BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
For 50 years, TRUELOVE magazine has served style and Black excellence. Always new, always challenging, always changing. The TRUELOVE woman is navigating her many roles effortlessly – from killing it in the boardroom and living her best life on a girl’s trip, to rolling up her sleeves as a ‘makoti’ at a family gathering. And with Mbali Soga returning as editor-in-chief, the magazine promises to climb to even greater heights.
“Being back at the helm of TRUELOVE feels like a ‘homecoming’ after a decade at the magazine (in various capacities),” says Mbali. “I’ve missed telling authentic stories that spark something in you – just as my dreams started becoming a reality when I picked up my very first issue. But what I’ve missed most are the readers! You taught me humility, showed me the value of community by welcoming me into the sisterhood, and having those dynamic, culturally relevant conversations. I am excited to be a part of this next chapter!”
TRUELOVE will now be published quarterly, with a new issue each season, in spring, summer, autumn and winter, along with other projects. It will be a quarterly handbook on all things career, money, and relationships – think of it as the girlfriend in your handbag. The four issues per year will be paired with three high-quality brand extensions, one of them being TRUELOVE Hair.
Mbali spent 10 years working with TRUELOVE in various roles, including as editor between 2017 and 2022. In 2019, the vision and new direction that she brought to TRUELOVE captured the attention of FIPP (The International Federation of Periodical Publishers) and UPM (United Paper Mills), who named Mbali as the overall winner of their Rising Stars Award.
Local and international advertising and marketing authorities have also taken note. Over the past two years, during her time as Head of content at South Africa’s no.1 online fashion retailer, Superbalist.com, Mali worked on two Lorie award-winning campaigns as well as one Effie award-winning campaign.
Mbali’s eye for style and her knowledge of our local design community made her an essential part of the Superbalist team that created the corporate uniform for SA’s newest airline, LIFT. She was also on the creative team that brought you the hottest retail collaboration with visual artist Lulama Wolf. And now, after a year stretching her wings in the digital space, Mbali is back at TRUELOVE to lead this exciting new part of our journey.
