Dulton de Jongh surprises Heart FM listeners with viral TikTok reveal
“I swear I thought this was a GROOT WIT UNCLE. Bro, you scammed us all. Shout out!” One listener wrote on TikTok, capturing the widespread surprise across Cape Town after discovering the real face behind Heart 104.9 FM’s news bulletins, the Daily Voice reported.
A Viral TikTok Reveal Shifts Listener Perceptions
The familiar voice delivering daily news updates on Heart 104.9 FM belongs to 23-year-old Dulton de Jongh, not the older broadcaster many regular listeners had imagined. De Jongh shared a behind-the-scenes “day in the life of” video on TikTok that quickly went viral, pulling back the curtain on the station’s newsroom and triggering a wave of stunned comments from the public. While many followers admitted they had pictured a much older man based purely on his authoritative on-air delivery, others praised his polished style. Another user commented on the video, “Wow. I had no idea you are this young. Well done youngblood. You sound like a seasoned professional.”
Early Roots in Community Radio and Moving South
De Jongh’s journey behind the microphone started long before his recent social media attention. He has worked in the radio industry since he was 13 years old, getting his start at community radio station Kofifi FM in Westbury during his upbringing in Johannesburg. He and his family relocated to Cape Town at the end of 2021. “Radio is in my blood. It was all I knew growing up. I was on a youth show and that for my entire high school career going into varsity,” De Jongh told the Daily Voice.
Pursuing the profession was not without its skeptics. De Jongh recalled a family member laughing off his ambitions after the move to Cape Town and advising him to be realistic about his career plans. Before landing his current role, he worked at eTV News on the production team for the evening bulletin’s feel-good stories segment. He joined Heart FM News nearly two years ago. “Looking back now, I always wish I had said that it is realistic,” he noted.
Articulation Training and the Mechanics of an On-Air Voice
The viral attention led De Jongh to consult his colleagues about the perceived age gap between his physical appearance and his vocal presence. He asked the station’s head of programming, Vernon Nel, if he genuinely sounded as mature on air as listeners claimed. De Jongh attributes the distinct sound of his broadcast voice to specific training during his university studies, where an English teacher focused heavily on articulation and message clarity. That technical training often causes broadcasters to lose their original accents on air, a shift that likely contributed to listeners misjudging his age.
Outside of his duties in the newsroom, De Jongh balances a fast-paced media career with his education, currently pursuing a BA in Communication with International Politics through Unisa. Through his recent behind-the-scenes social media posts, he aims to highlight the numerous unseen professionals who keep a radio station running smoothly every day.
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