Author page: Lulama M

At age 40, the multi-hyphenated star shares that her journey into music is not a reinvention, but a return — to her voice, her truth and reclaiming who she’s always been.

At 40, Relebogile Mabotja is not slowing down — she is opening up.

Not in the way the world often expects of women who have already “made it,” but in a way that feels deeply personal. With the release of her music project, Still Me, she has stepped into a space that has always been hers, but one she is only now ready to share fully.

The newly crowned queen opens up about authenticity, quiet confidence and her
mission to expand access to meaningful education.

My first interaction with Qhawekazi Mazaleni, I quickly realise the title is only one part of her
story. Warm, thoughtful and refreshingly honest, the 2025 Miss South Africa winner carries her
name — which means a bold and brave woman — with a quiet kind of wit.
But she admits it wasn’t always that way.

After a retrenchment forced her into stillness, the 34-year-old creative is surrendering, rebuilding and preparing to launch a locally ownedTV channel — this time, from a place of quiet power.

“I’m incredibly delusional.”

Ayanda Mhlongo says it with a laugh, but she means it. Not delusional in the reckless sense — but in the brave, childlike way that allows you to believe you can run a television channel long before anyone hands you one.

How patience, deep conversation, and self-work turned a crush into a marriage that heals

Never in Lungo’s wildest dreams did she imagine that her onscreen crush would one day become her husband. And never in ShabZi’s boldest hopes did he imagine marrying the very woman who would heal his heart and make a better man out of him.

Her latest offering reflects a woman fully in bloom — balancing music, entrepreneurship, and the joy of giving back.

For Lwah Ndlunkulu, making music isn’t just about sound — it’s about soul. Each note she sings opens a world that heals her first before extending that same light to others. Her music carries warmth, honesty, and a spiritual ease — the kind that feels less like performance and more like prayer.

After walking through unimaginable loss, rapper and businesswoman Nadia Nakai opens up about grief, faith and rediscovering joy — one day at a time.

For Nadia Nakai, choosing to live again was not an overnight decision. It was a gradual, grace-filled process — one that required surrender, honesty and courage. After losing her partner, rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, the world saw her heartbreak play out in real time. But what many didn’t see was her quiet battle to keep going, to find God again, and to give herself permission to heal.

Through loss, faith and reflection, Langa Mavuso returns to the truest version of himself — one rooted in family, love and acceptance.

Langa Mavuso speaks of love with the gentleness of someone who has truly known it — in all its forms, from the kind that raised him to the kind that broke and rebuilt him. “My grandparents’ love really shaped my early idea of what it means to be loved,” he reflects softly. “It was warmth and acceptance — never trying to make you anything but yourself.”

Using acting to help others feel seen is something actress Kealeboga Masango admits she desperately needed herself while growing up — especially during her high school years when she faced immense bullying.