Actresses from South Africa

"I was raised with the idea that you can feel sorry for yourself, but then, get over it, because it doesn't get you anywhere. … There was always this awareness that you have to be responsible for yourself in order to have what you want. And that meant "Be responsible with this little motorcycle that we're going to give you, because you're only five. If you're not, you're going to hurt yourself" -- which I did. My mom wasn't like, "Poor baby." She was like, "You do wheelies. That's what's going to happen." My mom's philosophy was, "If you get yourself in trouble, you've got to get yourself out of trouble.""

"I grew up on a farm in South Africa, so I’ve always been surrounded by animals. I was raised by a mother who always had great compassion and respect toward animals. It was instilled in me. I grew up that way. So when I see dogs or other animals suffer, it’s just been something close to my heart."

"Athletes, spectators from every corner of the world, this is a message of peace by my beloved countryman Nelson Mandela: "Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference." Today this message seems more relevant than ever, so let these games be more than just sport, let them be a reminder of our common humanity, our respect for one another and a resounding call for peace everywhere."

"Theatre is simply in my BLOOD..If they had to de-sanguinize me the BAD theatrical blood - or maybe that's MAGICAL blood - would simply flow back!"

"I've been called a termagent, but people BELIEVE in me. I'm a BIG personality."

"My type is dying out of the theatre. I'm a conductor who has to ORCHESTRATE the whole thing."

"I'm a ROLLS-ROYCE! A MAN-EATING ROLLS-ROYCE!"

"The metallic age suits her - silver hair, gold teeth and lead heart."

"Intense. Vibrant. Undeniably talented, with a unique intelligence and razor-sharp wit. A woman, self-created for all seasons."

"I know I`m headstrong ."

"As an actress I decided that I was not going to accept being cast in token ethnic roles in film or on TV, nor act any parts that I considered demeaned the portrayal of a non-British character. To illustrate this point; after seeing me perform Tatiana in Gorky’s Enemies(play) the well-known TV director, and very nice man, Chris Menaul offered me the role of the main Russian air hostess in a Malcolm Bradbury BBC TV series. He was taken aback when I turned the part down as I didn’t have any TV credits. I gave some excuse ‘that I thought the part vulgar” but the real reason was that Bradbury had portrayed the Russian air-hostesses in what I considered in a cliched demeaning way and involved a little Russia bashing. I have recently sent him a real explanation via his agent."

"My first tentative efforts in creating my theatre company were mounting John Ford’s `Tis Pity She`s a Whore ”. I asked people for money for my production, even as I found myself canvassing for another cause. This production was not the totally multi-racial cast that I had hoped for but did consist of actors from other cultures and differing accents, and also achieved a very high level of production value and rave reviews. It also provided the springboard for the extremely talented director/ designer couple Declan Donnellan and Nicolas Ormerod, who went onto creating the now world famous Cheek by Jowl company."

"As a little girl my mother used to take me with her to her fittings with her very expensive seamstress. I was dazzled by the beauty of the fabrics and the whole procedure. I still remember the feel of expensive taffeta."

"I myself have experienced the volcanic existential depths of the Greek language. It was during a performance of Medea by Tzeni Karezi at the Herod Atticus theatre in Athens ,when she was pleading to the callous Jason to take pity on her and she used the word ' splachniasou'. 'Pity' is too weak a word to describe the emotional and psychological depths ' splachniasou' expresses. 'Splachna 'is the part of the body where a woman carries her unborn children, the very root of ontological existence. How deep can you get!"

"the great comedic film director Thodoros Maragos , of the well known film 'Mathe Paedi mou Grammata!' wrote a part specially for me , Ms Ortiki in his 12 part ERT1 television series "Emmones Idees"."

"Theatro Technis in North London, where the issues of prejudice against immigrants, the poor, the illiterate were dramatised , and more urgently the exploration of the war crime that constituted the illegal invasion by the Turkish military of CYPRUS, and for which the USA ( especially the diabolical Kissinger ) and the UK had little concern, as the president of Cyprus was the Orthodox Archbishop Makarios, who had the reputation of being a bit of a red. This was a theatre company that practiced political theatre in its purest form! I found myself performing a Greek Cypriot peasant woman driven from her land in the North of Cyprus and expressing her grief at the loss of her home in front of an audience that included refugees who had suffered the same fate but had managed to escape to London. The tears just flowed naturally. It was also at this theatre that I tackled the Mount Everest of acting parts – Medea(play) by Euripides, and which I performed to great reviews and was the performance that put me on the London map as an actress. The whole play was interpreted politically."

"Many of the Greek journalists and TV presenters also seem to share this "progressive intellectualism" which leads Greeks to having to apologize for being Orthodox- What a load of rubbish! Prof Yiannaras with whom I have corresponded then continues with the frightening story about 'the predicted and inevitable and desirable Latinization of our Greek alphabet" quoted by an anonymous source in a periodical Samizdat . Let's get this straight both Greece as well as the Balkan countries that have Kyrilic alphabets should fiercely resist Latinization ."

"Part of my Greek heritage: The call of resistance to the Nazis, when all mainland Europe had succumbed, it was only Greece my Antigone, who resisted and was starved for it."

"My grandmother was a fearless Greek warrioress, and very protective of her land. She literally ordered some Nazi soldiers to get off one of her fields pointing a gun at them."

"..the gift of Orthodoxia : The call by the Christ not to be just good moral and ethical beings, which is where the western Churches stop- but to go beyond that , to be 'theanthropic", to reflect the generosity and magnificence and beauty of the Christ."

"A key moment of my spiritual epiphany was the tale told by the property manager of our apartment block, Mrs Marina. Every year on All Saints Day if I remember correctly, she commemorated the death of her son who died from an overdose. She baked some holy bread, antidoro, and then took it to her parish Church as an offering for evening vespers. When I asked Mrs Marina why she was doing this, she replied simply, "So that Christ speaks to my son and takes pity", as it is on this particular day it is believed that the Christ descends once again into the bowels of hell, not to defeat death this time as in Holy Saturday, but to keep company with the so called damned. For mothers like Mrs Marina fearful that their dead children might inhabit this nether world because of their sins, despair of redemption etc, Christ's visit provides some hope- that He might take pity on them and relieve them of their eternal punishment. Christ as the God that Unshackles the power of Hell and Death , the Resurrected Christ that even reaches out to the damned , and not the Christ of Deo Satisfactio of the heretical western Churches is one of the great glories of Greek Orthodoxy and of Orthodoxy as a whole."

"... without New Testament Greek there would be no Christian Theology, or possibly no Christianity. The Athanasian Creed, the dogma of Christ the Homiousios, of the same essence as the Father , the dogma of Christ, fully God and Fully Human , The dogma of the Holy Trinity , 'that Christ is the incarnation of the indivisible source of the Divine Godhead through the power of the Holy Spirit " could only have been formulated by the Church Fathers within the linguistic structures and concepts provided by early century Greek language and thought., e.g concepts such as the God/man, a concept that which does not exist in the Hebrew and is totally foreign to Hebrew culture. Hence Shelley's assertion that the Greeks /the Hellenes "gave us our religion "."

"Apart from the greatness of Bizos for his role in the dismantling of apartheid, defending Mandela etc , he also manifested a genius in his role as a leading member of the conservative South African Greek community, by drawing historical parallels between the 400 years of slavery that Greece had suffered under the Ottoman Turks and the 300 years or so of repression and cruelty suffered by the Southern African black tribes and mixed race people under the British and then under the Nationalist Afrikaner rule. By using this strategy Bizos was able to balance his fight for justice in South Africa, and synchronously lead the very conservative Greek community in a more progressive direction."

"This is the place (Wits University) where the tension between my parents and myself on account of my political beliefs became pronounced. A photo of me standing at picket line on the WITS side of Jan Smuts avenue during one of the protests appeared in the "Star" newspaper. The local MP from the Nationalist Party Boksburg constituency saw it and made an ominous call to my parents "I didn't know that your daughter was communist!" and put the phone down on them. Of course I wasn't a "communist" but anyone who opposed the regime was automatically labeled as a communist. I ceased my political studies as I didn't wish to cause my parents any extra anxiety or stress ."

"The reason the Internationalist Theatre productions demanded attention was that the directors who had already worked at top theatres like the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company had agreed to take the risk of directing classical plays with multi-racial casts , that the performance was of a very good standard, and furthermore that many prominent members of the arts establishment, Lindsay Anderson, Cameron MacKintosh, John Barton, Richard Eyre, the great casting director Mary Selway, Stephen Berkoff, Nicolas Roeg , came to see performances by Internationalist Theatre."

"Voulgaris asked me to find film funding for what was to be the last but unfinished film project of Elia Kazan,a personal friend of Voulgaris. The subject of the film was the immigration of the Kazan family from the beleaguered Greek minority communities under Turkish rule in Asia Minor to the safe haven of the USA where the Kazan family settled. I arranged a meeting between Elia Kazan and the London based film financier Frixos Constantini of Poseidon Films at the Grand Bretagne Hotel in Athens. What followed from this meeting is that Mr Constantini put Elia Kazan in touch with Martin Scorsese a personal friend of Mr Constantini and who also runs the production company Cappa films. And so it was that these two giants of US cinema met for the first time. It is also because of these meetings that Paqndelis Voulgaris was able to make"The Brides". Elia Kazan was too old to get film insurance , so Kazan instead brought to Scorseses" the Voulgaris film project "The Brides" , and yet I have to this day never have had a thank you from him. So much for his saintly appearance."

"...this is not the only time that I have stuck out my neck for a Greek film director. With Nikos Nikolaidis I introduced him to Mr Constantini as well , and undertook to send his XXX-rated movie `Singapore Sling` to two of the top film agents in the UK , Jenny Cassarotto and PDF who have now changed their name on account of a merger. Ms Cassarotto was indulgent, but the other agent was so shocked that he treated me as if I was peddling porn. The things I've done for Greece!"

"By the time I got a permit I found that I liked being independent, that I like to do productions that I think are valuable . I did not want to feel that I had left South Africa, my parents and a comfortable life to do rubbishy work"

"I can say that my collaboration with Theatro Technis was a serious milestone in my life. I had the chance to work with George Eugeniou a great director who taught me a great deal"

"They`re powerful parts- all the most powerful parts seem to be written for men....Hamlet has this existentialist crisis .I had one when I was 17. Women are not given that kind of philosophy in their parts""

"My search for justice grew out of the pain I experienced when I saw the ridicule my malformed brother elicited. I became aware of the evil that is prejudice, a form of injustice."

"I arrived at as an undergraduate with two driving passions: a consuming interest for a politics of justice grounded in a Christian theology and acting, as a ‘revelation of the treasures of the human soul’ not as a form of exhibitionism. My search for justice grew out of the pain I experienced when I saw the ridicule my malformed brother elicited. I became aware of the evil that is prejudice, a form of injustice. My urge to redress this prejudice took a more social dimension during my years as a boarder at St Dominic’s Convent, where the great Barbara Hogan matriculated a year later than me though I only got acquainted with her at Wits."

"At the end of my course I realized there was no place for me in South Africa because I found it difficult to function in a society that considered 75% of population inferior, that my community frowned on me as an actress, and my beliefs for a non-racial society now incorporated a fight for the equality for women an anathema to my conservative Greek community. I did not want to spend my life apologizing for who I was."

"Our first play in 1981 was Jean Genet’s The Balcony , a prophetic choice, set in Paris in turmoil, just as London was being torched during the Brixton riots, an explosion of racial tensions that had been simmering for some time. I insisted on casting a Caribbean actress to play the lead, Irma the Madam of the Brothel."

"The ground breaking production of the company, and the point at which the cross-cultural casting began to bite, was Brecht’s anti-war play Mother Courage. Just one comment in a review by critic Malcolm Hay jolted us into the realisation that we were making history: Why is an Indian actor playing the Pastor?"

"The breaking of casting cliches also broke boundaries. A short, Latin-looking actress like me playing classical roles such as Miss Julie , and playing them well, made casting directors uncomfortable. It was unheard of that a short, dark-haired actress of Greek temperament could play the aristocratic Miss Julie. Not beautiful or tall enough etc. It proved one of the best productions of Miss Julie ever seen in London."

"British theatre was xenophobic and tunnel visioned . There was a resistance to using actors from other ethnicities, cultures, and races in production of classics. And a resistance to the non realistic plays like those of Brecht, Genet and Tennessee Williams""

"I'm known as the Greek warrioress...I come from a family of noble Greek women. My grandmother faced the Nazis during occupied Greece with a gun in her hand, and my mother is a veritable Hecuba, all strength and dignity.""

"Morally, good theatre and film for that matter disturbs and unnerves us, tries to rid us of our cliched reactions to the world around us by expanding our sympathies, stretching our imaginations, and enriches us."

"The great British 1950`s theatre critic Ken Tynnan, described the theatre as “an independent force at the country`s life , a sleeping tiger that can and should be roused whenever the national (or international) conscience needs nudging”. And Griselda Gambaro`s EL CAMPO does just that. It is a savage protest against the indignities imposed on modern man and woman by the impersonal bureaucracies and dictatorships in a language of poetic and startling originality. In the figure of Emma, the tortured artist, the part I played, we find expressed an outcry against the imprisonment of artists and the suppression of artistic freedom."

"What is the role of the contemporary woman artist/actress, novelist, scriptwriter etc. etc.? Women in the past have been the creators of the race, in the sense of procreation, a very noble and holy purpose I itself, but men have been the creators of culture, in the sense that we understand actress is over. Once you know what your objectives and values are, there can be no compromise. As founder and artistic director of Internationalist Theatre I was fulfilling both these functions. But, let me add, God help you if you are strong minded and an intellectual in England, where they are generally anti-intellectual and petrified of passionately held beliefs. They have given me such a rough ride you wouldn`t believe it. Tant Pis!!!!I`m not ashamed of spending six years at university, and I revel in intellectual discourse. I`m unashamedly high brow. And, as for fighting in a man`s domain, I`m known as the Greek warrioress, ha, ha ha...I come from a family of noble Greek women. My grandmother faced the Nazis during occupied Greece with a gun in her hand, and my mother is a veritable Hecuba, all strength and dignity."

"follow motto by Cicero: “The life that nature has given us is brief, but the memory of a well spent life eternal.”"

"I called my company "The Internationalist" because there are a lot of actors who are not English and are being prejudiced against, because they come from other countries. I don`t believe in accents or skin colour. My company has a very strong ethic of social justice to it . I try to incorporate actors from as many nationalities as possible.""

"The first performance the company staged was Ford`s '`Tis Pity Shes a Whore'. It was well received. I like to choose the play, the directors, the designers.. it`s a total creative act."

"The thing I like about having a company is the academic side. Then you forget about the academic side once you`ve done the administration and you start creating."

"Our mode of perception goes beyond that - we see all actors as people"

"A man with money will get you everything, but you will pay for it."

"We are broken. My siblings and I are broken because I think our parents couldn't articulate the kind of a family we are in ... So we have daddy issues"

"No. I worshipped him because I had a 'hero syndrome'. He saved me and gave me what I've always dreamt about. He was like God to me."

"The industry is quite boring now because everyone is so curated ... there's a certain image they need to put out. For us, what sold was you being yourself"

"I've been depressed for about 15 years. I'm still dealing with it and I'm still getting anxiety attacks ... I only found out that I was really depressed like two years ago and when they diagnosed me, and I sat down with my shrink, that's when they actually told me that I've been depressed since my daughter was born 15 years ago"

"Companionship is when you are both at a space where you are content. Both of us know where we are going but focus on the future. If both of us are still building our careers so let's focus on that then we will revisit that"

"No wedding bells anytime soon, I believe that having a companion doesn't really mean you have to get married"

"You can’t downgrade hard into hardships because the poverty will follow you. You downgrade into manifestation"

"I still want money to call me … Money must still recognise me and be like, ‘that’s my girl"

"Living rich was the loneliest time of my life"

"Life is not about the material things. You can be a success and find real love without losing yourself along the way"

"People read my actions and not my intentions. I don't blame the media for the attitude people had towards me. The media does not fabricate things. When you act like a diva you get seen as one"

"Life has no rules, there is no right or wrong, my wrong could be your right. When I broke into the industry I was the girl living a lavish life"

"I am brave man, I like to try."

"“I’m not going to reduce myself just to make other people feel comfortable."

"Dineo Ranaka on her never-say-die hustler spirit ( 22 May 2019) by Kemong Mopedi retrieved 19 July 2022"

"The root of all sanity and serenity, where womanhood is concerned, is in the circle of queens and the quality of queens you keep in your life.”"

"Try your best to not lose sleep or joy over things or situations that aren’t in your immediate control"

"Live light. Laugh long. Love the ones you’re with and serve the ones you love."

"DINEO RANAKA UNPLUGS WITH HER BEST-FRIEND AT KAGGA KAMMA by Cardova retrieved 19 July 2022"

"Dineo Ranaka on her never-say-die hustler spirit ( 22 May 2019) by Kemong Mopedi"

"DINEO RANAKA UNPLUGS WITH HER BEST-FRIEND AT KAGGA KAMMA by Cardova"

"'I am not squeaky clean, I have made a lot of mistakes but that makes me the person I am today'"

"'Something's never change and that for me are principles and truth and love'"

"Oh my gosh, acting is an access for me to reach minds and spread the message of the things that I believe in.’’"

"There needs to be something burning inside you that pushes you to wake up and grind.’’"

"After a long and dedicated time at WFP I am shifting my engagements onto a broader set of human rights issues"

"One of the most influential proponent of activism is that I will continue to work to build a more equitable, just and inclusive international system"

"Particularly in nutrition, food system transformation, school meals and girls education. WFP is full of incredible humans, committed to make a difference in war-torn, conflict and famine areas"

"I will do everything in my power in the years to come for the most vulnerable people across the continent"

"At the same time while the world is facing complex, multifaceted and interconnected crises; my portfolio will continue to include women empowerment and girls education on the African continent"

"Here's the thing: I'm 38, I'm black, and I'm a woman. So those are three really hard things to deal with...except I'm always working, but I really work hard to get - sometimes - crumbs"

"There are times I've been beat up in this business. It hasn't been just roses and fairytales"

"It's been a tough road and you have to stick to what you believe in. You have to be strong. You have to be able to say no, and I cannot afford to operate out of fear"

"Being black means being layered, carrying a beautiful lineage and even though, the world makes it tough, being proud of who you are."

"The Black Lives Matter means speaking out against the injustices that have been dealt to the black community and bringing about a consciousness that unseats the maliciousness with which black people have been handled."

"Black Excellence means the full manifestation of what has always been present in the black community. It is the reinforcement of legacy that will allow for many generations to understand that the embodiment of excellence does also exist within us."

"I've learnt to ground my energy and not absorb a lot."

"Taking time out to just have my time has become extremely important for me."

"In means to be seen, to have a freedom like no other and to truly stand in my power. It's the ability to revel in one's truest form and showcase to the world what black pride looks like."

"success is the ability to make some of your wildest dreams come true."

"GQ Young, Gifted and Black Series: Dineo Langa (February 21, 2021) by Luthando Vikilahle retrieved 25 July 2022"

"GQ Young, Gifted and Black Series: Dineo Langa (February 21, 2021) by Luthando Vikilahle"

"Working towards fulfilling your dream is tough."

"There's nothing scandalous about my pregnancy. Therefore, I don't want any drama around it and I certainly don't want anyone to have an opinion about it"

"Now I’d like to share with you my blessing that God has gifted me with (well not just me... US lol). I feel chosen and blessed beyond compare"

"It's just something I felt I wanted to do at this point in my career. The opportunity availed itself, and I guess it found me at a point where I was like 'yes yes yes!' Having studied drama, the last time I was on stage was in my final year and I missed it"

"My one difference is fighting for future generations"

"But why can’t we just be kind to one another. It’s been such a difficult year. Yet people continue to be so vile. Everyone is dealing with something, they may not put it on social media"

"The vile, mean, horrible things people say though. I'm very happy about the block button. Kodwa nje, it really does hurt"

"Like why would you attack me about my body? "I know my body, trust me, I look at it every day, and I live in it. Manje wena, you feel a need to point stuff out as if I do not know. Just live your life. I actually really do not want to hear your negativity here"

"It’s actually so annoying when a person who doesn’t even follow you comments on your posts, futhi acommente umsuzo nje! First of all you’re a creep and get off my page. I block creeps who don’t follow me but still magically comment on my tweets"

"They are not allowed to comment! I don’t want their opinion. If you don’t follow someone phuma nje kuye"

"Your twenties are when you make mistakes, you are getting to know yourself. Thuso Mbedu Battles Imposter syndrome with Anime by Jeremy O. Harris October 13 2022 retrieved 24 November 2022."

"I am always trying to challenge myself to try something new."

"Allowing yourself to completely rest emotionally, mentally physically helps calm the chaos. Thuso Mbedu of the Woman King on Training like a Warrior And why Napping is Self Care by Christie Calucctia August 31 2022 retrieved 24 November 2022."

"I'm happy to see people shaking the tables. I'm happy to see people being fearless and finally knowing that their voices mean something and that they stand for something."

"I knew that to live a fulfilling life I had to live a purposeful life; a life of service."

"I am inspired by the likes of Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana and those of their calibre. They understood fully what it means to be selfless and to stand for something."

"They can expect a dope comedy show because it will have other comedians and seeing a full capacity (audience) will excite us as comedians."

"I think at the beginning, comedy was just an opportunity to earn money, especially after realising how good I was at it. But I didn’t think as far as making it an actual career out of it or realising my purpose through it. It only hit me when I did So You Think You Are Funny that there is something bigger than what I had perceived."

"I don’t want to hustle and be number one or be on top of any list anymore but I mean, if it happens it happens. I want to live a good life and I am learning to rest. Not that I am stopping work, no but I am prioritising,” she says, adding that having nothing that ties her down like a husband or a child has led her to move even when not necessary."

"I’ve been a bookseller, a call centre agent, backstage crew, I’ve done lighting and sound for Gearhouse, I’ve worked at Grahamstown as part of a production crew. Let’s put it this way: I’ve had jobs, but all of those were for paying rent."

"Growing up in Soweto, I never thought I’d one day wear a red robe, let alone from a wonderful institution such as Rhodes University"

"I think believing in myself and knowing what I wanted. From day one, when Phil Hollis came to me and said he wanted to make me a superstar, I knew I wanted to do things my way. And even after 33 years, I still do it my way. I never allowed anybody to take me for granted. I thought, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be: I’m not going to sleep with any man to be a superstar, I’m not going to sell myself cheap, I’m not going to allow anybody to overrun me. If I didn’t know things, if there was a contract I wasn’t sure about, I took it to a lawyer to explain it to me, but I always made the decision. I’ve always been this very assertive girl"

"We need to make sure that we pave the way for our children and those that are coming after us because those who came before us fought so hard for Africa, I don’t think we are there yet, Africa must change for good."

"My late mother was my everything, she was not that educated but she was ahead of her time… She didn’t give us everything that we wanted but she gave us everything that we needed, and she always insisted that we must go to school and inspire ourselves with skills so that nobody can take us for granted."

"When I was little I would strum an empty tin and blow into a broomstick pretending it was a microphone. I sang in church choirs, I loved singing. I am blessed that I have achieved my destiny, and have been able to accomplish what my father could not."

"When you are an artist you are telling your story and other people stories…As a South African, when I had the platform to sing, I took it as a platform to tell my story, to inspire those who were fighting for equal right and freedom."

"Africa is not the dark continent, Africa is a great continent, Africa is not a dying continent, Africa is a beautiful continent."

"Africa has so many young people, but has this young people being given the tools to fend for themselves? is there a conducive platform for them to thrive? it is not yet ‘uhuru’ we must make sure that our children can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"While I was growing up, every young person in Soweto knew that the system was wrong… the system was incorrect, that situation put us in a position of not sitting down and expecting things to change, we had to fought so had to be able to acquire quality education."

"We must nurture and empower our young girls. .. we can lift them up through education. They are the future. Without equal access to education for girls, Africa will not become the power house of the world. We need girls in school not as brides. ’’"

"It is what we make of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. Yvonne, you are a testament to my belief. Your generosity has benefited untold numbers of families and orphans facing the challenges of AIDS, terminal illness, abuse, poverty and illiteracy."

"Return hate with love. Kill them with kindness and bury them with success."

"You can do it. You just have to wake up in the morning."

"Being a powerful woman, Matheba tells Forbes, “means that you create your own narrative. It means that you are strong enough to make your own decisions, to be free and to break the status quo that people have set up for women."

"“Dream big, write it down and work towards your dream every day.”"

"“When you get to a certain age, you need to ask yourself what you want out of life. You can achieve whatever it is you want to achieve.”"

"“Find something that forces you to be a better version of yourself.”"

"“Success comes from consistency, authenticity, and being yourself.”"

"“Keep yourself sane… block what needs to be blocked.”"

"“Focus on yourself, your dreams, your goals, and your ambitions.”"

"“Waiting for somebody to come help you is dangerous.”"

"“The world is ready for women and their stories. The world is ready to hear what women have to say.”"

"“To be good, you need to learn from the best.”"

"“The only way to get the good things in life is to work very hard.”"

"“They have to talk about you. Because when they talk about themselves, nobody listens.”"

"“You need time, planning, consistency, and focus.”"

"“If you are honest, thorough, and professional, people will listen to you.”"

"“What you want to achieve, start with you.”"

"“You have to want to do better than yesterday.”"

"“Find ways to grow and stay relevant.”"

"“Successful people are honest with themselves.”"

"“I know what I want and I am firm.”"

"We don’t work around it; we work through it. We don’t deny our feelings when they arrive or even attack us."

"Be honest about who you are and where you’re standing at the moment. Don’t rush, and have fun without focusing on the end goal."

"“There can be no equal future without the full participation of all women and girls everywhere and this is the generation to accomplish that.”"

"“Forcibly displaced women are agents of change, challenging the status quo and fighting for girls’ rights, and using their voices to demand equality.”"

"“Do not compare your step 2 to someone else’s step 10. Because immediately when you see somebody way ahead, perhaps maybe your age or not even your age, you immediately feel like you're not doing enough.”"

"“My end goal has always been to strive to become a better me.”"

"Rejection is absolutely fantastic because it is a moment of pause, evaluate and growth all at once and it's the biggest motivation your self can ever intake spiritual."

"“If you believe in something, be headstrong in something. Whoever is going to come into your life must be able to match that.”"

""Together we are much better, collaboration is key.”"

"“I have to learn to take failure in my stride, failure in work, and failure in relationships.”"

"To my son – don’t let anyone take you for granted. Always hold your head up high. Never stop believing in yourself."

"Just go forth and aim for the skies. I may not carry you in my arms anymore, but I will always carry you in my heart."

"You have given me so many reasons to be proud of the man you have become, but the proudest moment for me is telling others [that] you are my son. Love always, Mom."

"To the Tribe [family] that came to see him off, they say it takes a village to raise a child. Thank you very much. AmaNtungwa [clan name] ayabonga [say thank you]."

"When I was a small child, I looked up to my mother who taught at a school in Soweto, where we lived. I have always wanted to be the one standing in front of the class with a black board and some chalk in my hand and this is why my first degree was in education."

"The universe had other ideas for me though, and I now believe that my classroom is wherever I am called to speak, write, and add my voice. There are many ways to Impart knowledge, and my passion is to keep learning, so I can teach."

"To be a woman is to be soft and strong all at once, and there is beauty in this duality. We are strong enough to birth children, and nurturing enough to raise them, but we are also fierce enough to be leaders, businesswomen and captains of industry."

"I think mentorship is a key component of sharing knowledge and helping young women to reach their goals. There is really no reason why we should not be sharing our lessons to empower the younger generations"

"I think it starts with telling them they don’t have to change the way they look to be acceptable or beautiful. Young girls don’t have to have straight hair in order to look “professional”."

"Regarding representation, I think we have to use our power as consumers. Do your research and support the brands which are serious about representing you and people who look like you."

"GBV is a huge issue on our continent and in a world where patriarchal power structures still dominate. Male leadership is still seen as the norm, and men hold the majority of power. Patriarchy is a social and political system that treats men as superior to women – where women cannot protect their bodies, meet their basic needs, participate fully in society."

"Until this power dynamic is changed, women will continue to fall victim to violence. Our job as leaders is to push back against the oppression of women in all spheres, and to speak loudly about abuse. GBV will not go away if it continues to be cloaked in secrecy and shame."

"I think patriarchy is an issue all over the world, not just in Africa. Men have been running the world for so long that modern women have no choice but to take back their power."

"This doesn’t mean that women have to be disrespectful to their male counterparts, in fact, I have found that most men want to be helpful and they themselves are trying to manoeuvre and find their place in a changing world."

"We still respect the customs instilled by our parents. We still respect tradition, but we have to know when to say no, and push back"

"The modern woman is whoever and whatever she wants to be, because she is fiercely independent but also open with her vulnerabilities."

"She’s strong and stands tall but also gentle, loving and compassionate."

"There is no shame in being direct, being firm and fighting for what you believe, and it actually doesn’t matter if other people feel uncomfortable with your talents and your prowess."

"I was a very shy child, but whenever I had to participate in a pageant, I was forced outside of my comfort zone, which I feel is one of the biggest life lessons I learned from my mother. We only grow when we are outside of what is familiar and easy."

"Acting was the thing I wanted to do; it was the passion"

"It was a means to act, to write my own stuff so that I could act in it. I really fell in love with it and tried hard to get good at it and hone that craft."

"Growing up I definitely wanted to be a lawyer. It was all I could think of or speak about. I did go to law school for a year, I was at the University of Cape Town in the law programme. Once I started studying, I didn’t know if it was for me, especially learning about the industry and the sector, the opportunities – it just didn’t feel like a good fit."

"Stay true to yourself. When people are trying to be relevant, that’s when things go wrong, so the more authentic you are, the more you are just doing what you’ve been called to do, your destiny and your path on earth, I think that’s when things go into alignment and people resonate with that."

"As much as possible I try not to go on social media. I’ve got a team that goes into that space, so they will tell me what’s happening..."

"If it is nothing I need to get myself into emotionally, physically, mentally, psychologically, then I shut it out."

"Never have I been so anxious and excited to see the finished product as I was with this production. The work was grueling but such a pleasure. I really am embarrassed to say I enjoyed every single minute. It felt like a guilty indulgence."

"Again, my hat goes off to the crew and staff who made the experience an effortless joy. Reminded me of why I started acting in the first place. Thank you to @leburugraphy and the whole team for a memorable shoot"

"I suppose we also have to remind ourselves of the gift and true celebration of life. Sello… my brother, my friend… I will miss you. I can’t believe I’m saying these words but RIP"

"It breaks my heart purely because I knew some of the people who were actually really suffering and I would be the one sending some money here and there"

"We’ve always believed that our platforms are bigger than us. “Influence” comes with responsibility.... As couples, we need to create healthy environments within our homes to start having these hard conversations honestly. Change can only come when we face this head-on"

"We dated for about two years before we got married. When we started dating we both felt that we needed to give our relationship a fair chance. Building a new relationship is hard, and when it's done in the public eye it's 10 times harder."

"Make sure your relationship is between you and the person you love, no one has power over it, no one has a say over it and people will always talk, we were laughing. People will try and break something that’s beautiful, there’s nothing you can do"

"A lot of people were surprised about the wedding, but not us and especially not my parents. By the time Zakes proposed, my parents already knew because he asked them for my hand in marriage. So technically I was the last to know."

"Zakes and I went for many sessions of marriage counselling before tying the knot. Those sessions were very insightful into what married life was like and preparing to make that transition from being someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend into being a wife and husband,"

"Motherhood is healing. When done in the right way, it’s healing because you have to heal. You are forced to look at yourself and heal, so it’s humbling as well"

"My kids are like my own dopamine"

"Being a mom is like a passion project that doesn’t stop"

"I pride myself on working on myself as often as I can, and I finally reached a place of real self-awareness after I had kids. For example, I’ve always known I was neurodivergent—I have ADHD—but I didn’t fully understand the effects, especially how it ties into anxiety"

"It’s through my kids that I’ve come to better understand myself and see what else I still need to work on"

"When my daughter got her diagnosis as being on the autistic spectrum, that was enlightening. More than anything, it helped us understand our family genetics. Back then, there wasn’t much information. You didn’t have a name for things, but we were always very sensory sensitive"

"So when my daughter received her diagnosis, it became a moment of clarity—one that also helped me better understand my own family’s history"

"My dad is actually the one who suggested a doctor and by the time we got there, I was already convinced. I was convincing my family she was on the spectrum. I was just happy to get that confirmation. And I’m happy to always talk about it to normalise it"

"I want society to be comfortable with these kinds of conversations—conversations that matter"

"My children are like black and white, the most different ever. And I love it"

"My son is Mr. Entertainer, Extrovert. In a room full of people, he’s that kid who stands out. He loves socialising and is so independent. He even has an exhibition coming up in September and is also a pianist. OMG, he is everything"

"My daughter, on the other hand, is introverted. So graceful, so beautiful. She has this quiet confidence"

"That’s why they get along so well. My daughter doesn’t want the spotlight and my son thrives in it. There’s no competition—just harmony"

"I had to heal so much so that I am able to understand that my children are born through me but belong to God. In that way, I don’t project onto them. I’m even counting down the years until my son leaves home to go flourish,” she jokes—yet it’s clear she’s deeply intentional about preparing them for the world while also allowing them to discover their own callings"

"I love a role that I can ground somewhere in myself. There are actors who love to extend themselves, I like to find extensions of myself."

"When I was asked to go to Zimbabwe, there was one thing I was told; tourism."

"To show a different narrative of Zimbabwe, that there's beauty, invite people to come and spend money in Zimbabwe… show that Zimbabwe is powerful and incredible in its own special ways."

"I am not going to apologise for anything. What I will say is I did not know I was going to be at the State House, and I didn't know I was going to be in a situation that was going to look politically charged. Because, generally, once people have made a decision, you can't change their minds."

"I was never in this situation to be like, 'Ah, let me hurt people',"

"Equality issues arise when women see that they aren’t being taken care of. They then tend to ask, ‘Why am I different to a man or what makes me different?’"

"I always differ with that. We are not men, we are women, we need to be treated as such, we need to be seen, heard and respected."

"They should be at the forefront. Women are making sure that their households, husbands and children are being taken care of. I believe their rights should be different, we should always be favoured as women, everything that talks to a women should be different from men."

"Once you take something to the big screen, you’re introducing it to the world."

"When we were making 'Sarafina!’, no one thought it was going to be so huge. At that moment we were just focused on delivering the way we were suppose to, we weren’t thinking if it was going to be a success."

"As women, go through your struggles, fight your fight, but always know that having hope can help us with winning,"

"We all go through different struggles in life, but what is important when you are going through that journey is that you must have hope."

"I think it’s lazy to think chemistry is about sex. This is not the industry I joined; this phenomenon of nudity is new. Thankfully, I was cast with someone who shares the same sentiment with me."

"Generally, men are not well represented in South African media. It is hard to watch TV and look at a man and wish your son would grow up to be like him or for your daughter to marry a man like him"

"The sky will never be the limit for you because you are destined for greater heights"

"My team and I put together a special luncheon where I got to meet and personally thank an amazing group of people for their love and support. We ate, we sang, we laughed and we cried."

"You have touched my heart in such a special way. And I wish each and every one of you the best in all that you wish and pray for."

"I don’t have any specific thing I’m going to do now. The one thing I can tell you is I’m definitely not going into retirement. I’m just going to have fun exploring and growing outside of my home, Muvhango"

"I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my husband, not the kind of time where you just see each after work then have to go off and read your lines"

"After 20 years‚ I’ve decided to give the Thandaza character a break in order for me to grow as an artist‚ venture out to explore new opportunities and discover what I can do as an actress and as a human being"

"When I grew up, my friends would take their clothes to the dry cleaner's and give the slips to their boyfriends. My father died when I was 10, the only provider I know was my mother, so I grew up knowing mothers work, so I have always worked."

"There’s dignity in labour"

"During apartheid if you were a single women you would never get a house, even to rent, landlords were hesitant if you did not have a man"

"I’ve always felt like my life’s work has been to teach–then at a point, a studio became a dream of mine because the spiritual relationship I have with dancing is one that I feel I need to share."

"The studio is a home of expression, a home of love–and a home of freedom."

"We need to find creative ways to end period poverty. I know it can get awkward sometimes to speak about these things, but we need to be there for each other. It is important to share the information and knowledge that you gain. We need to take up more options in trying to help each other end period poverty."

"We believe that we are all global citizens responsible for making the world a better place, and the time to do so is right here, right now. We recognise the challenges, especially in a region with high poverty, and we strive to play our part to effect positive change."

"Being a storyteller is my passion, and I am so happy to have unlocked a first for myself. This role was both adventurous and fun."

"I hope this is the same emotion the audience gets when watching the series."

"I am a huge fan of the International Emmy Awards and the work that they do, so being a juror is sooo [sic] awesome. This one is definitely for the books and a privilege I will never take for granted."

"I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Nema. I was so excited and scared at the same time. Being a mother has changed my life completely, and I'm loving every moment of it."

"One thing I've also learned about this journey is that when you're pregnant, you want to have a friend who is also pregnant, someone you can relate to, someone you talk to."

"Google is your friend, that sister who has a child is your friend because you want to talk about what's coming. That's why I started a movement called Mommy Diaries, where mothers come together and talk about all things motherhood."

"Dintle, for me, has grown tremendously as a person and I believe that she has learnt from her past mistakes. For me as an actress, I have grown with her, although she is younger than me but believe it or not we are similar in the things we have gone through."

"I love how they have written the storylines for her; the story has helped me as an actress to grow and it was so amazing to go through certain things at the same time as she was going through them.” One similarity she points to between her and her character is the drive to achieve their goals and get what they want"

"Being raised by a single mother had its challenges. I had a good upbringing but because we did not have a television at home I had to watch from our neighbours. Growing up in Bloemfontein was OK but there were no opportunities for what I wanted, but the fire in me kept me going."

"With some productions, should you get pregnant the possibility of you not working is high because they would have to change the storyline, so you have to plan your life around your career."

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed but the mother, never. A mother is something new.""

"You need to equip yourself to know your body and know who you are. Don't get caught off guard like me"

"My children saved my life"

"Parents, pay attention to your children. They will save your life one day. I am telling you, I am living proof today"

"If that child could bathe me, he would have bathed me"

"Age doesn’t matter. But what does fashion say about you? It speaks to the way you feel. The way you look tells people how you are feeling. If you’re a woman and you’re not into fashion, I say to you, wake up – it’s the best experience ever"

"I’m an African God-fearing woman and in everything that I do, I know it’s my right to enhance my beauty. I celebrate my figure"

"You don’t have to wait for someone to tell you that you’re sexy… You’re a fabulous black woman and you don’t apologise for it"

"In my saddest moments, fashion tells my story"

"I had my daughter, Rudo, as a teenager. My mother helped me raise her. (As women) we have big hearts, we support our families and children. If my mother wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have been where I am today"

"People are dying of depression, cancer and HIV and yet South Africans have time for jokes. Half of SA is suffering with some chronic disease which is such a challenge for families, so people need to grow up"

"I was just thinking who could be responsible and if we did something to upset anyone, we are sorry. I've tried to ignore whatever has been said about me because every week it's something new but it's enough now. It's enough and it's getting ridiculous"

"We are also human beings. If you prick me, I will feel pain. We have lives, hearts and families and we feel pain"

"Today is a very emotional day for me because it’s an end of a journey. I’ve been apart of the show since the first episode. It was also the first telenovela shot in Durban, and ”Uzalo“ gave me lots of firsts that I will forever be grateful for,"

"This show stretched me very thin. I had to make choices as an actor that I didn’t think I would ever need to make. But I had the opportunity to grow"

"My character has grown extremely big, there is nothing more for her to do on the show and it was time to put her to rest. Maybe one day she will come back, but for now she needed to take a break."

"Women have not really had opportunities to be in the [production] space, even for myself as an executive producer it is shocking that I was the first female executive producer of the Miss South Africa pageant."

"If we are going to do something for women, and it’s supposed to be an empowerment platform then let it be done by women"

"The patriarchal world needs to be demolished."

"I know that there's a cancel community – you cannot cancel what you have created."

"When I'm needed, and when the time is right, the world will hear my voice. They will not hear my voice when they feel they should."

"A father for a girl-child sets the bar in relation to how you view and relate to men"

"The Kelly today doesn’t care what people say or think of her. The Kelly you see today is not defined by people’s expectations or perceptions of her. She is a liberated being, not defined by society – so, I appreciate her more than I did 20 or 10 years ago"

"Fame has a way of finding you"

"Motherhood is not for the faint-hearted; it’s for soldiers who are godly trusted because kids will test your faith, love and patience"

"My children are a reflection of me – they mirror me in everything, but they’re also a better, upgraded version of me"

"Enough is enough. It stops here and it stops today. I'm not going to be diplomatic about this. I'm not going to release press statements, I'm not going to waste my money hiring lawyers to speak on my behalf"

"I'm not above the law"

"If you haven't been in the child's life for many years you are no longer the father of the child, even if you decide to resurface and take responsibility"

"I take pride in the fact that I decided very early in life that I wasn’t going to let my circumstance get in the way of my dreams."

"I always tell myself that I’m running my own race because when I do so, I don’t expect pressure from others."

"I too, have finally found the strength and courage to speak out and seek justice In 2014, I was sexually assaulted and raped by Mongezi “TollAssMo” Mahlangu while working on a television production in Paarl, Western Cape. For numerous reasons, I did not open a case at the time and only shared this experience with one of the other participants on the show"

"For those who have been asking how they may assist financially, I am making final arrangements with my Attorneys to assist me setting up an ideal vehicle to receive your contributions to cover legal costs and also assist those who are in a position similar to mine. I appreciate all the outpouring of support since the story broke it into the news. Your support is not only for me, but the many other silenced survivors who await their day to find their voice to seek justice. The days of silence are over"

"In the past two month’s I have been served with letters from his attorneys to remove my tweets. A protection order was then applied for against me along with an interim order demanding that I delete my tweets and effectively attempting to silence me just after I found my voice to speak about my experiences. This culminated in an arrest warrant being issued against me and my subsequent imprisonment"

"I spoke to her with faith that she would fight through this. I thought she would pull through. I said a prayer with her. I begged her. I pleaded with her to not leave because I still need her. I don't want to imagine life without her. I am because of her. My world doesn't make sense without my mother. I said those words to her"

"I felt my mother going and the pain in her body leaving. When I got to the hospital, the numbness, pins and needles left"

"She fought like a trooper. She tried her best, but in the end she was really tired of fighting. My mother fought throughout her life. What pains me the most is she never got that break. She was always fighting through life, working through life. Always doing something for other people ... She gave and got nothing in return"

"For many years, I have been battling to find the courage and support to speak up against a number of acts of violence which have happened to me"

"There’s talent here and people are recognizing that now.We’ve got great actors, we just haven’t been able to show that because of our past history with apartheid."

"You know, personal experience…you’ve got to learn to be tough, you’ve got to learn to survive."

"If you want to make it to the top, you’ve got to look out for yourself. And finding support is a very rare thing, especially when your family is all over the place."

"Everyday you have to wake up and do something that scares you, because if you don’t, you’re not living. You have to feel that rush of adrenaline or whatever it is, that spark of energy that makes you feel alive."

"Do something every day that scares you, which is why I do what I do. It’s just the biggest rush of like adrenaline. Face your fear head on."

"One thing I learnt about doing this job and living in Hollywood for the past ten years is that you never have the job until you are standing in like waiting to get a catering job."

"Sometimes you have an idea of what your work means to people and other times you don’t and with the internet it was such an immediate and visceral reaction to it and we were just so happy and are still so happy."

"Whatever opportunities that are given to you, grab them.They may not necessarily be the opportunities you are looking for but I have found in my journey that by doing something and doing it well lead me to where I want to be."

""Be passionate, whatever you doing be passionate about it"."

""Be honest with yourself, don’t try and be a model if you are an intellectual. Don’t try and be a businessman when numbers are not your thing. Have a general honesty but most importantly have faith of some sort"."

""When things get tough and you want to give up, faith is that one thing that makes you keep on going because you believe in a better tomorrow. Never give up nothing is impossible"."

""So whatever your craft is, for example mine is presenting, radio and acting but the better you are… people see you. Even if you sweeping a floor well people will notice. So I would say more than networking with various brands or corporates to build yourself, let your work speak for you." By Zareef Minty, retrieved 04 Jul 2015."

"You get into that position and you don't want to get your hopes up because everything is so fickle in the industry."

"I think it's a good thing to look back on and understand that you have a power really. You have power in it and to use it wisely and to the best of our abilities too. Do good rather than bad."

"Society expects you to act a certain way and she didn't, which had its consequences."

"It's one of those things where — and this is why writers are so successful — it's about humanizing people."

"Some of the biggest monsters out there have something in their past that's made them into what they are.I don't think someone is just born into the world being nasty. Usually it's a combination of things. But it's interesting how it affects their life, how it affects everybody else in their life."

"Teenage bullying in general, I don't even want to say teenage anymore because everyone deals with some sort of bullying, it never ends. That's such a misconception, but bullying in general is so awful. Whether it's online or it's in person or it's your family."

"The biggest thing is to protect yourself emotionally and mentally, which should be a daily practice anyway.""

"As far as advice goes, I would definitely say keep your circle small and close. There really is something to making sure that you have a good support group."

"Loving yourself is so important, when you achieve this you’ll be capable of fully loving someone else."

"It's human nature to put people on a pedestal."

"When you hit 30 I think, inevitably, whether you’ve had children or not, I think you re-evaluate your life a little bit."

"I think we’re held to a higher standard because we’re meant to be mothers, and I think the Madonna-whore complex still exists quite a lot."

"We are less forgiving of female mistakes in general."

"I just think with boys they get away with being lads and cowboys and it’s an age-old myth that’s existed for a very long time. And I don’t really know how we fight it or change it."

"They are both women trying to exist in a patriarchal world, and it’s interesting that they’re decades apart in time but facing similar problems, which is again, an age-old issue."

"I just think people in the creative industries... crave normalcy and stability and the mundane, and then I also crave producing, writing, developing and working on both sides of the camera."

"I would sooner play in a good British picture than in the majority of American pictures I have seen."

"Relatives cannot help you in the studios. You stand or fall by your own efforts. My father and I have only ever worked in one picture together – that was Halfway House – and the producer was casting a father and daughter. Perhaps it was natural that he chose us, but my father did not get me that job, neither did I get him his."

"Acting is my highest form of intelligence, the time when I use the best part of my brain. I was always told, by my married friends, for example, that I could apply that intelligence to something else, some other aspect of living, but I can't. I don't have the same flair in other things."

"I'd tread very softly in that area. Very softly. I certainly wouldn't rush into anything again, and I'd have to have an awful lot in common with anyone I'd consider marrying next time. Why so many marriages? It was absolute conservatism on my part. I was brought up to feel that if you wanted to have an affair with a man, well, you married him. I have friends who, if they'd followed that rule, would have collected an awful lot of pieces of paper by now."

"I like being a woman, and it may be small‐minded of me, but I also like being given flowers, having the door opened for me, being cherished by a man. And a woman should look after a man, mother him. It's give and take. It evens out. I'm a complete romantic – and very happy to be one."

"For me, most relationships with men have been like pregnancies – they last only nine months. One of my marriages lated only three months. It wasn't a marriage at all but a serious mistake."

"There were situations that were hard for parents to turn down. It's difficult to turn down a chance to star with Laurence Olivier, to say, 'No, she has to go to school'. They had a big decision to make ... I was interested in everything. I wanted to be a scientist. I would've loved to go on and on at university. But you can't do everything in life."

"In classical theatre in Europe, everybody plays all kinds of parts. Juliets go on to play the Nurses; they don't want to play Juliet again. I think we've got to remember to grab onto our perks, whatever is the good thing about each age. Each stage of life should be a progression."

"I was quite an athlete, my muscles were strong from dancing, so the tail was just fine. I swam like a porpoise."

"I always said that 'Send In The Clowns' was the best gift I was ever given. But I've always thought before I decide I don't want to do theater anymore, I'd like to have a vehicle that gave me the scope to do something beautiful. Maybe this is it."

"Glynis Johns is already a professional actress. She got her chance two years ago when the child principal of a children's play fell ill and she took over the part without a rehearsal. Last year she made a hit in the emotional child's part in Elmer Rice's "Judgement Day," and her naturalness in putting over the temperamental storms of Midge Carne puts her high up in rank of child character actresses. Several London critics have compared her to Bonita Granville. She has an intelligent little face which has character without prettiness and, properly handled, should do interesting work."

"Glynis has light brown hair, blue eyes, and is five feet four inches in height. Dancing is still of great interest to her and is her favourite recreation, coupled with the collecting of good syncopated numbers: Glenn Miller's In the Mood is her favourite. Her favourite classical composers are Grieg, Mozart and Debussy. Riding, tennis and ice skating are her sports, and her ideal holiday is one spent in a mountain resort where there is plenty of night-life. Her favourite reading is autobiographies, preferably those of celebrities she knows personally."

"Glynis’s CV stands up strongly when compared to fellow actors of her generation and younger like Angela Lansbury, Judi Dench, Joan Collins and Maggie Smith, who all received Damehoods – so it would be nice if the government could make the same gesture for her as she turns 100."

"Of course, she came across as supremely confident, but in private she suffered quite crippling stage fright that she never really got over – only managed – so that makes her career even more remarkable."

"Glynis powered her way through life with intelligence, wit, and a love for performance, affecting millions of lives. She entered my life early in my career and set a very high bar on how to navigate this industry with grace, class, and truth. Your own truth. Her light shined very brightly for 100 years. She had a wit that could stop you in your tracks powered by a heart that loved deeply and purely. Today is a somber day for Hollywood. Not only do we mourn the passing of our dear Glynis, but we mourn the end of the golden age of Hollywood."

"I am a rape and incest survivor and I'm a very strong proponent of breaking the silence."

"It is a very healing power."

"Being a survivor myself I got to the point after 12 years when I told someone."

"It's not going to happen overnight. It is not a magic button, but it is a place to start."

"He groomed me to believe it was my fault."

"My message to children is to find someone they trust and tell them what is happenin"

"Research is very important especially because we need to do justice to any given profession and roles we play"

"Acting is the most unpredictable work a person can choose… acting is such a challenging career and somehow it doesn’t slow down despite the number of years you’ve been doing it. To be honest, I think that’s the intriguing part about it… I am always on my toes as I look forward to what’s next"

"For me, I am more concerned about the human behaviour and their story, something I get to explore through a script which I portray on the screen"

"It’s a constant quest of discovering different personalities that walk the earth"

"The grueling journey of landing a role can be mentally and emotionally taxing but can be quite rewarding when you find the characters that gel with who you are as an actor"

"I don’t have a specific role that resonates with me because there were challenges in every single one of them. I usually sweat bullets prior to acting a role – I worry whether the emotions I put in are good enough or whether I execute it well, however, as I grow into the character I tend to love what those roles are and they end up holding a special place in my heart"

"South Africa has immense talent that needs to be exposed to how the industry works. In the same breath, it doesn’t matter how much talent you may have but perseverance helps you to get your foot through the door to plenty opportunities"

"A lot of people think that I am a new kid on the block because of this big role I got....it took me ten years to get that (her role on Isidingo)"

"I had to give up the hustle and live (at) home for three years. My father would sometimes spend weeks and months in the hospital. Then he would be better and laugh‚ then the next thing he had dementia or couldn't walk. If it wasn't diabetes‚ epilepsy‚ kidney failure‚ hypertension or blood clots in the brain‚ it was something else. One day his body couldn't take it anymore and it shut down"

"There is nothing I regret‚ about anything that has happened in my past... I would do it all over again... That is what I needed. So‚ now when people try to mess you around‚ you are like: 'Oh‚ is that the best you can do? I have been dealing with things like this for a very long time"

"Losing someone you love is never easy‚ but I believe that when God takes‚ he also gives"

"Friends and colleagues within the communities that I represent have nagged me silly for years … I was so often booked as a training facilitator or MC and inevitably, my personal stories became a part of that job description … it became a natural growth"

"as long as I am part of a creative process and part of a process of change, I am happy"

"As an actress, a performance happens in the dark … you hear your audience and there is a connection of energy but you don’t necessarily see them and you are busy pretending to be someone else"

"I had to learn to find balance the hard way"

"I am convinced the talent police are around the corner"

"People forget that sometimes, manners and professionalism leaves a lasting memory"

"follow what you are passionate about and to commit to it with all your heart; success will find you"

"I love working with my hands so any craft keeps me happy as I can’t sit still for long. I also love cooking – that must be the Portuguese part kicking in"

"The hardest scene to do in the movie was when I had to swim across the Orange River about 5 times, then run up a hill of beach sand at speed, get to the top, and then do a really emotional scene"

"Study the craft of acting, at a reputable institution, first of all. This business means you need to work at your craft, long hours, preparation, professionalism, dedication is what is needed."

"I want my kids on TV” and I said you know what, wait for them to grow up, there’s enough time for them to be on television but get them some training as well and I know that it’s not always affordable for everyone; that’s always a major hassle but there are programmes where…I know that there’s the Market Theatre lab, that I mean there is a fee involved, but I do believe that they give…and go to free courses, go and learn something. Watch Videos, watch movies, watch people perform and learn. Keep learning and don’t think you know, don’t let your ego get in the way of what this job really is. It’s also just a job, you know, a job we’re passionate about, but it’s a job, be professional and work hard"

"People still refer to me by my old character's names... It's humbling to know that I still have a part in some people's lives"

"I had just started at SAFM and my friend asked me to take her to an audition for Generations. I was there and acting like a cool person when Mfundi Vundla came out and just started chatting. He asked me what I was doing there and he eventually convinced me to just audition. I went in with no preparation, and really no fear, and I got the job! I was so surprised"

"I believe that if you are meant for a job, it will find you. Even if you are sitting in a parking lot thinking you are too cool"

"When I was on Generations, I made my own costume. As a creative you are never done. One day you are in front of the camera and the next day you are painting and the following day you are producing something or opening a shop. You can't be put into a box because your mind is always creating"

"Why do you think that this is one of the only industries where, when someone dies, everyone regroups and pools resources to support the family? Because for many this is literally all they have"

"One of my best friends is drop-dead gorgeous and she says she doesn't remember her mom telling her that she's beautiful. When people mentioned it, she would hear her mom say 'don't ruin my child'. Our parents thought if they told us that we're beautiful or that we're smart, it would make us big headed"

"They were doing what they knew and what they thought is love and keeping us grounded and humble. That's why these uncomfortable chains need to be broken with our own parents through intergenerational conversations and new traditions of affirmation started with our children"

"Everything negative was attached to my dark skin, everything unattractive. Until the day I looked around and realised that my dark complexion is pulchritude personified and that I love my dark complexion"

"That is why representation is important to me it has been from a very young age. The moment I saw someone who looked like me it was a big deal"

"For the longest I wanted to look like everyone else. That was the cool thing to look like everyone else because I had my kind of hair that was this short because my mom had to cut it. There weren't enough product, if any to help maintain my hair. My parents tried to reaffirm me but you know you spend most of your time at school"

"I'm blessed that regardless of the challenges we've had, we support each other on so many levels - we put each other's growth first"

"What that has afforded for our family, is opening the world to us. Travel has become part of our lives. During school holidays we go to Dubai."

"My husband is an amazing dad and when he's around, he makes sure he's completely involved"

"I was drawn to the visually neutral style used by the campaign, pairing well-known quotes about violence and associating them with an image that breaks down the stereotype of who would likely have that sentiment or mindset of the quote. Thereby highlighting that in a violent society, the face of a victim could also be a man"

"The statistics for male victims is under-reported because men feel emasculated and ashamed that they've been victimised. But if society starts to see that men can also be affected by violence, that both men and women feel trauma in the same way, hurt in the same way when subjected to violence, we will ultimately break down the stereotype"

"We have to be allowed to have our mess as women in every humanly possible way. I don’t think that it makes us any less admirable or whatnot. It makes us very human"

"I’m very much content and in control of my own life and feel empowered as a woman and as a person"

"We all understand that to tell our stories we have to give all of ourselves whether it’s a physical or sensual stunt. We use our bodies as resources and on top of that, we had incredible intimacy set co-ordinators"

"Kgomotso Christopher soars on Fatal Seduction!,7 Jul,by Thubelihle Ntombela"

"She wasn’t from a very rich background and had to pursue a degree that would guarantee employment upon graduation but she did not let that derail her plans of becoming an actress;ZA Celebs"

"As soon as she got to Cape Town, she contacted one of the Cape Town-based agents that she had met during her time at the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein and set up a meeting. She was later signed to the agency and she got acting jobs which she had to fit into her schedule as a full-time student;ZA Celebs"

"Kgomotso Christopher, the actress:19-11-18,By Erene Roux"

"It was good for me to come out of my shell, also to remind myself that I am capable of doing more than what I've always done."

"I struggled with depression a lot in those years, with my own things but I also think some of it was the character. Because sometimes I think I would forget it's not me"

"To be fair and honest, I did slip into some depression again after that. Our industry is not easy and being an artist is so difficult. Work wasn't coming as fast as I would've liked and hoped so I took some time to go do some training at the Market Theatre, I'm still busy with that, even now. But I will be finished soon. That really did help keep the fire burning and sharpening my skills. As an artist you can't say you have arrived you always have to be learning and any day things can go back to ground zero and you have to hustle again like you haven't been working every day"

"I would like to believe that I have a very long career ahead of me but I feel like that character is one character that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It was such an impactful role in so many ways. She went through so much. Anything that you can think of, she went through and that opened my eyes personally to some of the things that people out there go through. I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity and that journey. I grew a lot as a person, it was really a privilege to play such a character"

"This time I feel like I have it under control. I have my life together. I am more mature and have more experience. I am not really worried. This time I am more confident and relaxed. I am happier and have more support."

"I think it is difficult being a mom and even falling pregnant when you are in this industry. I feel like in our industry, where we use our bodies to tell stories, we have to work very hard to prove our worth. That is why so many women wait until so late in their life to have kids."

"Children are a big blessing from God.We cant use them as an excuse to stop following our calling and fulfilling our God-given purpose."

"I call you my struggle child, because you have had to face my hardships. Therefore, our bond and how far we have come cannot match any other. Remember to always pray and give thanks. Listen and have understanding. Work hard and give your absolute best. Focus on the positive. You don’t have to fit in. You are unique and incredibly gifted. I love you to infinity. I would do anything for you. I have your back. I get you. I will always be there, whether in this life or the next. I am with you. I love you so so much, Sipho. Mummy."

"I had a life-changing, massive audition for an international show that was going to be on Fox TV, but two months later I heard I didn't get it. I was gutted for months. After that I thought, 'I don't want to act for the rest of the year"

"I’ve been very fortunate. Having to work in such a tough yet competitive industry isn't easy. It can be quite difficult to maintain the standard. It’s good to still see that I can be hired for roles on TV."

"While I was home taking care of my child, I got time to re-evaluate my life and what I wanted to do next. I used that time to work on myself and take care of my mental health."

"I’ve always wanted to tell stories of dynamic African women such as Nokutela, Charlotte Maxeke… women that history finds a way to erase, those we don’t talk about enough. I feel that is my duty to tell their story," the 39-year-old says about her portrayal of Mdima-Dube being one of her lifelong dreams"

"I genuinely respect the gift of storytelling that I’ve been entrusted with. I know it comes from a higher place. Keeping my personal life separate from what I do for a living. At home, I’m a mom, a wife, a neighbour, a sister. I learnt very early in my career not to make the job my life."

"I’ve been toying with the idea of creating work that educates, stories about ordinary people. I love history, and with the internet becoming more accessible to many, there’s room to create work that speaks to audiences across the globe. There is a series that’s now in post-production which should air later this year. Look out for that one, it’s gonna be fantastic."

"If I were to wake up one day and decide not to act anymore, I’d be really grateful to have had those opportunities. I take none of them for granted"

"Throughout my 20s, I was depression prone and also suffered from anxiety. The only way to keep a lid on the anxiety was to work out. Exercise went from being about aesthetics to wanting to be mentally sound. Fitness, for me, is key to staying on an even keel"

"I often liken caring for our mental health to maintaining a healthy immune system. You don’t start boosting your immune system once you’re sick. The point is to keep it healthy so you don’t get sick. I also realised that if we are constantly on the brink of being mentally compromised, anything that life throws our way just tips us over"

"When you’re going through a lot of emotional turmoil, you spend the bulk of your time running away from your body. Yoga, in my case, returned me to my body. That combination of movement and meditation really flipped the script for me"

"Beyond acting and producing, I really believe that my purpose is to help people win the war against their mental destruction. How do we live beyond the limitations of our bad habits and limiting beliefs? I’m interested in meeting the highest version of who God intended Bonnie to be"

"I think everyone has a propensity for depression. The trick is to teach your mind to recognise the symptoms ASAP. My two major depressive episodes taught me that everyone’s biggest enemy is their mind. Left to run rampant, our minds can easily become our worst enemies"

"When what you do for a living becomes your entire identity, it’s easy to view your life as finished when things don’t go your way in a particular situation or experience. It’s important to have a vision of yourself that is larger than the job because, after all, the job comes from you, right"

"Whatever purpose you were born for on this earth, you’re going to arrive in the form and shape best suited for it"

"How we are nurtured as children plays a big role in how we respond to life lessons"

"Apart from the fact that I meditate daily, work out and eat well, prayer is my mainstay. I pray through any and everything. No matter what circumstances surround me, no matter what comes and goes, prayer is the one thing that never changes. Prayer is where I source my strength. Prayer never leaves, it never forsakes me. It’s always me and God, and I’m really grateful for that"

"I think the biggest contributor to depression and anxiety, especially in our society today, is perceptions. There’s who we are, and then there’s this perception of what we’re supposed to acquire and become. Lastly, there’s this perception of perfection that is always held up to us. We always operate from a place of: ‘I fall short. I’m not meeting this and that criteria.’ My daily thing is reminding and asking myself: ‘How can I live, enjoy and unite with this current version of myself"

"We are so afraid to be vulnerable about who we really are. The minute we step out there, we wear this veil of perfection then walk around feeling like imposters all day. Yet, the reason we feel like imposters is because we’re just not being ourselves"

"Learning how to be vulnerable has been my biggest teacher…Vulnerable to my struggles and vulnerable in an industry where one is expected to appear perfect — or where, somehow, the people who appear perfect are the most applauded. I’ve always shattered this expectation because I just want to tell the truth!"

"Let your thoughts support, nurture and affirm the reality you’re building."

"It’s so important to teach our children at an early age to understand what anxiety is and equip them with tools to navigate it otherwise they start to believe that something is inherently wrong with them."

"The secrets of this universe are revealed to those who seek and are ready.The how of seeking is sacred and truly humbling."

"A lot of my inner healing work is spent trying to come to terms with the fact that being a woman living in South Africa is a trauma all on its own."

"So yes to the money, and to the bravery of saying, ‘Tell this story even if it has never been done before"

"The biggest myth is that we aren’t telling certain stories because the audience is not ready for them, which is a lie"

"We’re not living in isolation from what’s happening in the world. So we’re watching and streaming; now it’s our turn to join the party"

"It’s very nice to be part of something that sets the standard. And the standard is high. I don’t want anything else for myself and for my career"

"We want to see ourselves reflected on screen. We are patriotic in that way that we don’t want to be told something we can’t relate to. Tell us stories that reflect us"

"I hope people will be reminded one way or another of who they are, and who black people were before colonialism. It’s pre-everything! It is pre-colonialism, pre-borders, and it is before the division of the countries in the continent. It was free rein. People could travel from any part of the continent to another. I hope that we get that vision of ourselves while watching the series"

"The danger of being viewed as the strong one is that you try to keep this up, even at times when you yourself are uncomfortably close to breaking point."

"So I have chosen to allow myself the next few hours as hours of weakness. I will cry, I will be needy. I will ask him to bring me my favourite treats on the way home. Tomorrow, it will be business as usual. Its OK not to be OK"

"For the longest time I have been torn between corporate and entertainment ... knowing that entertainment is my first love, but also having corporate really paying the bills."

"I thrive on not knowing how any of my days can possibly look like. I wake up, I go to the gym and then go to the office for three to four hours."

"You know what's great about acting? It allows you to be an entrepreneur because when you are waiting in the green room to do your scenes you are writing a business proposal."

"The thing is the higher you move up in the corporate space the more comfortable you get. There you know your place, it has its own challenges but you are settled and you know where your money is coming from. I was fearful of how life would be when I have to ask questions like, 'where will my income come from this month."

"Depression is real and I am opening up for the first time about abuse and depression."

"There is no formula as to how to keep yourself sane. It’s important to talk about it when you’re ready but we need to address it because people think I am the only one…the glowing people are most probably the ones hiding something."

"You need to find a mirror and ask: Do you love yourself? For you to stick around there must be a problem and it’s okay – we all have problems."

"I don’t succumb to cliques. I can’t have that kind of pressure. My friendships have to be natural or really meaningful with people who share my vision‚ especially spiritually. The energy has to feel right and I think that has helped me not lose who I am in this often chaotic industry."

"Look‚ you get frustrated when you keep going at something and it doesn’t materialise‚ but for me that is when I stop and reflect. I check what this could mean for me‚ like working on my craft‚ checking my spirit and building that hunger to succeed when I do get the role."

"If I have a baby, if God gives me the strength and the patience, I always like to raise my baby up to one year before I can start hustling - just to bond because this industry by the time you get back on the horse, it gets hectic and you may never be there as much as you would like to."

"At the moment, I am busy being a mother and taking care of me. Strengthening my relationship with God. After losing our mother in November last year I realised 'Winnie, you have to take care of you'. I take each day as a gift from God. I've had to really focus on it because with my mother's death it was sudden. Today she was with us then the following day she was gone just like that"

"The power to be me in all the senses. I think every person's superpower lies in really living their truth. To just do you. For the longest time I've struggled with trying to please people at the expense of my peace and my joy. When I realised it, it was a heavy wake up call... to say 'Hey, it's okay to say no, you don't have to say yes to everything"

"I don’t try too hard to be remembered or to stay relevant"

"Women are not being supported enough.That is why their lives are filled with doubt and fear to fail.if you believe that you cannot do something,then you will not be able to"

"You need to be strong and confident in whatever you do because not everyone will agree with you. Refusing to give up is the secret to success"

"Gone are the days when women were expected to stay home,now they have to be financially independent.And we are here to build each and every woman"

"If you want to change but you stay in the victim box, you will never change. I have to get out of the whole victim role and make it work"

"When you're an actress you can hide behind a mask, I've been doing it my whole life. And what happened when all the stories came out - there was no mask. I was completely naked. So I've learned so much."

"My profession is incredibly cut-throat and incredibly hard. It requires a resilience that, had I not been in the MRF programme, I don’t think I would have been able to endure. My residency helped me grapple with my own shadow: sides of me that I did not realise were not cute"

"The joy that I feel when I’m on stage, I can’t explain it to anyone. It feels like that first breath of a child. It’s sore and it’s uncomfortable but it’s a sign of life"

"People have let you into their homes, to be a part of their families every day. So it shows an appreciation for your work and for your gift"

"She’s taught me that I lose nothing by holding space for a younger actor"

"As a child I felt too scared to exist in this world and the drama and acting gave me chance to go, I might be too scared, but this character might not be. So let me live it out through them"

"If I’ve forgotten my heart’s song, they’ve always sung it back to me"

"I do not care if you have all the money in the world,but if you do not have respect, wow, I feel sorry for you"

"If there is one thing I pray about every day it’s always being humble and always respectful. I pray no amount of money or fame will change that"

"I chose a long time ago that I will not post anything that will make others feel less than who they are, because social media plays a huge role in people's lives"

"I'd have to go and sleep in the bathroom before I'd start working. That happened for six months and no-one knew. There was another woman who used to work in the bathrooms who eventually started leaving a blanket for me"

"It was a secret, in fact I only told my family after I stopped sleeping in the bathrooms because ... when I started getting sick I realised it was because I was sleeping in the bathroom"

"When we were staying in Joburg. We were staying with my aunt and things were not nice there. There was a lot of abuse that I never even spoke about ... they ended up throwing us out of the house and we went to stay in a shack"

"I realised that there are young people who want me to mentor them and I don't know where to start but ... Me sharing these stories bit by bit, it's a way of me healing, it's a process. I look at my life now at the age of 29 and I think of the 20 years of my life. When I'm finally healed, people will hear everything ... people will hear everything that has happened in my life"

"I know it's hard because how do you even begin ... but find that one person and tell them what you are going through and show them your scars"

"The issue is we don't trust each other, especially as women. But the trick is, the first thing that really helps us get out of abusive situations and stay out, is to talk about it"

"You have to be determined to get out but that's also hard, because the abuse kills your willpower and sometimes you don't want to fight any more. It took me forever to get to a place where I could trust a man enough to date him because of everything I went through"

"You need to speak — the more I spoke about it the more things became clearer for me. The more I spoke the more I became honest with myself. That's how I began to heal. Not talking about it is one of the foremost reasons why women are depressed"

"I've been abused. I was still very young and my younger sister and I were abused. It was more of physical abuse and I know with my sister, it was more than that, because she had to do certain things in order for us not be kicked out of the house were staying in"

"I remember it so clearly. I know the pain, trust me, I really know that pain and I have been able to survive to be the strong person that I am today. I used music as an escape and, at some point, worked up enough courage to speak about it so I could start healing. I want to help others who, like me, have endured abuse because they are poor or are dependent on their abusers"

"I am passionate about storytelling, I am a black woman and I know the hardships we face. I am excited about the people involved in this project. Some survivors of these atrocities, some having encountered abuse in their families, some in relationships - we all know of someone that has been abused and this is why we need to stand up and do something"

"I will stop acting when I am 97. That’s my cut off. I don’t dream about producing or directing or anything else… acting is my passion. Even [if] it means going months without work, what is meant to be always comes around"

"I’m a method person and prefer being prepared. But it was a welcome challenge. Being as self critical as I am, I do hope I did the role justice. It certainly was unlike anything I’ve ever done"

"I realised the power that cult leaders have, how easy it is to manipulate people. You just need to tell people what they want to hear to have them eat out the palm of your hand. She is one of the darkest characters I played and breaking away was difficult"

"But because I’m a goof and an avid reader, my humour and thirst for knowledge saved me from staying in character"

"Being a trained actress is important. This is why I can play virtually any part.” With three SAFTAs to her name, she says awards don’t define her"

"Training is important it doesn't have to be from a formal institution"

"Maybe I need to change,maybe I need to adapt"

"Don't get frustrated, instead teach,guide,Nthati"

"There are still so many roles...I am going to be acting until I am 90"

"I guess it’s having a great support system around"

"I have great family, great friends and wonderful kids that make my life easier."

"My thesis in life is if you’re fearful, you will never get anywhere so I take life by the horns. Life is exciting and its short so live it wildly"

"The fact that there’s actually so many things to do with your kids here because most destinations are targeted at adults, but this is a family friendly place"

"Because I grew up in a township there was a whole lot of people calling me white and asking me to speak English, I had to have a good sense of humour about it. You either cry or you laugh"

"I grew up with my mother, so I consider myself black. I met my dad when he passed away but I never got to know anything white about me"

"I have done well for myself. I am successful but I feel the need to meet my father for my life to be complete"

"No, personally I don't think I'm the sexiest but it's a compliment. I don't know what to say, these are overpowering comments. I'm meant to take the character to greater heights and that's exactly what I'm doing"

"Some just watch to be on the look out for the next pretty girl. It's not a bad thing. I'm getting more following on social media. It's nice to be appreciated"

"I guess they saw the tape from 2014 and remembered me. It was sort of a call back. I just did two very light scenes and was in. Scandal! is one of the shows that I've always wanted to be part of"

"That's how I got my first draw in this business. You have to stay ready to be called up any time. It happens quite a lot, that is the spontaneity of the business"

"I love adventure, risk and the opportunity to learn something new about myself and the world I live in"

"I don’t shed anything. It’s more of a case of incorporating all my life’s realities into the picture and finding a way to accept the multiple truths that exist for me"

"It’s important for us to see ourselves reflected in the entertainment industry, films, series and documentaries we watch and the books we read"

"As a survivor of GBV, I accept that telling these stories is a part of my ministry and that it’s not something I have to erase after I engage in the material"

"Soul City was an eye-opener because before we started shooting I had never been in a shack before"

"At times, I cried because I knew about poverty but when I experienced it for the first time, it became real. During takes and getting my make-up done I’d literally just start crying because the story felt so real."

"didn’t go to school for acting and I’ve never had a lesson in my life but when I was in primary and high school I was in all the plays. In Grade 9, when I was supposed to choose subjects, I wanted to take Drama but my parents were like ‘No honey, we are not paying for you to play games on a stage"

"I rarely got it right the first time. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t know why they were telling me to say things that weren’t true. The teachers would try convincing me and told me it was just acting but I didn’t know what was going on. It took me a while but every year I was in the plays and that’s when I started getting familiar with acting"

"People can say what they want, they can suggest and even strongly suggest, but at the end of the day if I choose to go with what they suggest and I live like that then I’ll be the one living like that, not them"

"I’ve learnt to always be ready because a dream can happen in five minutes just from an audition and getting casted"

"Also, when you walk into your workplace, leave all your problems and emotions at the doorstep and bring only your polite character and personality."

"You have to believe and trust in yourself and your craft. Never mess up your opportunity, show up and deliver"

"Art, to me, is what oxygen is to humans. Without art, I’d be living and existing but not alive"

"I've been praying. I've been wanting to leave that place. It was something I had really been praying about, so when it finally happened, it really felt like God was removing me from the toxic environment"

"I probably would have killed myself. There was a 90% chance. That's how toxic that place was"

"This is absolutely wild, it's insane. This is for the little black girl sitting at home needing their dreams to be validated. This is it, this is our moment, this is our time! I’m eternally grateful. Little me is happy to have fulfilled my childhood dream"

"It is so hard because I literally put in so much work. I put in so much work for that story. But now it seems that my head is overlooking my work. You guys are not focused on my craft. You guys are more focused on my physicality and my head. I literally work so hard, but you know"

"all the way out to always find something wrong with someone and use that to bring them down"

"When I visited my psychiatrist he told me that he wanted me to book myself into hospital the next day. I was hesitant. I kept thinking, 'Dr. I need to get back to work tomorrow'. I was also scared that people wouldn’t understand and that I would be away with no support"

"I felt like I was drowning and felt like with every breath I was waging a war against myself"

"I didn’t really listen to what people were saying or worried what they thought of me but I did get judged"

"She asked me why I had the bands (admission bands) and I told her I was in hospital for depression, bipolar and anxiety. She started judging me and suggested that I was too young to be struggling with such problems. It shook me but I just shrugged it off"

"I want people to know that there is hope. You have to take it one day at a time and believe that it will get better. I still struggle some days and I have to talk to myself and let myself know that it will be alright, even if I don’t feel like it in the moment"

"I am in a much better space. Some days are better than others but I am doing better because I have learnt to make myself be present in the moment. I allow my feelings to overwhelm me if they have to. If I am sad, I will be sad. If I am happy, I will be happy. I stay true to myself now"

"My DMs are filled with people sharing their struggles and challenges. It is humbling to think that I can make a difference in their lives. I think it is really important that we start talking about depression, especially in black families. Depression is something that is not talked about, it is the devil, and because we don't talk about it, it affects us more. Talking about it helps"

"To be able to keep a character interesting every day requires a lot of new answers that you must incorporate now and then because we evolve as humans"

"It was therefore important for me to show that Aggie has grown from this facet of her life to that one. I have used the technique of bringing in different new answers and attending classes with my acting coach"

"I am proud of me, because Afrikaans is my third language and working on an Afrikaans show for the past 18 years has been nothing but amazing and challenging, as I had to make sure that I put in the work, and I do not drop the ball"

"Because I am an actress, I know how to debrief, leave the character and move on with my life"

"Remember, body positivity is not just about big girls, it’s about different shapes and sizes of our bodies and how to love ourselves best"

"Sometimes, I tell my mom that she should have written me little notes on what to expect at certain points in my life. I was just contemplating life and my personal journey"

"Choose happiness"

"This week was emotionally hard on me. From sitting on the floor in the shower naked, crying my lungs out because I felt I made bad choices in my life, that I’m not good enough, to doubting myself and basically tearing myself apart from all angles."

"The thing is we all go through such things, and you think you are the only one going through it. There are so many people going through stuff and the more we talk about it, the better"

"Obviously people are always recognising me and I am often stopped by fans but half the time I forget about the fame and go about my life as Nobuhle. It is never in my head. I just react to fans in the moment. I go with the flow"

"I woke up one day last week and I couldn’t take it any more! I was overwhelmed with traumatic incidents I encountered and all the thoughts in my head the last couple of months. I cried so much I couldn’t breathe and I had a severe headache throughout this episode"

"It was an anxiety attack, but this time I was not letting it get to me. I picked up the phone called my sister and a close friend to let them know that I’m not OK, and that simple act of calling someone was me fighting"

"I’ve been fighting depression and anxiety all my life by 'managing' and 'controlling' it, by simply blocking traumatic experiences I’ve encountered since I was a young girl. I attempted suicide twice in my life because I just did not want to be here and feel this pain any more"

"I have to go back to that little girl that got hurt and heal her. I’m happy I decided to fight this. I’m not an expert but I’m learning and I’m on a journey of healing"

"I have bipolar disorder.There is no shame. I have survived and came out stronger."

"I became bipolar after the death of my sister and my divorce.it is still difficult to deal with,but it is getting better"

"You have to break down the negative stigma surrounding the disease.People need to realize that it is a disease like Cancer.I am not crazy"

"It’s an even stranger phenomenon…that one should choose a profession to try to be someone else all day"

"It doesn’t detract from the fact that she is an extraordinarily versatile and instinctive actress, constantly in demand, never out of work, and has acted in everything from musical theatre, “although I cannot sing”, to comedy, farce, to Shakespearean drama"

"She is fun, charming and has a compelling presence"

"Her talent as an actress, for which I’ve always been full of admiration, and was well aware of, but her prowess as a musician on the piano was a surprise. I was so impressed by her virtuosity on the piano and have ever since, often wondered if she had possibly missed her real vocation."

"Annalisa was a diminutive young woman in her early twenties with great inner beauty when, in the Seventies"

"Isn't it great when a woman gives birth and miraculously comes out of it all svelte and sleek, as if the pregnancy never happened? Well, I am not one of those women! I left the hospital with a happy layer of lard, disguised as water retention"

"No weird cravings and no morning sickness. I tried to eat healthy, or rather healthier this time, because with Yorke it was double cream this and triple choc that, so there were clearly lessons learnt from the first time"

"I have lots of protein which, I believe, is good for milk supply and I eat brown bread or rice and lots of vegetables, with light snacks in between. I had plans to start Pilates a month after the birth but, really, where is the time for that in between feeding, bathing, changing nappies and bathing myself"

"When I am not working (TV acting is just part of my work), I try to spend quality time with my family otherwise I end up with the working-mother's guilt"

"She brings a vibrant and humorous touch to every event she hosts, keeping audiences engaged and entertained throughout"

"Leeanda has a natural ability to connect with people. Her approachable and lighthearted personality helps to create a relaxed atmosphere, making her the ideal choice for events where humor and interaction are key elements."

"The joy and wisdom of getting older is the knowledge that it’s not about you. Yes, you have to work hard and be the best you can, but what’s more important is the story, what value you bring to it."

"I just verbalised some thoughts, and believe where your mind goes energy flows. And its time to focus on hope and peace and a better tomorrow. We know we as a country deserve more"

"Maybe this is the time, when we the women of South Africa, who love this country so much, and know we have to protect it, need to find a time, 5 minutes or half an hour, standing side by side holding hands, the length and breadth of SA, creating a circle around the country, linking our common belief, without saying one word, and collectively show ourselves and the world, peacefully, silently and powerfully, that we and our country deserve more"

"How can we make this happen? Who can make this happen? This time more than ever, we need to stand together. Surely? I ache inside"

"We laugh a lot. The three of us have worked together for many years. We understand each other, so there is a lot of give and take. As soon as we see pressure on one of us, the other two step in and shift the focus. We balance each other out. And then laugh some more. We are highly professional, but have a huge amount of fun, because we love what we do."

"Theatre needs you to go to a vulnerable place to find authenticity and truth"

"I believe so strongly in following my intuition. I have learned to trust it as I have got older"

"I fell into this role, and I've been able to make a career out of it"

"which I didn't intend to do. It's a role I love wholeheartedly; I feel very blessed to have been able to do it this long"

"I didn't have any access to theater"

"Fortunately for me, I did have a fantastic classical ballet teacher in my small town"

"It was only when I went to England and got this role quite by accident that I decided, ‘Oh, this is what I want to do"

"What a blessing to have been able to make a career out of Chicago"

"I'm very strict about how I keep myself fit. I don't go overboard. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian"

"I keep a balance. I keep my mind in a place that I don't allow it to spiral out of control. If I get influenced by anybody else's negative thoughts, it can be a slippery slope down. I take care of those things, and then the rest takes care of itself"

"The more life experience you have, the older you are, the more interesting your point of view becomes, the more you realize how little you actually know"

"When you're younger, you think you have a handle on things. As you get older, you realize you don't"

"That kind of letting go is the most wonderful feeling in the world"

"This is my life, and I'm very, very happy with it."

"She is dynamite, I’ve never seen anyone like her. Double Wow!!!-Julie Wilson"

"She lacks nothing-she’s got it all. Looks, talent, heart, glamour, star quality- you name it! Her act defines the worlds cabaret form, past to present--Tommy Tune"

"Sensational Amra-Faye..a truly gargantuan talent - and really nice person to boot. This leggy and versatile lady has it all -style, class, presence, beauty, a body from heaven and a voice and audience rapport that has everyone quickly eating out of her hands and many jumping to their feet, this critic included.- The Mercury"

"She is the hottest show in town....sheer seductress - vocal and otherwise - enrapturing with the clarity, power and poise of her delivery of jazz, blues and classic modern numbers. Her stage persona is worldly-wise, ironic, knowing. There’s humor of the subtlest sort at play, inflected and nuanced and perfectly judged.- Darryl Accone, Artzone"

"Amra-Faye is the epitome of the professional cabaret artiste.- Observer, Cape"

"Surely the most vivacious and drop-dead gorgeous performer ever seen. Glittering with sass, sparkle and sophistication, and her vibrant personality and versatile voice, deft moves infectious smiles and easy patter, relating to her life and times, ensure a memorable night out.- The Star, JHB"

"She brings impeccable precision to everything, from high stepping dance moves to subtly directed winks. She has palpable presence and injects her performance with passion- Cape Town, Burger"

"We did a lot of extra work. We worked at night when everyone had gone home and we would rehearse our scenes"

"We worked very very hard. I was forced into big parts from a very young age, probably sometimes being forced into playing roles that I wasn’t quite ready for but there is nothing like being pushed into something like that to give you maturity as a young actress"

"It’s wonderful because it’s strange, it’s almost with all that pressure gone, social pressure, political pressure gone, it is actually a wonderful relief"

"Yes, but that is not important because one must move the emphasis from yourself to the work"

"Then you are not that afraid because if you are afraid that you won’t be good enough, that is not the question. The question is “What does the work ask of me"

"Do the work honestly and properly and that is all you can do and go out there and share it. That is what we are here for, to share"

"You can’t just grow all the time. You grow incrementally and in steps"

"What you see is what you get; I cannot be pretentious"

"If we really want to have a full interview, we can talk for five days. My life is so interesting because of all the shows I’ve done, places I have visited"

"Education is one thing they can’t take away from you"

"We came from a background where we cleaned the theatre, we swept the stage. We came into the industry gradually. That’s what where drug abuse comes in sometimes, because often many young people can’t handle the pressure"

"That’s why giving up teaching was a problem; you used to income monthly and suddenly you freelance and you don’t know where money is going to come from"

"If I add some Afrikaans words to my script abroad and get a reaction I know there’s South African’s present"

"When I did the audition, I already felt that this role was just sitting right in my skin, I don’t know why. This movie and character were different from anything I’ve done in my career before"

"Both are about people being promised a new life, a good future, but in the end falling for someone or something that is all about money and power (mentally and otherwise), or being taken advantage of"

"The reality of this is that the situation in this movie isn’t new"

"Young people, people in relationships, are being manipulated because they are targeted as being weak"

"People like Melchior give them something to live for. Hope. A future. But they are, in the end, just part of a sick person’s power-hungry game"

"To emotionally prepare, I took from my own life experience and ideas I had about my character and relationships. Thankfully I haven’t been in any situation close to this specific story"

"But looking back at previous relationships when I was much younger and more insecure, one does tend to become more of a someone you think your partner wants you to be – to be accepted, to be loved"

"Only afterwards you realise, ‘Okay, that was happening. I can suddenly be myself again, I feel relieved and free"

"There are different degrees of this behaviour in relationships. But if you see this happening, I suggest that you re-evaluate your reasons for being with someone"

"I think a lot of women go through mental and emotional abuse, but choose to stay because the other one ‘will change’ or ‘loves’ them"

"Even though my family was there for me,I wished I had to someone to talk Someone who tried to understand.I feel like parents don't talk to their children enough. Parenting isn't just about providing a roof over your child head and clothing them."

"Sometimes when you’ve failed, it’s hard to see past that failure"

"The aim of this show is to inspire the teenagers to get excited about their careers, despite their circumstances, and give them the tools they need to help them finish school"

"Some of these children have gone through traumatic things"

"The show is not about focusing on those things, it’s about helping them move forward."

"I hope Dream School will have a positive impact on the children on the show and that it will help parents and teenagers who watch the show to communicate better"

"At the time, my family and I didn’t know I was suffering from depression. I was a very quiet child who was always just in the background at school. I was withdrawn and didn’t really have friends, but I was focused on getting school done"

"Long and vulnerable but perhaps it inspires someone. So, for those who don’t know, acting was never the plan. It was never even an option really, I was an academic, well on my way to my PhD in social linguistics"

"What started out as a way to make some extra cash on the side turned into a full-blown love for the art of storytelling"

"Truthfully, I wanted to quit many times, sometimes I still do. But there was always this very silent voice within me echoing ‘hold on Steph, the best is yet to come"

"So while holding on, I took every opportunity to learn. In every audition as a casting assistant I would ‘play’ alongside distinguished actors, not just read for them but give a performance"

"But for years I felt unqualified, seeking validation from anyone and everyone, validation that I had what it took to be a ‘thespian’. I’d idolise fellow actors and wish I could be as authentic and as vulnerable as they were"

"This was acting school for me, I would watch and absorb choices these actors made, watch movies and ‘steal’ from other actors. All while sitting behind the NFH reception desk as the featured extra"

"Absorb, learn, long story short, I am so proud of the actor I’ve become [it took me forever to even refer to myself as an actor] I look at the growth from when I started, not having a clue what I was doing [sometimes I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing to this day]."

"I am still not where I’d like to be but I’m so thankful that God qualifies the seemingly unqualified and his purposes far outweigh the opinion of anyone else. So, I push on and push through and little by little step into all he has planned for me"

"I always believe – If I direct I’ll become a better actor, and if I act I’ll become a better diretor"

"Part of me would say that you do everything and anything because even in something that may not seem interesting at the time, there is a reason for it to come."

"I think the challenge has been to make a living basically because we are not hugely supported"

"I tend to be a very optimistic person"

"I seldom get depressed and if I do, it’s very shortlived and it’s usually about a play or in the process of a character"

"I think I felt a great sense of liberation when I turned 40. I was less hard on myself. We have this terrible stigma that we are lesser than"

"Never say no. I always said no at the beginning. I’d say, “No, I won’t do this, I’ll wait for that. No, I won’t do this yet"

"I want to address the issue of mental health. The way my stroke happened shocked me. I was so scared to sleep and I needed to sleep so my nervous system could relax. I could not sleep. Actually, I did not want to sleep"

"It was so frightening. It was not easy for me"

"It was traumatising. I crawled on one side to go to the toilet. It was scary"

"He fought for me. He kept lifting the standard against stroke. Stroke is cruel, is mean. I came a long way. First and foremost, there was no sign at all"

"Speak to the wind, command with the authority and declare with power of God in you and prevail. I bless you, I am grateful I am getting stronger daily"

"Good day, beautiful friends. I hope you're well. I miss you. I just want to say thank you for your support. There's no smooth life storms and waves happen, but they are nothing. It's just a distraction. In your path all this happening is pushed by the wind"

"I am everything that my heart desires to be. I am a woman, an artist, a lover of life and most importantly, a woman living a purposeful life. I am thankful for the gift of life and the chance to do what I love"

"From an early age, I learnt to have courage after seeing my community protesting and fighting against apartheid."

"Today, I am a fearless and driven artist because I was always surrounded by like-minded people"

"I love that I draw my strength from the strong women who fought against oppression and marched in 1956"

"I love that I am liberated and have the freedom to be a phenomenal woman because of the strides they took"

"I embrace my emotions, weaknesses and strengths. I love being a woman"

"I have a mother who is very passionate about the arts and she has always been very supportive of my craft. I believe parents should support their children but the most important thing is that as a child you need to work at making your parents understand your craft. Convince them that this is not just entertainment, but is like any other career. Your parents will take it seriously if they see you take it seriously"

"I realised that children nowadays don’t read because they enjoy it, they read because their teachers or parents tell them to. I want to change that. Through reading, the children are stimulated and their minds are broadened because reading inspires you and takes you places"

"With the book club, I wanted children to be inspired more because children are reserved and they cannot express themselves. That is why you find children being abused, but they don’t tell anyone about it because they cannot express themselves"

"I want to see more children, not only reading books, but being able to turn the books into plays and writing their own books because I think children would enjoy reading books that are written by their own peers"

"People must speak truth now, not when it is so late. I am more furious because if I knew something I would have spoken, even today. I am hated for truth and I am at peace with that. Yho this is so sad"

"This moment got me walking out the auditorium out of so much anger and rage. I'm so angry at my elders. This doccie just confirmed a lot I was speculating / suspecting/ assuming"

"My darling, the doccie says it all for me. I need not open no dialogue with a puppet. I have no respect for people, elders in particular who have no reasoning capacity. Was he at any of Mamas memorials? If not then it says a lot about his consciousness and his remorse. A tweet is just not enough for someone you claimed to love"

"She is STRENGTH and strength is SHE. So let them troll. That’s all they can do. All of them can’t and won’t ACHIEVE half the things she achieved. Let them do what they do best, which is bash people they wish they had half their STRENGTH!!! Love and light"

"Eish ngwana ko gae (my sister) Dineo.I will always be here for you. On Sunday, when I was missing you like I’ve never before, you are the only person that reached out"

"I love you. I appreciate you. I’m here for you. I will go to the ends of the world for you. I pray for you. I phahla for you. I believe in you. I hear you, I see you"

"The wealth of wisdom and knowledge you exude and lovingly give to those who care to listen. Thank you for not being selfish and for giving time for little old me you are highly appreciated, now book, or kanjani Connie Ferguson"

"Don’t for one second assume I will entertain people badmouthing my bosses, so if you have something negative to say about them, don’t bring it in my mentions please. Let’s respect each other. Hands off the Fergusons,” she wrote at one point"

"Losing a child is an unimaginable ordeal, a pain that only those who have experienced it can truly comprehend"

"Sending prayers of love to everyone who suffers from depression."

"Some people just come into your life and make it all better."

" Just keep going,don’t give up on your goals and dreams"

"They may not have as many followers or subscribers as you do, but they know the space"

"Humble yourself to the experience, and you might find that you could be an amazing actor with a million followers."

"I have seen these young ladies sitting on the make-up chair with their phones while the make-up person is trying to put their character together."

"You are disrespecting the person who is assisting you, and those million people do not know your character"

"I think that a lot of people misunderstand what self-love is about. Because it is labelled diva, let's call it that but own it and love it. If I can bring the diva out of you and help you celebrate yourself on a daily basis, then that is what it is about. It is about honouring yourself"

"I am one of only a handful of actors in this country who are not just talented, but have taken the trouble to learn the best ways of making any role they are cast in as real as it can be for the viewers"

"Be prepared to go on a roller coaster ride if you are looking to start up. It's one of the best journeys you will take in your life because you will learn things you never even knew you needed to know and you will meet the most amazing people while you are at it. You will find strength you never knew you had. So, DO IT"

"I had been playing what I thought was a traditional role of a wife and I was miserable. Talking about this was very important because we created a marriage that made sense to us."

"The two are so different and both require work and effort. I love being a mom. My daughter is a joy and time spent with her is memorable. I have learnt about myself over the years, good and bad, and being conscious about each of these roles is important to me"

"We wanted to try and do things slightly differently in that we wanted to own the content which we were producing, which isn't always the case in South Africa"

"Starting an online TV station was the best way we thought we could do what we love, while growing as well"

"We have a feature film, Love and Kwaito that we filmed in 2016 that was the official selection for the Joburg Film Festival and we are currently working on our second one to be filmed in September 2017"

"My depression has been both chemical and emotional, and on and off, I have also dealt with anxiety...but I know my triggers now, I can feel myself drawing in, and over the years I know how to mitigate against it lasting too long"

"Money has been a difficult issue in our marriage in the past. There have been times when we were both out of work, or when one of us didn't have money. It is the nature of our industry. We had to learn to be gentle with each other, and to keep reminding ourselves that we didn't get married because of money, but to make a life together"

"It is important to me as Tshepo's wife, to make him comfortable during periods when he isn't working, and to be mature enough to manage my expectations of him"

"In my grandfather’s house and my great-grandmother’s house there is no such thing as an only child."

"My family was the first stage I ever got my standing ovation."

"Like my afro, I rise. Proudly self, proudly African — that is all I can be."

"I just love the fact that Khanyi is an independent and powerful woman, who is just comfortable in her skin. It’s also nice to see black women not make excuses and be unapologetically themselves."

"I asked myself, who do I want to inspire when playing this character, given that Khanyisile is a CEO so the answer would be young people who want to be CEOs one day. So at the moment, I know exactly who I’m doing this for."

"We lived in a one-room shack"

"Allow your will power to do its work. You are stronger than your pain. Imagine that this, too, shall pass. Tap into that feeling of surviving"

"My breasts were sore,’ she says, ‘with a rash and discolouration"

"I was in denial when I received the results"

"That is my song – if you are vigilant, you can catch it early and stop it."

"I had my family taken from me when I was young, but my aunt took me in. There is no need to dwell on what I don’t have"

"My bones are fragile,’ she says, ‘but it is a small price to pay for gaining 15 more years of my life"

"In some cultures,’ she says, ‘people believe cancer means you are paying for something you did. A lot still needs to change"

"You count your blessings"

"Being close to death makes you rethink everything. Knowing that it can come back teaches you to appreciate the small things"

"I took a six-month break from The Lion King and joined Muvhango, to test the waters"

"It took me nine months before I could secure my first big role"

"If you are used to working, not having a steady income can be really tough"

"Mentally, I prepared myself. I was definitely better equipped for the situation if it ever came back, and it did"

"My strong character also really helped me. I'm a very strong person in general and always take the bull by the horns at all times in life"

"Resilience is key in situations like this because it is not just a physical battle; It is an emotional and mental battle that I was determined to win.” said the actress"

"But since it has happened, I have chosen to focus on my blessings, and being grateful that I am alive to see my children grow"

"To anyone going through what I went through, I advise that they keep the optimism and the strength. I chose strength. I chose to share my story to inspire the next person going through what I am going through"

"I landed myself in acting and that never left me after seeing the movie Sarafina no one could change my mind. I was made to be an actress"

"The biggest hurdle I think I had was fighting to be authentic and creating a mark within the industry without having to change who I am"

"I also am fighting for the bigger dream of being an international force"

"I have had to learn that I can’t do everything"

"Until I reach my full potential I’ll keep my cards close to my chest"

"I’m nervous about the challenges that are still yet to come"

"I credit my success to everyone who has helped me build the woman I am today, to everyone who is giving me a chance to sit down and ask questions"

"Some doors were closed but I always found a way to break through them and create a whole different golden road for myself"

"I would love to be a household name and a passionate, powerful actress for the rest of my life"

"Work hard, never let anything get to your head. Respect people around you, stand firm for what you believe in. And plan, plan, plan and plan some more"

"This feeling has never plagued me, and it never will,’ she says, ‘because I’m surrounded by industry veterans who have remained relevant throughout my lifetime. They’ve imparted to me the key to their relevance: kindness above all."

"I am also constantly learning and challenging myself, staying prepared and camera-ready for any opportunity. Additionally, I attribute my youthful appearance to God and my mom for the genes – they’ve blessed me with a childlike energy that starts from within and keeps me looking and feeling young"

"I’m so childlike; I don’t see myself as the age I am now. Even when I audition, they ask me to try out for both 25-year-old and 35-year-old roles, because I can play both. I see that as a blessing. I don’t have to worry about staying young to play younger roles, or feeling I need to play all the young roles before moving on to older ones. Whatever comes my way, I can do it."

"‘I’m actually very excited when I get to play someone’s mom. I love kids, and it’s a nice change from playing someone’s side chick or a young, unfocused character. I’ve only played a mother twice, but I really enjoyed it. So, it’s not just about the roles I take; it’s also about what I need and where I want to go in my career.’"

"I had my life planned out, advance my career, get married and then, at 35 or older, start thinking about children. When I found out I was pregnant, I was shocked. I immediately went down on my knees to pray, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude filled my heart."

"I’m having such a great time with this pregnancy, simply because I am taking it one step at a time and not allowing my fears to overshadow my future."

"Most of my childhood was spent with my grandparents, who were together for over 54 years. That kind of lifelong love is inspiring to me, and I’ve always wanted to be with someone for the long haul."

"It's the little things. When I wake up feeling too heavy to get up, he’ll massage my feet, help me up or make breakfast. He makes sure I’m not doing any strenuous activities. Those little things mean everything"

"After that, I never managed to come back and show a lot of myself. I just had my child and kind of shielded her. I didn’t want people to come into our little bubble and I just stayed in it"

"That also came from me stopping to breastfeed. No one told me that if I stopped, I would be at risk of gaining weight"

"Physically I didn’t feel good and my feet would hurt. I would go to bed at night and my heart would be pounding. I was so scared because I had high blood pressure, which unfortunately runs in my family"

"I wanted the portion control to be there. I didn’t want to just lose weight and have an issue of portion control. I needed that help and decided to get it done"

"I have often been asked where I got the strength to continue after my mother’s passing – I got it from my unborn child"

"My baby, you are your grandmother’s answered prayer. She was so excited to meet you; even though you did not get to meet in the physical realm, I know she is currently holding you in the spiritual"

"My darling, every move and every kick of yours within me is a testament of both God and my mother’s continued love for me. You have changed me in ways that are inexplicable. We cannot wait to meet you"

"I'm honoured to be able to play Lilly more and more. It is a challenge that is really exciting, but also a little nerve-racking. I think that they saw the kind of person I am, a bubbly and confident person, and saw that I could do a good job"

"It's been so overwhelming because you don't expect people to know you or recognise you in the street, but they do. People are so friendly and even my own extended family treat me like a celeb. I have to tell them that I am not any different to before. It is crazy"

"I respond to people as myself. People need to know that I am not my character and we are different. That person is on screen, and this is me, and they need to deal with me"

"It’s great being back on set. We all understand that we need this job in order to make ends meet so everyone is cooperating to the rules. It is quite tricky acting with masks on because now our eyes need to tell the story, which is a great challenge"

"I am never ever ashamed. My mother taught me that you do not ever feel embarrassed by doing honest work. If it gives you money and brings you happiness, then there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It is my side hustle, I own it, and no one can tell me anything. It is a brand I am very proud of. I can never be ashamed of it"

"People do not usually get to see celebrities doing the groundwork. For them it is also an inspirational thing that ‘haybo Lilly, uyi-celebrity and you are out here in the street selling hotdogs’. And I say we all have to hustle because depending on one salary does not work"

"We literally did not have bread at home and we could not work. I had been making the hotdogs for a while and anyone who had ever had them had asked why I don’t sell them. So, backed up into a corner, I decided to just try"

"It has grown so much because of the people in the street. I understand my market. My market are the people that are in the street. I’d never be ashamed of where I get my money. Ngama never lawo"

"On the first day I made R700 and I thought ‘mmh, we can do this again’. So now we had the essentials of bread and milk and I restocked to make the hotdogs again and I have never stopped"

"It was a major shift and I was dealing with professionals. I was nervous about the whole situation. It was an interesting space and also getting into full-time acting meant that every day I am on set and have to know my lines"

"It’s only sinking now that I am on Uzalo. I had to figure out the storyline, and had little time to it. It was hectic having to shoot two shows. It was either a start at Uzalo set then go to Durban Gen, or start at Durban Gen and finished my day off at Uzalo."

"One-minute I am myself, the next minute I am Nomaswazi or Dr Zondo. At some point it felt like I was suffering from bipolar. I would struggle to get time to detox these characters and had to do justice to all of them."

"I was under pressure trying to understand the character while figuring mannerism. I just told myself that I will focus on bonding with the character while navigating the storyline. I was able to build a relationship with all characters"

"When I failed and took my gap year, my parents were stressing about my situation. I always loved acting and acted in church productions, but I was afraid of it"

"I was worried what other people would say. It was a tug of war of emotions. Eventually, I had no choice, I had to dive in"

"After I had relocated to Joburg, someone approached me [with an offer] to volunteer at AFDA [a private higher education institution that offers courses in film, television, and performance], where I was acting with students."

"When I got the role of Babekazi on Uzalo, I enjoyed it so much because it allowed me to portray someone who we all have in our families, who speaks their mind whether people want to hear it or not"

"As I was acting, I realised that I can actually do this if I put my mind to it"

"After helping the schoolchildren I started receiving calls from different directors. The first role I got, I did not even audition, they just gave me a script and I was lost. Wiseman was the one who was teaching me about camera angles"

"Through the show directors try to show that as much as you are educated there is nothing wrong with speaking your own language. Even doctors at the hospital speak a language that everyone can relate to. The aim of the show is to promote the sense of ubuntu among health workers. People are not treated well in health institutions and with Durban Gen we are saying you can make a hospital environment welcoming to patients"

"They brought in professional doctors who teach us about how to pronounce medical terms and procedures. As an actor you are expected to pronounce those words with confidence and they need to sound convincing. If I have to sleep singing those difficult terms I do it. I even watch international shows like Grey’s Anatomy, just to learn how doctors deal with issues"

"I'm not married any more. I got divorced two years ago and people don't know"

"As a sangoma, my ancestors gave me the signs that it was time to end the marriage. I was happy but the signs were too loud and I had to make the decision. Now I am single and mingling and I am happy"

"I have mastered divorce, it doesn’t hurt any more because I believe if a marriage no longer works it should end"

"I have asked myself that question over and over again. And every time you say you have an answer, you are shooting yourself in the foot. If you keep quiet, it's like you don't care because, truth be told, this virus is killing us; it has no colour, it has not age. You can't say they should open festivals again, that's a risk on its own"

"If the government has the money put aside to help out artists, why can't they just do so?"

"It breaks my heart to be honest with you because I have never played such a character before. Leaving Uzalo is like losing my family. I was telling someone that it’s like having a healthy baby only to be told I have to give it up for adoption. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the last episode"

"For me to go down there, it was for me to go through my calling. I am a sangoma and also an actress. There was something else t I had to fulfil spiritually which has been in my visions for a period of time. I never understood that it had to take me to go to Durban to fulfil all that"

"You just need to listen. To me, listening is an art because if you listen, you get the answers"

"most South Africans love Sne Mtshali. Especially I think that our plus sized queens will start getting off their shells. Living their best thick lives"

"Well as a performer who finds privilege in being able to tell stories of the roles I’m blessed with, I feel like how dare I be anyone but the character once the director has said action"

"I love how brave she is in her skin, how she’s not ashamed & afraid of her voice & thoughts. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. She’s not afraid of saying; No and doesn’t give a hoot of what people think of her. She lives her life according to her rules"

"Role with the punches, always keep your head up high. Don’t ever forget your crown and most of all stay humble"

"In late February I auditioned for Buhle’s character, unfortunately, the character I auditioned for was for someone who was between the ages of 30-35. So when I arrived I was not aware that the character I was auditioning for was for someone that was older"

"Then I heard the production was looking for a new character so I went, auditioned, after my audition I was asked if I can sing. I was then told I would be called in two week's time, I was called and before I knew it I was acting as uNombuso"

"The people's response to the show has been so amazing! I'm really appreciating the love, it's a bit scary at times because sometimes the manner in which people approach me can be overwhelming, but it's ok, it's part of the job and the gift that God gave me. I really just want to say I appreciate the exposure that Uzalo has given me. It's not only changed my life but the life of my family too"

"Oh gosh! It's so crazy and such a pleasure to work with my Uzalo cast members. Every day on set is fun times, I learn new things, working with different characters and people I've respected since I was a child, like the likes of Leleti Khumalo is such an honour. It's just different spirits from different backgrounds trying to make the best out this production and it really helps me to grown not only as an actress but as a person too. Sometimes it's difficult but it's all worth it at the end of the day"

"You would think I’m focused on things like décor, food and outfits, but I am not. I know exactly what I want when it comes to those kinds of elements and my wedding will be simple, but perfect. I’ve been more focused on making sure that the people who are there deserve to be there"

"As a same-sex couple, we have had way too many people smile with us, only to turn and say nasty things about us. Or people that pretend to be happy for us, but wish bad things for us. We don’t want such energy on our wedding day"

"Your wedding day is all about you and your partner sharing your happiness with your family and close friends. I’ve decided that I won’t have any bridesmaid at my wedding. I’ve had too many friends turn on me, so only my children will be at the front with me. The few good friends that I do have will wear a special colour that matches with ours to show who they are"

"An inclusive South Africa means Freedom to live, it means a Country where I'm not seen differently. A safe country for all who live in it, where I get men who respect a Lesbian woman and not feel inferior because I married a woman not a man"

"Knowing that everyone has RIGHTS and government now recognizes the LGBTIQIA+ Community as people that need their protection and their respect too"

"I want my children to say Our mom raised us to be who we truly are, The joy of having my coffee with NESTLÉ CREMORA after spending my past lying that I love my coffee black but the truth was I NEEDED SOME CREAM IN IT"

"The joy of being me and having people that appreciate me for MY TRUTH is PRICELESS"

"Have you ever been down but you keep smiling? I go through homophobic slurs almost daily but they never sat down with me and to know my sexuality is not a disease. In the industry, I keep on being told 'you don't look the part', but they never gave me a chance. Kubuhlungu. Even those you call family spit on you"

"Dear big girl, breath. Joy comes in the morning. Hold on. I'm proudly queer and I'm a big girl with talent. Being kind is free"

"My children and I have a very open relationship and we talk about everything. They understand my sexuality. Yes, they were bullied at school but my children made the other children understand that 'hey! If your mother has a husband, then my mother can have a wife and that's that"

"In this industry, one can make you feel inferior because they themselves are empty inside, shame souls. I'm Nomsa Buthelezi-Shezi. I'm content with myself and I don't need to kiss your toes to make you like me"

"I honestly don't want anyone feeling judged by this post, these are my personal views and no one has to do what I prescribe to in my life. Anyone that knows me well will know that I have a zero English policy in my house. I went to model c schools from standard 1/ grade three and I never spoke English at home"

"A few years ago my now 5-year-old son was ready for nursery school. After 2 weeks of going, I took him out. The fact that English had begun eroding his mother tongue freaked me out. I have delayed nursery school for this reason"

"I've had issues with my own people (black) look at me like I'm weird when they speak to my kids in English and I kindly ask them to speak Zulu or Sotho. I don't understand this attitude. Isingisi asinanhlonipho for one. 'hi mom' and 'sawubona ma' are two very different things (again, my opinion). Language is our first point of connection with who we are"

"If I'm to be honest, I've had the worst body insecurities. Three kids later and being told 'you've gained weight' (because somehow the body of the 20-year-old you should match that of the 42-year-old you). The things people have said to you can stick so much that they become an invisible wound"

"Sometimes, no matter how emotionally intelligent you have become, it affects you. At the end of the day we are human. Some days I'm more confident, other days not. Some days I care, others I don't. Yesterday was one of those I didn't care what anyone has ever said. And I wanted to own that moment. It was mine. Mine to appreciate and to embrace"

"For me, what failure was growing up was not being able to make a mistake and disappointing my parents. We are taught that it's not OK to make mistakes"

"Failure is a stepping stone, it's about how you see it. See it half-full. When you feel like you are buried, it doesn't necessarily mean you are buried, maybe you are planted, and that is something I had to teach myself. I see things in harvest rather than lack in seasons where I feel like I'm failing"

"It doesn't mean that I have mastered it. It means that I have awakened to it. I’m walking the journey, but it doesn’t mean that I have mastered it"

"It talks to raising girl children in our era and the system put in place to suppress their power ... my daughter is one such queen. Train them young to own their power responsibly"

"There can be no rebirth without healing. Healing (after the burning season) is a return to complete, infinite, unconditional love and divine order"

"As we enter this season, may we be intentional about healing the childhood wounds that stagnate our growth. The wounds that hinder us because the promise of infinite, pure and unconditional love for us as children was broken and the divine order of the inner child disrupted. Sakhubeka. If we didn't love the inner child, we best believe we will detest the manifest adult."

"I'm on a journey to heal my ‘father wound’. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever heal. But I am committed to the journey. No day is the same. Some better than others but in my healing, I have surrendered to vulnerability. It is where I have found strength. And I know in my healing, I will find my power again"

"Polygamy needs people who have money. In fact to keep a single woman, you need money or stay the hell away from women"

"PLEASE!!! Stop chasing people’s children, saying you love them / get married but lack the responsibility of being a man"

"And this question of the girl ‘what are you bringing to the table?’ haibo thixo, you brought yourself to ME…unprovoked…what table now"

"The reason my marriage is suffering is because of the abuse I have suffered at the hands of my husband. I do not like talking about my private life, nonetheless it is true that I have opened a case against him"

"I was the type of girl who will go to school and come back home to do her chores. I didn't even have a boyfriend until I was in varsity"

"I did all this while I was a student at DUT studying drama and production. I have enjoyed every part of my journey. Molao O Reng is the first project I’m doing as a 'TV host'. I’ve only been a radio host and actress and I’m humbled and thankful to Moja Love for believing in my capabilities"

"I wouldn’t say challenges. I catch on environments easily — I’m used to cameras when acting. The difference with TV presenting is you need to look directly at the camera, while in acting it’s the opposite. I just took my radio presenting experience and put it on camera"

"Molao O Reng viewers can expect raw or real life experiences from different cases that will be revealed on the show every Thursday. We discuss issues I’m sure affect 99% of South Africans in every household, one way or the other. They will also get advice from the panel of lawyers or advocates I have on the show to give guidance in the cases"

"At 3 000m up, this incredible world above the clouds was the stage set for a dream. Any young kid from Africa can only dream of experiencing momentsCape Argus"

"I believe the characters that I have played so far are not challenging enough. I still want to play a lead role and just unleash what I am feeling inside. I want to explore gangsters’ roles and play a character of someone who has this massive anger"

"Looking at where I am at I say it is God's grace. What I know is that when I was growing up I saw myself on TV but I never thought that one day I’d be where I am on Friday. God has made it happen for me. Winning the two awards just proves that women are capable of presenting African traditional music shows. The statuettes encourage me to even work harder though many male maskandi fans still believe in a male presenter. What people do not know is that radio is my life and I grew up singing maskandi. I am Zulu woman who is proud of her culture that is why I enjoy presenting the show"

"I tried my luck in the taxi industry because I believe that we all come to this world carrying different keys to open different life doors. Since I am also a motivational speaker I always say that we all need to tap into those other talents that we have and explore them. I am that person who is never satisfied with where I am"

"The taxi industry is intimidating and it is still male-dominated and you can see that when you attend meetings. Despite everything that is happening to it, I am here to make money just like others"

"I didn’t see a chance to feel so terribly bad again and not be myself"

"Whatever awaits me, I'm ready"

"When my friends say they can’t understand why I don’t want to continue chemotherapy, I explain that I am happy and at peace now again. More chemo, steroids, and transplants may extend my lifespan slightly, but then I am constantly anxious and sick and never fully myself to enjoy life"

"Life is so contradictory; I am dying, but everywhere in nature there are signs of new life. This gives me joy and peace"

"It was an honour knowing you over this past year. Your commitment to your craft was inspirational. You had a light inside you that was felt by all who were around you. Deepest condolences to your nearest and dearest,”the statement read"

"Michelle was an icon in our industry,"She took her craft seriously and was passionate about performing. She was filled with grace and had a beautiful spirit;says her agent Suzi Howes"

"Michelle Botes was more than an actor; she was a national treasure, whose talent, charisma and authenticity brought life to every role she played. Her contribution to the arts will continue to resonate, reminding us of the power of storytelling to unite, heal and transform;Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie"

"It's tragic we lost someone like Michelle. She was not only talented but also a fantastic mother to our children;Her ex-husband, Ian Roberts"

"I don't know how I will be received. I hope that they like my character, but I will just take it as it comes. I am excited to head back and watch the show's debut"

"You have all these people who are doing amazing things and people are becoming more used to the fact that we can do the job. All those people open doors for me. They open doors for all of us. You don't realise how they pave the way for you"

"I have been looking for international roles for the last year. I have been constantly auditioning and sent, like, a million tapes. I went overseas to meet directors. So I have been working. You realise that some roles are not made for you and you move to the next thing. It is not about international recognition. I just want to have fun with my roles. Personally, I just want to act"

"Playing Lolly was a big thing. The character went through a lot and it was the first time I felt the power of what we do as actors. She was a troubled teen and went through a lot of things. It was a privilege to play her. People would actually come up to me and tell me they went through the same things, they identify with her"

"I remember the producers saying to me to stop trying so hard and just go with the character in the beginning."

"Love is acceptance - my best times are spent with people I love and who love me"

"I lose my cool when people act with no regard for others. Thinking it’s ‘all about you’ and not taking anyone else into consideration is unacceptable – even if you are stressed"

"I’m most at peace when I have managed to do good work"

"I’m scared of not progressing. Not building. Not learning the lesson. Causing hurt to those I love. Not being true to myself. Making assumptions"

"I really wish I had more time"

"She was a woman of class, style, grace, and her conduct was charming, spontaneous, sensitive, tender, natural, refreshing and polished. Her untimely death is our tragedy. It is actually terrible;Robert Whitehead"

"She was one of South Africa's most promising young actresses," said one of the guests"

"I love and appreciate the support you give me. My heart sank when I read this last scene as DR P. I gave everything, every time for every take. I don’t have regrets."

"I’m grateful and content because I got to work with some of the best directors – Mthunzi Dubazane – Sabelo Ndlovu – Zimkhitha Maseko and Zuko Nodada and the script supervisor – Sihle"

"To the actors, I had the pleasure of working with on the show – I learned a lot from you. Guys, love and light. To the acting coach and co-star – thank you sir for being a great sparring partner on set – Sibalhkulu"

"To my husband, every step of this pregnancy has been easier because of how helpful and caring you are, I love you."

"I’ve been out for two years because I didn’t do anything in 2024. That’s why people see this as a return"

"I want to be discerning in what I take on, especially because I have someone looking up to me. I won’t take on aggressive roles unless they serve a purpose—whether to drive a story or make an impact. I believe South Africa needs more educational productions."

"I’m gifting myself the time lost. I’m now fully focused on exploring not just acting but other aspects of the industry."

"I love the simplicity and the sense of community. Even though my late grandmother is no longer there, being in that environment keeps me connected to my roots."

"It does make one worry about the longevity of work. We already have high unemployment in South Africa, and for artists, the struggle continues. There’s still so much we’re fighting for"

"am turning 60 in November, I feel it. I feel it when I look at my grandchildren."

"I think I have done about five productions with Janis. Mannie was saying – ‘this is my last new production at the Baxter’. [Manim retires as Baxter director at the end of the year]. And I said I am glad – because I did my first play with you when you were running the Market Theatre in Johannesburg."

"My employers used to say – ‘oh Thembi you have such a beautiful voice’"

"I believe that time heals but you cannot just say I have stopped mourning."

"That's why I was deeply hurt by his death. I asked myself what's happening to me. I mean my pillars of strength have gone."

"I was not aware of the impact of it at the time. To me, I just thought, well it is one of those films that will end up being screened in little places, at political rallies. I did not really think that it was going to be big. I was very, very proud at the end. I remember being invited to a women's conference called "Malibongwe" in Amsterdam, which was organized by the ANC women, and it was at the same time the release of Mapantsula. It was a huge thing. I thought, "Oh my, I am in Hollywood or something."

"In fact, I did not act in that movie. I just became myself; I just did what I did when I was a nanny. It was funny, because the woman who played the role of my madam is a very nice person. We worked together at the Market Theater. She found it very difficult to be harsh. They tried to push her saying, "You have to be harsh to be in this role." After the take she would come and say, "You know, I did not mean to do that." I would say to her, "Please, come on, we are acting here!" She would take it so personally. She would wonder if she was being too pushy. They would tell her, "In fact, you must be more pushy."

"It’s a beautiful movie which tells the familiar story of siblings who pretend their lives are perfect when they’re actually terrible."

"It certainly extended me as an actress and made me dig deep, which is great because I would hate to be stereotyped."

"I’m the oldest sister who has a complicated and miserable life with an abusive husband and a wayward daughter. Simply, I’m washed out."

"Working together was great fun and we are all so proud that the film was entirely made in and around Durban, with the family home set in Kloof. From the beaches to the city, it really showcases Durban and its people."

"I’d finish school on a Friday afternoon, fly to Joburg and work all weekend and then fly back on the red-eye on a Monday morning in time to get to school."

"When I walked into the campus drama department, I knew I was home. I lived and breathed theatre, but I decided teaching was my safety net."

"Change is not always easy. But I’m always up for a challenge. I’ve always given my total commitment to anything I have undertaken. This was no exception. Having said that, I also believe in staying true to myself. And I would like to concentrate on other projects that I feel passionate about. It’s very important not to stagnate so it’s new and exciting times for me and my production company. We have many shows on the way."

"I will be more regular on stage with my new comedy shows and will be holding workshops on TV presenting. I wish Mela all the very best and would like to thank Saira Essa, Imraan Vagar and Mark Corlett – they have become family to me."

"I woke up and thought today is as good as any day, because it has been a long journey and I realised that a lot of young people out there are so scared when they are tested for the first time"

"Our society has made this virus a monster and all it is, is a virus. I'm doing it for the voiceless people out there who just found out today [to] know that I've got their back"

"a need for a holistic approach to tackling the pandemic as opposed to a hopeless approach with drugs being seen as a do-or-die solution"

"If you were to ask me where all this courage comes from, I would say only God knows"

"HIV/Aids is not a death sentence, once contracted the most important factor in your life is acceptance and living a healthy lifestyle"

"Life is about living through all experiences and coming out refined, refreshed and rewarded with beautiful memories 4 eva. Live"

"The sooner you stop chasing, the sooner you get to our utmost potential and begin achieving your true purpose. Live"

"Goodbyes make you think. They make you realize what you've lost, what you have and what you took for granted...... Live!"

"Stand up and be counted if you are ABUSED ! I am a survivor, what about You ?? The Movement continues"

"Life is easy and uncomplicated, it’s us who take detours that lead to our roller coaster rides and excavations in the jungle. Live !"

"Our greatest lessons happen when we overcome our own challenges practically. Yes theory does prepare us but experiences refine us. Live !"

"Treasure every moment and every breath and you will never miss out on experiencing the seconds, minutes, hours and days of your life. Live!"

"When u realise that u are not in charge of your own destiny, then only do u start appreciating the journey with all it comes with. Live !"

"When you appreciate challenges of your past you have truly learnt the most rewarding lessons about survival. Live !"

"The only way for ones body to discover its immense strength and resilience is to be exposed to the utmost extreme breaking point. Live"

"Why worry when you can Pray.. Use your weapon without doubt any day, anywhere, with company or by yourself. Live"

"Knowing is better than being in the dark and asking can only equip one with important information for one to use at their discretion. Live!"

"To dream the impossible dream, go where the brave dare not go, reach the unreachable star. Yes that’s my quest daily. Live without question"

"When no one wants to appreciate your awesomeness remember that you are the master of the happiness you deserve in your life's journey. Live!"

"Change is not for the fainthearted. It is for those that daily and bravely endure regardless of the storms of life."

"It has always been the most natural thing in the world to me"

"It’s a beautiful thing to embody someone else’s experience, to forget yourself in the pursuit of relaying someone else’s love, pain, and healing"

"It’s also a challenge to push myself into spaces I may not be entirely comfortable with to grow, to transform."

"Through breath, pace, and being present in the words themselves"

"when you know each word written on that page, when you get so deep into the writing, the story, and the meaning, the familiarity of it allows you to fall into it. It just comes."

"It’s okay to laugh at hard things – and we must laugh. Life is filled with light and shade"

"It’s okay if healing feels hard – it’s not a straight line."

"Love is love, and we’re on this planet to connect, to find a sense of belonging and purpose, and so much of that is experienced by sharing space and vulnerability"

"Life is dynamic and complex, and it’s also simple. We’re all more alike than we think we are."

"I grew up in a home with a voracious love for storytelling and cinema. I have very early memories of my mother taking me and my brother to children’s theatre; spending weekends camping with our grandparents telling stories around a fire - both of my grandparents were highly skilled raconteurs; I was always involved in plays throughout school - It was such an intrinsic part of my life"

"I realised I had a talent for acting when all the grown-ups around me started to pay a little more attention to me and started to encourage me and my love for it. I just knew I loved playing pretend, as most children do, but it seemed to grow and deepen in me the older I became"

"I am constantly creating, I write, I paint, I also have my own production company and have two television shows I have in development, and hope to get made soon"

"In my spare time, I walk, a lot!, I can average around 200km per month, it’s not just an exercise/fitness regime, it’s in large part a meditation. My time on the road brings me a great amount of solace and peace. I read, I listen to music, I watch a fortune of films and television; I love spending time with friends and family. I enjoy being able to do whatever I feel for at the moment and I count myself incredibly lucky that I get the time to do that"

"In my teens, I was a member of a left-wing organization called Pupils Awareness and Action Group,"

"It was wonderful to be part of the slow but healthy process that shifted people's attitudes"

"I wanted to challenge myself and work in a place where classical theater is a viable option"

"My first year in New York was unbelievably tough, with lots of waitressing, after having been a successful actor in South Africa"

"It was a humbling experience, but a good one because it makes all the lovely things I'm doing now that much sweeter"

"It's such a different articulation from South Africa, and the placement of words in my mouth felt alien. But now I feel completely comfortable, and I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into something contemporary"

"I was huge, but zero regrets on eating my way through pregnancy. And here we are today, healthy and happy"

"I was so supported by Sean-Marco and I don’t say many men could’ve done what he did. An incredible dedication to parenting and partnership. What a man"

"Enter ‘the ring of fire’ - yes it literally feels like it’s on fire. I pushed for three contractions and my incredible partner, Sean-Marco, delivered our darling daughter into the world. His hands were the first to touch her and the only faces she looked upon were those of her family. She cried beautifully, we checked her vitals and she was happy and perfect. Everything I had wanted for her. Her perfect birth"

"This post is simply to express and share my journey it comes with zero judgment for however you choose to birth."

"It's best to not care what people think of you but social media doesn't filter peoples opinions of you, so I've heard them all. But I suppose people see me on screen and assume I'm quite glamorous when in reality I'm quite the opposite"

"It was difficult, but I’ve learned whatever happens in my personal life, my work must never suffer. I have to deliver the best I can, no matter what"

"I’ve been given a second chance at my career and I’m not going to mess this up. I’ve changed a lot over the years"

"I’ve gained a lot of wisdom. I acknowledge all of my past mistakes and understand tomorrow is always an opportunity to do better"

"It's the unleashed level of commitment built inside of me‚ and the devotion I possess when it comes to the craft I so respect"

"My findings about Tina (her character) was through deep meditation. Her dark side that is so well suppressed when she was introduced to me‚ had to come out. I researched but also relied on deep meditation to take me to my character's different layers"

"Not only does it reflect the reality of our children in Khayelitsha‚ also the country entirely. Our kids are faced with serious challenges‚ there's an enormous amount of peer pressure spread out negatively out there‚ that we as parents don't even get close enough to hear about. Back in the days we would say the community helped groom a child‚ but nowadays these are the very same communities we ought to protect our kids from"

"I’ll never give up on love based on previous love relationships that didn’t work out because I don’t live my life from a point of fear"

"He is the guy I could marry any time"

"At first I was not sure because I was not really into masculine guys with a big moustache. And besides, I was dating someone else at that time. And also, I saw him as a fan who was just star struck but he kept on pressing until I gave in"

"It does get cold, and we do get snow in the mountains, so we store our wealth in blankets. People buy very stylized blankets. When a baby's born, that will be the gift to the mother, or if a new bride is coming into the family, you're gonna give one of those blankets to welcome her"

"We ride horses, which I think is really unique about us"

"I basically spend my entire childhood there and I'm so happy that I did. I think there's something in being the majority. I have that experience where my teachers were Black. My doctors were Black, my first boyfriend and my first heartbreak. That’s something where I feel really rooted."

"'About Fate' Star Fikile Mthwalo's Unique Cultural Perspective Comes From Growing Up in the Motherland,January 26, 2023,By Team EBONY"

"Life does get hard and it knocks you down. But people get up and they get on. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. My grandfather, who lived northwest of the capital city owned a butchery and he basically served his entire community"

"I think, even with the remnants of colonialism and everything that outsiders tried to take away from the people, they really just kept going. I carry that with me, my ancestors, everywhere I go"

"There are a lot of wine exports from Cape Town that don't come to America but go everywhere else. It's just lovely to drive through the wine farms. Come for the wine tastings, eat good food, go to the beach and see the penguins and seals"

"We really live in our own world. Sometimes people say mean things, and sometimes they say nice things"

"It's difficult because you never asked for people to follow you, they chose to follow. I get concerned about what they think. I guess you just have to remove yourself from all of that stuff"

"Both our families are absolutely supportive of our relationship and they want us to be happy. But I come from a very conservative family"

"I want to get more education and grow as an artist"

"There are certain things I thought I couldn't do as an actress, but I've realised I can reach certain levels"

"Let us speak up and out against our perpetrators. No matter how small that action may seem to others. No matter how long ago it happened. Keeping quiet only protects them and leaves us drowning in pain"

"This is my child’s father. Samphiwa, who has not seen or met her. I got a protection order against him. If anything ever happens to me, never let him take her. He would repeatedly beat me up, starve and lock me up at yide ufe ndizokonwaba [die so that I can be happy]"

"By the time I escaped in January 2022, my cards were no longer mine. Outside, he was a gentleman. Opening doors etc, and back home, he had cleaned out my Nedbank accounts. Leaving me in 200k debt, which I only discovered after leaving him. I left him two properties"

"So desperate to make this work as back home I had another story… he knew. He would park outside work the whole day and wait for me. I made excuses. And I tried to understand and help. I was desperate not to be rough"

"It is so clear that so many people are oblivious to the effects of drugs, black tax, abuse, GBV, sibling rivalry in our communities. Or they choose to behave like that here on the socials"

"It will showcase the intricate dynamics of how it is sometimes necessary that some secrets be kept for the safety of others, while, on the other hand, some secrets must come to light"

"I’m glad I got called back to audition for the new part, because once I found out that Masasa resides in Kokstad. I then thought to myself, ‘This is good for me"

"I’ve decided not to be afraid of challenging myself in terms of languages – with respect, of course"

"I want to explore different languages and I want to explore different dialects, so I was totally in my Xhosa brain when I was asked to return for the second audition"

"Ever since I started my career, I’ve been aiming for characters that were 10 to 12 years my senior. I’ve always wanted the meatier, more challenging, and juicier roles. I find that it takes one out of a space where you’re more likely to show your own habits. Older characters challenge you to do more research and understand more substantial things about life, values, and personality traits"

"I’m not that strict and I like sharing jokes with people. I am able to engage with the youth, I am able to converse with youngsters and also offer them advice suitable for them. I often use my experiences when teaching them life lessons"

"I was booked to appear in Kimberley at the Diamonds and Dorings Music Festival. They told me I need to make jokes for like five minutes on stage. I was so petrified because I didn't know what to do. But they paid the money so I had no choice but to go."

"Needless to say I spoke for 20 minutes. People laughed with me, not at me - much to the annoyance of some high-profile female comedian who tried to belittle me. She was annoyed, saying people who think they are funny will speak more than five minutes while speaking nonsense"

"But the crowd loved me and I have since decided stand-up is something I will do one day"

"I tap into three different personas to bring out the best of the character. I look at people I know. The cheeky aunties who take no nonsense and those women who think they are up there when they are not. I improvise on set too"

"I'm born this way. People may be surprised though that in reality I am rather quiet - still funny, but quiet"

"In primary school I was exposed to drama; I had this itch to perform. I knew then I would be an actress one day. When Gibson Kente brought one of his shows to town I was convinced it was my calling. I turned and said to my uncle 'this is what I'm going to do, Act!' He shouted at me, saying I'm crazy because how will this acting thing pay for my livelihood. He maintained it was a not a real job"

"We are (particularly on my maternal side) heavily influenced by black history, culture, music, literature and art; these things have always been of value to us so performance came really easily to me"

"I’ve always been (for a lack of a better word) a showman, and my interests in filmmaking peaked past performance because I always wanted to know what everyone else’s role in the ecosystem was; and I’ve always been fascinated by team work making the dream work"

"I enjoy the magical moment that happens when all creative elements come together to make something that moves audiences"

"Filmmaking is about creative entrepreneurship, and the transition I made from one filmic discipline to the next should be normalised, because not all creatives in filmmaking are limited to or only interested in one medium"

"I like to immerse myself in the material over and over again, so it becomes ingrained in me. I live, eat, breathe and feel the story until I can figure out how best I can tell it"

"The future is bright. We just need to be smarter, wiser and more vigorous about how to get there."

"I am thankful that it ended, otherwise I would not have been here"

"Don allowed me to heal in real life. When I saw him, I’d just picture my ex-husband and he knew that. Don’s character was very similar to my former husband in real life. Most people know that in real life, I was married, but it ended in tears. My real husband dumped me the same way Don dumped Zodwa. I had small children and I was left alone. As a result, I didn’t have closure"

"I had so many questions to ask my ex-husband but he was gone. When Don’s character was introduced, I managed to ask those questions. I’m also glad that writers allowed me to vent. Those who know me could see I wasn’t just acting the script, but it was real tears. He helped me to finally heal"

"I want to talk about my story to encourage young women to go to school and empower themselves. Today, I am a mother of seven children and I don’t even have matric. At the age of 21, I already had five children"

"I had nothing and I was forced to leave them behind with their father. Leaving my kids was painful, but I was not working and I had no choice"

"My character was supposed to be temporal, but I made sure that I excelled. The brief was, Zodwa is an irresponsible and drunkard woman, and her baby is to be taken away"

"I went to a shebeen in Alexandra and started doing my research. I watched how people behaved and did things. At my first shoot, I nailed the character. I was so good that the directors thought I was actually drunk. My character was supposed to end when my baby, Teddy, was taken away from me"

"All the lines on the play are mine. I just get the concept and improvise. I also add a little bit of spice to make it interesting"

"By the age of 19 I already had two children.My parents tried so hard to show me the right path,but I was young and naive"

"I was ashamed of what people would say,so I never went back to school and never got my matric"

"At that point I already had four children.The only option was to live with the father of my youngest child.I fell pregnant again with my fifth child,but he started abusing me physically and emotionally.He told me that I would never amount to anything in life and that I have nothing to live for."

"I cried all the time.I left my children with him and went back home,because I didn't want them to suffer because of me.I told them I was going to look for a job and that they must stay with their father"

"I have a successful career because of him.I did 12ekasi our stories and the directors were happy with my work.I would like to have a platform to talk to girls who are going through the same hardships that I went through.Its never too late to live your dreams"

"I believe the South African industry is desperately in need of a union where our grievances and needs are dealt with"

"I would love to see our industry being a lot more regulated and fair"

"After I shot Is’thunzi, securing an acting gig was quite difficult. I thought I’d have productions companies keen on working with me but that was not the case"

"I felt so broken down by the industry that I moved to England. This wasn’t because of the fans but more of the fact that I wasn’t booking any roles"

"Yes, I know rejection is a big part of our jobs as actors but after Is’thunzi, I had high expectations. I later went to America and met my agent who built my confidence and self-esteem up again"

"I have been told countless of times when auditioning for certain roles that I don't look African or South African enough. Which is absurd because I am both of those things. Also, black British roles have been a myth lol. And I have been told (not in so many words) to accept it because that's just how the industry is"

"I am an African. A SA Zulu and Pedi woman to be precise, with British citizenship too because I was raised in England from a very young age. I speak Zulu more fluently than Pedi because I was raised by a Zulu woman and on occasion, you will hear one of the many SA accents when I speak English infused with a certain kind of British accent. (because there's not just one British accent)"

"Representation is important. When I watch TV, film, theatre or print/digital media we should see all kinds of people from different backgrounds, different abilities, different sexes, sizes etc. Art is an imitation of life. And life is not just black and white. Tall or short, slim or curvy. As a people we are so diverse. I learn something new every day"

"Always be honest to yourself about what you're going through and feeling. Yes, we can fool others but let's not fool ourselves. Seek help if need be. We are told so many times to be strong, but what does that really mean? It's important to feel, be numb, cry, scream if you have to"

"Web culture is a big thing, especially when it comes to students and what they get up to online. It is shocking really. I think sometimes our parents can't relate because maybe their teen years are so far behind them but teenagers go through a lot"

"I think that your teen years are the hardest years of your life and what makes it even more frustrating is that you have adults who think that you don't really have it that hard. You hear things like 'what do they possibly know about life?' Meanwhile, our children are going through the most"

"High school is something else. It is a difficult thing. The stories you hear about initiations and fighting. Honestly, I am surprised that we are not all traumatised from high school"

"My path as an actress has branched out many times; there are so many new possibilities. My experiences as an actress and as a person, and my confidence in who I am, are increasingly creating new opportunities. And new chapters in my story"

"I'm comfortable with who I am. I know my limitations, but I also have enough confidence to challenge them"

"In my twenties, I was extremely ambitious, and very excited to write my life story. A fellow actor and mentor even told me one day that my drive would be the end of me"

"I now know that one can plan and control certain things, but that it is good to sometimes stand back and allow your story to unfold on its own"

"My story is ultimately much more than I could have planned"

"It was the start of a new year and I was ready for a new challenge"

"Then I sent an email to a production company and asked them to take a chance on me as a content producer, because I believed I could do it"

"With a reality series, unlike with a drama, you have to develop a story from what's happening in front of you. There's no script. You also have to package what you have in such a way that it's a faithful representation of what's happening, and something that the viewers can enjoy"

"I was ready for this role. What I know about stories, scripts and acting, and my interest in the emotional development of people, equipped me with important skills. I was able to engage with the participants, encourage them and thus retell their stories"

"It's wonderful to have two teenagers in the house, it's a privilege to see them grow and develop"

"I'm grateful that I get to be their mother"

"To me, it means being grounded in your own situation. That you know who your child is, and who you are, and how that affects your family dynamics"

"My children are very different from each other, and I have to be attuned to each one's own needs. I have to know where exactly they need support. Where they need a little 'push' in order to grow"

"Parenting is about relationships. In fact, that's the crux of parenting, and that's my focus"

"I learn a lot from my children. I learn about my own shortcomings and where I can still grow"

"The message is the same throughout: I see you. I know where you are and I'm thinking of you"

"Such a commitment doesn't have to be big and significant. We just have to make sure we keep seeing each other"

"I always knew that the teenage years could be a challenging time. But when my children were still in primary school, I realised that they already had to face many challenges"

"Stories have always been an important part of my life; it's how I make sense of what happens to me. So I started using stories to help my children make sense of their own stories"

"We used stories to help them reflect on the past day. At night, before bed, I asked them who was the hero or the villain in their story that day. And how would they like the next day to go differently? What would they like to change about tomorrow’s story"

"I believe that I am not simply on earth to exist. I want to leave a mark – in the lives of children, in my community, and also in the larger world"

"I believe that I should live a conscious life. That I should be quiet regularly so that the noise of life does not determine who I am and where I am going. I want to be aware of where I can still grow, where I can contribute, and where I can make a difference"

"In the past 18 months, we have been forced to disconnect and now, more than ever, we realise how important connection is and how important people are"

"I’m not in a position where I can sit back and go on with life as normal without working ... I take on any and all of the jobs offered to me."

"They still pay me the same as, let’s say, 10 years ago,” she said. “I’m worth much more than that and so are my peers... I will take hands with anyone supporting my stance, something needs to be done."

"Although my role in Legacy was not big, I still enjoyed working with them."

"In my head Charmaine does no longer exist and I made peace with that ... A lot of people still call me Charmaine, especially in the shops"

"Even though I had friends as a child, I often chose to be on my own because my games were not conventional children’s games."

"I was the one who initiated school plays and drama projects."

"At primary school I re-wrote the Nativity, inventing a story about a blind girl who dreamt about witnessing the birth of Jesus and when she woke up, on Christmas morning – she could see! My teachers were so impressed, they allowed me to direct it as well."

"In high school, drama was not part of the syllabus, so I organised drama classes after school and did a play with a few other students which was recommended to be performed for the South African Black Students Association’s first national congress."

"If I am to be known by a colour, then I want to be known as a brown South African. I tried for so long to be black, politically, but that proved to be a misnomer."

"I am happy to be reunited with Sanele Zulu (series producer) and Sthembiso Mathenjwa (director)"

"They were the first directors I worked with when I started my career, that has been one of the highlights. And also, working with Danica Jones so closely has been fun"

"I love the character and the integral personality that Kimberly Smith has. She makes me very … happy to occupy and to see where her story ends"

"Aside from her acting journey she is also a confident television presenter, master of ceremonies coordinator as well as a successful businesswoman and philanthropist;Sergio Miller"

"It is so funny. It feels like the universe is giving me everything I want. The problem is, I manifested everything at the same time and had to turn down some projects."

"Things have been really good, though. I’m presenting for the first time (on Mela). It has been scary because you don’t know how people will respond – as they are getting to see you. There is no script. However, working on this show has highlighted how amazing South Africans are as a community. Every single time I go on a location shoot, I meet someone who blows my mind with their incredible story"

"It was quite intimidating to go onto set with this established ‘family’ of actors. Everyone’s been so warm. The other day, while we were waiting to get paid, I, literally, shouted (in excitement): ‘I’m so happy to be here’, to two of the actors."

"Every week was a challenge to improve on ourselves. How can we give more? Do more? Work harder? But most importantly we never wanted to stop having fun"

"My fans have brought me to tears on several occasions with their fierce support. I have been completely surprised and overwhelmed by the love, support and generosity I have experienced. I am truly blessed to have this kind of unwavering support"

"This has been one of the most amazing journeys in my career. Besides learning how to dance I have learnt so much about myself: how to be a little more patient, how to be open and brave, how to let go of the things that limit me- both physically and mentally and how to focus my mind even under extreme pressure. For Ryan, my partner, I am extremely grateful! He is an incredible human being who has been the most generous partner, friend and mentor. He pushed me, supported me and believed in me every single step of the way. The biggest lesson I can take away from Strictly Come Dancing is that the harder you work, the luckier you get- it really is as simple as that"

"When I was younger I didn’t have the guts to pursue my passion, I thought I had to have a stable career since entertainment is mainly on a freelance basis."

"I am glad I have my educational background and there came a point where I had to choose between my articles in charted accounting or entertainment, and I chose the latter and, as they say, the rest is history."

"I had to develop a thick skin because being rejected after numerous auditions is difficult. I learned that you can’t get every role, not because there’s something wrong with you but because you are not what casting agents are looking for pertaining the role"

"I also assumed that everyone is nice and although there are genuine people, not everyone is what you think they are. Meaning, I had to learn to work with different people the best way I know how, without losing who I am"

"I don’t think success is a final destination. For me, success is about balance. It’s a challenge that I face because as a career-oriented woman whose married and has other caps to wear is quite hard"

"Focusing on achieving one aspect of your life without giving attention to other areas is not a healthy way to be successful, if one finds balance, they find success"

"I have learned, from my experience that being an entrepreneur is about failing. But it’s a necessary experience that gives invaluable lessons. It’s also important to have a good support system around you because failing can be demotivating. Every failure is a contributing factor to what you need to learn, no matter what you are aspiring to achieve."

"The nve of the collection is about accentuating the femininity of a woman, because if a woman looks good they feel good, and it radiates where she goes."

"You must be able to take constructive criticism and avoid having people who inflate your ego only"

"Surround yourself with people who want the best for you and who can help you see your goals at a different perspective. Have a good support system around you because we all need that."

"There’s no such thing as a free meal, meaning you have to work hard and smart for everything you want in life. Nothing comes easy, and if something doesn’t work out the first time doesn’t mean you have to abandon it."

"To be clear, no, this does not mean I think there is any excuse for a man, especially a black man (because I expect greatness from black men) to harm a woman or a child in any way"

"All I’m saying is take the time to look at the good men around you even though they might not be perfect. Look at them and think about the good they have done for you and other women and children. Look at them and realise the trauma that comes with being a black man in this world, I’m not saying it’s worse than being a black woman. I still think being a black woman is worse, but their struggles are not easy"

"There is a silent war against black women and black men being in happy and healthy relationships, in safe relationships. All I ask is that you remind the good black men around your that you know they are not the predators, but also tell them how they can help. The good ones will listen and soon they will have the strength and courage to do more for other women outside of their circles."

"Don’t get too angry with them when they don’t understand our struggles, but keep trying and telling them how they can help. Black people won’t win any fight without each other. Let’s start reminding ourselves of that cold fact"

"My character on Skeem Saam has granted me a lot of opportunities to work with organisations that are rooted in helping the needy, and I realised how people don’t only need money, they need to find themselves"

"I started with the drama series before it even got the name [Skeem Saam]; my family also didn’t believe it was real because the producers kept on postponing the premiere date. I never gave up; I so wanted to be part of this"

"At the time, Mapitsi and I were kind of immature and she took some irrational decisions, sometimes thinking similarly as the real me, but everyone could see she was destined for greatness. She has grown into an amazing woman who uses her writing to find peace and justice. I am using the platform to help people find themselves"

"The lack of a biological family was one of the things that compromised me in that situation"

"I cannot say I was there for love; I was there for structure. I never had a proper family structure, so I wanted that for my kids and future"

"I stayed long for me but not for the bigger picture. There is nothing that you can explain to the girls that they do not know; they remember stuff I do not even recall"

"It breaks my heart, but at least they have an understanding"

"As big as he was, he sat on my lap, choked, and punched me. That night, I felt nothing; it was as if he was not beating me up enough. When he was beating me up, I told him to hit me harder"

"I told her to call the police, and they immediately came because I had gone there several times to report him for other stuff, when he would hit me or vandalise the house"

"I didn’t want to tell my parents that I was going to audition because nobody believed in acting back then and our community didn’t think it was for black people"

"However, I knew that I loved it and it kept calling me every time I tried to tell myself that I should pursue a different career"

"Acting was not about money back then. Now people just go to acting schools without the love but the eagerness to be famous and have a lot of money"

"Advice is always asked from those who have walked the path and this is the exact mindset we need in this industry"

"I used to write drama for my learners and for children at church, and everyone would compliment me"

"If this is the mindset that our future actors have then most of them won’t last for long on our TV screens"

"This is not just a qualification industry, you need to give your body and soul to play a character"

"I hope aspiring actors have marked a veteran they would have as a mentor"

"A lot of the time, the people in the industry will promise them jobs or whatever it is and be like you know what? If you sleep with me I will give you a job.' Women even laugh about it. It wasn't like a serious thing. I was like: 'Are you guys serious? There's so many ways that you can go about it, why would you sleep with someone"

"In this industry, it is one thing that is still going on. It is not like the beginning when we were all shocked. I feel it is so normal that females are even laughing about it. It is still happening"

"It was so touching being there. Skeem Saam is an educational show and highlights some of the issues these children face. So, it was great to see them response to us. I really enjoyed motivating and giving back to my community"

"I would tell young actresses to do things the right way and to be patient. A lot of the time people are so hungry for fame that they do not give themselves enough time. Just be patient because your break is coming. Don't let someone have power over you"

"At first, women were not given the big roles on screen but that is changing. We are starting to see more female heroes and women leading films. The thing is, women are overlooked when they can do the job just as well or better (than men)"

"Women are always seen as part of the makeup or wardrobe team only. It is time that more women step into directing or producing. Of course, it is happening but it is happening slowly and more needs to be done. The time for women to be in the background is over"

"Mental illnesses and disorders are different and that is what people don't quite understand."

"As black people, we still have a long way to go to understand and learn more about mental illnesses. This is not to say we are people that don't want to learn or know more, but there is also the language barrier."

"Mental illnesses are different and there are no names for them in our own languages."

"We still need to learn about mental disorders and know that people who have them have a place in society. They just need to be better understood and get the help they deserve."

"Being a mom has taught me to be patient, be still and to listen. To give attention when it is needed and give time - and that I just need to calm down."

"Just throw yourself in the deep end. Whatever opportunity you get, throw yourself in."

"I calculated everything - I planned and over-planned at times and I ended up missing opportunities because I was very careful."

"I would rather lose my sense of touch. I love talking and listening to stories. So, I can't afford not to be able to talk and hear."

"I would say all things are possible and you can open any door."

"I grew up thinking there were things I was not worthy of."

"Coming from a family that wasn't well off, I though certain things were out of reach and were only for specific people."

"My passion kept me going, but sometimes passion does not pay the bills."

"I had to understand that my mistakes don't define me and that I had a life to live and dreams to fulfil."

"Rise up from the place of guilt and feeling sorry for yourself and run to your destiny."

"A child is a gift from God regardless of how it was concieved. God does not make mistakes."

"Love is eternal. People have been hurt and disappointed and because of that, have stopped believing in the existence of love. You find love from God. Learn to love yourself. Only then can you love someone else."

"I believe that love should be the foundation of every marriage and not money or anything materialistic."

"I was proud to see how a South African story was told by South Africans on our very own soil and also from our own voice. We did not have to bring an international start for this, we went with our talent which is phenomenal."

"I think university catches you at a very specific time in your life where you, yourself, are trying to figure out yourself."

"There will be points where the work will not be magnificent and there will be moments when it comes back to itself again."

"You don’t have to create something new. Just be in a conversation and then something new will arise."

"Life is a choice"

"I was a miserable newly wed and often pondered about where I should be travelling to, wondering what I was doing on a farm. I decided to burn my diaries of my time as Miss World, because I did not want to live in the past anymore"

"One of my fondest memories was in Austria. I was called out to the balcony of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. The full moon shone over the trees in the vast garden and a white carriage appeared. Ballerinas stepped out of the carriage and performed a magnificent ballet in the garden"

"What really brought me down to earth, was when I lost my first child"

"I remember sewing nighties for them when they were small and later washing and drying the army uniforms when the boys came home for the weekend. I still see myself hanging those uniforms over heaters to dry"

"It was incredibly stressful, because I was always terrified that I would forget what I wanted to say"

"I am a gatherer. If I like someone, I invite them to my home"

"Life has changed enormously over the past 11 years. There are times when we get depressed. We have to just come to terms with it"

"There was a collision on the field resulting in his horse stumbling and then falling on top of him. Nicholas sustained a brain stem injury and while he can hear and understand everything and his brain is fully functional, communication is difficult"

"Take the time to develop and study the craft – go to school. Take it seriously as a profession and honour your talent the same way you would if you wanted to become a doctor or a lawyer."

"Strive for excellence all the time. Be responsible about the kind of work you do and the kind of a social impact it can make."

"Be good to people – the industry is surprisingly small and people remember. Stay humble and true to yourself. And most importantly, be fiercely brave!"

"The arts have always been a part of my life and they are in my blood. This is my God-given calling. I am just walking out my purpose and my calling in life."

"I’ve always had a very deep passion for social justice and social justice issues, being a black child born under apartheid in the 1980’s. That had a very deep impact on me and my heart. That passion was always also inside of me and I’ve also felt very passionate about empowering young people especially from under privileged backgrounds in particularly in my community through education and the performing arts."

"Actors need to really master the art of compassion and of non-judgement and in order to do that you have to have a very broad and diverse experience of the world."

"I have always been hungry for education and information and just really keen to understand the world better and I am really just fascinated by different people and different cultures and histories."

"I’ve always been very clear that I don’t want fame and fortune. I want diversity and longevity in my career and to really do work that makes a really meaningful impact on the world."

"As a Black actor, I have to do my job just like everybody else in the room, but half of the energy that should be spent focusing on excelling in my craft has to go elsewhere. I have the added burden of constantly having to fight with writers, directors, or producers to fix a racist script or to keep my character from being portrayed in a way that perpetuates age-old, racist stereotypes."

"I have to explain why certain terms are racially offensive. And then there are the humiliating fights over why I deserve to have a hairstylist who understands my hair texture because White stylists are damaging my hair or don’t know how to work with it. The same goes for makeup artists. They may be obviously painting my face the wrong color, but then they’ll get irritated and defensive when I point this out, telling me to bring my own foundation and powder because they did not care to invest in a broader range of makeup that would cater to actors of all shades"

"Or how about when they hire a White stunt double to do your stunts, whom they put in blackface? And then when you report these things to the higher-ups, you’re often met with arrogance and dismissal. There’s this attitude that you’re hypersensitive or just causing trouble and being an inconvenience. You’ll be told that no one else has a problem with the hair and makeup stylists."

"You are constantly having to defend why you are standing up for yourself when you are the victim."

"Black artists are tired of having to beg for crumbs from the industry’s table when we are just as talented, qualified, and worthy of opportunities as our White counterparts. We don’t need anybody’s crumbs; we have already earned our seats at the table."

"We are no longer asking for things to change, to be more just and equitable."

"As artists and storytellers, our work is to reflect humanity back to itself and to steer people’s aspirations. We are the doctors of the human soul. We are healers and educators."

"I was a pretty serious teen. I thought it would be the end of the world if I did badly in a test."

"Directing is challenging. I commend all the wonderful directors out there. It takes a lot to drive a project forward."

"I was inspired by the idea of isolation and survival, but also by something deeper, what would the world look like without us? During lockdowns and global upheaval, it became clear how quickly nature reclaims space when human presence fades."

"Initially, it was about survival. But as I developed the story, I realized that emotional survival is just as important, if not more so, than physical survival."

"I wanted to convey that even in the most broken, abandoned places, both physically and emotionally, love and hope can still take root. Nature plays a big role in this story; as humanity fades, the Earth begins to heal."

"Working [in horror] is fun. It’s amazing. All that blood, and screaming, it’s just exciting! Watching it can be scary, but making it is so much fun."

"I think that’s very important for girls to know: You can be the hero. You can be the strong one in the film. I think it’s a good message for young women all over the world."

"I think I’m a pretty woke person. I’m pretty sensitive to the way people feel."

"I think with gender and sexuality, I definitely belong on a spectrum. Even with identity, I want to belong on a spectrum."

"Journalists ask us about being a female comedian, but they don’t talk to us for the work we’re doing, you know? No one really sees Kaneez as an improv artist–just that label of female comedian. And that’s the biggest challenge. People think my brand of comedy is ”˜female comedy’ but that’s not a brand of comedy”¦ Everyone defines me as a ”˜female comedian’ and I do so much more."

"The extra mile that I have to cover being a female improviser is that people are not used to seeing women on stage being funny so for a lot of shows, for the first ten minutes I have to kind of break that down or address it and get it off their minds so eventually they can just see me as a gender-neutral comedian. I have to spend time in making them get over the fact that I am a woman."

"You won’t believe but a lot of us women intentionally dress down because we just don’t want any distraction. We just want you to see us as gender neutral so we end up dressing down which is fine, it does not bother me but it is interesting that we have to do that."

"It’s fascinating in that, as an older actor, you get to absolutely see the things that you’ve taken for granted that are so key to your technique or process. You just kind of think that it is always there but it isn’t. It is something that you learned."

"You are never finished as an actor. The process of learning carries on. It never ends."

"One never has one’s ego completely in line but I think I’ve learned to be strict with my ego and I think I’ve learned to know and befriend and speak with my ego firmly."

"I think the placement of your ego when you are young is a part of growing up. It’s like understanding how to fight for yourself, how to bring yourself forward and the older you get, the more content you are with just waiting and allowing things to be."

"I am proud that I strive for some kind of integrity. If I say I am going to do something, I do it. If I can’t do it, I try to say I can’t do it. If I don’t do it, I try to apologise honestly and truthfully."

"I grew up knowing that the straighter or gladder (smoother) your hair was, the better. I didn’t really know much else because that was just the general ‘coloured’ idea, I didn’t ever really question it. Every hair salon, everybody else who looked like me had that straight hair so I just assumed growing up that it was ‘natural’, not realising that everybody was probably also doing the relaxer/ straightener thing to get it."

"I decided I wasn’t going to conform anymore and have my self-worth defined by straight hair."

"One of the best things is that I never had any pressure from family to re-conform to the straightness."

"I think it’s a fantastic revival of what the 70’s and 80’s did for natural hair. It’s a difficult transition to make though because I see how hair politics really permeates my fellow women of colour – so many think they would look ugly, suddenly appear stupid or be less sought-after without the weave, without the bi-weekly salon trips, without the ghd."

"I feel that cooking and eating is more than a biological need. I look at it as an emotional and sometimes (when I get things right) an artistic expression."

"I’ve never met a recipe I haven’t altered or added something to. Made it my own, which is the beauty for people that love to cook. As a writer, I do the same thing, I understand the rules of a genre and then make them my own to tell a story in my own way. The same way I put my feeling into the food I feed my family and friends, is the same way I pour my emotions and feeling into my writing."

"This is a mistake. A huge mistake. One I made. I did this. I went into my marriage and sacrificed huge parts of myself to be a ‘good’ wife, to be a ‘good’ mother, and to be a ‘good’ daughter-in-law. I gave up parts of my career, hobbies, and many friends to fit into some bizarre construct of what and who I was supposed to be now that I was a married woman. I even gave up my love for exploring and tinkering in the kitchen. That was the last straw."

"Friendship is universal. My friendships have saved my life. My friends are the family I have chosen for myself."

"We all have to eat. It’s a human unifier."

"Motherhood is personal and individual. Every mother makes decisions for her kids and forms her family the way she wants it. The world tends to judge mothers too harshly for being human and has super human expectations towards them."

"Writers write because they have to. So write."

"Don’t wait around for someone to give you money before you put the words on paper or on screen as the case may be. Every great screenwriter had the script first and then the money came after. Too many writers want to be paid up front. Sadly that’s not how this business works. You create a beautiful script and then you sell it."

"As an actor, I always love a challenge. Every character and job come with hurdles and overcoming them deepens my understanding and enjoyment of what I do."

"Experiences are intersectional, so I cannot speak as if I understand the challenges facing every woman. That being said, young actresses are in a dangerous position when stepping into the industry. We are all hungry for work and there are predators in positions of power that do take advantage of that."

"Motherhood is such a beautiful journey. It’s so perfect. I love every bit of it. I love my baby boy to bits and pieces. Everything I do is for him and yes, I am very private. I feel like my privacy is me protecting my peace, and I have so much contentment in my little bubble, and I only come out when I have to do something and go straight back in. This is where I just shut out the noise and just live in my little bubble with my people, and that’s where my happiness lies."

"I've always loved fashion and the art of standing out, using clothes as a form of self-expression."

"I am particular about craftmanship. I believe a garment should be as beautiful inside as it is outside."

"I love clean, structured, and refined pieces that you could almost wear inside out because of how well they're made. Every stitch, every seam, tells a story of care, pride, and passion."

"I think that my real age is 16, I’m just energetic and full of life."

"I am a big supporter of embracing who you are and staying authentic, because that's the one quality that separates you from the rest."

"Culture is a very important part of who we are, and it makes us great."

"I'm a sister and the aim here is not to break people or make them feel like they can't do anything."

"Also, there comes a point in life when you get tired of playing it safe. You sort of want to stretch yourself a bit and kind of surprise yourself. I love the element of surprising myself and not being too comfortable in the things that I do."

"I think this stems from our parents because they were never comfortable enough to talk to us about intimacy. But it’s something that should be handled with respect. These are the elements I thought about - to say ‘you know what, sex is not a bad thing. It’s what created all of us.’"

"That’s the beauty about acting - it allows you to forget about yourself and to wear this character."

"I do find that late 30’s and middle aged people seem to have more of a crisis as their set friends, behaviours, interests, job environment suddenly do not bring them the joy and satisfaction they once did; and then they start grappling with the reasons why, and often, like I mention in my book, one starts blaming and naming and shaming everything external for their lack of joy but it’s the inward things that need looking at."

"There are many patients who come to me with depression and anxiety. Often, I have to recommend that they fix their gut health first, because that is where the healing is rooted."

"Your diet plays into your overall health – mind, body and soul."

"Fame became a big part of my life in my early years but I didn’t want that to define me. I learned to be a person of worth aside from that."

"Acting became a vehicle for me to do the work I was meant to do, which is to share what I’ve been through."

"What sparked my interest in this field was the ability to evoke people's emotions, through storytelling, which I think is a magical thing to be able to do."

"I feel that someone else owning your idea is challenging."

"We’re building a legacy, and I hope this inspires every young woman out there to pick up a camera and tell her story."

"It’s important to know where your strengths lie and solely focus on that. That’s why when starting a business, It is vital that you partner with people that compliment the skills that you have."

"It’s important to have realistic expectations about what you want to do, If you just want to handle the creative side, then partner with trusted people who can run the business side."

"Trust yourself. The world is not as scary as we think it is."

"We have been longing to tell a story about Black families being Black families, and this series is a celebration of who we are in all our chaos."

"I believe that there is a tendency to focus on narratives of struggle and resilience when it comes to black women on screen but I love to tell stories that centre on joy, adventure, and carefree living."

"Its important to have diverse voices involved in the storytelling process as this will define whether the audience will relate."

"I think the willingness to learn is extremely important. I never pretend to know everything and I’m always grateful for opportunities that allow me to sharpen my tools."

"The reason why I am where I am is because someone mentored me and helped me."

"Before being a mom, I was career driven and I was selfish person, but I have been a lot more selfless."

"Because when we tell our stories, we make room for all stories."

"I believe as creatives, our biggest responsibility to create work for ourselves and others."

"I was excited to see more of us telling our stories with real roles."

"I’ve lived a fulfilling life, one that is filled with storytelling but more than anything I’m known as that woman who loves to share."

"We didn't have theatres that accepted black people."

"I come from a background of artists being poor, and I have vowed that I will not put up a production if artists are not going to be paid. I will look for funding. I will look for money so that artists--especially the young artists--know that you can actually live in this career. You can be able to make money and not stay poor."

"If you are on stage and use theater as a tool to talk to people, you reach them better. People don't want to be lectured. People don't want to be screamed at. People don't want to feel sad. But, you need to entertain as well as giving out the message. So, we kind of felt like in a community, people want to laugh."

"People want to laugh at themselves. But, who is going to start the joke?"

"But, along the way I realized you actually need to understand there's a lot more than just being on the stage. There's a lot involved that one does when one is an artist."

"My wish list is to have a proper theater in each and every township within South Africa. A proper theater. Because at the moment we're performing in halls, in school halls. We don't get the excitement of the lights, the sound…. That magic thing that happens when you put all of those things together on stage we can't have because we do not have all of the resources. So, for me, if I were to win loads and loads of money, I would plant theaters, proper theaters in each and every township in South Africa."

"The play doesn't pull any punches. It doesn't skirt the issues. It allows viewers to make up their own minds."

"I always think of how I have survived in this industry and try to make sure young actors do not struggle as much."

"Motherhood has taught me that nothing is impossible as long as you set your mind to it."

"But put yourself first before you can attempt to assist others. The world has many challenges but don’t ever think you can overcome all of them. Always say please and thank you."

"I was so busy making sure I worked hard to provide for them that sometimes I buried myself in work. Now, I can spoil their kids and be the adviser."

"You are doing great just by waking up in the morning and making sure your child is well and good."

"You go to bed worrying about what tomorrow will bring, but God always has a plan. Pat yourselves on the back and say “well done” every day. I know some mothers are struggling, but ladies, reach out – you are not alone."

"The bottom line is that there is this sore that hasn't healed in the country. We can't go anywhere, we can't go forward without healing this wound."

"Why is it we can't make use of the land? The ownership isn't as important as the use."

"I am very passionate about theater and acting and never let my circumstances stand in my way of living my dream."

"They put salt on the wound, and that made things worse. The way they have handled the whole situation, this is not what we expected as South Africans and people who have voted for this government to be in control"

"But I think fighting for your own fate is not the wrong thing to do. But fighting for something that was never meant to be yours, it's not worth it"

"Being able to dabble between the Television, corporate and modeling industries, has afforded me the opportunity to equip myself with several skills, that have helped me tackle each project I work on with a fresh approach, and new ideas."

"As exciting as this was, on one hand, I got to experience the full acceptance and love from being treated like a South African, and on occasion, with just the mere mention of my surname, I felt what it was like to be treated like a foreigner."

"I am entering Miss South Africa with the hopes of bringing unity within the African continent. I would like to start conversations that are aimed at repairing the damage caused by xenophobia, not only in South Africa but all over the African continen"

"I want to empower other women struggling with weight to see their health in a whole new light. I want them to embrace non-scale victories and understand their bodies inside and out. That’s where the real transformation happens — nourishing not only our bodies, but our minds and souls too."

"This campaign is about putting our bodies where our minds are at."

"I don't think it ever truly affected my self-esteem, but I have never been in a body I enjoy, and I sincerely hope to change that."

"The industry is still struggling to see plus size actors as romantic leads, or deep intricate story bearers who aren't there for just comic relief."

"Fat-erasure is still a very tense conversation in casting rooms, and I believe that until we can all have the seemingly difficult conversations, and make bold choices that truly represent South Africa, we will continue to raise a society filled with unnecessary shame, a warped understanding of beauty and the striving for unrealistic aesthetic standards."

"The conversation is bigger than just fat people on screen, the conversation is bigger, deeper, and definitely political."

"I’ve always understood that we’re on this earth to do something and I’ve known that mine is to do with acting. I am constantly inspired by my love for the craft and the ability to tell beautiful stories through my work. Even though some characters are fictional, the stories I tell are not."

"It’s empowering to give a voice to the voiceless."

"Understanding that my talent can take me to places that my pocket cannot."

"I have been exposed to phenomenal opportunities and I’m not restricted to the confines of any geographic space. My talent is my passport throughout the world. My work fuels me and my purpose and I can channel the influence I gain into what I call spirit work, that’s an amazing thing to me."

"The joys: you can do what you love. I’m able to live my dream, which I know is a luxury. I know I’ve risen above so much history and I’m able to dream, that’s a beautiful thing."

"I’d love to be known as somebody who used her influence for the betterment of her people. I want to be remembered as somebody who fought for dignity for all, showed people love, a great mother and a wonderful partner."

"It is a combination of many things like hard work, spending a lot of time developing myself as a performer and person, and that it is the right time. For me, self-development means that you make sure as a person you are doing things that make you function and constantly monitoring of yourself."

"I am doing this because I believe in giving back and trying to find ways to better our communities. I just love to make a difference."

"That I’m a fighter, even in my silence. I’m a good discerner of people’s energies, and can look at the positives despite the chaos that might be happening."

"People can’t look past the character that they expected me to be or look like in terms of my body."

"It makes me quite sad, because no matter what you do, you can never satisfy people in how you look."

"The sky is the limit, and nothing can stand in your way. If God says this is your future and your destiny, who's the person next door to say anything?"

"Whenever there was something to do with being on stage at school, I always wanted to find myself in those spaces."

"Don’t let fear drive the way you go about living your life. To be honest, you have nothing to lose."

"Put yourself out there, as uncomfortable as it may be. Do your research too. Always use the resources that you have in front of you. There’s no harm in trying."

"I’m not one of those people who always knew what they wanted to become, but when I look back now I realise that performing is something I’ve always enjoyed."

"I want to be known for the quality of work I produce; I don't want to be popular or famous."

"I've always looked up to who I want to be because I know of the potential that I possess."

"I want to be remembered as the girl who showed up and made things happen. Not only that but to be known for my exceptional work as an actor."

"I've learnt that hair and beauty are deeply personal"

"You can't shame someone into feeling good about themselves; they have to come to it on their own time"

"My natural crown is a celebration of who I am"

"My heart will always belong to the stage"

"I am not at a stage where I feel like a veteran"

"I am happy with where I am"

"I don't mind not being on TV for a certain time, as long as in that time I am busy with something"

"When a show has been running for a while, the actors form a bond and a rhythm of the show and they get into a groove. When you get there you have to match that energy"

"Every actor's job is to get her act right and make sure that she gels so well with the other actor's that viewers can't tell that you are new"

"I then stopped reading because I decided that I needed to bring this person to life onscreen because a character in a book is different."

"I like my work to be one side and just leave it there and then I come to a place where I am accepted, a place where I can just be me and fun things and be happy."

"Even in the same industry, the presence of healthy competition doesn't imply that we (women) don't respect each other. I think it also says a lot about the person when they find another powerful woman to be threatening. It says something about how you see yourself as opposed to what the other women are doing"

"I think often we are told the story that powerful women can't get along right? But I think it's kind of a male perspective course when men are together they somehow feel like there can only be one dominant male. Like, there's only enough light for one spot light and so when they look at women they project that onto women as well"

"The reality is I spend every moment working to achieve my goals. Every day that I'm not on set, I'm creating opportunities to be on set."

"If you don't ask, you don't get!"

"I believe it is important for everyone to be able to physically fend for themselves, not just women exclusively."

"Every individual unfortunately has the prospective of becoming the target of a predator. Prevention and avoidance is step number one - something I make a point of highlighting at my self-defence seminars."

"From the moment I was nearly kidnapped, I craved something I had never craved before… It wasn’t just ‘safety’ or ‘sanctuary’, it was more than that. I craved POWER! I finally understood what that buzz word was all about - ‘EMPOWERMENT’. Never again did I want to be the deer caught in headlights, the Beauty overpowered by the Beast, the timid Lion on the Yellow Brick Road to Oz."

"I wanted to be my own hero."

"After starting martial arts training with two-time Muay Thai World Champion, Quentin Chong, I felt such an incredible sense of inner strength (as well as outer - ‘Hello muscles, I didn’t know I had you!’) that I wanted others to feel this too."

"I often find myself feeling like I am speaking a foreign language, even though we are all speaking English."

"Go out into the world and make it happen - one step at a time."

"Remember why you started acting - hold onto that."

"You can be still professional without being serious - keep the fun alive. Keep the creativity going."

"And when you’re having a bad day, a dry spell or a feel like you’re losing momentum; go out into the world and see what you can give to others… No expectations of what you’ll get in return. Your relationships will keep you fuelled along your journey - don’t forget to nourish them."

"Self-care, self-motivation, self-focus are all important and necessary to keep those batteries charged. But placing my focus on others is the thing that really fuelled me, and continues to do so, throughout this pandemic. It’s like ‘curing’ two birds with one stone – there’s almost no way you’ll come out of helping others not feeling better personally."

"The bottom line is, there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to diet and nutrition."

"There is no silver bullet. Life will have it own, unique, individually-crafted set of gifts waiting for you."

"It is great to have a goal, but the most rewarding thing, I’ve found, is overcoming the obstacles on the way to achieving those goals. You’ll need to feel that fire burning underneath you in order to keep you going if you decide to pursue your passion as your career, and that fire is great! But don’t forgot to go with the flow… Sure there might be a few blows here and there, but it shouldn’t feel like a constant fight."

"Keep having fun! Stay professional, but don’t take yourself too seriously."

"I didn’t have any fears because my mama said a prayer!"

"I’m geographically moronic!"

"Having a slush fund gives you the power to say ‘No!’ to that unspeakably CRAPPY job that will only serve to successfully drain your soul and retard your big career goals. It’ll sting, some months it’ll be nigh impossible, but DO IT!"

"I felt like a stir-fry and I wanted to be a stew so back to school it was."

"When you get on set – steal with your eyes and shut your mouth! Sometimes the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the oil, it gets replaced. Pick your battles."

"What’s next? I never know. I love it that way. Surprise me Lord."

"I have always measured my success in terms of how far I fell short of or accomplished what I imagined the character to be. This has been and is a constant."

"Doing too much is one of my great failures – one with which I always wrestle."

"I really hesitate to offer anyone advice, each individual’s experience is so specific to them."

"What I can say for myself is that I have never taken anything for granted. The privilege of working [and] of doing this work in particular [is] the joy of the exchange that happens between the members of the whole company if you’re open to it [and] my responsibility as a member of a creative team [and] my responsibility to the audience."

"I have been immensely privileged to have the opportunity to creatively stand in another human’s psyche. It’s wonderful to commit to the journey of an actor, to live inside someone else’s head and heart space, to get as close as you can to how they are physically operating in this world. I have an extraordinary level of gratitude, to have been fortunate enough to have had an astonishing range of work, especially since I’m not one of those actors who can necessarily choose what role to play."

"I personally suffer if I spend too long in the city because I live remotely."

"I find that phrase reductive. I'm a black woman and I'm an actress who plays a character named Hermione. J.K. Rowling wrote a story that empowers young girls—and not just white or brown or black or Asian girls. My privilege is that children can now see me and imagine themselves as the characters, too."

"If you can’t imagine yourself in one of those boats, you have something missing. They are dying for a life worth living."

"If I could bring back one trend it would be looking people in the eye; acknowledging their presence with a simple ‘hey’ or nod as they pass you by. People more often seem shocked when I smile and say ‘hello’. It brings them into the present. We need that."

"This world of TV and film is gorgeous, money is lovely, but it’s quite lonely…. You go sit in your trailer, or maybe chat a little with people, but everyone’s on their phone and then you’re done. You’re done."

"I may only have three lines, but you are going to see me because I know I’m going to react. I’m going to be present."

"You want me for my color, you want me for my culture, you want me but you're not looking after me. You're not seeing the individual. That drives me absolutely fucking crazy."

"I used to want to fit in so much when I was young because of growing up in a predominantly white place."

"I'm looking at my mixed-race daughter growing up and trying to navigate her places. I really think of the world as post-George Floyd and pre-George Floyd. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, white people were able to see how other people existed. It's not about politics. We are diverse humans, in our abilities, but we represent so much more than just “diversity.” Our humanity is the thing."

"See me as a human, don’t see my colour first."

"Any time you get low, sit in it but don’t indulge in it. I wasted too much time worrying about what other people thought about me. Forward motion – that’s what I’m doing now."

"Family is everything to me. I’ve got four kids and I think they’re actually the reason why I grind as hard as I do. They are the reason that I wake up every morning, and that I push and wanna stage myself. That I want to do better than I did yesterday."

"I refuse to raise a man like his father. Rehab, therapy and internal healing will prevail."

"I decided to let go of being hard on myself. People will always have opinions. I’ve learned that if my intentions are good then so be it."

"I have to be as authentic as possible when telling storie. There's more to acting than just being on TV. As actore, we have to be truest mirrors because if what I potray is misconstrued, then whoever resonates with that story won't see themselves."

"I usually choose projects with a storyline that speaks to me, and where I'm able to find my voice within it."

"As corny as it sounds, we're at the mercy of the Universe. So if the sun is out, then it's out and you're going to burn. If it's cold, you'll freeze."

"Failure has shown me how stong I am. In those moments I get to see the potential I carry. Every time I get knocked down, I know it's a step to something bigger."

"I have been through the worst, but I believe it was all to make me a better person."

"I am nothing without my family, to me family is everything."

"My role raised eyebrows, which means I am heading in the right direction. That is always good for you as an actor or actress to take challenging roles so you can push yourself."

"My aim as a business person is to consistently increase brand value and brand delivery."

"Young women are at the tail end of initiatives. Often we are just a statistic and that is something I want to fight to change for as long as I can. It is a battle I will always fight."

"I’m also just someone who can push myself. I really work well under pressure, and love what I do. So I don’t mind going the extra mile."

"It’s easier to align yourself in your life and career when you know what you want, so you’re not overwhelmed."

"I feel like often the perception about people in public life or celebrities is that, it’s glamorous and all of that, but it’s actually a lot of hard work, a lot of criticism and self-doubt."

"I feel a lot of times in the pursuit of trying to tell African stories, we want to glamorise the real pain and trauma we go through as a continent, and I think that this story was so powerful — it’s about these girls in Goma who faced horrific challenges in their life, and they’re quite young. They use boxing as a method to take out that frustration and find strength."

"I believe in being authentic, and I spend a lot of time with myself, which helps me live from a truthful place."

"It’s purpose-driven, and I believe in that. I won’t do anything for money, fame or popularity. It has to sit well with me and my spirit, so when I had the initial conversation with the brand, our energy matched instantly."

"What’s yours is yours, regardless of age."

"I try not to conform and prefer to stay in my own world. I spend a lot of time alone, which allows me to hear my own voice more clearly and avoid getting caught up in industry noise. I’m still learning about this industry and don’t know it deeply, but I’ve realised it’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing."

"I see people comparing themselves constantly. I remind myself, this is my journey and I need to honour it."

"Maybe it’s wise, maybe it’s not. Sometimes you do really need to secure the bag, but if there’s one thing I want to keep, it’s my integrity."

"However, I also realise that sometimes you do have to take on projects that don’t perfectly align with your values. In those cases, I think it’s important to find my “why”. I need to find a way to connect with it somehow. This helps me maintain a sense of purpose and integrity, even in situations where I have to compromise."

"When I’m working, I stay centred by meditating and prioritising breathing – breath is life."

"I often hear questions about opportunities for women and whether there’s equality. I feel these questions should also be directed at the men in the industry who are in charge of allocating opportunities. It would be interesting to hear their perspectives and how they think we can move forward towards equality."

"Realistically, men have held many of these influential positions for years, which can limit access for women. I don’t like that reality; but given the current climate, it’s crucial for women to support each other and create our own opportunities."

"Women need to rely on each other more and be open to being relied on, as we are the best advocates for our own success."

"The future, I am just happy to take one step at a time. I’ve learnt to be patient with myself and trust my journey. So wherever God is going to place me next is where I will be next."

"Because of social media, everything is so available."

"The responsibility of having someone who is reliant on you for everything is both totally awe-inspiring and overwhelming all at the same time."

"People say I appear unfriendly, but I’m really not – I think I’m one of the friendliest people in the world."

"There’s been this need for women in particular to have a soft life, but how to get that soft life has just been twisted, especially with the erosion of the family unit."

"Whether you’re selling your soul, body or mind, we’ve all found ourselves in a race where everybody is selling something in exchange for that soft life."

"My father insisted that I read history books in my spare time, and that shaped my life in many ways."

"I was fascinated by people appearing on the screen, and I loved the escapism that it gave me."

"Being a mom is… a wonderful gift and an opportunity to appreciate unconditional love."

"My advice to other moms would be… to cherish every moment and become aware of the great responsibility we have as first educators of the next generation."

"A love story is a story that I think almost anyone can relate to, a love story is universal and I think that allows audiences to really invest in the world we have created and pick up on the racial injustices and social injustices the characters face based on the colour of people’s skin. I think a love story gives people a way into that."

"To remain true to yourself and the things that you believe in and to do projects that really resonate with you. If something is for you it will be for you, and if it’s not then it’s not, trust your gut and do the things you passionately feel will make a difference."

"If everyone acknowledges the privilege certain people have, it’s up to those people as well to help push the agenda forward."

"Prior to reading Malorie’s books I had never heard of a world that existed where Africans were the ruling class. It was unique and it made me feel warm inside, to imagine a world where this could be a possibility."

"In the past, African culture hasn’t been as respected or honoured in the way this drama displays. I feel so proud to be a part of something where African culture is put on a pedestal."

"What I really liked about the relationship is how innocent it is in this world where everything seems to be set up against them. It is always beautiful to see the message relayed that whatever world you are in and however hard your circumstances may be, when you feel like the world is against you there is always that bit of hope - and their relationship represents that. They are very brave to want to be together as their relationship is illegal. It is inspiring to see how courageous they are and how their love is able to overcome such dangerous obstacles and difficult struggles."

"I'm excited for audiences to see the different perspectives of race from the opposite race. I am also excited for black people to see their culture so honoured and celebrated."

"I am excited for white people to see white privilege through a different medium and I think people will learn a lot from this show, it is very educational. It might kick start a conversation about racism that comes from a place of trying to see things from someone else’s perspective."

"The world is definitely a better place when you’re older and I must admit, growing older has been great to me."

"Africa has no representative in terms of a global, leading actress in Hollywood and my main goal is to fill that space."

"Being a woman is… a journey of self-discovery where at times we underestimate our power."

"The entertainment industry is big enough to fit everyone in it as we all have different roles to play. I never get why there are always comparisons when it comes to us female celebrities; it’s completely unnecessary."

"When something big happens in my career, something else in my private life goes wrong."

"You can never be given too much to handle. God always has a plan."

"It is important to have someone in your life with more life experience, who can answer your questions and guide you. We all need teachers. You should never stop learning."

"You need a clear vision of what you want. Even if you can’t articulate it well, a clear vision will help you focus. Sometimes people don’t achieve much because there is no destination. You need to direct yourself there."

"Money changes lives; I know what it can do. I work hard because I want it. Don’t let money threaten you or it will control you."

"What’s important is that we need to tell our stories and not wait for Hollywood to be our savior."

"There are so many African stories to tell the world and we need to be the ones that make that happen."

"Treat the industry with respect."

"We need to be protective of our industry as well. What’s important is that as an industry we are responsible for telling stories that shape the next generation. Our responsibility should be to foster their opportunities and help them to grow."

"I think people will resonate with the idea of using love as a weapon of choice and fall in love with the story."

"My career has never been, and will never be, defined by my relationship status. I was Minnie before marriage, and I will be Minnie long after my divorce."

"Speaking was always something that I had, I never thought in my wildest dreams that that’s what I would do as a career, I thought definitely I’d be an actress. So when the opportunity came for me to act, I ran with it."

"I’ve always been someone who understands that I whatever my circumstances are, I can get up and I can work and I can still make sure that I live the life that I want for myself, regardless of what’s been afforded to me or not."

"There’s a lot of women who walked that path before me. But I made a conscious decision to walk the path very feminine. I think I was one of the first girls to wear heels on a soccer pitch, and a dress, and full face-beat."

"No woman is now forced to compromise their femininity when they present what they do. I was one of the first to do it and I’m so proud of that. But it was a very scary time because you’re walking a space with a lot of resistance."

"I’m definitely where I am because of the path that other people have walked before me."

"It clicked that I didn’t belong there when I would leave during lunch breaks for auditions, which would obviously go overboard, and I’d have to come back and explain myself."

"I remember my mother vividly saying, ‘If you don’t send that resignation letter, I will. You are going to resign and follow your dreams. And you better succeed."

"I had to work really hard to remove myself from this box that I was placed in."

"When you are really passionate about something, you will literally fight tooth and nail to get it. And when it isn’t such a passion, it is easier to let go."

"Also, making people feel beautiful makes me happy."

"No matter how famous or well-known you are, never forget humility. Ubuntu."

"There is something about dresses that makes me feel like a lady. Be it a cute short dress or a long dress. I’m that girl."

"But one thing that I have learned is that there is a lot of rejection and you need to develop a thick skin in this industry."

"There's power within us. We just need to unlock it in order to heal our scars."

"Young female are having a hard time establishing themselves in the industry. That is why people will go on to sleep with directors to get a job. I'm glad I was in a position to know that I have talent and the qualification to back me and that is enough."

"The biggest problem we’re facing now is the rise of influencers who are taking up space meant for trained actors."

"Talent is being replaced by ‘likes’ and the number of social media followers. The essence of the art is being lost. And in the process, true talent is overlooked."

"I’ve never seen myself as a celebrity. I’m an actress. My job is to embody a character and bring it to life with honesty and depth."

"I think when we are born, we all have a journey that is set out for us. My journey was set on this route to be on stage whether it is through acting, singing or dancing."

"My problems were that I wanted something that was deep inside of me and I could not explain it to anybody- nobody could understand. They thought I was a crazy child. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ is what they would say but there was something and when I was finally put on stage, that’s when I would come alive, then I was the happiest child."

"We all have a purpose in this world."

"There must be a purpose for doing something or going somewhere because we all have a set timetable and tools that are specific to our personal journeys. You are here because God has a certain task at hand for you. You are the ruler of your purpose."

"With all the trials life has dished at me, I don't feel so much anymore."

"I only acknowledged the seriousness of the situation when seeing everyone else's panic around me."

"I think life has trained me to get to a point where I make choices. I remmber choosing to stay alive when I was shot."

"Women’s voices matter, they heal, they inspire, they lead."

"Where fear could have ruled, I chose to focus on being alive."

"The wonderful thing about awards I have come to understand is that the nomination itself is bigger than the award because it means that people recognised you. And I think in the work we do, in the conditions we do it, recognition is important."

"When death parks in your front yard and grief befriends you and sinks you into a story like this one, you give it everything you have."

"I observe women around me wherever I am. I take a bit of what I find interesting in every woman I meet."

"I wanted my own paycheque, I wanted my own house. I knew the world where I grew up in had limitations."

"We grew up where mothers often didn't work and depended on their husbands. I saw people borrowing R5 because the husband didn't leave any money and I told myself that wasn't going to be my storyline."

"The love I give my child at 42 is very different to the love a 22-year-old will give their child. I'm not coming into motherhood with the stress of my career, with financial difficulties."

"I've done it all - travelled, dined and partied - and now it's time for me to be a mother."

"i don't feel too old. I don't even think the word old exists in my vocabulary - you mature and grow up but ageing is about getting closer to who you are."

"I am excited to offer an interpretation to an African female character who could easily be lost in the cracks of society"

"I hope the character opens up a conversation that is often difficult to have around the experiences of women, violence and the ramifications of trauma."

"And I hate this narrative that older black women are threatened by younger black actresses - we are not."

"It's so wonderful to work with actors that if you give something, they're there with you."

"If we were politicians, then the audience would be our constituency. Our audiences are not stupid."

"My belief is this, you cannot diminish that which you did not create."

"What I know about my audience is that when I do good work, they will speak. My track record, of creating amazing characters speaks for me because that is what I do. I give my all to my characters, I re-write scripts. I make sure that I give my audience the truth and nothing but the truth."

"It's complicated, this industry. I don't fit into the scene."

"I love trying new things and I avoid allowing fear to get in the way. So when the opportunity came, I did my best."

"I wouldn't leave things down and under, I believe in working things out - especially with family."

"If something is meant for you, it will happen."

"The lesson I've learnt from lockdown is the importance of me-time."

"I don’t think you can get anywhere in life if you allow yourself to be intimidated. Just do your best."

"My dear actors, I know we love what we do. Let’s take care of our bodies and mental health. It’s not worth it to please everyone else and neglect our own needs. I know we love the characters we play, but we must take care of ourselves as actors first. Burnout is real."

"Discipline is having the understanding of what you are doing, why you are doing it and also placing value on it. Placing value on it will determine how much you are willing to sacrifice for it."

"Not feeling safe for a human being activates your instinct of always wanting to fight, to always be in a defensive mode and that is very dangerous, it abuses us. I think I have been experiencing it throughout the industry, even today."

"I have learnt that the work doesn’t end."

"I was so depressed. I went through a two-year depression because, when I am not doing this (acting), I do get sad. And so, I'm not even going to lie. If I am not doing what I love, I get sad."

"I don't believe you need to get married in order to be a professional, to have a family or to be happy."

"Society has built this in our minds; if you have a womb then you must have kids. If you are a woman, then you must get married."

"You shouldn't be a squirrel in someone else's life looking for a peanut either. I want to be the cake with the cherry on top!"

"Fame is horrible, very confusing, it's an illusion - it doesn't exist."

"I look forward to using my career to improve the lives of other women. Being on television exposed me to the many issues young girls are struggling with such as confidence and self-acceptance. This sparked the idea to start She Speaks, a women empowerment programme that encourages self-love. I host events where women can share their experiences in safe spaces."

"My vision is to be the epitome of God’s unlimited glory. This personal ‘why’ keeps me going, knowing that if I can inspire a young girl, then I have fulfilled my mission."

"My personal mandate has always been to be an example of God's unlimited glory, by reaching all corners of the world with a lasting legacy."

"I prefer not to be on my toes."

"I'm always on the run, I'm always on my toes and I've realised the importance of grounding myself. I find more pleasure and value with having my feet firmly on the ground."

"I’m always watching human beings and I wonder what it would be like to be them."

"I’ve always said that I don’t want any magazine shoot or interview to be about the sexualization of my female body. I’m so liberated now because I know that I’m taken seriously as an actress. When I die tomorrow and somebody asks, who is that? The answer will always be the actress. Not the girl with the breasts and dreadlocks. My strategy has always been to lie low."

"Educate yourself, pick up a book if you cannot afford education. Download scripts online and rehearse them at home."

"There is nothing sexier than a woman who knows what she’s doing."

"Do not down play your womaness."

"Push the professionalism and be bad a** with your talent.When you’re an actor, you’re a vessel and you need to be emptied out to be filled by another character."

"I respect the woman who have survived from the beginning without becoming tabloid queens and having their personal lives tampered with by the public. The women who overcame obstacles, came from townships just like I did and defeated stereo types and became the better few of the statistics of black female actors in South Africa."

"My advice to anyone is to find happiness in you and your God-given talent or skill. And not in people or things, because those come and go. And secondly, the journey to knowing thyself never ends so one should never stop finding themselves. You’ll be surprised what you find. Thirdly, do not be afraid of change, change is growth and growth is good."

"I specifically chose women and children because I could relate to the effects of systematic inequalities and patriarchy."

"It’s important to constantly hone your craft because after some time, you just get rusty and you get stale. It’s so important to remind yourself of the different things that are required of you."

"I am looking forward to now getting people into the culture of coming to the theatre just through my influence and it’s going to be fun."

"Do work that really motivates you to be a better artist. Do stuff that inspires you. That mainly comes with creating your own work. Create your own content. Tell your story because that is what everyone is doing."

"Share your own life experiences through your art form but don’t just do things because of money. There is value in saying no to a job that you know won’t be great for you because it is highly stressful but the pay is good."

"My work forces me to be arware of my evolution. It allows me to embrace my flaws and improve. Staying in touch with my inner child and healing her too."

"I love watching my unique ideas come to life sonically. It's like birthing a baby each time. It can be painful and beautiful all in the same breath."

"Teachers are the real mothers and nurturers of society."

"I also learned to hold space for others without taking on their stuff."

"To tell stories that are meaningful and impactful, one has to believe in them and be purposeful and intentional in their creation."

"To every young creative on the rise now, my advice to us all is that as technology advances, advance with it. The internet is a huge tool in an actor’s toolbox, so be intentional about how you use it!"

"You have to make sure that all of you is reaching out and touching all of the audience in the theatre. With theatre you want to create an experience for people."

"Actors are people too! It’s important for us to take a break."

"My intention is to use my gifts and skill sets to empower and enlighten mankind through art. It is also to expand myself by getting out of my comfort zone as an artist. I join projects I believe will break the mould in some kind of way. Or those that excite me."

"Any story that’s offered to me that doesn’t align with my value system and that won’t challenge me I won’t do."

"One of the most challenging things about the industry is getting your foot in the door and maintaining that upward momentum."

"I was born for this; I don’t care how cliché that may sound but I am a natural storyteller. There are many different forms of storytelling that I’ve now ventured into but this is who I am and I’m proud to be a vessel of God, used as a mirror to reflect the human condition to mankind."

"I come from a place of love, I am love and that made it easy for me to recognise love."

"Love has done so much for me, it has fed me, nourished me, comforted me, picked me up. Love has been the reason why, my saving grace, my anchor, my purpose."

"I acknowledge and appreciate that I am beautiful but it is not everything nor the only thing that I want attached to me. I am layered. Looks can only take you so far, there has to be more."

"The person you are changes as you grow."

"I wholly belong to myself and I embrace the ebbs and flows of life, growing up is humbling and equally empowering but I accept myself in all these seasons."

"When you are happy, tell people that you are having a great time with them. I always make sure people know how grateful I am and how happy I am wherever I am. I love spreading joy."

"I never feel like I have to go recharge because work drains me, no. I love what I do. I am always happy when I am working."

"Looking good doesn’t have to be such a complicated thing, your outfit transforms just by wearing a pair of earrings, a simple necklace."

"I have conditioned myself to not take anything personal. A lot of people that criticise me do not know me and I should not be too affected by what they say. I used to be upset about people being negative but I have since developed thick skin and I am hardly affected."

"I always want to leave feeling good, seen and loved."

"In South Africa, especially, women play a pivotal role in their communities and families. It's not just about running the household; it's about owning property, making financial decisions, and shaping the future for themselves and their loved ones"

"It's a narrative that celebrates the strength and resilience of women, showcasing their ability to overcome adversity and thrive in the face of challenges."

"It's a reminder that true strength comes from within, from tapping into that reservoir of resilience and determination that resides in each of us."

"It's a poignant reminder of the inequalities that still exist in our society, even three decades into democracy."

"As we celebrate this milestone in our country's history, let's not forget the stories that still need to be told, the voices that still need to be heard."

"People will always have opinions on how they experience you. I have never heard anyone on any set complain about me being a drama queen. Those who know me, know how I am. I don’t pay too much attention to negativity. Everyone experiences people differently"

"It is challenging because we are doing a lot of scenes every day and trying to make sure you are telling the story with great integrity and truth because you are telling someone's story and your story links to everyone else's character. You have a greater responsibility because everything needs to make sense. It starts with you"

"I thought I'm just an ordinary person but people see so much because we tell their stories in the most authentic way and that is why when they see me they get happy"

". I didn't think I would be able to put myself in someone else's shoes and change my perspective and look at life through someone else's lens."

"My heart is filled with so much gratitude. Farewell Shoki! Thank you so much to everyone who has embraced and loved Shoki over the years. It’s because of this character that I’ve become a household name and got my start in this industry."

"Pregnancy is such a sensitive thing. You need to respect it, protect it and take care of it"

"Firstly, I was never into marriage. Even at home, they were shocked when the letter came. I always said I didn’t see myself getting married. I wanted kids, but never marriage. I also don’t have a really good reference of marriage."

"There was a time in my life when I was working in retail because I thought showbiz wasn’t happening for me and I had invested so much. I worked for like, a year, before I was hired at Gagasi FM. Folding clothes in retail is not easy, but all of that builds you"

"She believed in me so much and could see that being in the public eye was something I enjoyed. From singing to dancing and doing drama, I was always that kid"

"It was a beautiful story about being lesbian in an African community like KwaMashu. I enjoyed playing that character and it was out of my comfort zone,"

"Noxolo and I had coaching lessons and counselling. It helped a lot having to understand that these are people’s lives and they sometimes get killed based on whom they choose to love. Portraying those characters was serious for us."

"South Africa, I have poured my heart into this journey. Every step, every late night, every moment of doubt and triumph, all leading to this final moment on that stage"

"It took years of hard work, sweat and tears to rise from a place of zero confidence, from once hating my complexion, my height and my figure to standing tall and proud in my truth"

"When I was on-stage during the crowning moment I was thinking to myself that whoever gets this crown is so deserving of it. when you are in that moment you can just be at peace, and just let go and let God take over. Even when Qhawe and I were standing there, we even forgot that we had to turn on que because we were just so in our moment. I was thinking that the fact that I have even gotten this far is enough. Whatever happens now is all up to God"

"I don’t think people understand that you don’t necessarily need a crown to fulfill your duties. the Miss SA organisation is still going to hold my hand through and ensure that my advocacy does actually breath life into the people that I want to reach. It was such a rewarding moment for me when I got that position knowing that I’ll still be able to be within the proximity of working with the organisation and the queen as well"

"They were really amazing. I think the sisterhood that gets born in that system is so beautiful because if you are missing an earing, someone has got you. If you are missing this or that, someone is always there to help. How we were stepping into an new era and having to now hold each other hands in support and not necessarily look at each other as competition, is comforting"

"just a drop in the large ocean of my amazing supporters who fuel me every single day"

"Being sashed First Runner-Up at Miss South Africa is a moment I’ll cherish forever, not just for what it represents, but for what it means in God’s divine plan. Every message, every word of love and encouragement has touched my heart deeply"

"I am exactly where I’m meant to be, walking in purpose, grace, and gratitude"

"I am my ancestors’ wildest dream, standing tall because of the prayers, sacrifices, and strength that came before me. And for that, I am endlessly thankful"

"A girl from Alexandra to the Miss South Africa stage. This journey has truly been nothing short of grace, growth, and gratitude"

"This crown is not just mine, it belongs to every dreamer from humble beginnings, to every girl who thought she couldn’t, but did anyway. South Africa, thank you for trusting me with your hearts. The journey doesn’t end here; it’s only the beginning"

"I think my personality was shaped by those contrasting families. I had a normal upbringing, played, went to school, followed the rules and broke them, learned morals and Values, then discovered myself."

"I am who I am today because of that young girl who grew up knowing there’s more to offer and fearlessly pursued her dreams"

"It’s awesome! Levi’s® has been around for years and has always maintained a brand that represents quality and growth within the market, so to be associated with it means I’m doing something right!"

"It makes me so proud to be the face of a range that considers a broader market that wasn’t necessarily thought of before!"

"I actually enjoy my body!"

"My whole life, I’ve been tested in all that I do"

"I’ve always dared to put myself through numerous tests again, knowing it’s worth a try because I’ve learned more from my failures than my wins"

"You need to dive into the unknown to discover your full potential"

"In a world where everything seems structured and perfect, people appreciate engaging with someone who portrays the truths of life"

"it’s always liberating to know you’re not alone"

"Your impact on people generates influence"

"it’s easier to market to an audience that believes you!"

"Acting is a job for me and, trust me, there’s nothing glamorous about it behind the scenes"

"every job requires discipline, professionalism and a sense of enthusiasm to perform at your best!"

"I’ve learned acting is somewhat spiritual; you’re as real or believable as the amount of Commitment you invest in it"

"Beauty is seen as a commodity in society"

"Music has always been the heartbeat of everything I do"

"I want to relay a story of owning your power, your being and success as a woman in a sassy, vibrant yet soulful way"

"Letting go of perfection and trusting my instincts was the hardest part, but also the most freeing."

"I have always felt challenged before because I was never prepared and just went with the flow of the character"

"It’s amazing what happens when you apply yourself."

"I have been put in rooms where I felt like I didn’t belong. For the longest time I didn’t realise I actually grew up in this industry because I was just going through it"

"Don’t fight people’s battle in the industry. I’m not saying be mute to any injustices of the industry, because if you are an actor in the industry those are your battles"

"But people’s battles that don’t involve you, stay out of them. When you are young in the industry your heart is so open and you just speak up even when it’s not your place. You wonder why the adults are quiet"

"This industry is hard; we're struggling. The beautiful thing is that fans can sit at home and watch how everything came together, not knowing what we went through."

"I am very scared of love. It scares me so much. I love very hard and I bring my all"

"My concerns, which I raised with the police, were about how you guarantee my safety because the very same people who want to kill me are working with the police. I could be walking right into the trap and get killed"

"You are not allowed to post! I’m an influencer and content creator. I make a living off social media. I have a bond and other bills to pay. How am I supposed to make a living, because my acting career has been destroyed"

"You are expected to live within the confines of South African borders. I couldn’t take that chance; that is why I left the country"

"There is no single cent spent on the medical bills of the poor woman (Thobejane’s friend) who sustained injuries to her spinal cord as a result of being shot. She is wheelchair bound. Her parents and I are paying her medical bills because we want her to get her life back, but the state spends so much money on the commission…"

"have established a foundation to fight gender-based violence, but I have not received funds from any government entity to support it"

"God’s blessings are unmatched and truly when the Lord says yes NOBODY can say no"

"Home ownership is a feeling that makes life’s daily grind worth facing,"

"We met her and she allowed us to speak to women about their lives and challenges. I decided to create a drama because I don’t think that there is a human being who wakes up and decide to be a prostitute"

"What I like about the story is that this is the honest portrayal of sex workers and their lives"

"But I am happy that black people are telling black stories though they are controlled in how they should tell them."

"“I have a lot of friends who are writers and they want to tell amazing black stories, but they can’t because they are not allowed to. There is a variety of stories to tell but there is no platform and that’s frustrating"

"I’m not my children’s regular friend; I am their mom first. But they can come to me for anything. That’s the kind of mom Leruo has in the story. So that’s the similarity between me and Moretlo."

"We are worried that if what we see in some churches continues, it could have detrimental effects on society"

"I think one of the most difficult things about being in this industry is staying real. Because there is this expectation from fans that we have money and are rich"

"To uphold that is difficult because you either fall into the trap of not living your truth or you stay content in your truth. With social media there is all this pressure to keep up with the slay queens and please fans"

"I think it is unfair to have kids when life is so complex. I think it is the pressure and fear of bringing a soul to life and raising it."

". I made the decision because of the pressures of life"

"I go into the deep dark bank of emotions that I have. Sometimes I will think of depressing things or happy times that make me emotional"

"The saddest thing I draw from is the passing of the father but I found that it becomes too much for me and I have to go home and de-stress. I also think of my nephews birth and that brings me to tears. It may be weird but it really helps"

"my insecurities from when I started in the industry is the difference, because I am constantly learning with every set I go into."

"I write from scripture, I sing scripture, whatever scripture that the Holy Spirit drops in my heart that feels relevant at the time. That's how I write and that's how we wrote almost all the songs in the album"

"I believe if He did it for you, He will do it for me. But more than anything, it's a declaration of His unchanging love. This is my thank you to God for every season — every pain, every joy. I'm grateful. This album is that gratitude in song."

"I'll do it for love. I have done a lot of gigs for free. But I need to survive, I have dependents and I have a family. We don’t do it for money. If money doesn’t come, you will suffer. But if you do it for love and make someone smile,"

"God always has a way to reward you and that’s how I live. And if everything I did was for money, I wouldn’t be here today doing this interview because you would have to pay me."

"I listen to Whitney Houston, Ntokozo Mbambo and Tasha Cobbs. If you listen to their ranges, they are very high. I practice with them. I love their music, I love their voice"

"I had to be very grounded with the fact that I am going out with this information because that’s part of the calling … It shocked me to my core, but at the same time also made me very steadfast, very strong, and to just trust in the process …"

"I feel like, in some small way, I opened the space for people to feel more comfortable about talking about that journey."

"I think it is a little hard to fully enjoy anything with the current state of the world. We can all agree though that this time has forced us to spend a little more time with ourselves. So yes, I do feel somewhat rejuvenated."

"The biggest challenge was mobility and assistance around the house, so I had to learn how to be a little more patient and gentle with myself."