Happy New Month! As we get ready to welcome spring along with Level 2, here’s your monthly dose of The016 to go with all your excitement. This issue’s theme is “An Ode To Creatives”. Notice all the creative pieces from the writing down to the pictures. You are going to learn so much from this issue. From law to fitness, we pulled out all the stops to bring you an interesting and educational issue. Firstly, I’d like to thank BlakFinest for being our cover stars. I enjoyed our shoot. They are the first ever trio to grace our cover. I’m not going to give too much away. I’d like to thank the team that brought this issue to life. Our Marketing Manager, Ndlalifa Mqwathi, for organizing everything and making sure BlakFinest feel like the celebs they are on set. Kamohelo Mogoere for taking our pictures. LeMricho Bikitsha for the amazing graphics on the cover. Happy September. Till next month Enjoy the read
Reitumetse Shebe
Portrait by Bafana. Just Bafana
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C O N T 10 E N T S
ISSUE NO 8
FEATURES
4 Creative of the month feature
BlakFinest article detailing their journey with leather
19
Getting fit with Sibongile Zimu
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CREATIVE OF THE MONTH This feature aims to empower creatives in all their greatness. This month’s creative is Bafana Khumalo, commonly known on the socials as Blaq Child. He is an avid content creator who has taken fashion to another level. Bafana we celebrate you this month. Keep shining Bafana’s quote is: “Ngiphila gai one, angiphili gawu two”
Socials: FB: Blaq Child IG: Blaqchild_rebel Twitter: Uboy_wefashion2 4 | THE016 SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2020
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EVENTS
Dinsthang?
A brief run through of events that recently took place
PEARL KHUMALO Lunchtime concerts Singer/ Songwriter Peal gave a breathetaking oeformance at the Lunchtime Concerts YouTube channel. As always, the queen set the stage on fire. Congratulations! For bookings, contact her on Facebook.
LDLNC- How I woman online chats This was a platform Nombuyiselo Magcuntsu used to give wowen from various paths of life a voice. Women gathered to talk about what being a woman means to them. Well done on the success of your first online session ever.
KWA NDLOVUKAZI- The grand opening Nonkululeko Mtshali took a leap of faith and opened her business. We are so proud of her for believing in herself. We wish her nothing but the best on her journey. Congratulations! 8 | THE016 SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2020
DRINK RESPONSIBLY. NOT FOR SALE TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18
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COVER COVER STORY STORY
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The finest of the black community W hen best friends Tshidiso Modiselle and Xolile Mvulana left their corporate jobs, they decided to invest in themselves. This way, the success of their business would depend entirely on them. What they have done with their company BlakFinest, which specializes in handmade crafts, is highly commendable. They have taken their love for leather to a different level. They have gone from being featured in TV ads and YouTube inserts to being the brains behind Vaal Sunday Market, which many creatives have been calling for the return of, to now running a successful shop located at the Zone 12 Stop Sign.
craft is exactly what they did. Mvulana says they only work with leather. “Everything in our shop is hand crafted. Our products have that personal touch, especially for people who understand leather,” Mvulana continued.
printed on it. His pants had African prints and he matched them with black socks and dark green shoes made by BlakFinest. Phakathi wore a two maroon striped piece suit. The ring of his hat had pieces of a measurement tape. He wore a black Style BlakFinest printed round BlakFinest stands out, liter- neck shirt to accompany ally. If it’s not their fashion his look. He wore no socks sense, it’s their dreadlock but finished his look with hairstyles. They pride handmade shoes from themselves in being able to BlakFinest. freely express themselves Talk about unity! This using clothing. For our shoot was beautiful to shoot, they brought Bonwatch because it showed gani Phakathi who is a new me a side to them that I addition to their team. liked. The trio truly Mvulana wore an all black represented themselves well outfit. A trench coat couhere. pled with a BlakFinest printed golf shirt. Work pressure He finished off his look As much as getting orders with leather pants and is a good thing, it can also Their craft black socks and formal be a bit of a burden should “We don’t believe in talent. shoes. there not be enough hands You become good what you Modiselle rocked a jethro to help complete the needs spend most of your time hat, a grey trench coat, a of the client. How does on,” said Modiselle. white round neck t-shirt BlakFinest handle such Spending time on their with the BlakFinest logo pressure? THE016 SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2020 | 11
“Our trainees come in when we have too much work. We teach them the basics like how to stitch. Everything we teach them is a skill. We often tailor clothes as well so they come in to help,” Modiselle said. More than just a business “BlakFinest has opened doors to people’s hearts. We get orders from Cape Town, North West and Free State,” Mvulana said. Their clients are people who need to get their shoes repaired, and those who love leather, of course. However, they still cater for the cool and funky people because that’s who they are. This business not only deals
with handmade leather goods, they also tailor clothes. Another element that is admirable about this business is that they target men. They are a high end fashion company that mainly makes clothes for men. They understand what the man is looking for in clothing items and they have dedicated their livelihoods to making men look and feel good. Visit their store The services BlakFinest offer include stitching, painting, redesigning shoes, leather laptop bags and sandals amongst many others. Prices range from R250 to R2,500. Operating hours are from 9:30am till
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5:30pm on weekdays, and 10am till 5pm on Saturdays. Socials: Facebook: BlakFinest Instagram: @blakfinest
Did you know? The company BlakFinest is 6 years old
“We don’t believe in
talent. You become good what you spend most of your time on.” Tshidiso Modiselle
Xolile Mvulana Bongani Phakathi
Photos taken by Kamohelo Mogoere
“Everything in our shop
is hand crafted. Our products have that personal touch, especially for people who understand leather.”
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FEATURE
Dumela Stompie moratuwa!
Lesego Lethoko has taken social media by storm. His videos keep going viral and we couldn’t be more proud to inform you that he is from the Vaal. 14 | THE016 SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2020
Who is Lesego Lethoko? Lesego Lethoko is a 24 year old from Sebokeng zone6. A University of Johannesburg s tudent. I love singing but only at church , I’m always talking and I love living life without regrets. When did you find out you had a passion for comedy? I actually didn’t know that I had the capabilities of making people laugh and creating videos until the 21 of July when my Younger sister suggested we record and edit just one video and see how it would turn out. It was even meant to be on social media. Why the Mme wa Bethu character and how did that character come about? Mme wa Bethu (Stompie) is my alter ego. She’s always been inside this entire time and it was time she got unleashed and introduce her to the world. Your viewers see your work for roughly 1 minute, but how long does it take to shoot an episode? Recording for vidoes for WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook takes roughly about 6-7 minutes and then the editing takes probably 5 minutes then they’re ready for upload. However, the longer videos for YouTube take a bit more to record, edit and even
upload. I think about the entire day including recording and editing. How has your audience received your work? Do they support you? I don’t want to lie, I have the most amazing support base from all my social media platforms. I get words of encouragement that I shouldn’t stop and continue, I get calls from them and they even buy me data just to show appreciation. They’re support is honestly unmatched. Why is it important for one to turn their creativity into profit using social media? Social media is a very powerful space. And for comedians like myself who actually record videos, it’s important to get money from social media. Not just to make a living out of it, but to also get proper equipment to produce quality content for my audience. So social media has given us a platform to both showcase our talents and get to make a profit from it and that’s really good because it actually encourages us to push even harder and further. What lessons has social media taught you? Social media has taught me that anything is possible and anything can change in the blink of an eye.
For instance,I was just a regular individual, with 5 followers on TikTok with my first video. I uploaded the second video and instantly got 2000 followers. A month later I have 75K fillers. Lerato Kganyakgo follows and put one of videos on her instagram story and I got followers on Instagram. Sbu Noah also follows me and he uploaded one of my videos and actually called me one of his favorite TikTokers. So social media has taught me that it is every powerful. You can grow instantly through its power. What do you want your audience to take away from your work? Firstly I just want to brighten my audiences day. I get a lot of messages from people who were going through the most and after seeing my videos, they suddenly feel better. Secondly, i think my videos teach about love and unity. Bethuel and Stompie are always fighting, but at the end of the day Bethuel Knows that Stompie loves him very much and so does Stompie. So I want them to learn that regardless of whatever that happens in families, we neee to hold on to each other and love one another. Because family is all we’ll ever have at the end of the day.
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You’re proudly from the Vaal, what would you say to aspiring and upcoming comedians who look up to you? I would tell that consistency is key. They should always push themselves to be greater than they were yesterday. They should respect their craft and be passionate about their craft and take it s eriously. They should be humble and they should be very patient when it comes to
their craft being these things just to annoy recognized. Recognition does his mother because he loves not come overnight. seeing her complain. I don’t think if they always got along Why does Bethuel always get my content would be on his mother’s wrong side? funny. That fighting effect What’s the underlying reason gives it the drama and the you’re teaching your audifunny effect that’s needed to ence? Is it that it’s difficult to make people laugh. raise a son as a single mother? Socials: I feel like we all sometimes Facebook: Lesego Lethoko just get under our mother’s TikTok: lesego_lethoko skinsone way or the other. Instagram: lesego_lethoko So because of the tough love Twitter: @2nd born he’s always received from his mother, Bethuel does
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Where there’s wool… there’s a way! By Tumelo Khoza Ka Phahla At just 23, she is building a solid foundation for herself and servingher customers of all ages,for all seasons, individually, with the simplicity of her unique creations. Zanele Makunye is her name and crochetingis her forte.She is a Libra,nascent entrepreneur and an Electrical Engineering student. I must confess that when I first saw her work in scrolling past the social media streets, I made an order, although reluctantly, because I thought she was totally overoptimistic on her turnaround time. Two days later (or was it three?), I received my perfectly packaged beanie and my assumptions were humiliated. Right there and then, I vowed to learn more about this young lady from Vaaland devour her 100% wool business, better known mononymously asCrochetCraZeey. “It started off as a hobby. I mastered it, and turned it into a business.” She posits. I pick up from her WhatsApp voice note that crocheting was actually chiselled in her life long ago as a child – but it ended there – until she revisited the hook tentatively in 2018 to combat her extreme boredom. She proceeds,“This one time in my lonesome I decided “Let me try and make a crop top”. After a few tries, patience and the help of some YouTube tutorials, I nailed it. I wore it, a friend of mine loved it and I made one for her (for a fee). She too wore it and customer number 2 wanted it. Number 2 wore it and customers number 3, 4 and 5 flocked in. And that’s how CrochetCraZeey came about.” It is said that engaging in a repetitive activity, such as crocheting, provides a calming effect and helps release physical tension and Zanele concurs (I have kept her view as it was conveyed to me – I cannot improve on it):“It’s very therapeutic. My first attempts used to frustrate me a lot. But I had to keep at it because Iwanted to see it through. I’m a very impatient person, so if there’s anything it’s taught me, is patience.” Her rare capability, which she complements aptly with her ‘Top Billing presenter’ smile is among the many good reasons why you should harass her with orders, particularly when the fact that her items are “hand-made with love” is given a thought –there’s something special about receiving a beanie, headband, crop top and bikini that someone else has made for you. There’s more I have left out, and more to follow from this dynamo.Over and above all else, her laser-focus rests me assured that from now onwards she and CrochetCraZeeycan only soar – time is on their side. THE016 SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2020 | 17
Continues from page 17
Zanele Makunye
Socials: Facebook Zanele Makunye Instagram - @crochetcrazeey Tumelo is a writer from Sebokeng Zone 14. Socials: Facebook: Tumelo Khoza Instagram: @tumelo_dannybuoy
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HEALTH
Let’s get sweating!
Now that gyms are open, I think we can all agree that it’s time to get back into shape. Fitness ethusiast Sibongile Zimu gives helpful tips to make your next trip to the gym a lot easier.
Socials: Facebook: Sibongile Zimu Instagram: @nan_chi_chi Twitter: @Nan_chi_chi
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Tips *** #1 Allow yourself to be a beginner. You know what they say about Rome right? You will fail many times. The only way to get exercising right is to get up and try again. Don’t be too hard on yourself. #2 Once you love your body, it will love you right back. It’s important to love your body in whatever state it is in. Do things that will make you feel good about your body. I buy gym clothes to boost my confidence because once you look good, you feel good too. #3 Your water bottle is your best friend. Try keeping tabs on how much water you drink in a day. Water has a lot of healthy benefits which include weight loss. I bought myself a 3l water bottle, and yes, I drink that much water. It motivates me to drink up as much as possible. #4 Find what you enjoy and stick to that. People respond to exercise differently so we can’t all be turned into j oggers when we don’t enjoy jogging. There are other ways to lose weight. I prefer cycling, running upstairs and hit exercises. #5 Waiting on a gym partner is a trap. You have to learn to be self reliant. Find things that motivate you to exercise on your own. What has worked for me is music. That also meant investing in wireless headphones because the struggle with wires while being pumped up at the gym is real. #6 If you do find a gym partner, make sure it’s someone who is disciplined and resilient. You will need someone who will hold you accountable and vice versa. When I had a gym partner, we weren’t at the same stages in terms of fitness. She was a beginner and I was a bit ahead but it was a gain. We’d call each other when it rained, when it was that time of the month, it didn’t matter, we went to gym. We motivated each other and it worked out for us. We also developed a good friendship. We had conversations that made us feel better each time we were at the gym.
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#7 Write down your workout plan. It’s good to have something to follow up on especially if you’re new to exercising. It’s also to trace your progress so you can monitor which exercises helped and how. #8 Set a goal. Make sure this is what you really want. Do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. Your WHY should be big enough to set you back on track whenever you feel lazy. You can’t want a six pack if you’re not willing to work towards getting it. You have to put in the work. #9 Finish the task. Don’t cheat yourself. It’ll come back to bite you. Fitness is not just about looking good, it builds character. Finish what you started. #10 Don’t sleep on prepping your meals. Sometimes we get carried away and end up eating what we didn’t plan to eat. Find a day or two to cook and then place your meals in little lunchboxes, which you can n colour code. For example, you can buy three lunchboxes in the colours blue, green and pink. Blue is for breakfast, green is for lunch and pink is for dinner. This makes it easier to plan around your day. Pack snacks such as fruits and nuts. Stay away from takeaways.
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ADVERTORIAL
Tsoga. Wake up Tsoga is a locally based clothing brand that is owned by five people. We are all based around Sebokeng in the Vaal, famously known as the 016. Tsoga is the vernac name for “Wake Up”, derived from Setswana, one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. VISION Tsoga is a sponge-like organization absorbing every day. If you can think it, you can achieve it. Possibility is real. We are a local brand aiming to explore the world in the next 40 years. MISSION Tsoga aims to give hope and inspiration to our customers through our designs. Serving our customers with dedication, patience, and pride including unity as a whole. Born and bred from our respective neighborhoods. INTRODUCTION Motivational speaker Eric Thomas once said “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful”. Failure to maintain or improve local brands is the biggest downfall currently in the neighborhoods. The lack of entrepreneurial skills remains the biggest enemy.
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“We are young vibrant people trying to portray our abilities through our designs despite facing obvious challenges from the neighborhoods. Tsoga should be the point of reference to keep on trying no matter how many times you fail. One of our visions is to keep everyone motivated through our brand. Tsoga is a fashionable brand with a strong message. More especially with the conditions such as poverty and high rates of unemployment.”- Kamohelo Mokoena “My wish is to see Tsoga breaking the negative cycle and developing new habits outside our comfort zone. We aim to radiate energy that reflects our slogan (Greatness Is You). It is vital that we all learn to be one with ourselves, to work on self discipline and to earn the biggest reward which is a changed mindset.” - Obakeng Dingalo “The ultimate goal would be achieving the foundation for upcoming generations to build upon. Challenges and obstacles are at a maximum but knowing your X factor and the reason why you doing it is all the motivation one needs. Tsoga is self explanatory, it states that you need to wake up wherever you are, that’s the start. Having a purpose to serve has given more meaning to what we do at Tsoga”- Siphe Sidlabane “I personally fell in love with the name Tsoga. It had me questioning why I had been sleeping on myself. Given the tough local brand industry competition, our uniqueness sets us apart. The diversity that it’s okay to be different is one people should all be comfortable with. Tsoga has helped me realize my truest potential and it is with pleasure that I get to serve it back to the people.” - Tumelo Stuurman “Being part of the foundation of Tsoga is one of the most inspiring stories in my life so far. The different characters and personalities have helped me improve on my patience and learning different perspectives that I was not exposed to before. Despite the Covid19 pandemic and juggling school, I have been blessed with exploring inner strength. I hope Tsoga becomes the mentor you wish you had before.”- Thulani Ngwenya CONCLUSION Thus Eric Thomas concludes “To be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what you will become”. We will not all have the same starting point. So what if yours is currently further back than the rest? Discipline and patience is our fuel. The road to success demands for one to become comfortable with constant failure. Tsoga wants you to know that Greatness Is You #GIY THE016 SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2020 | 23
Obakeng Dingalo
Kamohelo Mokoena
Siphe Sidlabane
Tumelo Stuurman
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Thulani Ngwenya
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES Facebook - Tsoga Clothing Brand Instagram - Tsoga Clothing Brand Twitter - Tsoga Clothing Brand @BrandTsoga Email - TsogaCB2020@gmail.com
LAW
COURT’S IN SESSION
By Xoliswa Jwili LLB (UKZN) Alternative dispute resolution “ADR” provides an avenue of access to justice that follows a restorative approach. With ADR, the parties involved are e ncouraged to address conflict in a manner that encompasses the interests of both parties so that the relationship survives beyond the conflict. In the African culture, alternative dispute resolution is a norm as when conflict arises elders summon the parties involved and it is through a series of family meeting, discussions compromises and consensus that the conflictis resolved in a manner that restores the relationship. ADR is not foreign concept as it has been practiced since the beginning of time, the only difference between
then and now is that it is now facilitatedby trained professionals who will ensure that the procedures followed align with the laws that govern the land. Where can ADR be applied? ADR techniques such as mediation and arbitration can be applied to all types of conflicts, this ranges from: Family law disputes – divorce, maintenance, pre and post marriage conflicts Labour law disputesunfair dismissals, disciplinary hearings, Community disputes – encroachments, illegal occupation of land, crime, Refugee law disputes, Commercial disputes, medical disputes, personal injury disputes etc Having an ADR practitioner handle your dispute lessens your load and not only is it efficient, it also tends to be
cheaper and quicker than litigation, lets discuss mediation as an example. Mediation, as an ADR technique, empowers parties by considering their rights, interests, values and point of views, this is them used to empower to learn how to find solutions themselves. In empowering the parties facing the conflict, the mediator assists them not only solve the current conflict but also empowers them to be self-sufficient so that they solve any future conflicts that may arise Why Mediate? 1.the process is and outcome private, unlike litigation where matters are in the public domain. 2.Statistics suggest thatwith voluntarymediation, 70-80% of all disputes are settled, and were mediation is mandated, 40+ %
of such disputes are settled. 3.Mediation processes address disputes faster in comparison to litigation. 4. It lays ground work for future settlements making it easier to address them. Mediation provides the parties with a better understanding of the dispute as parties can express themselves which will then reduce the damage to the relationship. 5. Mediation provides for a win-win kind of situation as the interests of both parties are considered. Should you find yourself as a party to a lawsuit or conflict, consider ADR techniques and all the benefits that come with out. Feel free to contact miss Xoliswa Jwili, a certified &court annexed mediator who is also our legal corner writer
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A media mogul in the making Lesego Dithebe is a young creative who has worked in many media compaies in and around tthe Vaal. He’s also a writer. Here is his story. What inspires your writing? II draw inspiration from life itself. Most of my writings are inspired by real life stories infused with my own creativity. What was your experience like working with a community radio station and a local magazine? It was beautiful to work with creatives and entertainers who were also levitating for the same heights that I was trying to reach. Coming from a place where almost everyone’s dream was to work in the industrial firms, it was fortifying to find myself in spaces where I was surrounded by people who were intrigued by a totally different field. It was the first time I was around people who shared common interests with me. How did you go from working with an online station to being an artist manager? The artists who used to submit music to me would often ask for my advices, feedbacks, and opinions. Few of them started requesting that I manage their careers because of my insight
and passion for music. It was only at a later stage that I decided to give it a go, after turning down a few artists. How would you best define PR? It’s a communication bridge for the better part. It connects the brand with the media and the public. It’s a tool that controls the general narrative. One part of it is like a baby monitor for your brainchild. Tell me about Gifted Mind Media. Gifted Mind Media was first conceptualized in 2014. So the inception of GMM only came six years after the conception. I was inexperienced when the idea came to mind, so I sought after experience and industry knowledge before officially establishing my own company. I named it Gifted Mind Media because it all began with an idea. I had no penny to my name, but the wealth was in the mind. I’m striving to create an empire built on nothing but my genius. I’m currently gunning to lure bigger clients to the entity. I’m aiming to grow the company to have different compartments in the near future. What challenges do you face as a writer who is based in the Vaal?
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As a freelance writer, it’s difficult to find clients in the Vaal. I’ve actually never had a client that’s based in the Vaal. Home is where the heart is, but it’s true when they say love doesn’t pay bills. There’s absolutely no one to blame, the media industry on its own is at an infancy stage in this part of the country. If every one around me is struggling to generate profit with their business and/or talent, then it’s obviously going to be a hassle for me to secure a solid clientele. I’m just glad that I’m part of the growth that’s slowly taking place. We will gradually get there as a collective. Where did the name Ginger come from? Wow! I used to color my hair with a blonde dye. My hair was blonde for a full decade, actually. I was nicknamed Ginger because of the blonde hair. The name stuck since then. Can a person be born a writer or can a person be trained into becoming a writer? I believe that there are three aspects of writingTechnical, psychological, and prophetical. Yes, prophetical too. The technique can be learnt with good training. The psychological part may initially be a bit of a
struggle to be properly channelled but might come forth in due time, but the prophetical part is strictly an instrinsical gift. A super vision is a prophecy of some sort. As a writer, you have to imagine pictures that have never been depicted before. You hear a word and create a book out of it, you see a stranger and create a movie out of them, you create deep stories out of shallow information... And you have to make all of them relatable. It’s prophecy of an artistic nature. You can be trained to be a writer, but you’re born an exceptional one. Who inspires you? It has to be DJ Sbu. The fire in him has burnt down the doubt and fear in me. He’s a street hustler who turned into a corporate giant. I aim to go beyond, but I’m highly inspired by the man. What are your social media handles? Lesego Ginger Dithebe on Facebook
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