Media personality and actress Pearl Thusi has obtained ownership equity in premium gin brand Black Rose Gin, becoming one of the growing list of celebs entering into the lucrative market. “We grew up in an era when this type of opportunity was impossible. You never had the power and that's why I love how the industry has evolved over the last couple of years because now we understand — either through social media or the evolution of the internet — we understand the power we have as public figures,” she told TshisaLIVE. Pearl admitted seeing her best friend  DJ Zinhle becoming the CEO of sparkling wine brand Boulevard Rosé was one of the things that made her believe she could do the same for herself.

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Pearl Thusi on venturing into the alcohol business and building an empire

Limpopo-born musician Makhadzi comes from humble beginnings. The Ghanama hitmaker went from dancing at taxi ranks to entertaining the entire country, and she believes being proud of who and where she comes from made her stand out. Hailing from a small village called Ha-Mashamba Tshivhangani, the singer has managed — through hard work and determination — to climb the ladder of success.

From dancing at taxi ranks to becoming SA’s super star! Makhadzi tells her story

He's a TV presenter on MTV Base and actor by profession but he's renowned for his dance videos that have gone viral on social media while MCing events, and now Uncle Vinny is expanding his portfolio as a reality TV star. “This is what I envisioned myself doing while I was still in high school. It's something I've always looked forward to. This is my path and this is what I'm going to follow for the rest of my life,” Vinny said in an interview with TshisaLIVE.

Uncle Vinny gets candid about fame and being the coolest uncle in the streets

Rapper Gigi Lamayne is all beau'd up after the first season of the hit international reality dating show Temptation Island SA, and she hopes she can change public perception of Mzansi celebs as well. “My brand has always been about surprises. Just people never really know what I am going to do next,” said Gigi about shocking fans with the news of joining the cast of Temptation Island SA.

Gigi Lamayne chats about finding love on 'Temptation Island SA'

Actress Lusanda Mbane left her corporate job to pursue her acting career when she joined Scandal! in 2016 as Boniswa, but now that her character has died on the show, she's looking to focus on growing her business.  “I knew I wanted to stay five years because I wanted to grow the character, but about two years into it I started thinking the five years wouldn't happen because that's when she (the character) started getting dark. We decided this year would be the year I'm going to close the chapter on Boniswa,” she told TshisaLIVE. Playing a villainous character was a "taxing exercise" that required her to dig deep into her own emotions. 

‘Scandal!’ star Lusanda Mbane says goodbye, reflects on her five-year journey as Boniswa

Actor Brighton Ngoma feels discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community is still rife after the reactions he experienced in his role as the gay character Thabang “T-Bang” Moeketsi on SABC1's uBettina Wethu. Chatting to TshisaLIVE, the star opened up about his role as Thabang on the SA version of the popular telenovela Ugly Betty. He said that after playing Quinton on Scandal! for the past decade, he was happy to take on the challenge of playing a character totally out of his comfort zone.

Brighton Ngoma opens up about the 'hate' his LGBTQI+ character got him

Real House Wives of Durban star, Nonkululeko Williams recently celebrated her 42nd birthday and she reflected on her life's challenges  till now and focusing on her future.

RHOD Nonku Williams talks about the appeal of being a reality TV star

Former Uzalo actress Dawn Thandeka King wants the world to see past gender this Women's Day in a bid to see equality among professionals in all spaces, especially the arts. Chatting to TshisaLIVE about being a faith healer, the star said that in the spirit world, gender doesn't exist the way it does for humans and she is just a vessel for the spirit to communicate through, regardless of gender.

Dawn Thandeka King believes seeing past gender will take us forward as a society

Author and actress Ayanda Borotho recently added executive producer to her resume as she and her team continue to tell the story of  gender-based violence (GBV) and other female-related topics.

Ayanda Borotho talks GBV, creating 'Nqobile' & having it all

Boity Thulo is more than just your ordinary rapper, she has infiltrated the entrepreneurial space as well as a shareholder and director of BTMK Beverages and has a perfume and hair care range. We got to chat to Boity about her dominating the business space as a female and her future ventures.

Boity talks about infiltrating & winning in male dominated spaces

Mother and daughter entertainers, Winnie and Rethabile Khumalo, got candid about the entertainment industry as they know it, saying that while they got into the industry in different eras, one thing remains the same: lack of unity among female entertainers. In a conversation with TshisaLIVE, Winnie got emotional as she spoke of the hopelessness she sometimes feels as an entertainer in SA. Winnie admitted that the lack of support from government, the lack of structure or innovation within institutions established to help artists, the lack of unity among women and the brokenness of black society in particular, gave her sleepless nights. Her daughter and Umlilo hitmaker, Rethabile, shared her mother's passion for some of the topics discussed, especially the lack of unity among fellow female stars.

Winnie & Rethabile Khumalo get real about lack of unity among women stars

Rapper Gigi Lamayne got real about how the rap world has been more accepting of women but has a long way to go, considering the “male gatekeepers” still in existence. From Queen Latifah to Cardi B, women have always been killing rap but have hardly been given the dues their male counterparts have received over the years. Reflecting on the hip-hop/rap scene with TshisaLIVE, Slaap Tiger hitmaker Gigi said rap in SA is making way for the killer queens who have taken the rap game to the next level.

Gigi Lamayne talks about GBV and how men ‘insist on gatekeeping’ SA hip-hop

It’s been a long journey to Zingah finding his feet in the entertainment industry, but as he gears to release his album Scamtho, the rapper is sure the only way to go is up. “It took a lot of soul-searching. That helped me become more of myself and that is what has put me at a place where I’ve decided to show more of myself. Also, it came with a lot of shedding of things that I didn’t appreciate about myself which is what got me to change my name. There were a lot of egos involved, a lot of self-centeredness, just not enough humility,” he told TshisaLIVE.

Zingah talks about finding himself after leaving K.O’s record label

Young, debut musician Sithenkosi Mbuli, better known to the streets as Rudy Chalmers, is making a name for himself in the music industry, proving that talent runs in his veins. The hip-hop/jazz/soul musician's stage name Chalmers is an ode to his father's middle name — the late well-loved-Mzansi TV personality Vuyo Mbuli. Chatting to TshisaLIVE, the upcoming star says he is a humble SA artist looking to make his dreams come true.  

Vuyo & Savita Mbuli's son Rudy Chalmers is making his own mark on the world

Thandi Make is set to be the next big thing in the entertainment industry. After highschool, the actress says that she took a gap year to find out what she wants, and now that she's figured it out she wants to show everyone that she's got what it takes to become a household name.

Thandi Make chats about landing a major role on 'Judas Kiss'

Podcasts produced by South Africa's premiere entertainment site TshisaLive, a member of the Tiso Blackstar Group. Keywords: entertainment news, lifestyle, celebrity news, famous, podcast

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