AFRICAN BEADS STORIES

Hellow everyone, ke summer boss mo South Africa. This is the time where everyone who is still in the office gets irritated because e-mails communication comes back with an automatical seasonal greetings. By this time, the receiver or the person whom the message is meant for is either on holiday or if you are a journalist in the newsroom your e-mail will be read next year and by then, the story will be long over. When I worked in the coast. I used to love this time of the season, I never took leave in December No! Not me, I was out there, writing about girls wearing bekinis at Kings Beach, fun things to do at Hobbie Beach or that exciting opening of the Summer season at Summerstrand Beach. I love December and all the fun stuff that comes with the festive season. Hence, when I received an invitation to attend King of Gomara's birthday party I really didn't hesitate. The old man, the God father of many and government of the oldest township in South Africa was on a...

FEW years ago, just before the Covid 19 lockdown. I had the pleasure of meeting up and be part of a small acting workshop group that met every Sunday afternoon at the workers museum in off Mary Fitzgerald Square down town Johannesburg. Back then, I was preparing and focusing on going full time on my art. By then, I had done everything that I thought would please amongst others, my father who was against the idea of me becoming a full time artist and making a living out of it as my childhood dream. I had ticked all the boxes to prove not only to the public but to myself that I was educated enough to make and maintain myself through art. Through working as a domestic worker, security guard and later print journalist. I had earned all the experiences needed to manage, budget and use my money wisely. So financial savy that, when I started my beads business, I had no car instalment as the Toyota Etios 2012 model payment was long over even before I purchased my second property. ...

I am a born South African story teller. Even if I am not paid or work in a commercial set up, I will tell stories not even aware that what comes out of my mouth is attention grabbing to slow the production of any group work. Whether people believe the stories I tell to be true or not. I have really outgrown that stage of trying hard to convince them. But I do still trying hard almost everyday to hone my skill. But from when I was young, story telling has been around me and has been the only or major way to get my attention or teach me something. Whether these came in a form of a family evening gathering under tree and fire wood down in Engxongweni in Port St John's Ceskei in the early 80s. Or watching and imititating the Chinese movies starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and other 90s Chinese movie with the line "You killed my mother and father, now I've come to kill you" at the Port Elizabeth township bioscope. Or better yet, spending my evening at my aunt...

I am a South African, but sometimes. I do not understand why South Africans are slow to act sometimes. Especially on the things they love to watch on their television screens. For example, a just a few years ago.The country was treated to the most outstanding 13 episode TV drama, Ifalakhe on Mzansi Magic. The drama had twitter buzzing, crashed facebook pages and walls and had everyone glued on their TV screens that October. Not only to watch the premier of the drama but me as I made my debut as an extra actor. Yessss!!!! baby, I wasn't gonna make my television appearance a secrete, no matter how small some people thought it was, to me this was a huge step. You can only campare it to your 1st birthday party if you are a milestone celebrator like me. So everyone who knew me, was glued on the screen from the first day waiting for my appearance. I'm talking national newspaper journalists and editors ie your Sunday Times, Sowetan, Business Day,City Press etc. Everybo...