Q&A with Romy Titus

Romy started her career in journalism at the age of 19. She worked as a TV presenter on various morning and weekend shows, before her passion for sport landed her a job at SuperSport in 2010. Most recently she’s joined the SABC. 

 

We caught up with the sports presenter and soccer nut to chat about overcoming the challenges of working in what is still a male dominated industry. 

 

Being women’s month, what would you say are the challenges that women still face in the workplace and in society in general? 

I’m in the sports industry and being a female standing touchline during a football game comes with its challenges - and my male colleagues have made no secret of their dissatisfaction that females have now crept into what has predominately been a male dominated space. It used to be a little overwhelming, arriving on location for an outside broadcast and there was just a sea of testosterone – but a little oestrogen has seemed to level the planes. ‘I am good, I belong and I can do my job’ I personally still think is a challenge for women in sport, even in today’s times! Yes, true...I kid you not!

 

Who influenced you to embark in a career in media?

Riaan Cruywagen is the first person I can recall watching on TV. My household came to a standstill at 8pm every night and you could literally hear a pin drop while my father watched the news. I had a curfew and would not go to sleep, so I watched the news. I remember thinking to myself if Riaan can command so much attention in my house come 8pm, then he had to be super important. I was determined to make my dad sit and watch the TV - and me be on the other end delivering the news. Happy to say... it happened!

 

How do you juggle your career with your family life? 

I’m single for now and have two Chihuahua’s, P-Nut and Picasso. They have become accustomed to my travelling and although it would be great to snuggle up to a husband in the evening in a little house with a picket fence and have 2.5 kids, for now I’m living my dream. The rest of my family live in Cape Town and I try and see them during the holidays or if work whisks me to the Cape I’m sure to drop in for a catch-up and some good home cooked food.

 

A typical day begins with... 

Turning the radio on to listen to sports bulletins, then hitting the switch on the kettle to make my cup of green tea and popping two eggs into the boiler... Then it’s feeding time for the doggies, pack my lunch box, make up my bed, hit the shower, brush teeth, get dressed, get dressed again (if I’m having a clothing crisis)  fix my hair, make-up and then it’s out the door in the car and off into the busy morning traffic, half choking on my two egg breakfast!

 

What is your favourite childhood memory? 

Playing in the sand at my grandparents’ house in Belhar, Cape Town. I was very fond of my grandpa and would spend hours making sand cakes in the backyard and inviting my grandpa to tea. He would humour me in-between his garden chores by pretending to drink tea from my cup and saucer set - and ask interesting questions about the recipe for my mud cakes. He was the best! I miss him stacks. He passed on in my matric year.

 

What hobbies do you enjoy outside of your work?  

I run a charity called ‘Babies Behind Bars’ and look after children who are born to incarcerated mothers, ages 0 to two years in prisons across the country, Namibia and Swaziland. I enjoy giving back to my community and have found great fulfilment in helping these mothers raise the best children they possibly can under harsh circumstances.