If you’re a fan of The Wife on Showmax, or if you’ve seen even one episode of the South African telenovela drama locally inspired by author, Dudu Busani-Dube’s beloved novels, you’ll agree that actress, Zikhona Sodlaka delivered a stellar performance from the beginning until her very last (and very emotional) scene.
The Wife is centered around the Zulu brothers and their love interests – Mandisa was the wife of the second eldest brother, Nqoba Zulu played by Abdul Khoza.
Her very colorful wigs, tight clothing with very loud prints, and heavy makeup are quite different from Zikhona’s more natural look and bald hairstyle. But when Zikhona stepped into Mandisa’s shoes, she delivered a convincing performance.
Since The Wife made its debut, Zikhona has been celebrated by viewers and has even earned herself nominations for Best Female Actor at the 2022 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards and Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas).
Mandisa was the type of character you hate to love because if she wasn’t being funny (and boy was she hilarious!), she would do very questionable things like burning millions of rands that were meant to help a family member.
Love her or hate though, you must admit Zikhona made the viewer understand Mandisa’s frustration with the Zulu brothers. Being in a relationship with a man whose family is involved in criminal activities that she sometimes had to cover up, give them an heir (we all know how precious boy children are to the Zulu brothers), and still be disrespected and not deemed worthy enough to be married into their family got the better of her.
The last on-screen moment of Mandisa is when, after losing everything; her husband, child, home, and business because of the Zulu brothers’ shady ways, she sits hopelessly on the ground, gripping the lifeless body of her son, and warns one of the other wives, Hlomu played by Mbalenhle Mavimbela, that she too might experience this pain one day, and then pulls the trigger that takes her life.
South Africa is filled with talented creatives, and Zikhona Sodlaka is certainly one of them! She’s definitely a The Fuse favorite! We can’t wait to see what she does next!
Gone are the days when women were expected to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, while the men go out to work. Nowadays, we see more and more men opting to stay at home and take care of the children, while the women go out to “get the bacon”.
A study by the Pew Research Center shows that the number of fathers who are at home with their children for any reason has nearly doubled since 1989 when 1.1 million were in this category.
Women earning more than men is also becoming quite the norm in our society now, so much so that one African woman recently spoke out about paying for her own lobola (dowry payment for the bride) on Twitter.
Her tweets sparked a conversation where even more women came out with similar stories. Of course, it wouldn’t be Twitter if there was no debate about this issue. While others commended the women for their futuristic thinking, others condemned them for not following the practices of African tradition.
Whatever side you’re on, however, you must admit that the world is changing and so are the cultures of society. How far you’re willing to push boundaries is completely up to you (thank goodness for the gift of choice!).
On a lighter note, here are some of our favorite stay-at-home Tik Tok dads:
Hlengiwe Hans Ngidi grew up in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Imbali township. During her formative years in school, she was an active young girl with strong leadership skills. So much so that she was appointed head girl in high school.
After completing her high school studies, Hlengi, as she is affectionately called, studied Visual Communication and Graphic Design at the Durban University of Technology where she earned her National Diploma. She then worked in the advertising industry for almost ten years, before starting her small graphic design studio which led her into the creative world of hairdressing. “I was introduced to the hair industry by the late Mr. Welcome Msomi (who was my business mentor) and happened to be the father to the late Mr. Victor Msomi.
In 2007 Victor was the president of AHBEASA (AFRO HAIR AND BEAUTY EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA). I started co-ordinating their events and offering them graphic design services. Soon I started getting attracted to the salon business and its potential,” Hlengi passionately tells The Fuse.
Entrepreneurship
After gaining knowledge from various salon owners, Hlengi decided to open her own salon in Pietermaritzburg in 2011. “But I was not a hairdresser then, I was just a salon business owner. I soon realized that running a salon business was not as easy as it normally looks from the outside,” she admits.
“For my salon to eventually be successful, I had to market it on the local radio station, on street poles newspapers, and at community events – then social media was not really available.” In 2013 Hlengi got an opportunity to buy a salon in East Rand Mall, Johannesburg, which was an immediate success, but the challenge remained the same – was still not a hairdresser, and with her nature of loving to be in control, Hlengi felt she was not in control of her business. “I was depending a lot on other people to show up and do the job, that is when I decided to go and study hairdressing,” she says.
Backing passion with learned skills
In 2014 a determined Hlengi enrolled with L’Oreal Professionnel African Institute which was in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. “I was among the first students who enrolled in this new world-class hairdressing college. Really my decision of studying hairdressing was for me to be able to be in control of my business. But little did I know that my destiny was calling me,” Hlengi boasts.
Studying hairdressing made sense to Hlengi; she was exposed to a different caliber of professional hairdressers such as Rockefeller Makhubo, Bongani Mbunda, Titus Magida, Priscilla Nqoko, and more. The sky was the limit for a bright-eyed Hlengi, and she decided that her place in the industry was not behind a salon chair, but with education and skill development.
“Fortunately, L’Oreal Professional decided to invest more in me in terms of training and career acceleration. After getting my trade and assessor certification, I was employed as a trainer at their college. I thoroughly enjoyed my job, I excelled and within a year I was asked to assist in Mizani Education throughout Southern Africa, which was an amazing opportunity. The following year I was awarded Mizani Educator of the year by the L’Oreal Professional Product Division,” says with gratitude.
Currently, Hlengi is studying Trichology with the Institute of Trichologists UK. Trichology is a study of scalp disorders and hair loss. “This is a very clinical path, it is not hairdressing, although I am at the advantage that I am a licensed and qualified hairdresser.” She is also a National Education Manager L’Oreal Professional Products Afro Specialist and Mizani, where she plans and implements education for salons that use their products.
Touching lives
There are many perks and joys to the work Hlengi does, but the most satisfying part of it to her is making a visible change in clients’ lives. One such client is a middle-aged woman who came to one of the salons she trains.
“The lady was in such distress, and for some reason, I decided to join the hairdresser who was consulting with her. The lady’s hair was thinning, and she had patchy localized hair loss, she looked traumatized and couldn’t understand why she was losing her hair. I had a conversation with her about her family history in terms of hair and asked her about any medication she is taking or any special diet.
After observing and examining her hair and scalp, I realized that she was actually experiencing what we call Telogen Effluvium, which is the thinning of hair due to undernourished and shrinking follicles which is caused by a large number of follicles rapidly moving to a resting phase of the hair life circle. There are many causes of this condition such as physical trauma, emotional trauma, postpartum, and iron deficiency.
I also identified Alopecia Areata, which is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system sees a follicle as a foreign object and attacks it, her areata was still very active. From our conversation, the lady told me she lost her husband in a car accident a year before and she had a c-section childbirth four months later.
I referred the lady to a hair loss specialist in one of the hair clinics. Six months later the salon called me and said that I have a lady who is asking for me. I drove to the salon and found a lady waiting in tears. She was attending a hair loss clinic and her hair had improved drastically and she looked much happier. I was pleased to wash and blow-dry healthier hair on behalf of the salon. That is what my career is all but touching and changing people’s lives through knowledge and education.”
A trip to Paris
Hlengi tells us about the trip to the SSA L’Oreal Professional Seminar in Paris. Two salon owners were chosen to travel with the education team that includes her. “This is not just a normal visit to Paris but an education excursion. The two salon owners are Ayanda Madlebe from STUDIO 353 HIAR in Rivonia and Noxolo Mvalo from TOUCH BY NOXY in East London,” she says.
Ayanda and Noxolo are not only salon owners but licensed and qualified hairdressers, they are being prepared to push their businesses to the next level, the mission is to build sustainable businesses through skill development.
When starting this journey many years ago, Hlengi aimed to build relationships in the industry, be known as an influential figure, mentor and lead. We’d say she’s pretty much nailed it so far!
When Sibongile Tshabalala gave birth to her bouncing baby boy in October 1993, she didn’t know she was birthing someone who would play a huge role in the beauty industry. 29 years later, Bonolo Tshabalala is one of the most respected and sought-after makeup artists in the country.
It all started when Bonolo was growing up in the West of Johannesburg, raised by his mother, and grandparents, Violet and Mpho, who is now late. “Bonolo was a very active child who started growing teeth at six months, he never crawled, always stood up with chairs and tables, started walking at eight months, and hardly ever sick. He was constantly the life of every party, loved people, even strangers!” Violet says about her grandson.
Sibongile also only has fond memories of her only child when he was younger, “Bonolo always wore my doeks or fabric seat covers pretending it was his hair, what an entertaining child!” For her, raising her son was easy, calm, and soft, just like his name suggests.
Bonolo in school
At the age of 3, Bonolo’s family sent him to Betsie Verwoed Day Care, then later to Laerskool Betsie Verwoed Primary, which is now known as Westgold Primary. Being active never left him, in school he played cricket, sang, and did poems for the eisteddfods, and even became school prefect.
In 2011, he completed his Grade 12 studies at Ahmed Timol Secondary in Azaadville, a school in the center of a predominantly Indian community, rooted in its beliefs, and strongly adhered to culture. “I’m so grateful because that was a community that never judged my sexuality and never condoned bullying or undermined the diverse cultures and people who walked its streets. High school was the best years of my life,” Bonolo tells The Fuse.
After matric, Bonolo furthered his education with Central Johannesburg College, Alex Campus, studying Cosmetology. He’s even worked as a defaulter tracer at Glenanda Clinic, Johannesburg South, contractually.
After being rejected by Wits University, and AFDA for Dramatic Arts, a gap year just wasn’t an option for Bonolo. “I met a group of ladies dressed in uniform, with their hair and makeup done and I wondered about who they were and what they did. I asked and one answered with ‘we study beauty’,” Bonolo reminisces.
That same day, he went back home to his grandmother to tell her he would like to take a different path and study beauty until he can eventually get into an acting/ presenting school. Violet then spoke to Sibongile who was happy to have her son study anything that would give him ample opportunities to succeed in whatever field he chose. Booked and busy!
A few years later, Bonolo’s first client was Andrika Magano Sebobiso, a family friend who trusted that Bonolo was good enough to make her look amazing on her wedding day. Talk about being thrown in the deep end, but boy did he swim!
After some time and experience, Bonolo is so sought after that even some of the most loved and celebrated personalities request his services in advance. Although Bonolo’s humility wouldn’t let it out easily, we asked him about some of the famous faces his brushes have touched. “Haha, Zanele Mncube; a very well-known fashionista who introduced me to Nhlanhla Mafu from the singing group, Mafikizolo…who then introduced me to award-winning entrepreneur, Gugu Khathi, and she showed me off to the world!”
The Future
For Bonolo, the most satisfying thing about his work is being part of the making of an inspirational history. In a world full of makeup artists, he believes what sets him apart is his never-ending appetite for more knowledge. “It makes me a better makeup artist than I was seven years ago when I first started on this journey – it improves my craft and service,” he adds.
Going forward, Bonolo wants to play a role in making makeup a luxury that is part of our daily lives. He also wants to own a makeup brand or cosmetic line that will be responsible for creating jobs. With his brush in his hand and love for people, Bonolo is bound to make even bigger waves!
When Eskom introduced load-shedding, the lives of many South Africans completely changed. Some of the people who are at the receiving end of the shortest sticks are small business owners. The Fuse spoke to a few of these entrepreneurs to find out how regular power cuts affect the running of their businesses.
Zenzele Hair Salon
Mary owns a hair salon in Mdantsane, East London in the Eastern Cape, and without a generator, her business is hardly making the profit it used to. “The constant lack of electricity means I can’t let clients walk in because I can’t use any of the equipment on their hair. And now, the expenses of the business are unmoving. The rent alone is something we can barely keep up with. It’s terrible, I’ve got three employees whose families depend on their salaries. There have been instances where I had to buy groceries for some of my employees from my own pocket – it’s really bad. What’s more upsetting is in other parts of the country, power cuts happen for only two hours at a time, but here in the Eastern Cape, it’s three hours, standard. Don’t even get me started on the water outages as well, what a nightmare!”
Andile’s Handyman Work
Andile has always been very handy, and when his mother told him she couldn’t afford his education, he decided to turn his talent into a career. Being a handyman has been putting food on the table all his life. But now, load-shedding is threatening that. “I use electricity for most of my work, and every hour there’s no electricity, that’s money out of my pocket. I have a wife and three children, and I really want my children to have an education, but if I can’t work, I can’t provide that for them. It really breaks my heart – especially because it looks like this is the new norm for our country. And the people who can do something about it don’t care about everyday people, ordinary people like us. We don’t expect handouts, but we need our basic needs to be met so we’re able to work.”
Nobulali’s Nail Salon
“I run my nail tech business from home to save on rent costs and things like that. Every single time there’s a power cut, I have to sit and do nothing for two hours, sometimes three times a day! It’s ridiculous. The level of youth unemployment in South Africa is already sickening, and when we try to come up with ways to make a living, things like power cuts hinder our growth. It’s easy to just then give up, but I hope this doesn’t deter us from our goals – things will come around, hopefully.”
Eskom was unavailable to comment at time of publish. Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha has previously commented on load shedding, saying that the continuous implementation of the deliberate power cuts by Eskom is mainly due to the need to preserve emergency generation reserves owing to a high level of breakdowns and the delay in returning some generating units to service.
Music forms a big part of human nature, there’s a song for every occasion, whether good or bad. Those who have been trusted with the delicate talent of making music often struggle with letting it go when called to other paths. Therefore Khabonina Dlamini, Sabelo Mthembu and a few others formed Quava Vocal Group in 2009 after graduating from the University of Johannesburg.
“We were part of the University of Johannesburg Choir while studying, and after graduating, we wanted to continue the culture of choral singing, so we formed the group,” Sabelo, who is the conductor and music director of the group tells The Fuse.
Now 13 years later, Sabelo works a nine-to-five as a Data Analyst for Multichoice, but you’ll find him at rehearsals every Monday evening. “We rehearse every Monday evening from 6pm to 8pm and occasionally on weekends for “camp” rehearsals,” he says.
Making music requires more than just talent, commitment is also key to succeeding. “Each member is chosen based on their talent, which includes vocal quality, good ear and availability. Singing history is not a requirement as long as the singer has a passion for music and hard work,” Sabelo adds.
Hard work pays off
Each member of Quava has these qualities, which makes it no surprise that the group recently travelled abroad and swept audiences off their feet and collected a few awards along the way! “We embarked on a performance tour of Italy and Spain for two weeks (6 – 18 October 2022). In Italy, we presented two concerts and did a workshop with a local choir from Rome called Coro Cantering. In Spain, we took part in a competition called Sing For Gold World Choral Cup.
“We took part in two categories: adult category and jazz, pop, and gospel categories. We won both categories and placed in the top 3 best choirs in the overall competition. I was also awarded the best conductor prize,” a very humble Sabelo shares.
Preparing for this trip wasn’t a walk in the park for the uber-talented group. “Funding was the biggest challenge. Covid was also a big challenge because lockdowns made rehearsing very difficult,” but because of each member’s dedication and faith in God, they soon overcame their challenges with the bigger picture in mind.
“To overcome funding challenges, we had to be very innovative. We presented several concerts in which we collaborated with other choirs. I also used my Comrades Marathon run to raise funds. To overcome covid challenges, we had to do virtual rehearsals and provide each singer with their individual voice parts so that they can rehearse on their own at home,” Sabelo explains. And soon enough, the group was ready for take-off!
First-time travellers
This trip meant so much to several members of the group – ten singers were travelling abroad for the first time. Mbali Faku, who only joined the group a year ago, is one of the singers who left South African shores for the first time.
“Touring Italy and Spain with Quava Vocal Group was life-changing! I am so grateful for this lifetime opportunity and just the thrill of being a part of something so much bigger than you. I’ve never felt so alive. I lived in the moment and enjoyed every little bit of what this experience had to offer,” she tells us.
“My top two fondest moments or memories were: First, singing for and connecting with the people of Calella through our music. I couldn’t help but smile and look into their eyes while singing. Second, the bonds I got to form with my fellow choristers. We held each other down throughout. The challenges we faced were easy to overcome because we did it together. I can’t wait for what’s to come for Quava. I pray we get to do something like this yearly,” Mbali adds.
Quava Vocal Group has even bigger dreams and goals for the future. They look forward to releasing their first album in 2023 and hope to tour more of South Africa. The group have also set their sights on collaborations with local and international composers.
“We are truly blessed to be able to use our gifts to touch many people’s hearts across the world. Our values are God, love, and excellence. We are humbled to be used by God to make music that heals people and gives them hope, to radiate love in everything we do, and to be a good model for excellence,” Sabelo concludes.
Hair has always been an important aspect for little black girls and women, it plays an integral part in identity and freedom of expression. Local actress, Shonisani Masutha, 30, is no different – she spoke to us about her hair journey, and the opportunities she’s gotten as a result.
Shonisani has always had a keen interest in hair, especially her own. She has two older sisters and growing up, their mother, Naledzani Masutha, would take a day to sit with each of them and braid them.
“Singles! What a superhero, also she used to relax our hair herself!” Shonisani says proudly. She and her sister’s hair were always healthy, in protective styles and well looked after. From a very young age, Naledzani taught her girls that their hair is their pride and joy. “I have treated my hair with love & respect ever since,” Shonisani adds.
Going Natural
At the age of 25, Shonisani decided to cut the chemically relaxed ends of her hair and grow an afro. “I didn’t know how to maintain it, how to help it grow and give it the daily attention that it needed. I didn’t even know how to comb it. But I did my research on YouTube and asked a couple of naturalist friends (for advice) and now I have my own customized afro routine,” she tells The Fuse. Although it has been a fulfilling five-year journey of letting her hair grow in its most natural state, it’s not without its challenges.
“I don’t have enough time to maintain the afro that I have cultivated. I find that I am always braiding because twisting and untwisting your hair every morning and night, and can prove to be time hoarding,” says the busy actress.
However, maintaining a good and healthy afro all begins with a routine specifically tailored to your hair type. The actress let us in on how she keeps her hair feeling and looking as healthy as possible.
“I wake up with my bonnet on, I then shower and afterwards remove the bonnet, spray it with a water and conditioner mixture that I make in a spray bottle, then I take my afro out of twists, and I gently brush it out but emphasis on gently because I don’t want to ruin the twisted curl pattern. I then add an argan oil and style it.”
The Shonisani Braid
Protective hairstyles are a big part of the natural movement. This is when you give your afro a break from daily manipulation and keep it in a low-manipulative hairstyle for some time. Shonisani’s favourite protective hairstyle is knotless braids using her own brand.
In 2020, Shonisani became the first South African actress to launch her own hair extensions, the Shonisani Braid. She was approached by hair company, Afrotex SA, to become a brand ambassador for their hair but she wanted to be more than just the face of the hair and got more involved in the making of the hair extension quality.
“It is the best fibre on the market right now and I say this objectively! It’s categorised as a premium fibre. It comes pre-stretched, it’s 31 inches, soft and light and it has a multi-colour range. We do single-colour hair and ombre hair with a beautiful two-tone finish. It is feather light so when the wind blows, it dances and you feel like the goddess that you are,” Shonisani boasts about the brand.
For anyone who loves braiding their hair, the Shonisani Braid sounds like the perfect hair extension! “I want to thank every single member of the #ShonisaniBraidGang for rocking with us for the last two years, we couldn’t have done it without you and to the future #ShonisaniBraidGang members, we cannot wait to welcome you to this big, beautiful family!” the actress concludes.
Abortion has been legal in South Africa since November of 1996 and is regulated by the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996 (amended in 2008). Women of all ages can legally have an abortion in South Africa. A girl under the age of 18 is also allowed to have an abortion, with the consent of her legal guardian. A woman that is mentally ill and who is not compos mentis needs the consent of a guardian to legally terminate a pregnancy.
If a woman is less than 13 weeks pregnant, a pregnancy may be terminated without giving any reasons, if the woman is between 13 and 20 weeks pregnant, the pregnancy may only be terminated under specific conditions, such as social or economic threats. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, termination will only be allowed if there are serious threats to the lives of the mother or baby, or if the foetus has birth defects.
Although these laws have been put in place to protect women and allow them the right to choose what happens with their bodies, unfortunately, some women still have to jump through hoops to safely terminate pregnancies.
On 3 October 2022, the mother of a baby girl found dumped in the bush near Oaklands Drive in Dawncrest, KwaZulu-Natal claims she had contacted social workers twice before resorting to dumping the infant.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the baby was found with a bag containing nappies, a bottle of milk and a pacifier by a man who was picking mangoes. The baby, who is approximately three months old, was also found with a note from the mother. In the short letter, the mother pleaded with whoever found her baby to not judge her but rather help the infant.
“You might be wondering why I dumped my baby, don’t wonder just help her if you can or call authorities but don’t judge me. I have spoken twice with social workers they delayed assisting, I know this bad, but I had no option the system is fragile, and we can’t even abort safely anymore, hospitals have strict rules,” the mother wrote.
*Samantha from Limpopo
*Samantha from Limpopo struggled to have a safe abortion in 2018. “I was a student at the University of Johannesburg and wasn’t ready to have a child. I was in my early twenties and in a relationship with a man who blatantly told me he wouldn’t be in the child’s life if I decided to keep it,” she tells The Fuse.
A few weeks in the pregnancy, *Samantha made the difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy. “I started at the clinic on campus to just find out more information about where to go, if there were any costs involved and all that. But when I went to various clinics and hospitals, even social workers – I was never helped,” she adds.
Panicking because the weeks went by quickly, *Samantha resulted in having an illegal abortion. “I couldn’t risk having this baby; they were not going to have a good quality life. I don’t come from a wealthy family, it just wouldn’t have worked. I did what I had to do.” *Samantha describes the experience as very traumatic and something she wishes no woman needed to face. “I know we’re told the laws are there to make things easier for women, but that’s not the reality,” *Samantha concludes.
*Thandi from Gauteng
“When I was 17, I was raped by my uncle at home. It was a very tough time for me, I didn’t understand what was happening and why it was happening. Luckily, I was sober minded enough to get a rape kit from the local clinic. I then spoke to my teacher at school because I was scared to speak to my mother about it – but I did eventually, with the help of my teacher.
My mother had some trouble believing me at first, but after some time, she did. A few weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant. I, for obvious reasons, didn’t want anything to do with that child. My mother understood and took me to Marie Stopes to get a safe abortion. I’m glad I got the support of my mother, because I know most young girls aren’t always so fortunate.”
Door of Hope
Door of Hope Children’s Mission is a home for abandoned children – it is based in Berea, Johannesburg, and aims to provide a home for each child. “In 1999 the Berea Baptist Mission Church, under the leadership of Pastor Cherly Allen, made a hole in their wall and made a ‘Baby Box’, allowing for mothers to leave their babies any time, day or night, for the church to take care of them.
The moment the baby is places in the box, care workers on duty receive an electronic signal alerting them. The baby is taken in and the anonymity of the ‘donor’ is ensured. News quickly spread and now some babies are brought in personally by their mothers, and others by the police, hospitals, clinics, community members etc.,” says a Door of Hope representative.
Having an abortion might not be a viable option for every expecting woman, but the Door of Hope might just be an option for many.
Thabiso Mnguni, 29, was born in Soweto but because his parents were forced to move back to rural KZN in KwaNongoma because of the ongoing political violence at the time, he didn’t spend much time in the popular township in Gauteng. He spent his formative years in eMatsheni eziNduna (commonly referred to as eVuna) in KwaNongoma before moving to Pietermaritzburg at the age of seven.
“To be honest I was a restless kid, I got into trouble quite often and had an aversion to school and rules. My dream as a child was firstly to be a soccer player, which was quickly replaced by the job of president, not because of the prestige that the title carries.
But because I thought it was cool that the only other person who was allowed to speak on the radio beside the well-respected radio presenters was this person my grandmother called uMongameli, which means president in isiZulu,” Thabiso tells The Fuse.
“I had no idea what a president was at the time and what he or she did for a living. KwaNongoma didn’t have electricity until 2001 so our only source of news or entertainment growing up was the radio. By the time I was around ten years old I already knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and I’ve never wanted to be anything else ever since,” he adds.
After completing high school, Thabiso graduated with a Bachelor of Finance from the University of Johannesburg, majoring in Investment Management. He went on to complete Equity and Bonds Trading certifications with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. He is currently in the process of completing an Advanced Diploma in Financial Markets.
The birth of Kofi Kulcha
In May 2019, Thabiso started his business, Kofi Kulch. Having always loved coffee, he knew he wanted to get involved in the coffee industry somehow.
“I began the process with the purchase of a VW Kombi, which I was busy converting into a mobile coffee bar before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“It prompted me to halt the idea of completing the conversion of the kombi and go ahead with launching my instant coffee line, which I had initially planned to do in 2021,” he says.
As challenging as it proved to be launching a product during a lockdown, the business started operating officially in October 2020.
Entrepreneurship is a huge learning curve that provides so much opportunity for growth but a lot of headaches as well. Among the challenges Thabiso experienced was gathering enough capital to get the business started and operational.
“The manufacturing process for instant coffee is quite costly and full of risks, which could be quite frightening for any entrepreneur. I used up my entire savings and investment accounts as well as my provident fund when I left my previous job in 2019 to get the business up and running. Since then, the biggest obstacle, which many entrepreneurs face, is that our business hasn’t been immune to the complexities of mastering distribution and scaling up of the business as there are so many moving parts to take into cognizance.
“On the personal side, my biggest challenges would definitely be time management as well as multitasking as I dedicate so much time to new ideas and trying new approaches that can improve both myself and the business.”
It takes a village
Since starting his business, Thabiso has received overwhelming support from all quarters to an extent that Kofi Kulcha has received orders from old friends in places as far as Kenya and the UK.
“I consider myself lucky to have great business and personal mentors who have become family to me. I also have a great support structure with my aunt being my biggest cheerleader and motivator,” Thabiso fondly shares.
One of his highlights was being nominated for African founder of the year under 30 by the FOYA Global Awards, and his fondest memory is the immense support he received from the late Dr Sindi Van Zyl who was one of the first people he sought advice from before starting his business.
Thabiso’s take on entrepreneurship
“I’d say the biggest misconception about running a business is that everything must go overwhelmingly right as a confirmation of the viability and success of the business and that anything contrary to that is a sign of possible failure. It’s honestly far from that.”
Thabiso compares entrepreneurship to the trade of farming; often the effort and energy invested today may not be reaped immediately but rather in a few months or a year. Relationships one has built and fostered years prior can play a pivotal role in your success when you least expect it. So, rather than seeking, more days are spent trying to connect dots that refuse to connect, putting out fires and avoiding disaster than anything else.
Without the risk of coming across as a business expert of any sort, the best advice Thabiso can give from his humble entrepreneurial journey is to start today and start with whatever resources you have, and once you have begun don’t stop no matter how difficult it seems.
“We often wait for the ‘perfect’ time to start, unfortunately, there is no such perfect time. The sooner I started the sooner I made mistakes that I learnt from, and early successes gave me the momentum to keep going and since then it’s been a process of rinse and repeat.
“A book I would recommend for any budding entrepreneur is The Alchemist. It may not be a book about business, it’s more so a book about self-discovery and in many ways that is what entrepreneurship is. It’s basically a journey of self-discovery and self-actualisation in the form of a business, which is usually an extension of our personalities, hobbies, or passions,” he concludes.
South African women are familiar with the isiZulu phrase, ‘wathinta umfazi, wathinta imbokodo’ which means ‘you strike a woman, you strike a rock’ in English. Although this phrase’s original intention was to recognize and celebrate the strength of women, over the years, more women are becoming conscious to how toxic it can be to always be strong – especially because it has expected of women to carry burdens and not complain or tire.
Wearing many hats: mom, wife, career-woman, and many others, is made to look easy by women, however there’s nothing normal about overworking yourself and never having time or energy to fill up your cup.
Cape Town blogger, Dhanusha Dhoorgalu highlights this in her blog, and encourages women to take time, daily, to practice self-care and not just once a week, on a good week.
“Most of us realize by now that self-care is healthcare. It’s necessary for our wellbeing and health. Without it, we are unhappy, sick, or miserable, if not all. It needs to be prioritized in our lives so we can feel healthy and happy,” she tells The Fuse.
Dhanusha started her blog about five years ago to help women of color find beauty products that suit their skin tone, but recently she’s been delving more into teaching and encouraging self-care.
“I was raised with many teachings and practices that places huge importance on many of the topics of self-care. I am always someone who will advise you look internally for the answers and wisdom. But I realized that what I was raised with is not the “norm” others were raised with.”
Dhanusha’s Self-Care Methods
At the age of 22 while working a 9 – 5 job before starting her blog, Dhanusha had a nervous breakdown which was due to stress and burnout. Majority of her experiences in the corporate world were toxic. These were small companies, however the politics, micromanaging and lack of boundaries in these spaces almost drove her over the edge – it was time to leave.
Although entrepreneurship has its fair share of challenges, Dhanusha wouldn’t change it for anything. Blogging and raising awareness about the importance of women taking care of themselves has helped so many people, including Dhanusha herself.
“I have many self-care activities that range from yoga, pilates, going on walks, and journaling to spending time with loved ones. I also enjoy a wide variety of interests including art. I use mindful and holistic coaching method. I use energy management, boundaries and self-awareness as a basis of my coaching. These three things when combined have a great impact,” she says.
“Most people overthink self-care and doubt themselves. Self-care can be the simplest thing, but the effect can be miraculous. If you make self-care an important aspect of your life, you will likely feel a lot less stressful and more fulfilled. You would worry less and love more. It really opens you up to connection,” Dhanusha adds.
There’s still a long way to go, but Dhanusha is grateful that more and more women are welcoming the idea of not only being soft and vulnerable, but also being comfortable to reject things, activities and people that will drain them.
“You have the power to change your life. You ultimately are responsible for your selfcare i.e. Your health and wellbeing. You also can’t live for Friday’s forever and hate Monday’s,” she concludes.
