THE FUSE

Award-winning podcaster Lungelo KM has revealed that despite the success of his popular podcast, Engineer Your Life with Lungelo KM, he has already planned his departure from the podcasting world.

Speaking candidly on The Relebogile Mabotja Podcast with radio presenter Relebogile Mabotja, Lungelo KM shared that his journey in front of the camera has always had an end point. His revelation came as a surprise, especially considering the continued growth and impact of his podcast, which has become one of South Africa’s leading platforms for conversations around personal development, purpose and wellness.

During the interview, Lungelo made it clear that his decision has already been carefully thought through.

“I’ve planned my exit from podcasting.”

His response left Relebogile Mabotja visibly shocked, given how well the podcast has been doing. However, Lungelo explained that while the decision has been made, he is not ready to reveal exactly when it will happen.

“I won’t tell you the time frame but I have.”

The podcaster went on to explain that his decision is rooted in wanting to step away from life in the public eye. According to him, constantly being on camera comes with expectations that can become overwhelming.

“A lot of work that you do on camera means that people are entitled to you, to who you are, to what makes you happy and what makes you tick. To being questioned about being doing something that is fighting for people and having those very people be against you.”

Despite building a successful public career, Lungelo believes there is a clear distinction between his work and who he is as a person. He explained that he has always been intentional about not allowing his profession to define his identity.

“I am able to separate myself from the work that I do from my identity. The work that I do is not my identity. I was a full human being before cameras and I will remain a full human being after cameras.”

While he admitted that there is already a plan in place for his future, he is keeping those details private for now.

“I’ve got a full strategy in place that I will not share that involves removing myself from the public.”

Lungelo also reflected on what success means to him and why he believes there is life beyond the spotlight. Rather than chasing fame, he wants to fulfil the dreams that truly matter to him before stepping away.

“When I do exit, I would have lived all my dreams that I know what they are. The lights, camera, action is filled with a lot of untruths. And as a person who believes in truth, as a person who believes in authenticity. I can’t deal with this thing.”

He added that his original purpose for entering the industry was never about celebrity status or the attention that often comes with public recognition.

“This industry is manufactured. I walked in here to be a story teller and have stories that change people’s lives. All these frills that come after this, I don’t need them in my life.”

Lungelo KM launched Engineer Your Life with Lungelo KM in 2023, and the podcast quickly gained recognition for its inspiring conversations focused on growth, purpose and wellness. His impact was recognised in April 2025 when he won the Youth in Media Award for his growth and wellness podcast. He was also named one of the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans in 2024.

Although Lungelo KM has not revealed when he plans to step away from podcasting, one thing is clear: his decision is not driven by a lack of success, but by a desire to remain authentic to himself. For him, the mission has always been about changing lives through storytelling, and when the time comes to leave the spotlight, he hopes to do so knowing he has achieved exactly what he set out to accomplish.

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