Exclusive times magazine

EXCLUSIVE TIMES MARCH 2022, ISSUE 5

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY TIPS A GENTLE MENTAL HEALTH REMINDER UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

FOLLOWING PASSION AS ANTONY MAKATU

CONTENTS

3

EDITOR’S NOTE

4

COVER STORY

9

UP-CLOSE

13

HOTSPOTS

15

BUSINESS PROFILES

17

STYLE

19

CHEF RECIPES

21

WELLNESS CORNER

23

ENTERTAINMENT

Editor's Note A Gentle Reminder In these past two months a series of events have happened that have triggered emotions that we had buried deep within us with no intention of opening up the can of worms. It is truly a tough time for most of us, we're continuously battling with thoughts that haunt us, we're torn between leaving our toxic jobs and remembering that you're all that your family has. With all the miseries that life is putting you through, I think that it is only fair and a self-care treatment to take some time out; time out from that friendship, relationship or job. Although some may argue that it is easier said than done, it is a necessary measure; hopefully one that we can all get to confidently experience. ‎ s I'm writing this letter to our loyal readers, my A mind is racing through all the times I wish I had stood up for myself and what matters to me; I wish I had a voice that was loud enough to ensure that my thoughts made it across the room and most importantly, I wish I was a little kinder to myself, my mind and my heart.

However, I am most grateful for the support system I have around me; my close friends and family have played an unforgettable part in my life in helping me realise the good things about myself, especially in moments where I'm seemingly blinded by the seasonal cloud of selfdoubt, insecurity, anxiety and fear.

In this issue, we pay homage to the little things that matter to us, ones that make us feel good about ourselves and we share some great psychological tips to help keep your mental health in check. I would love to encourage our readers, friends and families to check on their loved ones; a little glimmer of hope can go a long way for someone who is on the verge of giving up.

A gentle reminder, take it easy and like Nikki DeLoach always says, "Finally, be kind to yourself and have a good support system."

Love and light from your editor, Rea.

Reabetswe Malata EDITOR IN CHIEF

Find the Glimmer of Light in the Darkness Meet Antony Makatu, A Many Of Many Talents & A Voice Worth Listening To -By Thabang Rammutla

VOICE OF THE VOICE LESS Living the life you want means making big changes in some parts of your life, your job, your relationship or your location.

Change seems like a good idea in theory, but in practice, it’s not always so obvious. You can open your own Pandora’s Box by changing your life.

DEFYING THE ODDS It was a brave move for Antony Makatu, popularly known by his fans as Tony Mactony.

Antony is today a radio presenter, an artist, and an event planner. He was born and bred in a Venda township called Makwarela just outside Thohoyandou. Antony did not grow up under difficult circumstances, his parents tried their best to make his upbringing as comfortable as possible.

However, Antony was compelled by his parents and community of what defined success and that made his dreams seem uncomfortable to follow. Coming from a Christian family that spent every Sunday in Church made Antony’s dreams louder than a baby’s cry to ignore. “I used to go to church every Sunday and that’s where I saw that music is not just consumed through radio but can also be performed live,” he said.

ANTONY’S TRANSFORMATION His developed passion for music was amplified by a soul buddy group that was formed by his schoolmates. “The soul buddy’s group was a platform where we were able to show off our talents and help other learners to also show off their talents,” Antony explained. During that time he discovered that he also had a talent for songwriting, however, he did not have the voice to sing his written songs until he was introduced to Hip Hop music.

“I became popular when I was doing Grade 8 because I started making songs and I was performing them at school shows and around my township,” he says. His popularity bubble was bust by his parents when he was reminded that he needed to focus more on School so that he can get a better job in the future. Antony obeyed his parent’s wishes for him and focused on school but he did not know what he wanted to do after completing school.

“THIS IS REAL LIFE, WE’RE NOT ACTING”

SUPPRESSED GROWTH After completing high school Antony found himself studying Chemical Engineering because he felt that’s what he had to study since he did Maths and Science in high school. “I did not even understand Chemical engineering myself, I thought I would find myself in a Laboratory wearing a long white coat but I found myself in a completely different environment,” he explains.

That was a turning point for Antony because he was not happy with his Engineering job. He unleashed Tony Mactony in him and gave up everything for the very same thing his parents did not want him to do, music.

THE TURNING POINT When he decided to leave his job, Antony was not completely ready, at least not financially. But, after Nine months of him doing what he did not love from 9 to 5, Antony finally said to himself, ‘Just quit. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.’ “Doing things that makes you feel miserable delays your dreams, you can’t even sacrifice a little time because your energy is contaminated by things that make you sad daily,” Antony says.

He did the noble thing by sitting down with his parents and explaining to them that he was not happy at his job. Antony was not asking for permission to follow his passion for music, he was letting them know.

“I told my parents that the time has arrived for me to follow my passion for music and obviously they were not happy. They started calling me names like ‘good for nothing boy’ who wants to live on the streets and party all his life out instead of making money,” he says.

THE BIGGER PICTURE What Antony’s parents failed to understand during that time was that he did not want to work for the money but he wanted the money to do the work for him. Nonetheless, Antony had another bombshell for his parents. He felt like being in Venda was holding him back because back home he did not have anybody he can look up to. He wanted to expand his brand outside of Venda so much that the only choice he had was to relocate to Gauteng. “The moment I left Venda, my mother was not happy, my grandmother was not happy and father was also not happy but I was happy. When I arrived in Gauteng, I did not have any family member or a friend who could accommodate me. I was on my own here,” he said boldly. While on his quest Antony was joined by his brother, Confort Muthar who believed in his dream and called him a visionary which gave Tony Mactony the momentum to climb his Mountain.

THE BREAKTHROUGH In 2019 Antony surprised everyone in his circle and back home in Venda when he made a song with Ngud hit maker, Kwesta. “Kwesta is a well-known artist internationally and I am just a guy from Venda but then through my hard work I managed to work with Kwesta, and I was the first artist from Venda to work with him,” he said with pride.

After Antony’s glory to work with Kwesta, he saw a light at the end of his miserable tunnel when he suddenly gained respect and support from his family and everybody else who knew him. At that moment he knew that there are people who looked up to him and he needed leverage to stay relevant and in touch with his followers.

ANTONY’S RADIO CAREER To further advance his brand Antony decided to leverage radio when he was offered an opportunity to become a radio presenter at VMC Planet Radio. His hunger to leverage the industry made him hit two birds with one stone. “VMC is not just a radio station, it’s also a media academy and I saw an opportunity there that if I go work for VMC that means I can also study media there,” he said.

VMC Planet Radio opened greener pastures for Antony because he was noticed by the right people and therefore he was able to upgrade from there. He was offered an opportunity in Pretoria by Pheli FM and Commuter FM in the West as a presenter. He then took another step to further leverage the industry by joining a casting agency. “I started to appear on TV and people I left from engineering back home can now see that my sacrifices are paying off. By then I was on TV, on radio and there were articles written about me, and added hope to people who believed in me.” He said.

More people recognized Antony and he was in high demand.

He got an offer from Johannesburg-based radio station, Hot FM. It was a big deal for Antony because he was going to be the second black South African broadcaster to ever-present on Hot FM. Unfortunately, he was not happy with the slot they offered him, he had to decline the offer.

After an unsuccessful radio gig with Hot FM Antony decided to redirect his energy back to music and work on his debut album, a move that left his fans pleased after he announced on Social Media. Antony believes he spent a lot of time uplifting other people before himself through his record label (LaFame Records) he co-owns with Confort Muthar. He is a firm believer in helping people around him succeed. “We have helped a lot of artists from Venda to be where they are today. In this industry I believe it’s about growing your circle so that the person you helped today can help you tomorrow,” he says.

ANTONY’S MESSAGE TO HIS FOLLOWERS In conclusion, Antony wants his supporters and people who look up to him to understand that they can achieve anything they want in life. He urges them to follow their passion and do what they love not what they are compelled to do to survive. “People must always work hard to polish their talents so that they can monetize them. It is important to put in the effort and hours to nourish your talent in this industry. Don’t be like those people who always want to depend because you not going to make it, don’t think you can make it through Tony Mactony but work hard until Tony Mactony recognizes you.” He concluded.

Making Television Onscreen and Offscreen Zinhle Dube Avela Maqwati is originally from Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape. She was raised by her grandparents and later moved to Johannesburg to live with her mother when she was 11 years old, however due to her mother’s busy work schedule she had to move to Durban. She holds a Diploma in Creative Arts which she obtained in 2011. Shortly after completing her studies and graduating, she moved back to Johannesburg in 2012.

When she moved back to Johannesburg she got herself an agent and started working on a few TV sets doing work as an extra; this was all in her quest of trying to gain experience and learn as much as she could about the television industry. Avela emphasised that she didn’t want to just act, she also wanted to learn how everything works behind the scenes, so she applied for production work and started working behind the scenes doing research and being a camera assistant operator.

The 31-year-old worked with director Andile Bua on The Voice in 2011, and Furnance of Love.

She also worked as an extra for SABC shows like Tempy Pushers, Room 9, and High Rollers.

In 2014 she was a camera assistant for Teddy Bear Pictures. In 2019 she did an advert for Flying Fish.

She also presented a SABC 3 Talk show called Dare To Change in 2021.

Amongst all the characters she portrayed, her favorite was playing a stripper on the Tempy Pushers in 2013 because it was challenging and she learnt a lot from it.

Her biggest career goal is to see herself starring in a Mandla N Production and working with him as her director. Her role models are strong, inspiring, and hardworking women, Viola Davis, Pamela Nomvete, Brenda Ngxoli, and Kerry Washington.

“I am an artist at heart and being an artist comes with challenges but I believe in my art and I accept every challenge my chosen field comes with” She is inspired by her late grandparents and goes on to say, “they were such strong hardworking individuals, they taught me so much about patience resilience and strength, they pushed me to always work and fight for what I want. I work hard to make them proud”.

Avela says what she enjoys about her work is portraying a character and developing it; turning it into something amazing, learning about the character, and emerging herself to become one with the character. She says “watching people fall in love or hate the character shows how powerful and artistic you are as an actor and it's an amazing feeling”.

Avela mentions that the main key to surviving the industry is perseverance and thick skin because it’s a tough and very cruel one, “you will be told ‘no’ so many times. You will feel like giving up but you have to push past the hurt and disappointment and keep hustling hard, not all doors will close on you so patience is very important”.

Avela is currently running her own mobile massage company LTM Beauty Therapy to sustain her while she continues to chase her dreams and pursues her art.

JAY NKOSI WINE (JNW WINE SA) MATODZI MABELANE

”THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ABOUT WINE IS IN THE DRINKING.” A keen interest in wine, combined with an independent spirit, is what propelled KwaMashuborn entrepreneur, Jay Nkosi to a path that birthed a flourishing wine brand called JNW (Jay Nkosi Wines).

Founded in February this year, JNW’s selection of wines is a reflection of a constantly growing world of the winery industry. With exquisite red and white wines sourced from the best vineyards in South Africa, each bottle carries Nkosi’s seal of approval. Their main objective is producing distinctive wines with quality, consistency and longevity through prospective attention to detail.

Nkosi cites his mentor (who owns a wine company in the Western Cape) as his greatest motivator. He says that the mentor believed in his abilities and saw his passion for the wine business, therefore encouraging him to use his knowledge and drive; and having been a part of the wine scene for almost seven years, Nkosi fully understood what the industry was all about.

However, having years of experience and understanding the industry did not guarantee smooth sailing. The passionate business owner says his roughest patch was winning clients over, especially in an industry with a plethora of already existing brands.

Overcoming this hurdle was accomplished through working with what Nkosi believes is the best marketing team.

Today, JNW enjoys a great client base and has been a part of a number of wine tasting events, which have made the brand very popular amongst wine lovers. Furthermore, the business now has two managers and six other employees and each member of the team is professionally trained, educated and is an enthusiastic wine taster or drinker.

Asked to give one word to describe owning his own business, Nkosi says “That word would have to be LIBERATING”, and adds that with great freedom comes responsibilities because there is no one to hide behind when things go pear-shaped. For this reason, he spends a lot of his time visiting vineyards and also developing long relationships with his suppliers while sourcing new talent and exciting products for his brand.

Mentioning Bonang Matheba’s recent move in launching her very own champagne brand, House of BNG, Nkosi says that he couldn’t be more proud and is very happy to see a black woman owning her own brand. “I don’t do competition, I build. I believe that as entrepreneurs, we are here to create jobs not competition,” he says.

Nkosi is currently working on redesigning the New JNW work premises in Polokwane, Limpopo, which he says will look a lot smarter. With the imminent growth of the brand, he is looking to grow his team and also operate business in the Gauteng Province, whilst ensuring that all South African outlets have JNW in stock.

“I see my brand being enjoyed by the likes of Floyd Maywhether and JayZ,” he laughs.

To order a bottle of JNW, send an email to: orders@jnwines.co.za or call 087 510 5162 WhatsaApp +27 60 600 0922. They deliver countrywide! You can also Follow them on Facebook: JNW Wine SA

HOTSPOTS: CARNELIAN AT THE ROCK

BY ZINHLE DUBE Sophisticated, relaxing, and fashionably well appointed luxurious restaurant. It is a well stacked and beautifully crafted see-through glass wine cellar.

The large interior features plush couches, small tables and a sweeping marble bar that together encourage sharing and socialising – something that’s at the heart of the tapas concept.

The Carnelian offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Indoors you can schmeltz into the chic lounge area for intimate socializing. Comfy couches are scattered with cozy cushions and are an ideal setting for a birthday party, kitchen tea or any other special occasion. The outdoor area boasts a large smoking deck. This is a perfect spot to catch up with friends, chill out and relax.

The Carnelian is a popular eating style internationally, especially in southern Europe – and the owner wanted to create something very special in that niche in South Africa.The hotspot is loved for it’s fun, romantic, and tasteful atmosphere.

Popular meals Some notable dishes include tempura fried green beans served with a sesame, ginger and soy dressing, and they servesmoked salmon cakes with homemade tartare, crispy capers and salmon skin crisps.

Roasted pork belly served on vegetable kimchi with pork crackling and pak choi, and theyserve a milk-tart-filled fatcake (vetkoek) with burnt orange and cinnamon syrup.

The drinks Their cocktails are designed by their legendary bar team, but the one that is lived by most is the French 75, a mix of premium gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and sparkling wine.The cocktails are mixed by awardwinning mixologist George Hunter, owner of Copper Monkey and a co-owner of Anvil Ice, and Cameron Henning, who together with George, won the Absolut Team Edition 2018 bartending championships.

William Nicol Dr & Leslie Ave, Magaliessig, Sandton, 2191, South Africa

ONE’S DESTINATION IS NEVER A PLACE, BUT A NEW WAY OF SEEING THINGS.

THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

MEET BLACK THE ARTIST

By Thabang Rammutla Photographs by Thabang Rammutla The contemporary Johannesburg art scene features dynamic artists who interpret and capture socioeconomic realities, political agendas, rich traditions, and diverse beauty. Culture Trip curates both leading and emerging artists who continue to influence the development of contemporary Johannesburg art.

In Maboneng Precinct, downtown Johannesburg there is a young talented man who gained his street cred through his heart-melting paintings. 24 years old Mabutho Moyo from Zimbabwe, is an established artist whose paintings reflect his emotions and social events.

Mabutho who is popularly known as Black the Artist demonstrates his painting skills on the city walls for the passer-by to enjoy the view and also on canvas for his clients. “I do most paintings on the canvas and I sketch. I get inspired by other street artists around and when I paint on canvas I get inspired by Michelangelo and Raphael,” he said.

Mabutho developed a heart of an artist at the tender age of 12 when he used to draw and sketch for fun.

Four years ago, he realized the sacredness of his gift and started taking it seriously by using it to survive as a source of income because he wanted to do what he loved for a living. “I was inspired by a passion to live by my gift, I did not choose to do it full time for the money but it is because of my love for art,” Mabutho said with pride.

However, Mabutho believes anybody can learn his craft as long as they put in the effort and time. “Everyone can draw but it needs practice and time which requires love and passion for the art,” he thinks.

While a lot of artists have a certain agenda through their work by uniquely using different approach and colours, Mabutho expresses love, dreams, and vision through his craft. When he paints the walls people come to him and ask questions, and he sometimes gets gigs in the process by simply demonstrating love and unity in his art.

His paintings are ranging from R800 which is the cheapest to R4500 and his clients rich or poor, do not complain because they value his work. Mabutho is looking forward to having a shop and selling his paintings in Rose Bank because he feels it will be a smart business move for him and his partner David Kgalaeng.

David is a banker by profession and an aspiring painter under the mentorship of Mabutho. He is all about inspiring the people of Maboneng through his work with Mabutho. “I always come here to learn from Mabutho and other guys that are always here. I mainly handle the administrative process for them and ensure they get the exposure they deserve for their work,” he said.

David thinks art is a language that everyone relates to and different arts might portray different messages for different people. “At that point of time when I look at his work and his character as a person, I look at the two and I’m like ‘is he actually linking what he wants to bring out or a part of himself” whether on a canvas or a piece of paper, therefore it’s more of the emotional aspect of things, it’s more the message he wants to preach, and it’s more the talent that he wants everyone to see,” David said.

David further expresses the level of versatility that his mentor has and he thinks his work is so broad that when you look at it you cannot really specify to him that this is the kind of artist he is. “I came here at some point and I draw a Beetle, and he was like ‘so you only draw what you love?’ and a couple of weeks later I came here, he had three cars on the wall. So that shows I get something from him and he also gets something from me too,” David concluded

KEEP IT SIMPLE Reabetswe Malata

In juggling one's day-to-day activities, it can sometimes be a hassle to put in effort on how you look. However model and fashion enthusiast, Ronewa Ramulifho believes in keeping it simple and gives us a few tips on how she goes on to choose her daily outfits.

As an authentic individual, Ronewa shared that she believes that the clothes she wears are are an extension of who she is and one would definitely agree that the sentiment she lives by is an epitome of self-awareness and ultimately the comfortability that comes with being your true self.

The questions that one should ask before wearing a specific outfit, are as follows?

1. "Does this outfit feel comfortable or will I constantly be adjusting it?"

2. "Do I recognize myself in the mirror or am I trying to be someone I am not?"

3. "Does this outfit bring me joy and am I excited to wear it?"

Ronewa says, if the answer to any of the above questions is "no", then you should consider an outift change. "I don't prioritize fashion over comfort. I always opt for what feels the best".

Knowing your body type or shape works really well in helping you choose the outfits that would bring out the best in you. When explaining this, Ronewa says "I know and shop for my shape; I mean, when you know which cuts and silhouettes work best for your body, you eliminates a lot of confusion around what to wear and a closet filled with items that go ,unworn. There is nothing that feels better than wearing clothes that enhance your body".

04

Great things never come from comfort zones, its much more fun to experiment and explore. Ro can attest to the fun and impressive results of leaving your comfort zone, she says "I use what is in my closet to experiment with new outfit combinations. I believe that is when you step outside of your comfort zone, you discover new possibilities for yourself".

Lastly, we all have our busy schedules, whether it is work, school or simply having too much on your plate, but you don't have to worry about not looking good anymore. It's all in managing your duties, and to make things easier, Ronewa suggests that planning your outfits in advance saves you a lot of time and lifts off the pressure on your shoulders of frantically trying to find something to wear.

Remember to keep it simple and comfortable.

EASY RECIPE BY CHEF CARLINSKY Antony Makatu

"EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THE KITCHEN. LIFE HAPPENS IN THE KITCHEN." - ANDREW ZIMMERN Rico Carlinsky is a seasoned Executive Chef whose extraordinary culinary creativity and skill sets him apart. Rico’s wealth of culinary knowledge and experience stems from over 20 years of exposure in many hospitality industries. From private game lodges, 5 star boutique hotels, globally established hotel groups to serving his customers as a Bespoke Caterer in a personal capacity.

Rico Carlinsky prides himself in his excellent service, quality mouth watering dishes and state of the art gourmet experiences that will last a lifetime.

RED WINE POACHED PEARS

INGREDIENTS 750ml Pinotage 200g Sugar ½ Vanilla bean seeds 1 star Anise 1 Cinnamon quil 5 pears halved & peeled

METHOD Bring wine, sugar & spices to a boil.

Make sure the sugar is dissolved.

Add the pears, bring liquid to a gentle simmer and poach for 1hour.

Remove the pears and set aside.

Bring the wine mixture to a boil and reduce to a syrup consistency.

Serve with vanilla ice cream

All THINGS PSYCHOLOGY

BY MATHABATHA MAKGOKA Clinical Psychologists are well-placed to provide support and care across communities and model empathy and understanding, as well as realworld, real-time practical support and interventions to those impacted by daily life challenges. It is at times like this that psychologists’professional ethics of nonjudgemental and collective compassion can really show their strength and impact on society.

Rethabile Moloto is a 26-year-old mother of one from the big village of Moletjie Moshate, in Polokwane, Limpopo Province. She studied Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology and Sociology at Nelson Mandela University. She currently holds an Honours in Psychology as she is on a journey of becoming a clinical psychologist in the future.

As many always think that to study psychology is just all about reading minds psychology is the study of the mind and human behaviour. What she has learned in her journey of being an aspiring clinical psychologist is that psychology is part of our daily lives. What we as people go through daily, be it emotions, our perception of things, our thoughts on things, our dreams, feelings happiness and sadness as well as the people in our lives.

It’s entirely everything that matters to us and about us.

All those aspects play a role in our emotional well-being.

What inspired Rethabile to study clinical psychology is her ability to listen and help people with matters at hand. Besides being vocally good at giving bits of advice, she is honestly passionate with her “skill” for lack of a better word. She calls it a skill because she doesn’t plan to say the things shenormally says, but someway always has the right things to say at the right time.

“Every person on this earth is full of great possibilities that can be realized through imagination, effort, and perseverance.” – Scott Barry Kaufmann

Rethabile believes she was born to listen, assess, study people and give necessary advice regarding their mental health. She is a sucker and advocate for mental health and the issues that surround it, which is why she felt the push to venture into that field of study. She is currently a researcher by occupation, and with one of a psychologist’s roles being research on the patient, I believe that will help quite a lot in the future.

Biggest strengths Psychology has taught Rethabile so much about life as a whole and what comes with it psychologically. Her biggest strength is that she is able to use that in empowering other people’s lives and give solutions where possible. She is a very good listener which makes things so much easier in her line of work.

Biggest weakness Her biggest weakness is that, as much as she knows so much about psychology and mental health, She goes through so much that at some point, she is not even able to help herselfinstead. Rethabile is so helpful to others but when tables turn, She fails to use the safety advice and solutions to her own self and life, she says.

Emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is often described as being able to communicate, understand, and interpret one’s emotions.

It is when a person is well aware of their emotions and canarticulate them. She believes that emotional intelligence is one of the important aspects of maintaining good mental health. When it comes to being able to manage your feelings and emotions. Emotional intelligence also has an impact on so many parts of someone’s life. Be it a personal relationship, friendships, school performance, physical health as well as mental health, as mentioned above.

Being able to manage your emotions gives one the ability to also manage stress, which will positively impact the parts mentioned above.

To be emotionally intelligent, here are the four skills to build that: Self-management Self-awareness Social awareness Relationship management Psychological Tips When it comes to giving a person tips on how to manage their psychological wellbeing, she believes in a phrase that says “different strokes for different folks” as different strokes work for different people.

However, she believes the best way to go is to know how to become calm in situations that can easily trigger you. Rethabile advises people to never bottle their feelings just to accommodate people because they will be hurting themselves inside, rather speak up and remove it from your chest. Also, always try to find strategies that work for you to distract you from the stressors of the world. Those strategies will always help you ground yourself and your emotions and you’ll learn how to tackle things better. Some of the things may also make you feel better during a difficult time. E.G, having a solo date or listening to your favourite music.

Some call them coping mechanisms.

Those are very vital in life.

EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH MONDE GP

Gavin Menyatso

Sive Ravuku aka Monde G P is a n artis t with a lot o f talen ts up hi s sle ev e s, born in Khayalitsha Cape Town. So me s ay he is o ne o f the b i g g est b ub b li n g under musicians we have in Sou th Af rica mainly b e cau se o f t he mo v e s Monde GP has made. He is currently a n emplo y ee at o n o n e o f t he t o p 4 auditing f irms in the world, th e s alary he gets is u se d to acco mpli sh his goals in the entertainmen t industry . Th o usands o f hard c o pies hav e b een sold f rom just the back of his ca r and what we fo u nd in ter esti n g is that Monde is invested in f inding out what it is that hi s fans c o nstan tly y e ar n f or in terms of music and in turn it h as b enef ited him in his c ar eer wi th T V success and enhanced entrep reneu rial sk ills .

Q: Apart from music, what other talents do you possess?

A: There are a lot of ways you can kill a cat. I am a CEO, I have my own clothing line which is 100% local, I use the disadvantaged youth to sell and market my clothing line which is called Life style.

Q: Do you showcase your clothing line only in South Africa?

A: Through the power of music I was able to showcase my clothing line in other parts of the world such as New York and Spain.

Q: How has performing outside of South Africa helped you in your music career?

A: It opened a lot of doors of countless opportunities but I would say the most memorable was CRUZ sponsoring me.

Q: What message would you give to an up-and-coming artist?

A: I always encourage people to keep an open mind and not underestimate anyone. Take pride in your work and your content will in turn do wonders for your career.

Q: Who have you worked with in your career?

A: I have worked with rock bands such as De Wallen and artists such as David Reed Watson which is very interesting because who knew that kwaito and rock music can merge together and make wonders, that's why I always say keep your mind open Q: How can people get hold of your music?

A: I still sell my music from the back of my car but I'm also on social media. People who have me on social media or choose to follow me on social media can contact me in order to get my music. My handle on all social media platforms is MONDEGPRAVAZA