Greg Maloka: We Were Told We’d Amount to Nothing — This Is What I Know Now

We talk about resilience. But what about the shame that nearly breaks you? Greg Maloka opens up about public collapse, leadership mistakes, and how failure redefined everything — from ego to friendship, purpose to power. Greg Maloka is one of South Africa’s most iconic media executives and cultural leaders, best known for his pioneering work at YFM and Kaya FM. In this raw, unfiltered interview, he speaks publicly for the first time about what it means to fall in front of everyone — and still find your way back. He reveals: ◽️ Why ego is the real architect of failure. ◽️ What nobody tells you about public shame. ◽️ How being right about talent nearly cost him everything. ◽️ What toxic loyalty can do to a leader. ◽️ How he learned who his real tribe was. ◽️ Why the Kaya FM fallout wasn’t the end — and never will be. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Why this podcast isn’t an easy conversation 03:58 How do you define failure? 06:32 Failure is inextricably linked to ego 09:14 The script we were given: Die, jail, or disappear 10:21 Why you can’t fail at what isn’t defined 12:03 Failure vs. what doesn’t nourish your spirit 13:29 I was never wrong about talent… just about people 15:55 You see it, and you ignore it 16:49 What was my role in this? 30:10 Becoming the poster boy for failure 33:15 Did I fail? No. I learned. Follow Cheers to Failure: Instagram –   / cheerstofailure   LinkedIn –   / cheerstofailure   TikTok –   / cheerstofailure   Follow Greg Maloka: LinkedIn –   / greg-maloka-2aa34324   Instagram –   / gregmaloka   Hosted by Nontokozo Madonsela: LinkedIn –   / nontokozomadonsela   Instagram –   / nontokozom88   — Cheers to Failure is a live podcast about the stories we were never supposed to tell. The ones that cracked us open. The ones we stayed silent about. The ones that made us. Raise a glass. Say the quiet thing out loud. #GregMaloka #CheersToFailure #LeadershipFailure #EgoAndShame #Podcast #ResilienceStory #RawConversations #PublicFailure #RebuildingAfterShame #EmotionalLeadership #ResilienceStories #EmpatheticLeadership #CSuite #UnfilteredTruth