July Edition 21

ConverseAtions Issue 25

July 2021

Nomcebo Zikode

Speaking her music, parenting and humility.

The Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge winner

Benefits of group training!!!

A sparkling wine for the sundowners.

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CONTENTS 1. Nomcebo Zikode speaks about humility. (2) 2. Bodigadi an energy drink by Lesego and Tembelani. (5) 3. Michelle by KayN sparking wine lifestyle. (8) 4. Zizo Sikiti talks her active wear brand. (11) 5. Freeway

By

Flawless

curdigans for couples. (14) 6.

Fundisa

Tech

-

an

organisation that expose kids to coding. (17) 7. Exercise benefits of group trainings. (20) 8. Kgalaletso,

an

Allan

Gray

entrepreneurship winner. (23) 9. Food, books and music.

SAFETY FIRST

Covid KILLS

Cover story

A mom, a musician and a national treasure.

One of the duo super stars who has taken the whole world by storm with their chart topping hit Jerusalem, and not forgetting the dance which has everyone in for motion beaming with pride had a chat with us about her music, parenting and humility. Nomcebo Nkwanyana, also known as Nomcebo Zikode was born and raised in Hammersdale, KZN. She has been one of the phenomenal musos in the SA music industry for long but her real shine and talent was fully recognized globally in 2020. We asked her to mention one thing she loves about Mzansi and this is what she said, "I love being a South African Click here to listen:

Xola Moya Wam 2

- because our country allows us to be free and be able to express ourselves in various ways”.

Nomcebo has cemented herself as one our national treasures and rightly so she is the voice that commands your attention and takes you on a musical journey. The numbers of the big collaboration song she was part of, on all music streaming platforms are a testimony to the success of her musical journey during a time of such uncertainty.

As a mother and musician - how do you balance the two and make sure you give your 100 to both? “It’s not easy but whenever I get time and I’m home I make sure that I spend a lot of time with my kids, take them out and nurture my relationship with them. When we’re working, I always give it my all so that when I’m home I can enjoy that too”.

As a person, how important is it to have the right attitude in the music industry and treat your colleagues and the public with respect? “It’s important because “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, the very same people you might disrespect today are the same people you may need tomorrow. This doesn’t only apply to being in the music industry, but in other industries and life in general. Respect is one of the basic human values we all should practice, and at the same time start by respecting yourself”.

Any new music and collaborations coming? Also, who is that one artist you have not worked with and would like to work with in future? “Yes, definitely, I have new music that’s on the way along with a number of international collaborations I am excited about.

This and I can’t wait to gift my fans with more music”.

Lastly, for a young woman out there who wants to follow your steps in music, what can you advise her? “Never give up, don’t ever lose focus and know what you want!”

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Stop killing...

You were featured by your Ganyani, Master KG and more - but how does it feel to drop your own music like Xola Moya Wam and the public still love you and your music? “I’m so happy because this is something that’s a bit unusual in our industry, as an artist who was first introduced to people as a featuring artist, it’s a blessing to be able to break out and release my own body of work that people appreciate a lot”.

POTENTIAL BUSINESS

Guard Your Body

Bodigadi Energy Drink is a Beverage Company founded by Tembelani Sirunu from the Eastern Cape (Transkei) together with Lesego Matshediso from Johannesburg (Soweto).

The company was founded in 2017 and started off as an apparel designing company, we then found inspiration of starting an Energy Drink that is black owned from the fact that there are not a lot of Energy Drink Company’s owned by young black entrepreneurs.

"Our main challenge in getting our Energy Drink off the ground was the funding of the creation and production of the beverage. The Capital needed for the business venture was beyond our expectations but because we had a dream and the vision we could not just give up, and so we made plans by getting 5

- employment and and saving money. Starting a business with your own money is never easy but with the right mindset and support from our families we were able to turn our dream into a reality".

We started off as an apparel designing company.

"What we’re trying to achieve with this brand is to promote innovativity amongst our youth and to create a culture of thinking outside the box. Our goal is to also empower our communities in creating opportunities for the youth to start owning their crafts and not only focusing on being employed".

"So far our Energy Drinks have received positive feedback due to our range of two different flavors, the Strawberry Flavor and the Lemon Flavor. We are looking into different ways to improve our Energy beverage product range in order to cater for people who are more health conscious and those with natural ailments like diabetes".

Recommended retail price is R10 For orders less than 40 Cases: Recommended retail price is R10 1 x Cases = R 120 For orders more 1 x Pallet = R than 9600 40 Cases:

1 x Cases = R 120 For orders less than 40 Cases: 1 x Pallet = R 9600 1 x Case = R 125 All Prices are VAT Excluded

For orders less than 40 Cases: We are still working on the distribution 1 x Case = R 125 channels around the country, but we are All Prices aredeliver.

VAT Excluded ready to "We are still working on the distribution channels around the country, but we are ready to deliver to those who are ready to buy our product. And as the journey continues we want to have distributors all over the country and abroad if possible, those who own or know shop owners should not hesitate to connect us to the shop owners".

"As we are still a new Energy Drinks company in the industry our aim is to get our products into the market by targeting your big retail stores, wholesalers, petrol stations, liquor stores and Spaza shops around the country".

"Lastly, we are here to inspire our customers to soldier on no matter how difficult their situation may be or no matter the obstacles along their way, they should always push to their limits until the doors to their success are open - Soulja On!!!” .

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To connect with us, click here:

POTENTIAL BUSINESS

Michelle By KayN Sparkling wine

Kagiso Noke is the founder of Michelle by KayN Sparkling wine brand. He was born in Village called Dinokana near Zeerust in the North West Province. Kagiso currently resides in Krugersdorp in Gauteng where he runs the operations of his business.

Kagiso graduated with Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting and Bcom Degree in Accounting from the North West University. He is currently finishing his Honours Degree in Management Accounting with UNISA. Currently he is the Chief Financial Officer of a municipality in the Northern Cape.

When did you start with Michelle By Kayn and what inspired you to go for a sparkling wine business? "The business was started in July 2020. What inspired the business the sparkling wine: The wine was inspired by my love for bubblies and champagne. It is more a reflection of a lifestyle acquired through attending events, trips to various wineries in the Western Cape and Northern cape and all tasting sessions. It was to bring the wines closer to people inland and to change the mindset that wines and bubblies are for a certain type of people or race groups".

In the beginning, what were your challenges? "Challenges experienced were the lack of distribution partner to retail stores, getting a complete buy-in from the wineries that this is a lucrative business deal that can open doors to a whole lot of people and create jobs, and also lack of support from most outlets to stock up on our wines.

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Please share highlights of your business thus far, and maybe events when Michelle By Kayn was part of the drinks? "Michelle by KayN has been part of most events around Zeerust area. We were part of the following events in Zeerust: All white Sunday Chillers with Bucy Radebe, Michelle by KayN Easter Sunday Live Sessions, Corner Pocket All white Party with Lamiez Holworthy, and more.

We also regularly contribute to charity organisations in Zeerust, we have adopted Kebarona Old age home where we buy them groceries once in a while. We are currently in the process of releasing our wine in cans. Our planned release date is the 19th of July. We are really looking forward to this milestone".

Available on the below outlets, or order online for R200 excluding delivery.

GAUTENG Tso’s butchery in Kagiso township, Shaguma Gardens in Midrand,Café Barkode in Hammanskraal, MoengSA restaurant in Rosebank, Cappello in Sunnyside Pretoria.

NORTH WEST Latotos restaurant and bar, Club 7 in Zeerust,Blue Flame bottle store in Lehurutshe.

Chillas lounger in Indurstrial site Zeerust, Pick n Pay Liquor store in Zeerust.

Lastly, to other young people who would like to follow the journey you took business wise – what would you advise them? “The sky is the limit and anything is achievable if you divert all your positive energy to it. It is not easy but it is attainable, FOCUS”.

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To connect with us, click here:

POTENTIAL BUSINESS

SoFit Gear

By Zizo Sikiti

Meet and know the owner of SOFIT, Zizo Sikiti. She was born and bred in DUTYWA where she was raised by her grandmother who owns a shop and a tavern, where she learned how to handle a business & learned the most valuable business lessons. She is currently residing in Port Elizabeth and holds a qualification in Analytical Chemistry from Nelson Mandela University.

When was the business established and what inspired you to go for this business? “SOFIT GEAR was founded and launched in October 2020. The journey was birthed from my love and passion for fitness. I want to make the fitness journey more enjoyable. I want to bring motivation and inspiration to every person to unlock their full potential during exercise and performance. I want people to take care of their bodies with confidence, comfort and in style”.

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What kind of challenges you came across when you commenced with SoFit and how did you overcome those ? “The journey was birthed in the middle of a pandemic so there were many delays, restrictions and slow service. Finding the right people to work with was also a challenge. I had to be flexible and adapt swiftly to changes and change suppliers if needs be”.

What are you trying to achieve by SO FIT and why? “I believe that health is wealth, I want to inspire and motivate people to live a healthy lifestyle, to take care of their bodies and enjoy the journey. SOFIT GEAR also aims to be an in-house manufacturing company that will grow to be a wholesale, internationally”.

How has your gym gear been received thus far and what is motivating you to keep pushing SO FIT? “The activewear brand has been received quite well, it is what people have been looking for. The reaction from our target market is always saying “where have you been”. SOFIT GEAR bets to become a reference when it comes to activewear and to reach its target audience at large.

Lastly, what’s your motto? “My motto in life is, if you have a dream and a vision, just start, don’t wait until you have it all. Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. You can perfect it later. Don’t miss the timing of your calling because when you call back, the opportunity might be gone”.

Click on the below social icons for more information/to orders.

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Potential Business

"Unique is Bold" FREEWAY BY FLAWLESS

Edmund Khayelihle Nguse, born in a KZN Mpumalanga township is the man behind the stunning Freeway By Flawless clothing brand.

His lower grades were spent at George Cato primary school and Alexandra High School in PMB. He then went to Midlands Rugby Academy for his tertiary studies and did fashion merchandise " which he didn't finish ". In the year 2020 he then did an online Fashion Course and also completed a personal training course.

Please share when did you commence with this clothing brand and what inspired you to go for it? “Freeway By Flawless is a clothing brand founded in 2014.

Destiny inspired me, I always visioned myself having a world international brand. As the saying goes "love what you do". Nothing is more priceless than waking up to do something you passionate about”.

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What kind of challenges you faced when trying to get FREEWAY BY FLAWLESS off the ground and what was your attitude or reaction towards those challenges? “I have always placed myself within the fashion industry, surrounding myself with fashion designers & creative artist. Trying to learn from them and getting an understanding of what they go through. I think my stubbornness played a big roll, I had positioned myself in an environment that gave me a chance to grasp the skills needed by attending runways and photoshoots. It then became easy for me to create my own platform. I then meet up with a group of creatives and did a fashion event called Fashion Cocktail”.

What makes your clothing label stand out to all other clothing labels that are already available in the market? "Freeway

By Flawless is a Classic Traditional style that is timeless and unique. I mean this is a brand premium lifestyle culture. It's Royalty. Simplicity is our style as our slogan is "Unique is Bold".

How has the clothing brand been received thus far and what is motivating you to keep pushing FREEWAYBYFLAWLESS? “The first 5 years have been amazing for the brand, although we have had the ups and the downs, we have learnt a lot in terms of what is needed in the fashion industry to be a big player. The brand is growing, the motivation within the team is to keep Freeway By Flawless going strong and mission is to build a clothing brand that will be the pride and joy as one of the clothing brands that will be loved by future generations.We have seen and admire the other local brands that have come from South Africa and we will be a part of that great story”.

PRICE LIST Cardigans – R900.00 Ladies Skirts- R450 Males T-shirts- Range from R200 to R450 Males Golf T-shirts – R450 Ladies T-shirts – Range from R250 to R400

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

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Founder of Fundisa Tech is Mbulelo Njamela, who was born and bred in Port Elizabeth currently known as Gqeberha, in KwaZakhele township (Emagaleni). KwaZakhele is one of the most disadvantaged communities in the metro, where crime is rife, and there is a lack of sports & recreational facilities. This is a community which is dominated by youth unemployment, teenage pregnancy and other social ills (drug/alcohols abuse). Children going to school are from a poverty-stricken family and yet persist to go to school under such conditions.

being able to prosper in life”. Like any passionate individual, Mr Njamela started an initiative to empower kids about the tech world we are just exposed to as a country.

Mr Njamela has been a teacher for a number of years and still is. He shared to us his learnings thus far and what inspired him to choose teaching and this is what he said, “I’ve learnt that teaching is a “lifelong commitment” and one needs to treat a child as if it’s his or her own. What inspired me to go for teaching was to see a few of our older brothers & sisters graduating from these dire conditions, and -

Please share about FUNDISA TECH, when did it start and what is it’s aim? "Fundisa Tech “Teach Tech” is a Non-Profit Organisation based at KwaZakhele Township, (Port Elizabeth) and was formed in August 2020. Its main objective is to “bring 21st century ICT skills to our disadvantaged communities”. This can be done through offering Computer Fluency Programmes, so as to bridge the ICT gap".

Our programmes involve: Grade 7 Tanks Coding Project.

Supplemental Project for Grades 12 CAT Students (Computer App. Technologies).

The Online Microsoft Certified Digital Literacy Course for Community Leaders (Councillors, Ward Committees etc).

Currently Fundisa is involved in the Maths & Science Support Programme. This is partnership between Mandela University Tutors & Fundisa Tech, coordinated by Lizwi Gwaza.

Your passion for CODING – where does it come from and please share about the benefit of exposing kids to coding from primary school? "The Coding / Programming concept has always been there for decades, but to our previously disadvantaged schools, it has always been regarded as a foreign concept. But with the recent developments in school’s curricula, and most importantly, the intervention of Prof Greyling from Mandela University Computing Sciences Dept and other partners, coding has become the most exciting educational “game” which every primary school pupil enjoys. I was so fortunate and privileged to be part of the TANKS powered by Tangibl pilot project for schools. The game has unlocked the minds of primary school kids to learn more about “problem solving” & “sequencing”.

How has coding influenced your teaching style and the way you do things? "Oh Yes! It has helped me to review my teaching strategies, as well as it has ignited our pupil’s minds.

Personally, it has left me thinking about doing things and articulating life problems differently".

Lastly, which schools and organisations you have worked with this far to keep Fundisa Tech going? “Cowan High School, KwaZakhele High School (partner), Brandwag Hoer Skool (sponsor), Tanks by Tangibl (sponsor), Amobia Communications (sponsor), BJ Mnyanda Primary, Molefe Primary, Missionvale Primary, Soweto on Sea Primary, also more primary schools need to be introduced to coding in the Metro".

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Want to know more about FUNDISA TECH? or you want to DONATE to the initiative?

Click on the social icons on your right.

Fitness

Benefits of group training.

Excercising is one of the vital things to do in these days. It should not be a debate but a choice all should go for as it's benefits are what are bodies and minds need all the time. We all are not ready to look old when we feel young, and one of the natural ways to assist us to keep our looks, weight and a strong mind is through exercising.

Studies reveals that exercising is not as easy and fun as it looks to others, it has it's challenges when one has to start. A strong minded person who is always motivated with plans and dreams to chase seem to be finding it easy to "chase the wind" unprovoked, so the say. On the other side those who lack motivation and are lazy to start exercising also has the potential to see and start exercising, though it will take a lot for them to be on track. But generally in life no one is born perfecting anything, all start somewhere and that all means all of us have to start somewhere to start something, and starting requires self introspection and self consciousness on WHY you would want to start that specific thing you should start, and how it can benefit you as an individual. This month on our fitness section we speak about the benefits of training as a group, and by now we all know working together is more powerful than doing things alone.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TRAINING WITH A GROUP OF ACTIVE PEOPLE. Working out alone can be work for other people, but other people get demotivated along the way and end up quitting gym. But I am here to share with u some few tips that can help u to stay active and want to go to gym with a smile on your face. Training with a group of active, passionate people helps a lot.

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Here are the few Benefits of Group Training: MOTIVATION: Having other people exercising alongside you can also give you the boost you need to keep moving- nobody likes falling behind, right?

ACCOUNTABILITY: Group Training sessions hold you accountable for turning up and putting 100% effort into your workout.

FUN: Group Training exposes u to a fun and social environment, even though the sessions might be intense, but that element of fun keeps you coming back.

SUPPORT: A support from those dedicated people can be just what you need to power through your workout, push yourself a little bit further and reach your health and fitness goals.

Lastly but not least, POSITIVE COMPETITIVENESS: when you are around people who are serious about gym, that makes you want to keep up with them and that can make you push yourself harder than you would on your own. Seeing what others are capable of doing can inspire you to do more.

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Inspirational Content

Winner of the Allan Gray Entrepreneurship competition.

- Kgalaletso Letsoalo

Meet KGALALETSO LETSOALO, an 18 year old who is currently in grade 12 and the deputy Head Girl at Calculus High School in the Bloemfontein.

Kgalaletso travel to school using a local bus as she is from a small town called Thaba Nchu, which is approximately 65KM from Bloemfontein.

We asked her to share about how she grew and this is what she said, “I must say that I had a good upbringing, my parents were strict (still are) and like any other parent, they have always wanted the best for their children. Growing up, it was not as difficult, as my parents tried their best to put food on the table, clothe us and just simply be there when we need them. I did my schooling at a combined school until my grade 11 when was I transferred to Calculus as a result of unfortunate circumstances (cyberbullying and bullying by an educator). Besides all that, growing up has been a learning journey, sometimes it would get exhausting, but we all must go through the most to get ahead”.

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Please share the profession you would go for after matric and why that one?

“The profession I would like to take on is being an Agronomist. Agronomists conduct experiments to develop the best methods for increasing the quality and production of crops.

The reason why I want to pursue this career is because South Africa is going through quite a problem with food security.

www.whatsappmag.co.za Therefore, using science to carry out experiments that create new techniques for agriculture production and improving crop yield would really benefit the society. I would also like to build my own brand that focuses mainly on inspiring inner beauty and uniqueness together with fashion”.

Please share about the ALLAN GRAY challenge, what was it about and how did you happen to be part of it? “The Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge was a 5–6 week entrepreneurship programme that was open to all high school students that seek to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset through gamified learning in a form of online micro-challenges. It was mainly about entrepreneurship –building and managing your own business. I was introduced to the competition by my educator, Ms. Constance Mabote, and she convinced us (the team) to enter the competition, of which we did”.

Your passion for ENTREPRENEURSHIP – where does it come from and please share how do feel being one of the winners? “My love for entrepreneurship comes from home – my mother, as she herself is an entrepreneur.

I’ve been interested in knowing how to properly run a business, of which I saw the practicality of it from my mother’s business. It really is overwhelming to be part of the winners, as it was only me from the group that won, but we run by a motto that “if one member in a team wins, therefore the whole team has won”.

Any business venture you are considering starting after this challenge, or already run? “As I would like to own my farm in the near future, I am considering on breeding chickens at the moment, and planting a few vegetables in our backyard to sell. This may take a while to set up, but with hard-work, determination and perseverance I will be able to accomplish it”.

As young girl in SA, what would you advise other young girls about the importance of education? “Education is the key to success” is a much-predetermined answer but I would rather say that education provides knowledge and helps open doors for opportunities, in most circumstances we need education to battle crime, inequality, GBV, poverty and many other social issues. Therefore, I encourage not only girls, but boys also, do get educated. The fortunate part is that education is free in our country, tertiary education is also free as there are a number of bursaries available, even NSFAS".

To connect with me, click here:

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PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

“Make everyday count”.

Nandisile Ntshangase is a Counselling Psychologist by profession, who did her MACounsPsych at Nelson Mandela University.

Nandisile was born and bred in Durban Inanda New town A, Kwazulu Natal, but currently residing in Gqebera, Eastern Cape where she runs her mental health and wellbeing assistance programs, which are also available online due to lockdown and can be accessible to anyone from anywhere.

You run mental and well-being programs, tell us how did that started and what inspired you to go for it? “It started beginning of October 2020, I guess lockdown showed me that be this being part of my career but I really have a personal passion about people's mental health and how they should create coping tools to help them become resilient when faced with hardships.

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This all occurred when I had found myself at my weakest point of dealing with the stressors of Covid impact and working closely with the health care front-line careworkers. Therefore, turning into food became my main source of comfort. In addition, I was alone, far away from home.

As result, I became more miserable.

Therefore, I gained a lot of weight. During lockdown I tasked myself to start learning a lot about good nutrition and physical wellbeing.

Fast-forward, as soon as the lockdown regulations were a bit relaxed, I then thought of creating a platform where I invite people (students/non-students), to be able to reconnect while I raise awareness on the importance of physical health and good nutrition, being able to further aid their mental health. At the moment I call this program, Physical & Mental Health Development Fam (PMDFam), although the name may change as time goes and depending on what inspires me further. Yes the creation of it was inspired by the impact of the Corona virus, but my wish is to still continue to grow with it during Covid and post Covid.

From your understanding, what are the benefits of making time for yourself as an individual and maybe share why it is important for one to take care of self? "As cliché as it sounds, solitude really is a gift because having time to yourself helps you introspect and evaluate your own thought and emotions and possible ways to go about assisting yourself where you need to. If you are unable to find solutions, it would be important to seek assistance through your social support system which can include a mental health-care worker. I strongly believe that nobody knows you better than you know yourself".

Lastly, what has been that one WOW moment, that made you realize the work you do has an impact in you and people you work with? “People showing up after I advertised the program with hesitant was one of those, also I was surprised that this is really a need to all different ages. That was my WOW moment, and also realizing that as people, we are not that difficult and rigid to open up to new things, all that we need is to believe in our ideas and capabilities.

To connect with me, click here:

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www.whatsappmag.co.za

FOOD BUSINESS

Head Over Meals - style and a few icons that I absolutely love, namely Siba Mtongana, Zola Nene and The Lazy Makoti. So when i started the business I wanted to share my love of food and give people a taste of my background

Thatohatsi Mokhahlane is originally from Johannesburg but currently resides in Port Elizabeth. She matriculated in 2015 at Stirling High School in East London and studied Development Studies at NMU in 2016. She dropped out of University in her second year due to a lot of factors and one of them being the lack of interest in what I was studying. My parents were of course disappointed but I always knew that my heart was in the Culinary Field. I have hopes of acquiring my culinary Challenges you have faced when you qualification one day. decided you are fully going to start your food business? "Firstly, it's very hard to start "The food business only started last year in anything without capital. So a lot of the goals I August but the passion has been there since had set required for me to have capital but that the age of 8. I've always been the helpful child still didn't stop me from achieving or working in the kitchen when we were growing up and towards those goals. I had the support of my through that I learnt a lot just from observing". family and friends every step of the way and I In terms of my cooking I draw a lot of just kept on telling myself that anything worth inspiration from my grandmother's cooking having doesn't come easy".

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"I also have a 9-5 job and in the beginning I was still trying to find my feet in terms of juggling the two . Those challenges have taught me great time management and learning to plan in advance to accommodate both entities".

Highlights of your cooking/food journey – like big cooking brands you have worked with together with big events you have ever catered for? If there are any. “I have yet to work with big cooking brands or partner up with my favorite local brands but I do hope that one day I get the opportunity to work with the likes of Tastic Rice SA and McCain. Some of my biggest events were last year where I catered for a 21 birthday and 2 Covid Funerals. This taught me how to work under pressure and also added to my skillset as a business owner and cater”.

Please share your favorite cooking brands and WHY those: “McCain has to definitely be one of my favorite brands. They have mastered the art of convenience in frozen foods from mixed vegetables to French fries and diced beetroot. Another amazing local brand is Jimmy’s Sauces.

They have a variety of sauces that I absolutely love and would recommend anyone to try”.

How can people hire your services – and what kind of events you cater for? “I cater for any kind of event you could possibly think of. Baby showers, Birthday parties, Graduation dinners, Funerals the list goes on. I'm still yet to cater for a wedding though and I've added that to my “To Do List” before 2021 ends!

For anyone wanting to hire me for my services, they can drop me an email or WhatsApp with the details of the event i.e. the number of people, the date of the event and I will create a menu that best suits the occasion and send them a quotation for my services and all ingredients. For big events that require thorough planning I prefer bookings weeks in advance to avoid any disappointments”.

Lastly, what’s your MOTTO? “YOUR DREAMS ARE VALID! Don’t ever let anyone talk you out of anything you believe in and love”.

To connect with me, click here:

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No Shame

ARTIST PROFILING

T ANYA IE AN YA HOU HO U LLIE

We had a moment with Tanya Houlie, a phenomenal musician from Gqeberha. Tanya went to Erica Girls primary school and St George’s College before she did her Journalism studies at NMU. We asked her what she has learned over the years about the music industry and this is what she said, “The music industry has taught me that success can be attributed through hard work, consistency and a percentage of luck”.

Please share when did you start doing music, and what inspired you to ever started doing music? “I started singing at the age of 8 years old and started taking piano lessons around the same age, however I only started to pursue music as a career in 2017. I was inspired by my passion for music and song writing. I recognized that God gave me a gift and I had to pursue it”.

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Your current released EP – tell us about it, its name, how was it received by your fans so far, who have you worked with, also should we expect a full album anytime soon? “My debut EP is called “No Shame” and I recorded it in 2019, then released it in 2020. The EP is a fusion of different sounds from Rhythm and Blues, Hip Hop to Afropop. So far it is being received very well from people all around the world, not just in South Africa which was a very pleasant surprise for me as a musician. The EP’s executive producer is Arno Steez, a musician from the Ivory Coast. In the EP I worked with a number of other producers including Thabang from Gqeberha, Lakei from Cape Town and Brandon from Jozi. In terms of the next release, I definitely am not planning to release an album any time soon- I want to release another EP or 2 first”.

Please share one of your favourite highlights this far in your music career and why that one? “My favourite highlight on my journey so far is being featured on the popular media platform “Slikour on life’ where Slikour played my music on his radio show called ‘On life radio’, as well as featured me on his series called “Hot on the streets” where I represented Gqeberha. I also had the opportunity to be interviewed by Slikour himself which was an amazing experience for me. Being acknowledged by Slikour and by a massive media and entertainment platform was a huge milestone for me and reaffirmed that I was on the right path”.

How has the pandemic affected your music career, and how did you keep sane during these lockdowns’ levels? “The pandemic came as an opportunity in disguise for me, though I really feel for the loss we experienced as a country especially the loss of jobs and the deaths, but yes it has assisted my music career because I had the opportunity to really sit down with my music and focus on my sound and eventually, I was able to release my EP in the middle of it all. So, to keep sane I constantly kept creating time to connect with God as much as possible. Prayer really helped and still helps me”.

So, when you are not doing music – what do you normally get up to? “When I’m not doing music I’m a freelance writer where I spend my days writing articles for blogs and websites”.

Lastly, what’s your MOTTO? “My motto is to let go and trust God and the process. Always pray and put your relationship with God first and you will be rewarded generously”.

You can listen to my EP here

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Connect with me here.

Book Recommendation

The Gentlemen Mama BY

ANASTACIA

MMANHLANENG

MOLOMO

Family and friends call her Kabelo, her full name is Anastacia Mmanhlaneng Molomo, a young black woman born in a deep rural area outside Turfloop called Ga Molepo, but currently she is residing in Roodepoort. Anastacia comes from a less privileged background, and that led her to not being able to further her studies after Grade 12. She had to get a job with the vision of changing her circumstances. In 2010 she started by working in a Ghanaian Café “frying chips”, then to retail stores, also went to the Insurance and Lending sector and finally resigned from corporate in September 2020 to focus on The Gentlemen Mama project.

Please share name of the book and why that TITLE - when did you commence with writing the book and what inspired you to go for it? “The Gentlemen Mama“ it’s a woman’s perspective on the role of men in the society”. I commenced with writing this book in December 2020 after The Gentlemen Mama concept was born in September 2020. After TGM concept was born I wanted a better way to take it out to society, that’s when I got a revelation that I need to start by writing a non-fiction book and having a motivation video (poem) that will present the concept to the society. The concept itself inspired me to go through it”.

Challenges you faced when you finally decided to implement the book concept? “First, I was unemployed and not having any source of income. I tried to reach out to several companies, but due to Covid-19 I never succeeded in getting a helping- hand, that is when I decided to use my savings, I had to fund the concept. Again, I went to several business leaders and shared my concept, expect those who liked it, there was those who never believed in the concept, however that never demotivated me because I had more encouragement and support from my family”.

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Part of the book concept:

Please share with us what is the book about? “I have written the book in response to questions asked by the men who are still working to find their way back into the open hearted, emotionally expressive selves they once were before they were told to silence their longings and close their hearts. The book is not a template on how men should live their lives. The book is a wholesome guide to life on the role men should play to foster a better society. In the book you will learn that healing the spirit, caring for the souls of boys and men; we must dare to proclaim our adoration, to bow down not to the male as dominator, but to the male as embodied divine spirit with whom we can unite in love, with no threat of separation, knowing a perfect love that is without fear”.

When not pushing and talking THE GENTLEMAN MAMA, what else do you do? “Anastacia Molomo is a wife and a mother of a 3-year-old boy. I am a sought after-speaker and human rights activist who thrives on motivating people to think differently about life and challenge traditional and patriarchal norms”.

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The Gentlemen Mama born from a young black woman who is a firm believer in the fact that healing the world starts with healing the man. In a nutshell, our mission is to transform the broken man into a gentleman and to bring and maintain a positive impact in his life. We seek to achieve this by firstly, positioning ourselves as a support structure for men and secondly, providing and implementing unique strategies that can potentially reduce and eliminate gender-based violence.

Additionally, we want to encourage young boys and men to open up more and to hold hands and form a brotherhood that will not only promote male bonding but also build and strengthen family ties and relationships between fathers and their children. Furthermore, our goal is to educate boys and men on the importance of good decisionmaking practices.

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