Bonang! the girl from next door

The celebrated and famous Bonang Matheba goes through the same struggles just like any ordinary woman. The South African personality tells this publication in an interview that after a busy day working and pushing her brand, the first thing she looks forward to is to take off her bra.

The jet-setting personality was in the country over the past weekend for the annual YAMA Music Awards, where she was the MC, alongside Loungo Andre Pitse. This interview took place ahead of the awards that suffered a four-hour delay. The delay, it turned out was due to her missing wardrobe and stylist who were apparently stuck in Kenya. It is alleged that, an unnamed designer stepped in at the eleventh hour and saved the day.  Letting her body breath by removing her bra is one of two things that she looks forward to doing every time she returns home.

“Taking off my bra is one thing. I think that every woman knows,” she says. The second thing, she loves her telly, reality television shows in particular, especially cooking shows such as Masterchef. Ahead of the awards, she highlighted that her expectation was finding new artists, and that she finds new artists at all the incredible places where she has travelled to. “I am also looking forward to seeing how the industry is doing in Botswana, and how far it is. And what the pop culture is doing,” She explains.

She also says that she has managed to stay relevant in the industry by evolving, and moving at the pace of the world, and staying true to yourself. She also highlights that her secret is finding a place in the world where all of those things fit; adding your own spin to it, being unique, true and authentic. People always reciprocate and react positively to love and passion, and authenticity,” She points out. She also says that it also comes with doing a lot of research, reading and making sure that one is aware of what others are up to.

“It’s hard, but being consciously aware of your surroundings is a great way to start,” says Matheba. Matheba points out that at 31 years, she is nowhere near slowing despite all her success. She says that she is still passionate about what she is doing, and that there is still so much that she wants to do before she can consider calling it a day. “I am very far from that. There are many award shows that I would like to host and a lot of music that I would like to hear; many lives that I would like to change as well as many more places that I would like to go to,” she explains.

She further says that her fans can determine whether there is a difference between Bonang, the brand and Bonang at home.  She notes that her reality tv show, Being Bonang, which is currently in production for Season 3 was trying to get them as close as possible to her, and show them the real Bonang. “The reality show is trying to create another avenue for myself, and show a different side to my fans,” she says. Season 3, she explains started shooting in Gaborone, and is one of the many international trips that fans can look forward to in the upcoming season. She also says that she will be moving to New York for a while this year, where she is slated to appear in a documentary film, which she co-produced. The film will be showing at the Manchester Film Festival. She will be working on her lingerie collection and a bagful of other things this year.

“Season 3 has a lot of laughs, a lot of Quotables, and a lot more of my family and international trips,” she notes, adding that her cousin Pinky will also be appearing on the show, and exploring new paths. As for what she eats, besides her love for Mogodu, she says that she eats a lot of chicken wings, rice, potatoes and that she loves bread.

“There are days when I detox, and I go for facials, fasts, and go on diets,” she says adding that there are other things that she gets to do to take care of herself which people don’t get to see. Matheba explains that her life at the moment revolves around her work. And that her job involves a lot of travelling, interacting with people and being away from home. “My job consumes me. My life is perfectly balanced at the moment. And when that comes I will find a way of balancing that too,” she says referring to having her own family.