From Zamdela to Strictly: Johannes Radebe’s next big move

Johannes Radebe has spent years dancing in front of audiences around the world, but no matter how far his career takes him, the South African dancer remains firmly connected to the community that shaped him.

The Strictly Come Dancing professional grew up in Zamdela in the Free State, where pursuing a career in dance was far from an easy or conventional path.

Today, he is one of the familiar faces of one of the world’s biggest entertainment shows, but his journey to the international stage was built on sacrifice, resilience and a determination to make a dream work.

The new season marks a fresh chapter for Radebe, who has made his debut as one of the brand-new hosting trio for series 24 of Strictly Come Dancing, alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe.

The move sees Radebe take on a new role on the show where audiences first came to know him as a professional dancer, adding another milestone to a career that has taken him from Zamdela in the Free State to the international stage.

As a new season of Strictly Come Dancing gets underway in the UK, Radebe told IOL that viewers can expect the familiar show to return with some unexpected changes.

“Viewers must be assured that it’s business as usual, but there will definitely be more dancing than there ever was in Strictly history,” he said.

The new season will feature twists and surprises, including a different approach to revealing the show’s couples.

“It’s just going to be lovely – the same, but different in a way,” Radebe said.

Yet behind the excitement of another Strictly season is a dancer who remains conscious of just how unlikely his journey once seemed.

For Radebe, looking back is not about dwelling on the past. It is part of understanding the journey and remaining grounded in the person he was before the international stages, television appearances and global recognition.

“I think it’s important to reflect,” he told IOL. “Because I don’t think you learn if you don’t do that. But most importantly, it will ground you in where you are, if you remember where you come from.”

And where Radebe comes from is never far from his mind.

Growing up in Zamdela, he says the character and energy of his community became part of his identity as a performer. His expressive style of dancing, often noticed by audiences, is something he attributes in part to the people around him.

“The spirit of my people, I carry with me everywhere I go,” he said.

“People always say I’m a very expressive dancer. And I always say, ‘You haven’t met my people!’”

But the path to becoming a professional dancer was not without obstacles.

For Radebe, the biggest barrier was money.

He remembers what it was like to have ambitions but not necessarily the financial means to pursue them, particularly when his family could not afford the opportunities that dance demanded.

“And that’s my truth. Lack of funds,” he said.

“I always say it’s hard for a young boy who has dreams or aspirations and you can never get to do them because mum and dad can’t afford. That is the hardest thing I think for any child to go through.”

Dance forced him to confront that reality at a young age. He also reflects honestly on the impact it had on him as a teenager and the pressure his ambitions placed on his mother.

It was only when he landed his first international job, working on a cruise ship, that the possibility of dance becoming a lifelong career began to feel real.

The opportunity came with enormous responsibility. Radebe was the breadwinner at home and knew that leaving South Africa meant more than simply chasing a personal dream.

“I had no plan B, I had to really make it work,” he said.

“When I took that flight, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not coming back. I better make this work.’”

His journey eventually led him to the UK, where Strictly Come Dancing became a major part of his career and introduced his talent to an international audience.

But Radebe’s success has also placed him in a position he never deliberately sought: that of a role model.

He told IOL that he never set out to become one. His approach was much simpler  work hard, stay focused and keep moving.

“I did not plan to be a role model to anybody,” he said. “I’ve just literally thought, you know, keep your head down, Johannes, do your job and you won’t get hurt.”

Now, however, he understands the significance of having young South Africans see someone from a township on a global stage.

He wants his story to reassure them that the circumstances they are born into do not have to determine the size of their dreams.

“I just want to say they should look at me, and they should be affirmed in whatever it is that they do that they are worthy and that it’s possible to live out your dreams,” he said.

“As wild as they are.”

Radebe’s own journey has also changed the way he understands resilience.

Travelling the world has exposed him to different people and cultures, but instead of distancing him from his roots, the experience has made him more aware of them.

He credits the community he grew up in for teaching him to keep moving even when circumstances make the destination uncertain.

“The community I come from, that’s what they also instilled in me, you know, to say whatever comes, you push on and see where you end,” he told IOL

That resilience is something he hopes to pass on through the next chapter of his career.

Radebe’s ambitions are increasingly extending beyond performing. He wants to use the platform he has built to support charitable causes and eventually teach dancers who may not have access to the resources and knowledge available to him.

He has previously turned down teaching opportunities because he did not want to take on students without being able to give them the time and attention they deserved.

Now, with his career evolving, he sees an opportunity to change that.

“I realised that there’s a world and there’s people that need help,” he said.

For someone who has spent so much time away from South Africa, home remains an important part of his identity.

Radebe speaks about South Africans with a particular affection, pointing to their ability to find joy despite difficult circumstances.

He carries that resilience, passion and love for life with him wherever he goes.

And travelling has only strengthened his pride in where he comes from.

“Before anything, I’m an African child. And I think that’s what I brag. I brag to the world about that,” he said.

For Radebe, being on the international stage has never meant leaving South Africa behind. If anything, it has given him a bigger platform from which to carry home with him.

“That’s home for me, you know,” he said.

And perhaps the clearest reflection of his journey is the advice he would give to the younger version of himself and to the young South Africans watching him now.

His message is simple: do not allow your circumstances to convince you that your dreams are too big.

“If I could say something to the younger Jojo, it would be that: trust the process, believe in yourself. You. And the world will adjust.”

IOL