About TP+
Our mission is simple yet profound – to inform, uplift, inspire and entertain Pasifika worldwide. We aim to provide accurate, unbiased, and comprehensive coverage of the issues that matter most to the people of the Pacific. From breaking news to in-depth features, we are dedicated to keeping you informed and engaged.
Whether you’re a Pacific Islander, a global citizen with a love for the region, or simply curious about the stories that define the Pacific, TP+ welcomes you.
John Pulu
Senior Reporter/Director & Presenter
John Pulu, co-presenter and reporter on Tagata Pasifika exercises his deep adoration for Pasifika peoples in each story, with the hopes of helping to preserve Pasifika language and culture for generations to come. After some forceful persuasion, the producers gave this graduate at the time, a chance. I joined the
team in 2010 and it’s been the most enriching journey of digging into our community ever since.
From celebrating our rich heritage to advocating for Pasifika people, I truly believe this is my duty.
I’ve covered regional issues, like the first democratic election in Tonga (2010), to more recently
Winston Peter’s Pacific tour. But I love covering the stories that reflect the reality of Pacific families
in Aotearoa through reports on education, health and immigration.
You can follow my journey at
Instagram: @johnpulu
Facebook: John Pulu
Marama T-Pole
Presenter
Marama began her career at Radio 531pi and later Niu FM. She then worked as a reporter and director for Tagata Pasifika before taking up the presenter role. “I love telling our Pacific stories, and it really is a privilege to be a part of documenting our own history.”
Soana ‘Aholelei
Senior Reporter/Director
Soana Aholelei, Senior Reporter/Director at Tagata Pasifika - Sunpix Ltd, loves telling stories from our Pasifika communities both in Aotearoa and the wider Pacific region. I have been working for Tagata Pasifika since 2010. My previous career was in the airline industry.
Since joining the family at TP I have met and interviewed so many wonderful people, from Dame
Valerie Adams to Hugh Jackman, Cancer survivors to politicians.
I love that no one story is the same and that my focus is on the people who allow me to get to know
them a little.
A proud mother to my daughter Rihana, if I’m not out and about with my Tongan family and friends,
you can find me either at the gym, listening to music, reading, or at home cooking and watching
sports, comedies, Sci-fi or period dramas - I do not like horrors!
Facebook: Soana Aholelei
Anauli Karima Fai’ai
Reporter/Director
Karima has been with the team since 2012 and operates on the belief that ‘there’s a story in everything’. Highlights so far include travelling on a navy ship to Tokelau and reporting on the 10th Anniversary of the Samoa Tsunami. Karima is of Samoan descent from the villages of Magiagi and Sapapali’i.
Seinafolava Sanele Chadwick
Reporter/Director – Wellington
Sanele joined the Tagata Pasifika team in 2013. Prior to this, he worked at TV3 as a 3 News reporter in Auckland. Sanele is of Samoan descent and holds the matai title Seinafolava from the village of Lano in Savai’i. He is from the villages of Afega and Lotofaga, Aleipata.
Hanalei Temese-Foliaki
Reporter/Director
Hanalei Temese-Foliaki, Reporter/Director for Tagata Pasifika is an arts and entertainment
reporter with a knack for sports.
Having worked at Tagata Pasifika for the past 3 years, I’ve enjoyed that not one day is the same as the next. I enjoy being able to meet new people with unique and uplifting stories that empower our Pacific communities.
A fun fact about me is when I interviewed Jason Momoa, I made a joke that didn’t quite land. It also
didn’t make the final cut.
Ann-Tauilo Motuga
Digital Editor & Graphics Designer
Digital Editor and Designer who enjoys watching YouTube tutorials as a (financially smart) way to
hone my editing skills in Photoshop and Premiere Pro.
I started working for Tagata Pasifika in 2021 as a fresh, new graduate from AUT. My first role was a TP+ reporter, then a videographer and video editor. I became the Social Media Coordinator last year
and now I’m the Digital Editor and Designer.
I love creating visuals that can enhance my colleagues' stories and capture the viewer's attention for
a little longer than 5 seconds. If our graphics didn’t capture your interest, I most likely didn’t create it. I enjoy nature, especially hiking for someone who runs out of breath from walking up one flight of
stairs and can’t drink a litre of water a day to save myself, but hey STAY HYDRATED!
Kendall Ratu Vano
Reporter/Director
Kendall Vano, Reporter/Journalist for Tagata Pasifika with a keen interest in Arts and Culture.
I’ve been working for Tagata Pasifika since 2022 and what I love the most about working there is having the honour and privilege to share our people's stories. Stories hold a great significance in our culture and I’m grateful to be a part of that.
I particularly enjoy the arts for the raw passion and creative talent coming out of the Pacific arts scene and I also enjoy reading about Pacific history. I can watch old historical footage about the island for days.
You can usually find me running around Grey Lynn or buying books I’ll later regret purchasing!
Neueli Mauafu
Reporter/Director
Neueli Mauafu, Reporter/Journalist for Tagata Pasifika who particularly loves sports.
From the get-go, I knew I wasn't going to be a Manu Samoa player. So I ended up writing about
sports which is not too bad I guess. It's my third year at Tagata Pasifika and I've managed to extend
my not just in sports but also into other areas of interest.
With an increase in Pacific population and representation in not just sports but other fields of expertise, I believe that there is no better person/people to tell our stories but Pacific media and
journalists.
My dream is that Pacific people will excel in whatever they do and for Manu Samoa to win the World Cup!
Did I mention I love sports? chuck my sports page a follow to see my seki posts @sidelinesamoa
Gladys Hartson
Senior Journalist
Gladys Hartson, Senior journalist for Tagata Pasifika who covers a range of topics from the Pacific community, health, welfare, culture, and politics in New Zealand and across the Pacific region.
Getting the chance to work alongside the team behind Tagata Pasifika is a privilege. No two days are the same and I’m humbled to be part of the team that brought coverage of the 2023 general
election.
Great to see more Pasifika candidates putting their hands in the ring as well as our Pasifika community who tell it like it is, holding our politicians to account.
I’ve worked at Tagata Pasifika since 2022. I’m passionate about celebrating all things Pacific, as well
as raising the issues that face the wider community. I enjoy documentaries and movies and basically
zoning out.
Facebook: Gladys Hartson
Antonia Utanga
Digital Producer
Antonia Utanga, Digital Producer for Tagata Pasifika and an NRL fantasy fanatic.
To be honest, I'd like to say Tagata Pasifika has been a part of my life since the moment I was born!
Crazy, I know, but not entirely a lie. Tagata Pasifika has been a constant authentic Pacific voice on
mainstream television, one that I grew up with, regardless of whether I worked in the industry or
not.
Today, at Tagata Pasifika, we continue to advocate for our Pasifika community. We believe in the
power of storytelling to shape perceptions, inspire pride, and foster a sense of belonging. And it's a
journey I’m grateful to be part of.
Fun fact: If I'm not wrestling with technology, you can catch me riding the digital waves, blending
creativity with coconut WiFi. And if my keyboard could talk, it would probably ask for a holiday.
Instagram: @toniautanga
Facebook: Antonia Utanga
John Utanga
Senior Reporter & News Editor
Senior reporter and News Editor for TP+ and Tagata Pasifika.
I’ve been a part of Tagata Pasifika for longer than I can remember! It’s been an amazing ride so far
and I often spend my time with the ‘news editor’ hat on or whenever a Cook Islands story needs a reporter.
I enjoy going back to the Cook Islands as often as I can and I love watching just about any sport;
rugby union and league, football, cycling, politics, just to name a few.
Ngaire Fuata
Producer
Ngaire has more than 30 years’ experience in television production and more recently film. She’s one of the founding Directors of SunPix, Producers of Tagata Pasifika and the primary digital platform tpplus.co.nz. Ngaire’s production experience expands across scripted factual to drama, having produced award-winning short films Ma and Liliu and co-produced Tusitala Media’s 26:29 supernatural episode for TVNZ 2. She was also EP on the webseries Misconceptions and Soul Sessions, and currently has three feature projects in development. Ngaire is a Pacific Music Awards Trustee and a member of the Film Auckland Board.
Taualeo’o Stephen Stehlin
Executive Producer
Stephen is almost a pensioner but there's life in the old dog yet. He has been with the programme since its beginnings but has taken time out on other shows in the early days of Māori and Pacific Programmes. He is still trying to learn Samoan through PEC (thanks to his teacher Seumanutafa Daniel Lafaialii) and holds the title of Taualeo'o from his grandmother's village of Sagone. He was awarded an MNZM honour for services to Pacific Arts and Television in 2008.
