MEET THE NEW DELUSH WINE DIVA!

Mzansi’s taste-making wine has a new face. She is both bold and fierce – meet Nomfundo Mlaba.

The world is her oyster. And she knows it. Nomfundo Mlaba is this year's winner of the Delush Fearless Tastemaker competition, the second time that South Africa's fastest-growing – and tastiest! – wine brand has selected a dynamic young woman to don this aspirational crown.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I know it,” says the bubbly and elegant Nomfundo, who works as a journalist in Durban. “Going into the competition I was not that confident. To be honest, I only did it because a former colleague kept on asking me why I didn't enter. Making it to the final stages was great – but to win… what a dream come true!”

When asked why she thinks the judges selected her from the hundreds of entries received from strong-willed, independent-minded women from around the country, Nomfundo says she entered because she understood what Delush Wines was looking for in their Fearless Tastemaker.

“I have always had a vision of creating my own opportunities as I knew nobody was going to do it for me,” she says. “Growing-up in a rural village outside Pietermaritzburg, I was confronted daily by the stark contrasts of my village existence and my time spent at school in an urban environment. This stimulated me to find out more about the world and its endless possibilities.”

This, Nomfundo did through breaking boundaries and defying her family, choosing a career everyone advised her against.

“When I told my family I wanted to

I have always had a vision of creating my own opportunities as I knew nobody was going to do it for me.

study journalism I became a laughing stock – and I understood why. We had always been exposed to different mediums, but had never come across anyone working in the field. For a village child like me, the media industry was for the select few. And my family was convinced I was not one of those.”

After completing her journalism qualification at Durban University of Technology, the then 19-year-old landed herself a job at one of the countries leading regional commercial radio stations, GagasiFM.

Nomfundo also brings a sense of style to her journalism field. “How I look is definitely one of my top priorities. In most times, it works to my advantage because people always remember ‘the stylish journalist'.” After two years working on radio, she moved to print. Currently working for the Northglen News in Durban, she said she doesn't even know how she gets time to chill. “Deadlines, oh deadlines! Community newspapers are generally small, which makes me an all-round journalist. Besides creating content for the newspaper, there's the website that also has to be fed with news, so you are never off duty.” Delush, says Nomfundo, is a stylish wine which she enjoys while relaxing. “And obviously I love it even more for

the great Fearless Tastemaker campaign, which I've just embarked on.”

As the first lady from KZN to make it this far in the competition, Nomfundo's first flight in an aeroplane was from Durban to Johannesburg to attend the Top 10 finalist party, another list of achievements in a sparkling young career.

Nomfundo said her mind was already working over-time as to how she could further the footprint of Delush, South Africa's most exciting wine brand. “There are so many opportunities to get the brand to be a part of the South African narrative,” she says.

“Look at traditional music, for example. I love traditional African music, and the art form is a unique cultural expression that can embrace Delush wines as a part of the African lifestyle.”

Our Delush Fearless Tastemaker will also be using her new title to promote her own personal brand. Already a highly regarded radio news anchor and newspaper reporter, she will employ her social media acumen and individual voice to partner Delush wines in creating a brand new story – one that the South Africa wine world has not heard before.

“I just can't wait,” says Nomfundo. “It's a real honour. I'm over the moon and my new story starts now!”

You can follow Nomfundo on Instagram @lovejoy_mlamba. To find out more about where to find Delush wines go to: wwww.delushwines.co.za