Beauty, the bike and boy take on SA

‘Biker Queen’, Seipei Mashugane, is not just another babe on a bike, writes Munya Vomo

E.TV HAS an intriguing travel TV show, Double Up Mzansi Style, which will see comedian Tats Nkonzo and biker Seipei Mashugane ( pictured) travelling around the country on motorbikes. Nkonzo is no rider so he will represent the viewer who knows nothing about biking, while Mashugane is an expert in the field.

“I had a couple of auditions for the show, but I didn’t hear from anyone for a while and thought that I did not get it. Eventually, they came back and I was really surprised,” said Mashugane.

“The show is like work, but we have fun, too. I am a biker and have been for years. So being asked to do this was an honour because I live for it. I love doing it with Tats Nkonzo because he’s such a sweet guy,” she added.

Mashugane spoke about her years of riding prior to Double Up Mzansi Style.

“I am the ‘Biker Queen of SA’ and that came about when I rode the nine provinces of the country. I started riding nine years ago and at the time the one thing that hit me was the fact that there were very few women riding. Maybe two or three. I thought that was a pity so I took it upon myself to encourage women. I have done the national tour three times and the ‘Biker Queen’ name stuck,” she explained.

This experience is essential for what Double Up Mzansi Style aims to bring to your living room and that’s why no ordinary presenter could do the job.

“On Double Up Mzansi Up Style we are doing the same and I am very excited to be on the road again. The cool thing is we get to explore the provinces. We see our beautiful landscape, and we learn just how important mastering our languages is. Whenever you enter a new province, you automatically know it with the change of the language. It can start from a simple place like a petrol station when you say something and the attendant makes it very clear that the area is another territory altogether. That’s amazing,” she said.

For her, while the love for bikes comes first, the show should help to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones and explore the other provinces.

“The idea is to say to people that travel should not be something that people should fear. They should not wait to do it when they have money because that never happens. Polokwane is three hours from Joburg so you can’t really say you can’t go there because you need to save up a lot. You can go on the weekend,” she said.

Mashugane and Nkonzo have a good balance as she is the expert and he is the funnyman.

“Tats rides with me in a sidecar and he enjoys the view. He can be on his iPad or phone, if he likes.

“The good thing about being on a bike is that it brings som to it. We want to op kinds of transport passion. You need t to understand why experience,” she sa