Durban-born presenter and lifestyle content creator Lwandile Zulu speaks about her inspiration behind being in the public eye.
Before becoming who we all know her to be today, Lwandile’s journey started when she attended and graduated from City Varsity with a Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Acting. Although she never went into acting, she became an award-winning TV presenter at Cape Town TV, working in a show called EKSE LIVE.
Speaking to BONA about the inspiration behind becoming a presenter and a lifestyle influencer, she said that her passion for the arts and the entertainment industry is where she found her spark. That’s when she decided she wanted to be part of the industry, whether in acting, presenting or even singing.
When asked about a memorable moment in her career, Lwandile said, “That’s so hard to do because I feel as though I’ve had many different significant moments that have impacted me differently, I’d say maybe the first one happened some years ago, it was being chosen as TV presenter of the year at Cape Town TV at our annual end of year awards function, I would say this impacted me greatly because it validated that I was indeed born to do this, and it was just an encouragement for me to keep going and I have since won many more awards.”
She further explained that “Another highlight is being the lead for an advert that is currently fighting in South Africa on TV and on billboards for Bernini. I also do Instagram and Facebook lives with Takealot for their monthly deals, the show I present for called EKSE Live was also nominated for a SAFTA and that was definitely also a highlight.”
Given the advancement of technology and the digital space producing a lot of content creators, Lwandile adds that her biggest challenge in the industry is being able to gain massive popularity as viewer numbers affect your chances of working with certain brands and being seen by them in order to approach you.
“I think that’s one of the main challenges and in all honesty, the only way I have overcome this is by the grace of God, he’s put me in the right rooms through prayer and word of mouth, From the people around me. Also, very thankful for my agency for my TV presenting job where I’ve met so many people who have since hired me for MCing and presenting gigs. and of course through hard work, being professional and being good at your job allows for people to be able to recommend you to others and that’s how I’ve managed to grow my career,” she says.
Speaking to the publication on how she decides what brands she wants to work with she said, “I’ve been so fortunate to only be approached by brands I was already a fan of, so deciding to work with them wasn’t hard at all, but in a nutshell, I ask myself if that specific brand aligns with the content I want to put out to my audience. Is it something I already use or genuinely see myself using in the future, if the answer is yes and the money is right I go ahead.”
With content creation needing one to constantly come up with innovative ideas that capture a large audience, Lwandile mentions that because her content represents her authentic life it becomes easier to come up with ideas.
Ending the interview, Lwandile advised aspiring influencers to identify their niches, be real, and work on improving their true selves. She pushed them to be bold, to accept failure, and to embrace the freedom to grow and attempt new experiences.
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