Celebrity – Pearl Shongwe
Metro FM’s Pearl Shongwe wormed her way into our hearts with her crackly laughter and witty opinions. The 32-year-old lets us into her world!
By PERTUNIA MKASA
I grew up between Diepkloof (DK) in Soweto, and Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg. “I was born in the former and lived with my grandparents for a while because my parents moved around a lot. At some point, my parents lived in a shack in Evaton and in backrooms until they bought a house in Ennerdale when my dad found a stable job. I still have very close ties to DK because of all the weekends and school holidays I spent there. I definitely appreciated Soweto more than I did Ennerdale because at home, we were kept kids whereas in DK, we would play until we dropped.”
Being a broadcaster has always been a childhood dream. “I believe in timing and that everything happens as it should. I’ve dreamt of being in broadcasting since the age of eight. I was very aware of my talents and abilities from a young age even though the grown-ups always made me feel like ‘ngiyaphapha’ or ‘ngizenza umuntu omdala’. I started my career in marketing and advertising, then went into public relations. Look at me now, I’m happy with how my journey unfolded even though it took much longer. I got to learn so much about broadcast from doing smaller shows and working behind the scenes for almost 10 years. ”
I’m not my job, even though I believe that it’s a big part of who I am. “Some people judge me based on what I do and I suppose it’s because news girls are supposed to behave a certain way and people are generally comfortable with placing others in a box. I happen to be dynamic. I’m full of spunk, smart, funny and informed — and all of that is housed under my bubbly personality. I can literally be anything I want to be and don’t need to conform.” Remaining humble through it all is the best advice I have ever received. “My parents have always drilled in my sisters and I, the importance of humility. They always say ‘ubabone abantu, ubazi ukuthi abantu’. When loosely translated, this means it’s important to recognise people at a human level before making any assumptions about them. Being human automatically makes us equal — whether you’re a street vendor or a CEO, I’ll greet you and pay you the necessary respect.” My current obsessions are Amapiano and white wine. “I’ve recently started enjoying white wine. I’ve always been a red wine kind of girl. My love for Amapiano is somewhat peculiar because I can’t dance nor do I enjoy attending parties. You won’t find me dancing up a storm in public but in my car, diyabowa! [chuckles]” Baking helps me unwind. “It relaxes me and is definitely my happy place. Clutter immediately exits my brain when I bake! I also love a good day at the spa. I also relish time spent with family — I completely forget about my other obligations when I’m with them. My job is demanding, so there’s limited time to spend with loved ones, yet when I do, it’s always filled with laughter and is therapeutic.”
Ami Faku and Sun-El Musician’s song, Into Ingawe, best describes my journey. “The song personifies what my life has really been about — hard work, praying and hustling. I’m still on my path to many destinations, but have seen countless miracles and manifestations unfolding in my life. It is the soundtrack of my life.” I’d tell my 15-year-old self to enjoy everything that life presents without trying to control things. I’d also urge her to shine as brightly as she can because the people who project negativity towards her are fighting their own battles that have nothing to do with her.
I believe in living as wildly as you can. Not wild in the sense of being irresponsible, but more about being true to yourself and believing in your own magic.
I wouldn’t mind having a super power that enables me to read minds. “I’ve always wanted to know if I can lend a helping hand, especially to people who are afraid to speak up. People are good at presenting a certain façade to the world because society is very judgemental. I’d love to be able to delve deeper into issues affecting people and assist where I can.” Summiting Kilimanjaro has to be the bravest thing I’ve ever done. “I did it for a worthy cause — I’m an ambassador for Caring4Girls, an initiative that collects and distributes sanitary pads for girls with no access to these basics. I started my period on the first day of the trek to summiting Kilimanjaro. That, for me, brought the story of a lack of ablution facilities together because menstrual hygiene cannot be realised with poor or no sanitation. In the broader scheme of things, it’s what our girl children go through daily. No amount of physical training could ever prepare me for the mental aspect of the climb, it was very hard. The actual summit took six days and we literally had to weather four seasons in one day, and many other challenges.” The journey up Kilimanjaro helped me move a step further in grieving for my father. “My dad’s passing last year was a huge challenge and the wounds are still fresh. Kilimanjaro helped me move from one phase of grieving to the next, I’m no longer stuck in the same place. I had to deal with a lot of emotions up there. I remember how cold it was on summit night and how thinking about my dad would make me feel warm. That helped take my mind away from the sub-zero conditions.”
My parents have always drilled in my sisters and I, the importance of humility. My parents always say ‘ubabone abantu, ubazi ukuthi abantu’