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!
Nkenke Kekana appeals to Ramaphosa to use his conscience ahead of the ANC conference.
England beat Senegal, sets up clash with France.
SA girl Devonecia Swartz makes Broadway dreams come true.
It’s too risky to recall Ramaphosa to close to ANC conference – EWN
Nkenke Kekana, the head of communications for the African National Congress (ANC), stated that it would not be “prudent” for the party to recall President Cyril Ramaphosa so close to its 55th national elective conference, EWN reports. He instead asked Ramaphosa to use his conscience to help him get through the crisis. “The ANC is just 10 days away from electing new leadership but will on Monday deliberate on Ramaphosa’s future following the release of Parliament’s Section 89 panel’s report on the Phala Phala saga.” Read more here
England surge past Senegal to set up France quarterfinal – TimesLIVE
Sunday, Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka scored for England as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Senegal to set up a mouthwatering World Cup quarterfinal matchup with defending champion France, TimesLIVE reports. England took a while to establish themselves on the African champions, a team they had never encountered before, and escaped a few scares before two goals late in the first half ended the game. Read more here
From TV to musical theatre, SA actor Devonecia Swartz on making her ‘Broadway dreams’ come true – News24
Calling Us Home is an inspiring story. Everyone is perpetually hopeful for a better life and future, Devonecia Swartz mentions her upcoming adventure. In the epic opera composed by South African composer Alice Gillham, the South African actor was cast as Grace, an African princess who flees a deadly civil war in her nation. “It is also a story of love and how home, the definition of home, shifts from it being a place to us finding our home in people.” Read more here
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!
Kaizer Chiefs Mobile, the official mobile subsidiary of Kaizer Chiefs FC, in partnership with Toyota South Africa, has launched a very exciting ‘Win A Toyota Corolla Cross’ campaign that will see one supporter drive away in a brand new Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 vehicle.
The competition will run from 30 September 2022 until the end of the current season on 30 June 2023. In addition to the main prize, subscribers and supporters stand a chance of winning other fantastic prizes during the campaign.
To enter, supporters need to get a KC Mobile starter pack from the nearest Vodacom shop, KC Mobile partner retailer or at any of our roadshows and recharge it for R29 or more monthly to stand a chance to win.
All subscribers with valid entries will be in line to win the monthly prizes, which include a KC hamper worth R2500, or an unforgettable Vodacom RingaNathi experience with one of the Kaizer Chiefs players on a monthly basis.
“We are very excited about the campaign because we always want to reward Kaizer Chiefs supporters,” says Marketing and Commercial Director, Jessica Motaung. “With this amazing competition, KC Mobile subscribers have additional reasons to keep their KC Mobile sim cards in their phones. They receive great value for money from the data and airtime rewards, as well as having an opportunity to win a brand-new car, just by using the sim card.”
Motaung also thanks sponsors, Toyota, for coming on board by giving supporters a chance to win a new vehicle. “It’s always great to be able to partner with some of our sponsors and bring value to our supporters,” adds Motaung.
The KC Mobile starter pack is powered by leading mobile network operator and Kaizer Chiefs’ partner, Vodacom. The starter pack offers subscribers exclusive airtime and data rewards, including 100% bonus airtime back for every recharge they make on the sim card.
“We encourage current subscribers to make sure they recharge with as little as R29 for the next nine months, and those who do not have the starter pack yet, to get one so they can become eligible to win monthly prizes and ultimately, the possibility of a brand new Toyota vehicle worth hundreds of thousands or Rands,” concludes Motaung.
Winners will be announced monthly across Kaizer Chiefs social media platforms and the Toyota Corolla Cross winner will be drawn in June 2023.
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.
On 28 September, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza paid the East London Home Affairs branch a surprise visit to assess the level of service delivery. Like many South Africans, he was appalled by not only the poor service but by the way citizens are treated and spoken to.
“We conducted the visit in order to establish if what we had planned in Pretoria boardrooms is what actually transpires on the ground.
“We also wanted to get first-hand experience of what our customers face in each visit so that whatever mistakes we discover, we’re able to find systems to rectify them,” Nzuza tells The Fuse.
Although the office opened on time and customers were able to get most of their needs sorted, what baffled Nzuza is how rudely people were being treated by some of the staff at the home affairs branch.
“Some people were being turned away instead of being helped. Others were just treated in a poor manner. They were handled with no care or dignity, which is completely contrary to what this ministry believes in.
“Those culprits have been identified and will be dealt with accordingly. We will visit all these branches and uproot and deal with anyone who goes against our policies. No citizen will be treated badly, and everyone will be helped accordingly.”
Speaking to The Fuse, one citizen who wished to remain anonymous shared their experience.
“It’s really disheartening sometimes when you desperately need something sorted and don’t get the help you need, instead, you get rejection and spoken to in a very dehumanising manner. I’m really happy that the deputy minister visited the branch and saw for himself. Hopefully, now things will get better. It’s time.”
If you’ve ever had a similar experience at any Home Affairs branch, then this initiative might be the hope for better service delivery.
Mthandazo Gatya has always known he has a talent for singing, growing up he sang in the school choir. However, when friends and relatives would ask him to sing for them, he would be too shy to do it.
“I remember sometimes they would catch me singing when doing my chores at home and as soon as I notice that they were listening or watching me, I would stop immediately. The idea of singing alone for someone or an audience intimidated me a little. With the choir I was able to hide in the group.”
Growing up in the dusty streets of KwaMajazana, a small township in the south of Johannesburg, Mthandazo would see child stars such as Mzambiya and Msawawa on television and imagine himself in the same position. He knew he had what it takes, and vowed to stop at nothing to achieve his dream.
Life after school
After completing his grade 12 studies, Mthandazo worked at a company as a cleaner, but because he was young, ambitious and full of energy he quickly climbed up the ladder and became part of the marketing and networking team. That is where he broke out of his shell and learned effective communication skills, and how to market himself as a brand.
A few years later, he decided to pursue his music career full time. Since then, Mthandazo has released three music projects – the most recent in September 2022. Specializing in African music has always been his passion.
“I’ve always felt African music, culture and sounds need to be celebrated. But not only that, African artists should not shy away from expressing themselves in our languages. We need to give the world what it does or have, and that’s us; our ways.”
The Tik Tok video that went viral
Subsequently, when American singer, John Legend posted an open verse challenge on his Tik Tok account, Mthandazo took part and gave it and African flair.
“John Legend is an artist I’ve always looked up to. Even when I would audition for certain singing competitions, I would audition using some of his songs. One particular song that I really enjoy is ‘Stay with You’,” Mthandazo quietly sings the song.
So, when the man himself liked and commented on Mthandazo’s isiZulu verse on his open verse challenge, he was over the moon. Before this, Mthandazo never really thought he would ever get an opportunity to work with the legendary artist, but after this recent interaction, he realised that it is possible. “Amazing what technology and social media can do!” he says, beaming.
“I’m really grateful that even before John Legend saw my video, many people from South Africa, African and other parts of the world were already just loving it. The support is amazing and so humbling. That’s the most important thing to me: the people. I make music for the people, before the numbers and all matter, the people who will be at the receiving end of my music are my priority. I want to make music that heals people.” Mthandazo tells The Fuse.
Now, he is a Double Platinum certified singer/songwriter, and a South African Music Awards 27 nominee. “This just shows me that when you do something earnestly, people see it and will be willing to support you.”
Going forward, Mthandazo has goals of making more meaningful music and taking it beyond the African continent. And we’d say he’s on the right track!
Connect with Mthandazo: @mthandazogatya on all socials
Britain will see a wave of changes with the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II.
England & South Africa Test cancelled after Queen Elizabeth II death.
BLACKPINK reaches 80M subscribers on YouTube.
What changes will UK see with a new monarch? – News24
With the death of Queen Elizabeth and the taking of the throne by her son Charles, Britain will see a lot of changes. According to News24, the following changes will occur:
“God Save the Queen,” which has been part of the British national anthem since the 18th century, will be changed to “God Save the King.”
As with all British currency, the head of the king will be on the new coins and banknotes that are made and printed.
The Royal Cypher, which is the monarch’s monogram and shows the queen’s initials “EIIR” below a picture of the St. Edward’s Crown, will change.
The Royal Cypher, which is the monarch’s monogram and shows the queen’s initials “EIIR” below a picture of the St. Edward’s Crown, will change. Read more here
Friday’s play in England vs Proteas Test called off after queen’s death – TimesLIVE
The second day of the third and final Test between England and South Africa at the Oval has been cancelled because Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, TimesLIVE reports.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) did not clarify in a brief statement whether the four remaining days of the Test would resume from Saturday, or if just Saturday’s day three, Sunday’s day four and Monday’s day five will be played.” Read more here
BLACKPINK Becomes First Artist to Surpass 80 Million Subscribers on YouTube – Billboard
YouTube announced on Thursday that BLACKPINK has reached 80 million subscribers (Sept. 8). They are the only artists who have ever reached that point.
“The new subscriber milestone comes after the arrival of new single “Pink Venom” and its music video.” Read more here
Eskom has failed to recover the R10 million from Molefe’s pension fund.
Chelsea fires manager Tuchel after only seven games into the new season.
The woman who accused Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears of sexual assault has demanded their immediate arrest.
Brian Molefe has still not paid back the money, says Eskom’s pension fund – News24
According to Eskom’s pension fund, the former CEO of the power company, Brian Molefe, has not yet repaid the R10 million he owes.
Earlier, Eskom stated that it had recovered the R30 million it illegally paid to Molefe’s pension fund in 2016, News24 reports.
“The fund is opposing Mr Molefe’s application to ensure that he adheres to the July court order.” Read more here
Premier League heavyweights Chelsea announce shock sacking of manager Thomas Tuchel – News24
Chelsea fired manager Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday, only seven games into the season, after a humiliating 1-0 Champions League loss at Dinamo Zagreb.
“The London club said in a statement they had ‘parted company’ with the German, who led them to Champions League glory in 2021 and the Club World Cup crown earlier this year.” Read more here
Woman who filed child sex abuse suit reportedly calls for arrest of Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears – Complex
According to Complex, the woman who recently said she was suing Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears for child sex abuse because of a sketch is now reportedly calling for the comedians to be arrested “immediately.”
“This matter’s breadth and complexity require your jurisdictional powers and resources to tackle and end the stream [of] depravity committed by Haddish and Spears,” the statement read. Read more here
