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South Africa’s Thuso Mbedu becomes the new face of Gris Dior fragrance 

Uncategorized / May 5, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

There’s no doubt that South African actress, Thuso Mbedu is the ultimate IT Girl – she keeps proving that anyone can make it as far as they wish with an excellent worth ethic and resilience!

Her most recent win in the bag was being named one of the faces for the new Dior fragrance, Gris Dior.

Dior Beauty partnered with five artists to reimagine its unisex fragrance. Using the mediums of paint, light, and sound for a temporary immersive exhibition in Los Angeles, the campaign celebrated the iconic color of the headquarters on Avenue Montaigne in Paris and Gris Dior, the leading perfume from La Collection Privée.

It’s not the first time this South African beauty makes big waves internationally, last year Thuso starred as the lead of Sony’s The Woman King opposite Viola Davis. In the historical epic feature directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Thuso plays Nawi, an ambitious recruit who fights in the all-female military unit led by Nanisca (Viola Davis).

It seems she’s a girl on many missions to collect all the wins, and in her own words, when does Thuso feel the most confidence? “When I’m breaking the ceiling of my own limitations.”

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Visual artist, Karabo Poppy becomes youngest winner at the Charlotte Maxeke Leadership Awards

Uncategorized / May 4, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

South African illustrator, Karabo Poppy’s artistic journey has been inspirational to watch, and she keeps reaching heights higher than her imagination.

Karabo’s most recent achievement was becoming the youngest winner at the Charlotte Maxeke Leadership Awards for the Women in Arts and Culture Award.

“Representing South Africa here with an award honouring exceptional African women, whose leadership, achievements and contributions have advanced Africa’s development in various sectors of society. When you think things can’t get any better God says wait and see,” the artist wrote on social media.

Image: Instagram

4-year-old Linani Potwana walks Paris Fashion Week Kids Unit in Beijing

Uncategorized / May 4, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Imagine being draped in the iconic Dior brand and walking one of the biggest runways for kids in the world. Well, at just 4 years old, Linani Potwana from East London in the Eastern Cape, didn’t have to imagine.

Little Linani’s angelic face lit up the entire runway in Beijing when she strut her stuff for Dior at the Paris Fashion Week Kids Unit Fashion Show on Beijing a few nights ago.

Linani looked gorgeous in a navy dress with poker dots that resembled a night-sky full of glittering stars.

Her proud mother, Ziyanda Potwana couldn’t help but boast about her star daughter’s big achievement on social media.

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Thato Poo will enhance your self care days with her Matlhasedi Body and Home Spa products

Uncategorized / May 4, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Nothing turns a house into a home quite like a good scent that permeates each room, and that’s exactly what Matlhasedi Body and Home Spa CEO, Thato Poo had in mind when starting her business.

Matlhasedi is an online store that sells bespoke and the finest body, home, hotel and spa products. Their products are vegan and cruelty-free with no chemicals and additives, perfect for the environment!

Scented candles have a soothing and calming effect by producing hormones like dopamine and serotonin to regulate your mood – so, whether you’re looking for the sweet aroma of a scented candle, or a blend of essential and fragrance oils, Matlhasedi has just the products for you and your loved ones.

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How three friends started Loxion Fruits Beverages

Uncategorized / May 4, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Lungelo Mgaga, Thabo Twala, and Patrick Thokkie, were frustrated when the companies they worked for retrenched them not long before Covid-19 became a pandemic, so the trio decided to establish a beverages company, LIB Foods in 2019.  The company sells juice called Loxion Fruits.

With just R800 in the bank, these young entrepreneurs used the kitchen of Lungelo’s parents’ home in Dobsonville to start the business.

“We had a vision and agility to succeed through our quest to reach the top. This happened through the resilience and passion we had to build our brand. When we lost our jobs at the height of the pandemic, we were not sure how we were going to survive,
knowing the high level of unemployment in this country. However, we never backed down but with our firm belief that we can reach for the stars, we tried our best,” said Mgaga.

Soon after the business got off the ground, they started selling Loxion Fruits at taxi ranks at Bara, Pan in Alexandra, and Thembisa.

As they continued to push the limits they were given a bigger working space by the City of Joburg at a donated warehouse in the Orange Farm Skills Development Hub, sponsored by the department of social development. The National Youth Development Agency also came to the party and bought the newly established food company machinery and equipment.

“We built the Loxion Fruits brand from direct sales at taxi ranks and now we are on shelves of spaza shops in Gauteng while pushing our brand to be in major retailers in the country. We are growing big due to supply and demand. We want to branch out to the entire country and internationally as we get many consumers demanding our juice,” said Twala.

Thokkie, who is the eldest member of the trio, said they also got a sponsorship from the popular Gauteng commercial youth radio station, YFM, to communicate their brand message.

“We started on shaky ground, but we never gave up, and we are now seeing success in this project. We have employed five youngsters at our plant and warehouse as well as 10 sales agents in different parts of Gauteng in order to push Loxion Juice. It is never too late to start afresh after experiencing challenges,” said Thokkie.

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e.tv’s telenovela, “The Black Door” makes way for new show, “Isitha”

Uncategorized / May 4, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Black Brain Pictures has announced the launch of a new primetime family-oriented telenovela on e.tv titled Isitha – The Enemy. This exciting new telenovela is a spinoff series that follows the Sokhulu family who were first introduced to South African viewers in the ground-breaking series The Black Door. Isitha – The Enemy continues the tale of the Sokhulu’s struggles to keep their family together in the face of adversity as new challenges and new rivals come onto the scene.

“We are committed to bringing the best South African local content to our viewers and we have to remain receptive to their changing needs and preferences. With this in mind, we are excited to usher in the spin-off series, Isitha – The Enemy.  This story proves to be like no other, with a big focus on family feuds, drama and intrigue, peppered with some comedic elements.” says Helga Palmer, Head of Local Programming at eMedia.

Mpumelelo Nhlapo, Executive Producer at Black Brain Pictures says, “We strategically intended for The Black Door to run for one year. Our goal was to break new ground and to push the boundaries of South African television. The greater vision has always been to tell the story of the Sokhulu family as a multi-chapter series that allows us to explore different themes in dynamic and interesting ways.”

The story in Isitha – The Enemy, which is suitable for the whole family to enjoy, picks up from a royal homestead in eSwatini. Here, we find out what happened to Chuma Sokhulu who was presumed dead in The Black Door chapter of the Sokhulu story.It promises to be a gripping drama with captivating storylines and exciting performances. The stunning visuals coupled with unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds, will take viewers on a thrill ride that will keep them on the edge of their seats.

The cast of Isitha, The Enemy features some of South Africa’s most talented actors, such as Sipho Ndlovu, Khanyisani Khwesa, and Dawn Thandeka King to name a few. Thobani Nzuza reprises his role alongside viewers’ favourite actors from The Black Door. “We can’t wait for viewers to see how this new chapter delves deeper into the world of the Sokhulus as we explore new characters, new conflicts, and new challenges that will test their strength and resilience.” said the show’s creator Mandla_N, Creative Director at Black Brain.

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WATCH: Zizipho Buti delivers stella performance on Generations: The Legacy

Uncategorized / May 3, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Losing a romantic partner is not easy, the different stages of grief creep up on their victims and there’s not much you can do but surrender yourself to going through each one. However, when you feel your loved one was robbed from living a long, and happy life by people who pretend to have cared about them, things can easily take a turn for the worse…and you end up acting out of character.

This is exactly what happened to Tracey (played by Zizipho Buti) on SABC 1’s Generations: The Legacy. She rocked up at her late partner’s funeral while the iconic Karabo Moroka (played by Connie Ferguson) was speaking and caused what could possibly be one of local TV’s most dramatic scenes.

Zizipho Buti’s talent while portraying Tracey’s grief has been nothing short of perfect, and we salute her! The actress recently took to Twitter to explain her experience while working on the dramatic funeral scene, “When I read the script for this scene, I thought yoh Bawo wam ndizo qala ngaphi kengoku ngale idrama engaka thiza [my goodness, where will I begin when trying to bring this much drama to life] …one of my fave scenes,” she wrote.

Image: Twitter

What Daily Bread M611 CEO, Mpho Setjeo believes makes his business a success

Uncategorized / May 3, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Daily Bread M611 is a father-and-son operation that Mpho Setjeo (the father) created to offer services in an industrial area. He explains that he noticed the workers and offices needed someone to supply them with sandwiches because they were far from the shops.

Mpho says, “For the first 2-weeks it was stressful because people didn’t know me and were worried about security issues. As time went by people warmed up to me and the business concept. We then identified a busy intersection with heavy morning traffic that could be our base area, and here we could sell to people going to school and other workplaces.”

His business idea, as simple as it is, is ingenious because it offers convenience. When asked about the name, he explains that being Christian, his faith is important, hence M611. “Growing up, we used to say the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 VS 11 – ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ So ‘Daily Bread’ originated from a prayer,” he elaborates.

What led Mpho to become an entrepreneur was the demand he felt he had to fill. The target market needed food and beverages, so offering sandwiches made sense. The other reason was the scarcity of employment. In 2019 while job hunting for a graphic designer position without any success, he saw that the next best thing was to become his own boss.

Although Mpho and his son have encountered challenges along the way, the duo overcome each one as it comes, and at the core of their priorities is marketing their business. Their marketing strategy includes placing visually appealing boards that list the products and the price so new customers know what is on offer and how much it costs. “A business with no sign is a sign of no business,” Mpho emphasizes.

Image: Instagram

Makhadzi launches record company, Makhadzi Entertainment

Uncategorized / May 3, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Multi-award-winning singer Ndivhudzannyi “Makhadzi” Larivhona has officially parted ways with Open Mic Productions after three years, she revealed in a statement. According to Makhadzi, she decided not to renew her contract after a successful and fruitful working relationship.

In the statement, the artist wrote, “The relationship between myself and Open Mic Productions was like a match made in heaven as it elevated both of us to become top household names in the South African Music Industry. Our relationship produced four studio albums and all the albums did very well.

The first album to be released was ‘Kokovha’ in 2020 and it went on to reach gold status and was the most streamed album in the county in 2020. The second album to be released was ‘African Queen’ in 2021, the album also reached gold status and we sold over 40 thousand units and 24 million digital streams. In 2022, we then released two albums ‘African Queen 2.0’ and ‘Pain ya Jealous’ and both the albums did very well.

‘African Queen 2.0.’ was received well as one of the songs ‘Milandu Bhe’ featuring the legendary
Papa Penny reached 400 thousand streams in just ten 10 days and at the same year won Mhungana Lonene song of the year award. I have also released more than 15 songs with Open Mic Productions artists.

I travelled the world which was made possible by my relationship with Open Mic Productions. I performed in countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Senegal, all SADEC countries and many other countries across the globe.

I also won awards such as ‘Ubuntu Arts and Culture Diplomacy Award’, ‘Mansi Viewers Choice Award’, ‘Basadi Music Award’, ‘AFRIMA’, ‘South African Music Award (SAMA’) and ‘Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards’ to name a few.

I would like to thank Open Mic Productions for the good work and contribution they made in my music career and have learnt a lot from them. They have really played a huge role in my growth as an individual and for that I will always appreciate the company and the good working relationship we had.

I have taken a decision to not renew the contract with Open Mic Productions so I can focus on my own company ‘Makhadzi Entertainment’ and other business ventures. We are all aware that the music career is very short, and I feel that it’s time I grow my own business and myself as an individual so that I can leave a legacy for my family and those who depend on me.”

Image: Twitter

Tweeps have confidence that Bonang would’ve represented SA well at Met Gala 2023

Uncategorized / May 2, 2023

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Affectionately referred to as “fashion’s biggest night out,” the Met Gala 2023 is a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The event welcomes stars, young creatives, and industry paragons. The 2023 Met Gala theme was ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ to honor Karl Lagerfeld, who was a regular attendee at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute.

When one tweep asked which South African celebrity would’ve made the country proud on the red carpet, most users hailed media personality, Bonang Matheba the queen of style, and we couldn’t agree more.

Here are 5 of our favourite looks from Queen B:

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