FILM, FINANCES & BOOKS

Film Director

Siya Sityana CREATIVE XHOSA CHILD

Often we see full productions and hardly question who is behind these staggering productions on our screens. This month we are bringing you a remarkable film director by the name of Siyasanga Bongani Sityana, who is known as "Siya Sityana" and many call him "Director S". The gentleman was born and bred in Port Elizabeth, currently known as Gqeberha – also grew up in Gqeberha for a while but mostly spent his time in a small town called Peddie, in the Eastern Cape.

"I graduated In Film and Television, majored in Script writing and directing at Cape Town International Film School 2004. Currently, due to the nature of my work and bookings I am floating between Johannesburg and Cape Town as far as residence is concerned", he said.

When did you start with Filming/Directing and what inspired you to go for it? “I started working on film sets right after my graduation in 2005. I started off as a PRODUCTION PA then as SET PA, two years later I progressed into Assistant Director for international and local directors. Three years from there I started directing full-time for Local Films, TV Series and TV Commercials. My inspiration for visual storytelling comes from the blood, I am a grandson to one of the greatest Xhosa Novelists (AMS SITYANA) whose books are all over our universities. I read some of his books and listened to some of his radio dramas, from there I knew I wanted to tell stories but visual stories. That passion and gift is what led me to where I am to date”.

Since inception with your filming/directing career – which is that one production would you say it’s your favorite or close to your heart and why? “The one production that's a highlight of my career is called "Hostage", a local movie I directed for eTV as my first movie on TV. Although it's hard to choose just one out of the many productions I've done, a second one would be "OUR DREAM" a public announcement campaign advert for the "46664" Nelson Mandela concert. To me these are major productions of my humble beginnings and rubberstamps that a farm boy like me can do anything and only the sky is the limit”.

You once directed Denzel Washington - please share how was it to be part of that production: “Working with Denzel Washington was an honour given his stature. I was an assistant director on the production which was a major American block buster "Safe House". Having to speak to him and other A-Listers' infants on camera was epic for me, I had such a euphoria”.

Most people surely know some of the productions you worked on but do not know you were part of those – please mention three that you think people may know and which production are you currently involved in? “The latest is the Castle Lager TV commercial, Stokvel on SABC 2, Interrogation Room SABC 1, Uthenjiwe Uyatshata on Mzansi Magic and "BLACK" Music Video with THE DREAM American rapper”.

There’s young people out there who would like to follow on your footsteps – what can you advise them? “Wanna be in film and television in any of the department? Just know it's a tough industry, working long hours sometimes on weekends, and holidays. But to those who specifically want to be directors and writers like myself. It all starts with passion, vision, skill then the ability. if you have the above then you are king to the throne. remember school doesn't teach talent, they polish it. it needs to be within you. In my view filmmaking is a form of expression”.

Simphiwe Sibisi Founder of Desirableink.sa

Simphiwe Sibisi, founder and management member of Desirableink.sa, a platform created in order to uplift upcoming creatives, creatives that come in a form of photography, videography, modeling, artist management. Simphiwe was born and raised in a township where he never met a positive role model or healthy adult until he became one himself and consciously questioned himself if this is a cycle he wanted to participate in. Having the privilege of being a Logistics Management undergraduate student at University of Johannesburg inspired him to establish a side hustle / grind culture as a Photographer in the midst of a global pandemic while his hood is suffering from not having access to information.

Putting the effort to change the environment, life or whatever the case may be is one of the reasons Desirableink.sa was born, born with ideas that are powerful enough to create jobs. We've never been this thrilled to announce the possibilities of designing our lives in a way that is very real , specific ,intentional and fixated on what we've declared on set as a collective. The team would be incomplete without Prince Khumalo(Creative director), Thato Molepo( PR and Marketing director) and Lunga Tshabalala(Model/Influencer), equally responsible for coming up with productive strategies because team work makes the dream work.

What inspired you to start Desirableink.sa? "I knew our brand was something special as soon as I experienced wisdom and leadership from my childhood friends, and I was more inspired to be associated with them which has now helped lead our entire brand to nurture amazing local talent and we're happy with the response, and hope we utilize resources to help struggling artists with progressive views, including the community in general. Bigger doors are opening and attracting influencers and artists that will change our status for the better with 5 artists and 5 models signed and managed independently by Desirableink.sa. Artists Namely: Tshidiso(Kul-T), Phinda(Gary_Wilson), Qingqile(Qithegong), Models Namely: Gontse Mofokeng, Lesego Mofokeng, Thando Maphanga, Kelebogile Mabiletsa, Kelebogile Malebo and Sihle Tshabalala(Videographer). When one of our artists gets recognition .Nothing beats that level of affirmation and to see that our services care enough to make it happen. Our brand invites artists that embody compassion , femininity, playfulness, loudly expressiveness, resilience ,purpose and never stop to re-imagine our artist's lives because it's time to exchange our trauma response for our own free will". "The main objective as an entity is to uplift upcoming creatives. Therefore, nothing will bring joy to the organization than seeing our Artists having been recognized, impacting in the industry at large and being independent. Other than that, being a stable Agency where we have our own recording studio, equipment, having a stable industry market share is our goal.

I experienced wisdom and leadership from my childhood friends.

Tax & Investments

By Karabo Rantho

As soon as you become an investor, there is something that you cannot ignore: tax. Dreaded as it is, let us talk about how to soften the blow of tax on your investments. There are four main kinds of taxes that are applicable to your investments:

Capital gains tax – this is tax on the money you gain when you sell an investment at higher price than you bought it. Interest tax - this is tax on the income you get from cash and bonds. Dividends withholding tax – 20% of dividends are withheld as tax and rest is the dividends paid out to you. Income tax – if you get dividends from a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), the dividends are taxed as income (and therefore added to your total income).

Of course, it is natural to wonder if there is a way to reduce the effect of tax on your investments. The good news is, there are a few.

First, we have a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). Although it is called a savings account, it is actually an investment account (I know right). For these investments, there is ZERO tax. The icing on the cake here is the fact that there are no penalties for withdrawal. As good as it sounds though, a TFSA has certain conditions: the limit to the amount of money you may invest in a TFSA is capped at R36000 per year and R500 000 per lifetime. And although withdrawing is not penalized, I would discourage you from withdrawing because that reduces your lifetime limit.

Secondly, there are retirement funds. When you invest into a retirement annuity, the amount of tax that you pay overall is reduced and the returns earned on the annuity are tax free up to a limit. The disadvantage (or advantage) with such an investment is that you can only access it after the age of 55 unless you decide to emigrate or fall permanently disabled before reaching 55.

Lastly, is an endowment. An endowment is an investment plan where you can invest your money for a minimum of 5 years. Endowments are best for when your marginal tax rate is greater than 30%, because your investments will be taxed at a total of 30% while within the endowment. At maturity, the money you get will not be taxed.

Investing does not always mean you have to pay ridiculous amount of money, finding smart ways to invest helps you save more.

B r o u g h t t o b y :

Simamkele Socishe

Fashion Explosion NMB

Who is Sima - give us your background? “I am a 22 year old born and breed in Gqeberha. A very motivated and peace loving individual. Extremely laid back young lady that enjoys serving others in whatever way possible. A law student in the Nelson Mandela University, and also Miss Port Elizabeth 2021 2nd Princess amongst other things”.

When did you decide you want to do modeling? “I cannot pin point the exact moment and time when I said modeling would be my thing as I never really wanted to do it. I just 'fell' into it around 2017, as a means to help me come out of my shell, overcome social anxiety and low self-esteem challenges. I figured, if I threw myself into the deep end and do the very thing I dread I'd be forced to learn how to swim then overcome all that was holding me back”.

What are the highlights of your modeling journey? “One of the highlights of my modeling journey so far is being featured in the Sensational Magazine and coming 2nd in a hair competition, in which I modeled for Looney Hair . Sensational is a hair fibre manufacturing company in S.A. & sells hair pieces and fibres from the Expression brand. Also taking part in Miss PE 2021 and took the second princess crown”.

What inspires you? “My dreams inspire me. The deep desire within self to be better to self and offer better to others inspires me. I believe that we all have a unique purpose and that nobody is ever on planet earth to just occupy space. I believe there's more to life then what we see or know and my curiosity to find out what that more is, is what inspires me. The pursuit of more, of greater. The word of God inspires me, more especially the things God says in Ephesians 3:20. They are telling me that there's more and I will not stop not quit without discovering those things that my mind can't even think of due to its limitations”.

Being in the EC, does it have a negative or positive impact in your modeling career? “I'd say it positively impacts my modeling career, granted yes there are way more opportunities in other cities but right now my main focus is getting my law degree and modeling is a side hustle. With that being said, I don't mind the 'little' or very few gigs I get here in the Bay as they help me manage my school work well and I believe in not despising your humble beginnings”.

Given an opportunity to travel, what places would you like to visit? “Paris , Tokyo, California and Germany. I'd love to tour Africa, in its entirety one day however if I had to choose just a few I'd choose those 4 places mainly because of the work I'm interested in right now. Places like Paris has many talented designers, and hosts great fashion shows”.

You can follow me by clicking on the social icons on the right.

Unemployment made me re-evaluate my life.

Ingrid Arlington - the author of this month book recommendation, was born in South Africa but raised in both Zimbabwe and South Africa for different periods in her life. She is currently living in the UK and has been there for 4 years with her husband, father-in-law and two dogs. She currently has Diploma’s in Coaching and Information Technology – Programming and Certificates in Project Management and Systems Engineering.

We asked her to share the name of her book and what inspired her to write this memoir and this is what she said, “The name of the book is Kinky Roots: A Memoir. The title came to me while I was writing a chapter called Identity (don’t worry, no spoilers). The title describes not only the relationship between my hair and who I am but also how hair can form part of our identity as a person. Kinky Roots was the beginning of a BIG change for me. I started writing it 4 years ago, a few months into living in the UK when I came face to face with the realities and challenges of immigrating to a new country. What inspired it was a television show but more on that in the book”.

To decide what to write and what not to write.

Book available at: Book shelf sale Bookstore and Lotus Bookstore OR Click here.

What kind of challenges you faced when you started writing it and prior publishing – was it easy to fund it? “Initially the challenge was deciding what to write but more importantly, what not to write. There were internal struggles around what my family and people close to me would think about me telling the truth of my story and journey. There were fears of judgment and shaming. Revisiting painful and emotional events to be able to narrate them in the book was particularly difficult because it was like experiencing everything all over again. But this was all part of the process and necessary to bring you the book today and the closure that I needed. I used my own resources to write and fund the book. I can’t say that it was easy, but it certainly required some sacrifice”.

Please share with us what the book is about? "Kinky Roots is very much a memoir on growth, healing, and the ruminations of growing up in Southern Africa and moving to the UK. It is an uplifting, poignant and reflective journey alongside the author. From a tumultuous upbringing in Zimbabwe, where violence and sexual assault was rife – to Ingrid meeting her husband in South Africa before starting an arduous new life in the UK. It’s a story that explores how identity, excuses, religion, relationships, selfworth, and family heritage all ultimately lay life’s crazy pathway.

When not pushing and talking KINKY ROOTS, what else do you do? “I am a Cybersecurity Consultant by day. I work with businesses to improve their Cybersecurity posture and ensure that their IT infrastructure is as secure as possible. If I am not working, I am writing or looking after my two little dogs”.

You can always follow me and my work by clicking on the social icons on the right.

DJ Sour

T h e I n v a d e r

We had a chat with Thabiso Mohale, known as DJ Sour. The upcoming DJ resides in Soweto Orlando West (Mzimhlope), and that’s where he grew up. Before we engaged about his music journey we were keen to hear if he was’nt in the music busness what field would he have been interested in, and this is what he said, “If I wasn't in the music business I would have became an IT Technician because I believe that I am very good when it comes to repairing electronics and solving problems”.

Inspired by the late DJ Zuluboy who used to rent a room by his grandparents’ house at Dube village Soweto in the late 90’s. As a young township boy who loved music, he spent most of his days with the late DJ Zulu boy accompanied him to gigs, events, radio stations and festivals. Having to carry heavy equipment such as speakers, turntables, vinyl’s etc. The friendship between the two did not last due to the passing of DJ Zulu Boy. Against all that did not stop DJ Sour from following his passion for music.

In the year 2000 he met another famous township DJ known as DJ Hloks who also lived at Dube village. They both teamed up where by DJ Sour was also helping with carrying speakers, turntables and vinyl’s but this time around things became way different because DJ Sour was introduced to playing at gigs such as weddings, stokvel’s and kids parties. They both parted ways because DJ Hloks relocated, and DJ Sour moved to stay with his father at Orlando West Mzimhlophe.

Tell us about the music released you have released, and who have you worked with? “So far I released 2 hit singles, which I worked with YurimcmillionDj and that is Ngaphakathi and Phelil'imali, both these singles are available on all digital platforms. We’re soon going to release another hit single that we featured Leehleza on a song named “Passion”, most people will remember Leehleza on that hit track he did with Kabza De Small “Umshove”. Also YuriMcmilionDJ and I will be releasing 1st debut album named Alfa Vol 1 later this year”.

Click on the songs and listen:

1.

Ngaphakathi 2. Phelil'iMali

Your highlights thus far? "My biggest highlight this far is having to release music that I have produced and also having an opportunity to show case my DJ talent live on radio on stations such as Ligwalagwala FM, Lesedi Fm, TruFM, Jozi FM, 5FM. Another highlight thus far is having these 2 of my hit singles getting radio airplay”.

How has the pandemic impacted your journey as a DJ?“The pandemic really closed off many doors since I had a Europe tour planned for this year, and also most of the bookings I had got postponed”.

Lastly, where do you see yourself and your music career in 5 years time? “In 5 years time I see myself being one of the biggest Dj's both nationally and globally. also as a music and entertainment lover I would love to own a whole radio station. And that will help me to give other upcomings like I am now a platform to have their music played”.

1. Lush By The Way Ft C Bryan - Waya Waya

2. Bravo Le Roux Ft Yanga - Amandla

3. DJ Sour - Ngaphakathi

4. Siya Manyathi- 6205

5. Stone Sisters - Unbreakable

6. Roger Soulstar - I.ove is

7. Ndlovu Youth Choir - We Will Rise

8. DJ T.S.U - Ndilungise

9. Zama Afrika - Saph'uThando

10. Elliker Buzani - King Of Gwij