"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."

"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’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."

"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."

"A child is a gift from God regardless of how it was concieved. God does not make mistakes."

"Rise up from the place of guilt and feeling sorry for yourself and run to your destiny."

"Coming from a family that wasn't well off, I though certain things were out of reach and were only for specific people."

"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."

"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 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."

"I grew up thinking there were things I was not worthy of."

"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."

"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."

"Just throw yourself in the deep end. Whatever opportunity you get, throw yourself in."

"Mental illnesses and disorders are different and that is what people don't quite understand."

"I do not regard myself as a celebrity, I am known for what I love doing and that is acting."

"I calculated everything - I planned and over-planned at times and I ended up missing opportunities because I was very careful."

"Being a mother is one of my favourite jobs, which I will always put first."

"I enjoy every single moment of motherhood. My daughter is my source of strength."

"You feel guilty for not being with your baby when you are at work and when you're at home, you have so much to do. It feels like you're not doing the right thing."

"People can get lost in the artificial world of social media and that is why I think there is some much depression in our industry because we are trying to potray unattainable perfection."

"I know the purpose of life through her. She is the reason I wake up every morning to do what I love."

"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 also think it is important to live for ourselves and not focus on a social media lifestyle."

"People should love what they do and stop focusing on fame and being celebrities."

"I feel the need to give back as I had so many sponsors and prizes after becoming Miss Namibia and would like someone else to get pampered like I often do. I want them to have the same opportunities I had and most importantly, I want to share the importance of grooming as a confidence boost"

"The beauty pageant industry is an industry like any other, with the capacity to contribute to the nation building of any country. Namibia should be no different"

"The pageant is very African-centred. The reality out there is that as Africans, we define our beauty according to what the rest of the world tells us is beautiful and with this pageant, we want to rectify that"

"It is small. We are not writing enough and those who do write are not getting the necessary support. I would like to see more books written in indigenous languages. We have local linguists lecturing and researching at local universities and schools but majority are not writing books. In my head, that does not make sense. However, we are also not reading enough. The culture of reading still remains an issue. We have learners in high school who cannot read or follow basic grammar rules of writing. If they cannot read now, who will write later"

"We want the girls to be as natural as possible"

"I would say all things are possible and you can open any door."

"Being on a soapie for a long time can make you be on autopilot. That's why we must constantly develop ourselves. Read, watch masterclasses and do anything that will push you to be better."

"Education is not limited to books and instructional teaching and learning. My family was and remains the teacher of values, culture, diversity, emotional intelligence, financial literacy and hygiene. So how I understand, value, care for and celebrate my culture is a reflection of the educational role my family plays when it comes to teaching me about my cultural roots"

"Where there is more than one person, there is difference. Just like how we differ as individuals, so does culture and how we express it"

"Language carries culture and culture carries values. An Oshikwanyama speaking child can only express themselves like a Kwanyama if they can speak the language. When they get hurt, they say…memeeii. An English speaking child will say, ouch"

"It takes days to years to put something together. It requires constantly and proactively having to enquire from those more knowledgeable, reading, studying and doing extensive field and desktop research"

"Hospitality in our family is a trait many possess. Both maternally and parentally. We love to host, support and nurture. Philanthropy is just an extension of that. Serving beyond the family unit"

"It took resilience and the will to pursue my intended purpose to enter and win and still recognise myself in the mirror after my reign"

"I have always loved nature and the outdoors. There is something grounding about life beyond tall towers and buildings. In the rural area, I can actually smell the flowers and feel my inner powers. Although I was raised in the city, the congestion of traffic lights and take out is not my thing"

"Q: What is one thing about you that changed during the process of Price Media Law Moot? A: My knowledge about internet intermediaries. Before I started Price Media Law Moot, I didn’t even know that internet companies had liability. And then, I really focused on Scoops. So, I got to read a lot of materials and develop more interest in internet intermediary liabilities and one thing that happened to me while I was in South Africa is I realised that no matter where you go to or no matter how far you stray away from being yourself, you never stop being yourself. The moment you start preparing and you decide, I’m going to be myself, you are going to excel because that is who you are, you can’t be anyone else. My experience made me realise that I had been living in fear saying oh, I can’t do this thing, it’s been forever since I was out to speak publicly and I stood up and I had white judges and there were Indians and it was like, my bones were filled with cement. And I just felt this like this is who I am, this is what I have been doing since I was born, this is who I am and I am always going to be excellent at it. It gave me peace, to know that I was still myself."

"The panorama from the tip of the peninsula included a rock island a mile offshore. It was no more than a knoll but lofty and jagged, marked by a beam of light in the bottom centre — a gap that the dropping sun, on cloudless days, gleamed clear through — and on the through-gleaming days, they marvelled at the visible presence of the archway, at the brilliance of the absence at the rock knoll’s heart. If it wasn’t for the island, Sigh said, you wouldn’t even know there was a hole."

"A robin had claimed ownership of the fuchsia hedge that ran half the length of the east side of the driveway. It scaled the apical branch each dawn, and no matter the severity of the wind, it gripped on with its claws and trilled a melodious warning song — a beautiful, convoluted ballad about the murderous vengeance that would be exacted upon any bird who dared to trespass. The robin of the driveway had murdered in the past. It was prepared for murder."

"This book is a stunning and wonderful achievement by a writer touched by greatness."

"I had an image of all language standing to attention, eager to serve this writer."