From blanket fort to broadcast booth: voice artist Kavesan makes waves in industry

WHAT started as a makeshift studio made of blankets and moving boxes in a garage, has transformed into a custom-built professional recording booth and a rising voice in South Africa’s creative industry.

- MONISHKA GOVENDER

Now celebrating a decade in the business, Durban-born Kavesan Pillay, 33, known professionally as “Voice Artist Kav”, won the best live announcer of the year at the recent South African Voice-over Awards in Sandton, Johannesburg. He was a nominee in the best voiceover demo category.

Pillay said it felt surreal the moment he saw his name listed among the finalists on Instagram.

“To be recognised in the year I mark 10 years as a voice artist feels like everything has come full circle.”

The recognition, he said, was a testament to a journey that spanned radio, marketing and MCing. But his rise did not come overnight.

“Honestly, it was surreal when my name was called. It felt like the last 10 years of my journey flashed before me — every late-night recording session, every doubt and every person who believed in me when all I had was passion and persistence.

“This win is not mine alone. It belongs to my parents, who put me in speech-and-drama classes when I was a kid and invested in every opportunity that helped me grow,” he said.

Although now an assured stage and studio presence, Pillay admits he started off as a “retired shy kid”.