KULI ROBERTS TALKS LONGEVITY
THOUGH she has a career that spans more than 15 years in the entertainment industry, Kuli Roberts has revealed she’s had to work twice as hard to secure jobs because the industry no longer embraces “real” .
Kuli said the industry had become a cruel and unkind place where “dog eats dog”, and that was the accepted standard.
The actress said the situation was worse than when she had to work in what was previously a white-dominated industry.
“I was doing me during a very white period — in this country and in the industry — and it was fine. But now I’m doing me in this largely black environment and the blacks aren’t having it.”
“What has happened is they give gigs to their friends now, and there’s not much we can do about that,” Kuli told TshisaLIVE.
Before Mzansi knew the makings of an “it” girl, Kuli was one of the media personalities who was booked and busy.
However, she feels like things have changed and instead of embracing her, the industry has constantly tried to spit her out.
“I don’t think people give me my due credit, at all. It’s as if I never existed and I never did what I did in this industry.
“When I stepped into this industry, the media in this country were using Westerners instead of South Africans. But as far as they are concerned, my work over the years has had no impact in this country whatsoever.”
Kuli said she is determined to build generational wealth for her children, and even though she still hustles for work in the entertainment industry, she’s not placing all her eggs in one basket.
She said she’s been delving into the property market.
“I’m going to make sure I leave a lot of property for my children, and I’m not going to be deterred.”
“The point is, I’m here to work and make money for my children. I’ve lived all over the world, which always helps me when it comes to perspective. I don’t give a f*** what people think when they see me hustle or see me in a taxi, for example. My focus is on the bigger picture.”