Unlocking Relationships, Spirituality and Entrepreneurship.

...'if you love me send me money'...some of the words men get from women which somehow paints women as gold diggers and men as stingy humans. The problem has never been men struggling to give women money, it's never been that men don't want to come through for their partners financially it's just the struggle of failing to have proper conversations that align out exactly what they want in relationships. Our generation is very diverse, we say what we want when we want how we want and often fail to stand for what we said. Millennial females stood their ground and spoke out about how they will not stand for an emotionally broken man because they are not "rehabilitation centers" for broken men. They however forgot to mention that men also don't want to be financial funders for poverty minded women. Men also want to come through for a woman that is also making means to take care of herself, not a woman that waits for everything to be handed to h

Shuuuu! Can we wrap up the year already? (That sounded so relieving to so many of us) I mean the year has been very exhausting and draining however we managed to survive and we are a few weeks away before we finally concluded 2020 and step into 2021. I don't know about some of you guys but I'm honestly not ready to start the new year. I have some anxieties that just hold me back from dreaming and allow myself to be however I looked into 2020 and honestly it wasn't all bad, there were happy moments here and there. *sighs* I take a deep breath because I know this thing has been one of the most "challenging" thing in my life but I think I finally found what the problem is. See relationships are meant to challenge us, grow us and make us look at ourselves in a different way.  2020 wasn't kind when it came to me finding "Mr right" or wait maybe I'm too young to be even looking for him, wait am I? Ok! Let's start at the beginning...

Millennials! The fastest growing generation that is always on the run either to make a name for themselves or simply to secure the bag. We are constantly meeting up, signing deals and "hooking up" however does every meeting and hangout have to be alcohol based? Do we constantly need to have alcohol to have a "great time" do we actually need to be intoxicated just to remember it as the "best time" of our lives?  I met up with one guy, Sandile Mehlomakhulu whose 24 years of age and feels this generation is indeed alcohol based. I mean an ideal hangout or celebration for him included having a beer or two. Interesting how a mere celebration, even if it's to celebrate something big or small Sandile always felt the need to having alcohol with him. Sandile spent an entire 5 weeks in hospital due to a broken leg that dislocated his hip and this all happened right after celebrating his academic results. Most people would think after such a distressi

How hungry are you for this opportunity?, How badly do you want this? These are questions mostly asked when you sitting in an interview room. Now most of us find ourselves rushing to answer it by saying "I'm willing to do anything", willing to do anything? For real? Are we really willing to do anything or we just saying it to buy the interviewers face and time?. Most young people find themselves in working environments that are draining not only physically but emotionally as well. The lack of "everything" has led us to wanting to do "anything" just so that we can secure the bag but question is are we really securing the bag?. One of my friends used to say to me I need to get over the "bazothini abantu" syndrome an african proverb that means "what will people say" (basically saying people will always talk whether you do good or bad). He used to say to me I need to work to secure the bag and worry later what people will sa

It's a pity that my generation has become numb towards things that matter. Things like spiritual welfare, cultural and traditional practice's. We choose to practice what we want, when we want and how we want. Terms and sayings like "YOLO" (you only live once) "FOMO" (fear of missing out) "Situationship" (less of a relationship and more of a casual encounter, more or less a casual sexual encounter) "Entanglement" (being involved with two or more individuals) have left my generation thinking they can have sexual encounters without having any "inconveniences" or rather "backlashes" for it. Many young people find themselves getting stuck between keeping up with their morals, values and friends who keep reminding them on terms like "YOLO" and sayings like "it's just sex friend". My friend Karabo* (not her real name) hated it every time I told her that going to the club degrade

A long  pause  and stare  as  we  wait  for  a person with disability to  walk past, get  into  the taxi, climb the stairs, buy first, or  even skip the long  queue. How  many of  us  stopped to  stare  with eyes  filled with pity?  Thinking  at  the back of  our  minds  “oh shame”.  Do  we  even make space  or  allow  them  to be serviced first  only to  pass  demeaning  comments  and  to  express  our  frustrations  because  Lord knows  we  have  been standing  in  this  line for  forever?  Well, all day and  every day, the funny part  is that  the pity and shame  is  what  they feel for  us  because  it  goes on to  show  the level of  our ignorance  and insensitivity. If  anything, persons  with disability hate  the stares, truth be  told unnecessary. Thato  Mphuthi  Feminist  Activist  (sexual and  reproductive  health, rights  and  justice  champion, a leader  and  advocate  for  selfcare). Founder  of  Enabled Enlightenment, Gauteng  Youth Capital Influencer, Marie S

 'Abby!,  Hi  can  we  meet up  with  you? whats  your  schedule  looking  like?  are  you  available  for  the  event we are putting  together? how much do you charge?' those  were the kind of messages I was receiving before the pandemic. I was an unstoppable  train, I was on the run hosting events back  and forth, facilitating workshops and  dialogues at different organizations until  the pandemic came and caused a huge turn  over, more like a havoc! A tsunami if I could  label it that.  I'm not sure how other people are handling  the pandemic, I also don't know much damage it caused but for me it was havoc. I had to start over, I had to rethink everthing  that I was doing. I had to reconisder the  smallest things such as how I was advertsing myself on the socials. I had to rethink which social media platforms work  for me best especially when it came to advertising myself as a brand and the work I do.    This meant me spending more time on the socials, en

The scariest thing about being a young christian is the constant need to "fit in" the constant moments of "fomo" (fear of missing out) that pop out every time you engage with other young people. Our generation is constantly on the move, we are constantly coming up with new ways to make money, new ways to stay relevant and new ways to be trendsetters, in these busy lives of ours have we forgotten about God? Our relationship with him? Or will we probably do what everyone else does, put on a "churchy mask" wear it every sunday, raise our hands and shout 'your a good God' then go back to our normal lives? But yet again the question then goes back to what is normal?  Full time student, SA YouTuber and small business owner Bupe is on the run to make christian merchandise relevant, hip and exciting for all young christians finding it hard to "fit in"; 'we are different from other young people, yes I'm a sinner, yes I make mis

From every 'welcome to my channel' to every 'see you soon' Zibo managed to win hearts of not only Botswana residents but also of South Africans. I remember when I first got in contact with her videos, I was just going through YouTube looking for new content to watch and I came across one of her videos where she was talking about her relationship with her boyfriend (very inspiring as I was seeing flames in my own relationship). Her bubbly personality, beautiful soul and energy is what got me wanting more, I subscribed and eventually joined the Bantsi squad. I don't know how to comfort the family, I don't know how to comfort her friends neither do I know how to comfort the Bantsi squad however all I can say is we lost more than a vlogger, we lost more than a YouTuber we lost an entire public figure an entire content creator and amazing host. It's weird how it feels like one has lost a best friend, she managed not only to educate, inspir

          Source Malabela photography Qhwa qhwa qhwa (the supposedly sound that my heel makes) as I'm about to walk into a room full of men that think I am incompetent, yes you have guessed it right I'm back to square one where I have to prove myself again. I have to use this opportunity not only to prove I'm competent but also to prove behind the "loud" heel is a woman whose strong, who can handle anything and is up for a challenge. Another opportunity stolen from me simply because I am a woman, black to be precise and I am young. I'm only 21 but I'm in the corporate world wheeling and dealing my way and I'm still given the "you can't" look it's sad. After decades of years we still find ourselves in a predicament we can't take ourselves out of, yes we wanted 50/50, independence, equal pay and equal treatment simply because we understand work ethics, we understand that it makes sense to work hard for what you want and

Creativity the new language millennials understand. I can't believe how far we've come as a country I can't begin to even talk about how far we've come as the world, it's been an amazing journey with bumps and hiccups here and there but with us not stopping at all. I mean how could you stop if the train is up and running? Millennials have introduced so many new things, we've taken it upon ourselves to also redefine things we feel are holding us back, things we feel are not doing justice to us. We also have done the unimaginable we've introduced new careers and have made careers out of our hobbies. I mean just like the saying goes 'do what you love until what you love pays you' we've done exactly that and I must say we are headed for the stars because even those leading us are doing an exceptional job. Mncedi Koboka Founder of an environmental organization, life coach, facilitator, radio host, model, Thuli Madonsela foundation ambassad

             Source Malabela Photography Huuu! *I had to take a deep breath and relax*. The modern women and her modern rules find us questioning some of the things we settle for. She makes us wonder if at times we make the correct decisions or not. We live within the 21st century, with life evolving every single day and "new" rules created. We have witnessed women going through unimaginable things; from gender based violence (which is now labeled a visible pandemic), to learning how to adapt to submitting not only to their partners, men at their work place, male friends but men as a whole and finally women getting into marriages and still having to prove that they are "wife material". All of this has forced women to being these beasts that live to prove, defend and protect themselves. I don't know how we got to this point but this is a pandemic on its own. Women are supposed to be for women (isn't that the right logic?) We are supposed to have e

               Source  Malabela Photography A gentle, yet rough grab on the throat  accompanied by a push towards the wall. Panicking, not sure whether to scream or not. Questioning myself about what could  happen next. To be precise, my body turned cold and numb as I watched my so-called  boyfriend force himself on me. The consistent whispering in my ear saying… 'I won't hurt you, relax you'll be fine'. My body turned from cold to freezing. Do I run downstairs to inform his family of this  imposition?  Do I fist up and fight back  against this violation?  I am 19, dating  someone I thought I can trust. How do I look  my mother in the eye and tell her that I am  sexually active?  I am afraid to engage my mother in such conversations. The 19 year old girl in me became detached, cold and  untrusting because of what one guy did.  Would you like to take a bath, have a sandwich and when are you getting dressed?  Words of a man who just took advantage a vulnerable

'if you are failing to come up with solutions to solve people's problems then we can't call you an entrepreneur'. Entrepreneurship is the new norm and it seems like that's what everyone wants to strive for but it takes a true entrepreneur who has discovered a problem and is willing to not only find a solution but also be consistent within that solution that they have found. Kagiso Mphahlele a co-founder of a private company called iGrowGroup. His also an accounting graduate who transitioned his life from the 9-5 norm to being an inspirational speaker and a global coach that helps individuals to find their purpose and live impactful lives. We all have the entrepreneurship spirit within us it's up to us to let that spirit come to life. In 2019 when Kagiso started co-founding at iGrow Group thats when he realized he had a passion for solving problems, coming up with activities that deal with team building, mentoring and life coaching. Entrepreneurship h

Young people are on the run there's no doubt about it. We are trying with everything we have to "make it" and one of the ways is by healing people emotionally through music and poetry. This month we celebrate heritage month and it's all about celebrating ones culture, tradition and heritage. I've always loved standing in front of other young people and doing a surname praise our parents used to do whenever they were happy or when we had a family gathering but I always failed because I didn't know all the words I had to say (what a disappointment). Thato Radebe (AzaniaMa Blek) a poet that heals and educates people (young people in particular) through poetry. I love culture, I love my culture and I love how culture not only sets you different but gives you some sort of dignity. It allows you to stand out and be different, it also allows you to represent yourself and be proud about it. I didn't think in 2020 we had young people who were culturally

I'm fascinated by how much this generation is "hustling" we choose to have more than one source of income and the reason has always been chasing entrepreneurship as much as possible. If entrepreneurship is about solving problems than I'm guessing it's safe to say through those problems we are indeed hoping to have a source of income, have some sort of profit after all we have bills to pay. Again I'm fascinated by young people who are creating and building on their business ventures, young people who choose to chase those dreams even though society is not on our side, our parents who are narrow minded, grandparents who just want us to settle for a job and be in the same cycle they were in. Zamokuhle Masondo young entrepreneur whose driven and determined. Zamo defines entrepreneurship as making money but making money from something you are passionate about. Can you imagine waking up every single day and doing something you hate but loving the money b

'Entrepreneurship has always been there it's just that people feared going on their own hence why it's starting to gain popularity right now'  Entrepreneurship has always been a norm we as society just chose not to normalize it. I am once again privileged to have met a young driven and ambitious entrepreneur who looks at every opportunity and plans on how to tackle it. I've always said entrepreneurship is within you, the business man/woman lies within you and he/she always comes out to play in your highschool years. Most of us start of by selling sweets, snacks and whatever we feel we could make profit from but most of us don't chase the entrepreneurial us because not only has society chosen not to normalize entrepreneurship but we have also made it seem somehow like taboo for a young person who says they want a business or they have a business venture they want to pursue. Our parents always ask "will that feed you?" "It's not wort

Behind every successful woman is a group of women who aspire to be like her, behind her is a group of women who stand by her and support her in every way possible and within her circle is one woman that inspires her to inspire others. I'm very privileged to have met amazing 'female' leaders in my journey of being a young christian. I've met leaders that have inspired me to reach greater heights and I'm grateful (I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you guys but I do know that your presences means a lot to me so for that thank you).  Being a female leader is hard now imagine having to lead at church. Having to lead people who are younger and older than you. Standing in front of a congregation and having to share God's word with confidence even though some people are not for you but you still do it because you honoring God. Being a female leader requires not only attentiveness but consistency and discipline not only in your respective role

I'm still not sure if I define entrepreneurship correctly actually I don't even know if I'm an entrepreneur or not. One of the biggest things that makes me proud to being a millennial is the 'hustling' spirit we have. We never stop at nothing we go for whatever it is that we want even though it seems impossible but we define the odds all the time. I figured let me talk to real entrepreneurs, young people who are shaking things, knocking on every door and seizing every opportunity they get and what better way to do it than to start with Tshepo Phaleso, young entrepreneur doing the most in his community, surroundings and career. Tshepo likes to define himself as not only a go getter but a creative entrepreneur that sells anything and everything, he even sells money (I don't know what that means) his an unstoppable train that keeps moving non-stop. I asked him a few questions and this is what he had to say. Q: how would you define entrepreneurship? A: e

Shuu!, (Take a deep breath I'm about to be deep) *giggles*. I haven't fully understood why they call us millennials or maybe it's because we are spontaneous we do what we want, when we want, how we want it and where we want. As much as we are millennials we also have an amazing generation that comes behind us, generation z better known as "ama2000" they are more wild, risk takers and they never care what society says about them instead they continue like nothing is wrong (this is mostly things society thinks are "bad") you can already imagine what kind of society we live in. A society that has so many things to learn and unlearn (I'm just hoping the right generation gets to path the "right way") I'm a very calm person i do take risks but the millennial inside of me always reminds me to remember about "what people will say" yep! people's perception reigns first in millennials our dignity has always been number o