For nearly 3 decades, Mel Bala has built a career enriched with experience from tv and radio broadcasting. With Studio Mix and Metro FM as the two most notable platforms amongst the many, she graces the May cover of thebar. Magazine as only a woman with a perspective worth understanding would - gracefully.

Mel Bala - The Voice That Gives Perspective To Reason

This June, we journey with a maverick of a man. Hlomla Dandala is one of the few actors of our time who has managed to remain unscathed by the cloud of being typecast in an industry where opportunities often face strife competition. During this conversation, he opens up to reveal the essence of what defines him.

Hloma Dandala – The Truth Of A Qualified Craftsman

Sive Nkukwana, better known as The Black Rose, is the woman whose knack for a great television production has resulted in some of the best productions having aired on TV screens. This month, she highlights her passion for her talent, sheer love for the industry and gives sound advice to others in the game working hard to produce work which has impact as much as it has anything else.

The Practitioners Sive Nkukwana - Part 3

The Practitioners Sive Nkukwana - Part 2

The Practitioners Sive Nkukwana - Part 1

Leanne Kumalo is an anomaly of sorts – an introvert who thrives in an environment built for extroverts. As the co-founder of Seriti Films, this film & tv genius has carved a name for herself that has positioned her as one of the most influential women to watch in the industry. With hit TV dramas and telenovela’s under her belt already, not to mention an international footprint that is gradually growing, Kumalo meets us at the bar at a time in her life when her gift has been highlighted for the world to marvel at.

Leanne Kumalo – The Practitioners

In 1994 when South Africa was finding its feet on the edges of democracy, a young man by the name of Oupa Bopape walked into his own moment of creative freedom. 

Gifted with a camera by his mother as a reward for doing well at school, he parked the recreational use and unleashed the entrepreneur in him by charging subjects R5 an image. He went on to become who we know today as the originator of South African photography that captured the entertainment industry accurately and has aptly coined the nickname “Ouparazzi”. 

This industry photographic pioneer plays for the long shot. For 25 years, Ouparazzi has captured milestone moments in the careers of industry greats. Having built a career based on his heightened gift of curiosity, he always saw in others what they didn’t see in themselves. 

Ouparazzi is the chief archivist of the industry and rightly so, owns entertainment.

Oupa Ouparazzi Bopape - The Icon Whose Lens Takes The Long - Shot

Before the aggregate benefits of social media, there was good old word-of-mouth (WOM) – the oldest form of Marketing which even the disciples used to spread The Good News. The power in this marketing tool is that it is purely based on skill and results in a positive reputation. 

In the industry of tv, film & entertainment make-up, no such individual has been as brilliant as building a brand purely based on positive word-of-mouth as has the legendary Mam’ Faith Seuoe. For decades Mam’ Faith’s skilled hands, sharp eyes,  warm spirit and pure passion have afforded her the best opportunities to own the title of “the go-to person” for make-up. Her highly valuable WOM has resulted in characters played by the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Connie Ferguson, Sello Maake ka Ncube, Danai Gurira, Pearl Thusi,  Hlomla Dandala and Raven Symone, just to name a few, being brought to life. 

Former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris and founder of CR Fashion Book, Carine Roitfeld said that “Makeup can help you capture a moment”. No one has provided their hands of service in the art of make-up to ensure that key moments be captured like Mam’ Faith.

Faith Seuoe – The Practitioners

If your talent determines what you can do, your motivation how much you are willing to do and your attitude how well you do it, then the name Lala Tuku is well postured for this belief. 

As the MD of Clive Morris Productions, a film & tv Executive Producer, the founder of Corporate Icons - a Creative Industry Consulting Firm, and the co-chair of the Africa Rising International Film Festival, actress and mentor, this exceptional woman carries a rare combination of skills that have a far reaching impact.

Tuku has an intimate understanding of the South African Film and Television Industry, strong business acumen and good communications skills and is a firm believer of continuous learning. She has served as executive producer for scripted short and long short form content such as the South African Film and Television Awards SAFTAs’13 (SABC 2 Awards Show), The Docket (SABC3- 13 Part Drama) 50|50 (SABC 2- Factual 52 Part Show), Mandela Through her Eyes (Documentary 2019) and Grassroots (Mzansi Magic Showmax).

Tuku is a seasoned planner and strategist whose company Corporate Icons Media focuses on Marketing, Communications, Distribution and Stakeholder Management for both local and International clients. Recently Corporate Icons Media handled the Communication, Marketing and Events and Logistics of the South African Pavilion at the 58th International Art Exhibition (La Biennale de Venezia in Italy), dubbed the art Olympics of the art world. Corporate Icons Media currently distributes 3 international content properties to African local broadcasters.

We celebrate this exceptional force of a woman in tv & film this month.

Lala Tuku - The Practitioners

Former US President Dwight Eisenhower said, “Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.” If those are any words to live by to survive, let alone thrive in the film & tv industry as an entrepreneur, then Mangi Mbileni is the ambassador of wise and brave practitioners who don’t wait for fate to decide destiny for them but who actively create the future they want ironically as a content creator. From producing popular television for shows such as V Entertainment to shows with his signature on under his company Love Affairs Productions, Mbileni continues to show the degree of his wisdom as courage. This month, we celebrate the day contribution of this Producer-Entrepreneur to an industry which depends hugely on content formats he’s most famed for spearheading.

Mangi Mbileni - The Practitioners

If one were to request the physical manifestation of the word “tenacity” in human form, the man that Chris Q. Radebe would emerge strong. 

UChris uyinkunzi. 

That which he attempts becomes a success whether or not he has been formerly trained for it. From writing the scripts of the country’s best loved characters to delivering those lines himself, Radebe is the double edged sword most people warned you about. 

He covers the September issue at a time when we have welcomed the energy of all things new. Our new magazine, complimented by a new social media look & feel and a refreshed tone in our content, Radebe represents the new perspective of power in the industry today.

Chris Q. Radebe - The Man Definitively Positioning Himself In The Industry.

Actress and TV host Ayanda Thabethe has done what no other woman in the tv industry has managed to do – transform from brand manager to brand. At a time when the brand ambassador and influencer representing the brand either in name alone or through part ownership has never been more popular, Thabethe emerges as the measure of value which brands such as Ponds and Forever New need for their stamp of approval when her career began with her seeking the stamp of approval for such like brands for her own sense of value. On the cusp of co-hosting a new reality tv show on E! Entertainment, this striking beauty and Top Billing presenter’s career has come full circle. We sat down for an exclusive interview with this intriguing beauty.

Ayanda Thabethe - The Evolution Of A Woman Who Has Come Full Circle

If anyone were to account for the group of influential women in the tv and film industry who have carved a name for themselves that benefits the lives of others, Mosese’s name would have a primary position on that list. Born in Zebediela, a small village in Limpopo, Mosese gradually worked her way through The City of Gold’s TV industry. Throughout her career that spans 16+ years, she’s presented and/or acted on platforms such as CRAZe, Soul Buddyz, Crazy Games, Top Class, Soul City, Justice for All, Backstage, The Ring, Top Billing, I Want to Sing Gospel and Abo Mzala. All this experience did not stop Mosese from aspiring to further imprint her impact on the industry. She co-founded Sorele Media with Stephina Zwane – the media company which launched the online tv channel Aza tv in 2016 and produced the film Baby Mamas in 2018. This month, she candidly shares the realities of an industry with insights that will open budding film-makers up to the realities that are not always easy to come by.

Salamina Mosese - The Practitioners

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