Don’t fall for blessers, says Bonang
“Make your own rules, find opportunities, don’t take the easy way out.”
That was the advice to young women from South African mega-celeb and style icon Bonang Matheba who has spoken out frankly on the issue of “blessers”.
In an exclusive interview yesterday morning on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Africa conference at the Durban ICC, Matheba, who has about 2 million followers on Twitter and Instagram, and who sets fashion rather than following trends, urged young women to control their own future.
“I can’t judge anyone, but a blesser will always want something in return. Set your own legacy, there is no debt in that. Make your own rules and find opportunities as there are sponsorships out there.
“Put in the work. Don’t take the easy way out,” said Matheba.
She said the #FeesMustFall student protests last year had motivated her to take action in making a difference.
Describing young African women as “very passionate and fierce in that they can do whatever their male counterparts can do”, she started the Bonang Matheba Foundation after the protests and has assisted 10 young women with tertiary education this year.
Yesterday, she challenged leaders, celebrities and other influence-shapers to make a practical difference, highlighting that 51 million African girls were not in school.
“There is a level or urgency out there when it comes to education but is anything actually being done?
“If you have a platform to change somebody’s life, use it and make a change. It has a trickle effect, our young women will become mothers and will educate their sons and families. Education has a wonderful domino effect,” she said.
Harnessing digital innovation was a key talking point at the WEF conference, which Matheba highlighted as the most powerful tool to engage with youth.
“You have to know how to speak to them online. We live in a digital era and we need to customise the message,” she said.
For her followers, Matheba warned that success takes time.
“Overnight success does not exist. We live in an era of instant gratification but success needs time and the true value of hard work. You need a lot of patience and persever- ance,” she said.
She was in Durban to moderate the WEF panel discussion on harnessing the continent’s booming youth population through urgent and strategic investment.
Matheba attended as an ambassador for One Cam- paign, a global advocacy organisation to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases, particularly in Africa.
At the opening of the panel discussion, One Campaign director Nachilala Nkombo said: “It is not business as usual. There are pockets of unrest on the continent which may increase. How to end extreme poverty in Africa is by employing young women.”
The WEF panel discussion moderated by Matheba highlighted the mismatch between current education curricula and skills sought by industry.
The potential for developing agri-business and providing food for Africa instead of relying on imports was also discussed, as was unrest on the continent and the urgent need for jobs for youth and women to maintain stability in the region.