A Constant force

DJ: HER CAREER IS A NON-LINEAR CLIMB DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY

- Hein Kaiser

Few people are as comfortable chin-wagging lifestyle behind a microphone as they are sharing a boardroom table with captains of industry, but Michelle Constant counts among them.

From deejaying on 5FM during its broadcasting heyday through to the corridors of corporate influence, she's a powerhouse and inevitable momentum in forward motion.

Constant is chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa and continues to broadcast on SAFM every Saturday and Sunday morning.

She's hosted shows on Radio 2000 and Jacaranda FM, had stints on television and has run Business and Arts South Africa for nearly a decade.

Her career's been a non-linear climb, but during her ascent, she charted her course driven by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. "5FM was a load of fun...it was a very exciting time," she said.

There was a lot going on when Constant hit the airwaves on one of the largest youth stations at the time.

"There was a strong sense of 'we had just come into a democracy'. It was post '94 and we were all just super-excited about the new music that was coming out in its wake," she said.

Kwaito was taking root, and the nation's cultural heartbeat was amplified through the explosion of music which unified people in many ways.