5 Scholarships).

During the same year 17 scholarships were awarded to deserving learners who had excelled in Matric but couldn’t afford to pay for further studies.

The aim of the DJ Fresh Scholarship initiative is to give matriculants from the so-called “formerly disadvantaged communities” an opportunity to explore all facets of life, while at the same time helping break the stereotype that lawyers and doctors are the epitome of success.

Plans are underway to turn the scholarship into a full and permanent education fund and eventually offer post graduate scholarships.

DJ Fresh appeared on the thid one-off TV special of quiz show Test The Nation, entitled National Parenting Test, as a celebrity guest.