Based: Cape Town
Born on 29 August 1992, and with a brother five years her senior, Carissa lived most of her life in Strandfontein, Cape Town. Her mother, who works in an admin department, has a bubbly personality, loves all things fashion and beauty, and embarked on a Christian journey that fostered Carissa’s own relationship with God, which still forms a big part of her life. Her father, who recently retired after 40 years in the navy, brought a stricter, serious tune to their household. This combination lead to a wholesome, balanced upbringing for their two children.
“My parents created the core of who I am today. They instilled values in me: integrity, kindness and the signs of a Virgo She’s routine-drive resilience. “While some of her personality may have been learnt, others come naturally. She doesn’t follow horoscopes but she does see the signs of a Virgo in herself: she’s routine-driven, grounded, warm and empathetic.”
Having attended a few different schools, Carissa went on to enrol at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and joined the campus radio station. It wasn’t her first radio rodeo – she had job shadowed at the Christian community station CCFM. It was during her time there that she received a sign – quite literally – that she had found something she was good at. “I was on air when a woman held a sign up to my window. It read: You have such a great voice!’ and that was the affirmation I needed,” says Carissa.
While completing her Bachelor of Arts degree at UCT, Carissa entered a few presenter search competitions. “I kept getting closer, but never close enough,” she says of her dream of becoming a TV presenter. “Growing up, I was a chubby kid with crazy hair and I really didn’t envision myself on TV,” she says, adding that her affirmations came from her auditions and her biggest one yet came in 2016, when she entered and won TLC’s New Great Presenter Search.
After working the graveyard shift at GoodHope FM, one of Cape Town’s most popular radio stations, Carissa quit her job, packed her bags and relocated to Johannesburg with her long-term boyfriend, as she “wanted to chase the lights in a big city”. She joined YFM’s graveyard slot, which eventually lead to her occupying the weekday evening slot.
But landing a TV presenter role didn’t come as easily as Carissa had hoped. The despondence was so real. It seemed everyone around me was getting their ‘big break’ so I would ask God: ‘When is it my turn?’ I do believe in timing, though – it really is all about that.” When Covid hit, Carissa realised how much she missed (and needed) her community. “Joburg can become quite imbalanced if you don’t pay attention. It’s all about work so I didn’t pay enough attention to making deep-rooted friendships.” Their move back to Cape Town was one that took Carissa closer to her ultimate goal of becoming a “media maven”.
Her ‘big break’ came in May last year when, after nine years of trying, she landed a position on a TV show. And not just any show: a consistent, national TV show that people look forward to waking up to… Expresso Morning Show.
You’d never guess there was ever a time that the woman on the screen felt shy or self-conscious, but she says she hasn’t always been confident. “I really need to work on my confidence because my anxiety sometimes kicks in and I have self-doubt. But as soon as I’m on live TV, I come alive; I feel recharged as soon as the cameras come on,” she says.
The phrase ‘Do it scared’ is one that Carissa claims is her biggest driver. “If you wait for motivation, you’ll wait forever. magic and incredible moments come from moving into the fear of stepping out of your comfort zone. It all really depends on your lens; how you see things,” she explains.
Surely, she must have off days, though? She does, she says, but working with a team of incredibly talented and empathetic people helps. “If you’re not feeling good, someone else will carry you. If I’ve got nothing more to give, someone else will give.”
