Author page: Lulama M

After loss, betrayal and motherhood, Rethabile Khumalo finds clarity in grief and rediscovers the voice she once knew — and the future she now wants to build. 

There is a version of Rethabile Khumalo the public remembers — the young woman whose powerful voice introduced her to the country, whose songs became the soundtrack to celebrations, whose star seemed destined to keep rising. But the woman who sits across from me today feels different. Not because success has changed her, but because life has.

When Skyla Tylaa arrived in South Africa recently for a week-long studio camp, there was little time for sightseeing. Because music, for the London-born DJ and artist, was the order of business.

From humble beginnings and personal trials to a celebrated career, the award-winning singer reflects on legacy, healing and why he refuses to stop singing. 

Vusi Nova is a towering figure in the South African entertainment industry. With a career spanning more than 15 years, the singer has collected a myriad of accolades, including prestigious South African Music Awards and Metro FM Music Awards, among others. His soulful voice and emotionally charged storytelling have earned him a loyal fanbase and cemented his place as one of the country’s most beloved musicians.

From embracing her Sesotho identity in an industry that often favoured other languages to navigating rejection, uncertainty and personal growth, Didie Makobane has built a career rooted in authenticity, purpose and an unwavering belief in who she is.

For more than 15 years in South African entertainment, actress Moliehi Makobane — known as Didie — has built her career on one quiet decision: to remain firmly rooted in who she is.

From a 11-year-old SA’s Got Talent winner to a storyteller shaping a generation, Botlhale Boikanyo reflects on purpose, poetry and why her greatest success lies in creating space for others to rise.

Fourteen years ago, a wide-eyed, confident 11-year-old girl from Mahikeng stepped onto the stage of SA’s Got Talent and did something no one had seen before. Armed only with her words and a belief bigger than her small frame—far bigger than her years—Botlhale Boikanyo became the first poet to win the reality show in its third season.

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.