Bonang Matheba is a South African media personality, radio and TV host, author, fashion designer and philanthropist who is using her platform to advance social justice issues in South Africa and advocate for the education of girls.
“I’m surrounded by a lot educators so naturally I’m in love with education.”
Coming from a family of educationists, her mother being a teacher and father a university lecturer, Bonang was inspired to start the ‘Bonang Matheba Bursary Fund’ in 2017 by the globally trendy 2016 students uprising known as #FeesMustFall in South Africa where university students were protesting about the fact that they can’t get into school because of skyrocketing tuition.
The organization provides 10 young ladies an opportunity each year to further their tertiary education with a scholarship at Boston College.
She has so far registered more than 30 recipients with a goal to send 300 girls to school by 2030. “Educating the girl child has a ripple effect – women are nurturers and they pay it forward. They are really the head, shoulders, and neck of any community.”
Bonang Matheba recently became the first black woman to become a member of the Cap Classique Producers Association after launching her own luxury beverage brand House of BNG in 2017.
“The House of BNG’s going to be a company that sows back into the community. I’m definitely going to build a school, that’s something I want to do. Some of the proceeds with every single bottle that’s sold is going to go back into sending young girls to school and paying off student debts—a big passion of mine.”
She has served as brand ambassador for prestigious brands like Ipanema sandals (Brazil), a position she took over from Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, first international ambassador for Revlon out of US, Ciroc, among others and hosted some of Africa’s biggest events like 2018 Global Citizens: Mandela 100 alongside comedian Trevor Noah and supermodel Naomi Campbell, 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards (Pre-Show), 2016 BET awards (Pre-show), Miss South Africa 2019, among others.
Among her notable achievements include E! Africa Ultimate Pop Culture Icon Award 2019, Best Inspiration & Influence at the Global Social Awards 2019, first ever recipient of the 5 For Changemaker Award at this year’s 5 For Change Black Tie Gala event, lead moderator at 2018 United Nation (UN) General Assembly “Leave No Girl Behind” discussion in New York with panelists like the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau, British PM Theresa May and
PM Erna Solberg, Bonang was also among African delegates and political leaders from across the continent who speak about global poverty and education at the 2016 World Economic Forum in Durban, SA.
Here are some of Bonang’s most inspiring quotes
- You need to go through hell to realise how good you had it or how good you could have it. I’m grateful for all the mistakes I’ve made, the people I met, the relationships I sort of formed, and where I am right now. I’m just grateful. You know, good or bad, mistakes or not, I think I’m a better person because of everything I’ve been through.
- You have to be good at what you do. Become so good that you can’t be ignored.
- What we tend to forget is that the future, it’s not created by whoever, it’s created by you. And planning minimises the affect of life happening to you… As soon as you have a plan there is very little that life can throw at you.
- No one in the world owes you anything. You need to wake up every morning and prove why it is you are worthy and that you deserve whatever it is that you want.
- If you respect money, more of it will always find its way to you.
Source:
Okay Africa
W24
Bonang Matheba
Wikipedia
