That's life!

Khaya Dlanga on what makes him laugh and cry

HE’S a multi-award-winning advertising executive but in his spare time Khaya Dlanga (40) loves to share his wit and wisdom in his blogs and on social media. And now he’s got a new book on the shelves, These Things Really Do Happen to Me, in which he revisits the experiences that have helped shape his life. We caught up with the Cape Town marketing guru and columnist to find out what makes him tick.

How does it feel to walk into a bookshop and see your book on the shelves? I remember just before my previous book was launched I walked into an Exclusive Books to find some other book I wanted to buy, only to be greeted by my face on shelves. The book was on shelves two weeks early. I walked out of that store faster than The Flash. If there was one thing you’d change about your life, what would it be? There’s nothing I’d change, maybe just to be a little taller. Does your writing happen fairly effortlessly or is it a struggle? It’s a struggle because of deadlines. I know that if I had to write a novel I’d wrestle and struggle with myself a whole lot more. Do family and friends sometimes get annoyed that you’re willing to share such intimate details of your life? Not one bit. What makes you angry? When people are cruel to children. When I cry during a movie it’s often because something horrible has happened to a child. In trying times, how do you manage to stay positive? Knowing they won’t last; everything has a season and knowing that life isn’t always going to be great. Part of life is going through tough times. What makes you laugh? I’m a laugher so pretty much anything will make me laugh. I enjoy laughing.