Refilwe Mochoari

The newly appointed Chief Director of Communications for Free State Government Communications Services in the Office of the Premier, Matshediso Setai stepped into office on 1 January 2026 and promises a media makeover for the province.

With a complete revamp on the cards, Setai takes the helm with a clear mandate, pledging to solidify a coherent community media approach.

She says that under her stewardship, 40% of the media budget will be spent on community media and 60% will go towards mainstream media, a policy directive set by the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS).

With her wealth of experience as a media and communications professional Setai says her top priorities are to create an impactful digital media content hub.

She says through a community media summit that took place early last year, the government managed to resuscitate the Free State community forum with an interim structure which will ensure that the sector is well coordinated and that the media speaks in one voice.

“The media is a crucial vehicle that is going to help us bring the government executive committee (Exco) closer to the people.

“It will help us to shape the narrative of the FSPG service delivery story within our communities and unmediated as compared to mainstream media.

“Governments’ sole purpose when creating community media, was to have unmediated engagement with communities.

“So we will ensure that as part of the commitment made at the community media summit, 40% of the media budget will go towards community media because as a province, we are highly dependent on community media as compared to mainstream media.

“When the government created community media, through the Media Development and Diversity Agency ( MDDA) this resolution was a policy directive that 40% of the media budget must be spent on community media.

“But that has not been realized to date and it is very few provinces that can do that, and as a government of the seventh administration we have committed to this and I am going to implement this.

“We need to support community media as a critical vehicle to deliver messages, especially because we are approaching local government elections this year.

Setai says she also aims to ensure that every district in the province has a community media outlet in both broadcast and print.

“As it stands right now, we only have four districts that have some form of media representation, and in Xhariep we totally do not have any community media footprint, and this is a conversation that we are going to have with ICASA as government on how we can help the district in the next round of applications.

Setai says another critical area that she will be focusing on during her tenure is the alignment of communications structures within the different departments.

“There is a guideline provided by GCIS that guides through the communications policy on how government should structure their communications within the different spheres of government both nationally and provincially.

“Currently there are many disparities within the different departments.

“It is expected that every department must have a head of communications at a director level, but at the moment you will find that the head of communications is at an assistant director level and others at a deputy director level.

“So if you are intentional about raising the bar, in terms of how you articulate government messaging it has to be pitched at that level.

“We also need to ensure that we have human capital within those departments that is adequate and fit for purpose to ensure that our government communications is effective.

“Human Capital in terms of skilled and competent communicators which is what we have right now as per our skills audit that was done.

“We will ensure that we solicit adequate budget allocations across all government departments to ensure that our government communications is effective.

 “There is no point in having a Rolls-Royce communications strategy but we do not have both human capital and the financial resources to implement that strategy, she said.

Setai says her first 100 days in office, to enhance media relations she will ensure that the province has a provincial media sector forum that will consolidate all media role players consisting of all media platforms including digital media that have not yet been regulated by ICASA.

“To make sure that we engage on issues that are disturbing to the provincial government.

“This is also to ensure that some of these online media platforms that have made it their duty to tarnish the reputation of the leaders of the seventh administration are regulated.

“I am also engaging the South African National Editors’ forum on having provincial chapters as opposed to only having a national office.

“I also want to look at the possibility of re-establishing a media press club in the province.

“Where it will allow the government to address the media

“Another factor is to continue with what I have already started, which is to engage national broadcast media through quarterly media networking sessions where the national media can engage communicators to understand how the media and the newsrooms work, and to understand how to put together a story that will be able to attract an editor.

Setai says these networking sessions have helped the communicators to write meaningful press releases that were published on different national and international media platforms.

When asked how she will build relationships with fellow communicators, following allegations of corruption and plagiarism in various media reports, Setai says it is not about the people but it is about the vision for the provincial government and how service delivery messages will be communicated to the members of the communities.

“I took on this role because I am a product of the Free State, and I need to plough back.

“With this role, I will leave a legacy of excellent communications.

Setai has over 20 years experience as a communicator. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Science from the University of Free State. She also holds a National Diploma in Public Administration from the Tshwane University of Technology.

Her work experience include being the Chief Director of Communications (Acted –Deputy Director General of Communications) at the National Department of Transport, Ministerial Advisory Task Team Member and Chair at the Department of Communications, Director of Marketing Events and Stakeholder relations in the Department of Public Enterprises as well as Head of Communications and Spokesperson for the Department of Finance and Economic Development.