Mark Pilgrim (presenter)


Mark Pilgrim is a South African media personality who has hosted numerous radio and television shows, most notably as a DJ on 5FM, 94.7 Highveld Stereo and 94.5 Kfm. He has also hosted the first season of Big Brother Africa and Power of 10.

Radio career

Mark Pilgrim joined 5FM in 1995. In 2003 he left 5fm and joined 94.7 Highveld Stereo in Johannesburg. In October 2007, Pilgrim hosted a chart show broadcast on 2 radio stations simultaneously. He retired from radio at the end of June 2014, but made a comeback several months later on the all new Hot 91.9FM in Johannesburg, initially just doing a Saturday morning show 9am-12pm, but eventually coming back to radio full time and also doing Monday to Friday 9am-12pm. In 2015, he won an MTN Radio Award for Best Weekend Radio Show in South Africa, and in 2019 won the Liberty Radio Award for the Best Daytime Show in South Africa.

Television career

He has been a regular DJ at corporate functions and nightclubs around the country.
As a voice artist, Pilgrim has spent many hours in post-production studios, narrating radio and TV commercials.
Mark has performed as an MC for numerous corporate gala evenings.
He is also a motivational speaker, sharing his story on testicular cancer, how he overcame it and how it pushed him to follow his dreams.

Consumer researcher

Before getting involved in the entertainment industry, Pilgrim completed a B.Com in Industrial Psychology and Business Economics, and was a quantitative consumer researcher for 9 years. He started at Market Research Africa, and then moved onto Research International and finally Kauffman Levine. He was also the Johannesburg Chairman of the South African Market Research Association.

Personal life

Mark was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer in 1988. It was an aggressive form of cancer and spread to his lungs and kidneys. After 9 months of chemotherapy, he was declared to be in remission. Mark is now an ambassador for CANSA and a friend of the Reach for a Dream Foundation.
On 14 July 2008 Pilgrim suffered a sudden and severe heart attack in his doctors office.
He married Nicole Torres in Mauritius on 7 July 2007. Their first daughter Tayla-Jean was born in April 2010, followed by their second daughter Alyssa in 2012.


He is currently studying his Masters in Business Administration part-time.