{"id":129,"date":"2026-05-16T17:37:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T14:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T17:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T14:37:27","slug":"bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/","title":{"rendered":"Bongeziwe Mabandla Channels Healing in New Single \u201cWalila\u201d Ahead of Album"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Bongeziwe Mabandla is stepping into a fresh chapter with his newest single, \u201cWalila,\u201d delivering a track that balances reflection with momentum as it navigates karma, justice, and the long road of emotional recovery.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Mabandla\u2019s new single \u201cWalila\u201d arrives as he prepares for the release of his upcoming album, \u201cNdingubani.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>The song blends vulnerability and vivid, theatrical storytelling with layered, textured production.<\/li>\n<li>Although it addresses pain and injustice, he intentionally infuses the writing with humour and a lighter touch.<\/li>\n<li>His inspiration for \u201cWalila\u201d came suddenly while he was experimenting with a guitar and quickly captured a standout lyric.<\/li>\n<li>On the album, he explores identity, personal growth, and where he fits\u2014both in life and in belonging.<\/li>\n<li>After sold-out dates across Europe, he\u2019s set for a South African tour and hopes audiences walk away with hope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u201cWalila\u201d balances heaviness with humour<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWalila\u201d lands ahead of \u201cNdingubani\u201d and spotlights Mabandla\u2019s signature combination of openness, scene-setting narratives, and richly detailed sound. Even with subjects that can feel heavy\u2014like suffering and unfairness\u2014he says he approached the material with levity rather than solemnity.<\/p>\n<p>In conversation, he explained that humour can be crucial during difficult stretches, sharing that he aimed to create something that isn\u2019t overly intense while still feeling unmistakably like him. He described the track as proof that he doesn\u2019t easily surrender to defeat, adding, \u201cI\u2019m very quietly strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also revealed that the spark for \u201cWalila\u201d came in an unexpected way while he was tinkering with guitar ideas. A line referencing \u201ccrying tiny tears\u201d caught his attention right away, and he moved quickly to preserve the concept so it wouldn\u2019t slip away.<\/p>\n<p>He elaborated that songs can appear in different ways and sometimes arrive fast\u2014like this one did\u2014and how it stuck in his mind enough that he saved the audio on his phone to ensure he didn\u2019t lose it. He compared the moment to something memorable that he simply had to hold onto.<\/p>\n<p>Despite its upbeat feel, Mabandla said the emotional message carries depth, rooted in confronting hardship and making it through to the other side. He framed it as more than just hurt\u2014an account of pain that has been faced, eventually opening into bliss and joy.<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cNdingubani\u201d explores identity and belonging<\/h2>\n<p>His next project, \u201cNdingubani,\u201d which translates to \u201cWho am I?\u201d, digs further into themes of identity, growth, and belonging. Mabandla described the album as a reflection of his life path\u2014looking back at the experiences and pivotal moments that shaped the person he has become.<\/p>\n<p>He said belonging is a central theme in this new body of work, positioning the question behind the title as not only \u201cwho am I?\u201d but also \u201cwho am I becoming and where do I belong?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Known for emotional honesty and vulnerability, he admitted that opening himself up through music hasn\u2019t always been simple. He explained that it always involves risk, and as someone who feels deeply, he tends to worry more than ever about what he shares and how it may land.<\/p>\n<p>He added that he learned the hard way that not everyone is good, reinforcing how personal the process can be.<\/p>\n<h2>Black Alternative influence, international contrasts, and tour hopes<\/h2>\n<p>Over time, Mabandla has grown into one of the defining voices associated with Africa\u2019s Black Alternative movement, alongside artists such as Msaki and Blick Bassy. While he hasn\u2019t said he set out to lead any movement, he expressed encouragement at the growing visibility of Black alternative artists across the continent.<\/p>\n<p>He said the main goal is simply to express himself and make music that moves people, and he\u2019s glad to see more Black alternative artists putting out records.<\/p>\n<p>After sold-out performances across Europe, he reflected on what feels different between international crowds and fans back home in Africa. He described European audiences as quieter, focused on experiencing the artist\u2019s world, while African audiences, in his view, want to get on stage and sing along with the song\u2014different approaches that he considers equally beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>As he prepares to launch the \u201cNdingubani\u201d South African tour, Mabandla said he hopes viewers leave feeling inspired and uplifted. He said the songs are about finding and holding onto hope, with a desire for someone watching his show to feel that sense of optimism.<\/p>\n<p>He also pointed to global platforms such as COLORS as a key factor in helping introduce his music to international listeners, describing it as a surprise to see how far his reach has extended beyond the borders he once imagined. He said it has expanded his dreams and pushed him to want more for his career.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back from his early work to where he is now, Mabandla believes his younger self would feel proud\u2014\u201csuper proud and happy\u201d\u2014while also being surprised that everything ended up working out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Bongeziwe Mabandla is stepping into a fresh chapter with his newest single, \u201cWalila,\u201d delivering a track that balances reflection with momentum as it navigates karma, justice, and the long road of emotional recovery. Key takeaways Mabandla\u2019s new single \u201cWalila\u201d arrives as he prepares for the release of his upcoming album, \u201cNdingubani.\u201d The song [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-celebrities"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zalebs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-16T14:37:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"586\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"393\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Zibuyile Dladla\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Zibuyile Dladla\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\"},\"headline\":\"Bongeziwe Mabandla Channels Healing in New Single \u201cWalila\u201d Ahead of Album\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-16T14:37:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":825,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Celebrities\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/\",\"name\":\"Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-16T14:37:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\"},\"description\":\"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp\",\"width\":586,\"height\":393},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Bongeziwe Mabandla Channels Healing in New Single \u201cWalila\u201d Ahead of Album\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Zalebs\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\",\"name\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\"},\"description\":\"Zibuyile began her media journey as a sales intern at Mediamark (Kagiso Media) before moving into digital content creation for ZAlebs.com. Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/za.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/author\\\/zibuyile-dladla\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album","description":"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album","og_description":"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.","og_url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/","og_site_name":"Zalebs","article_published_time":"2026-05-16T14:37:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":586,"height":393,"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Zibuyile Dladla","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Zibuyile Dladla","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/"},"author":{"name":"Zibuyile Dladla","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e"},"headline":"Bongeziwe Mabandla Channels Healing in New Single \u201cWalila\u201d Ahead of Album","datePublished":"2026-05-16T14:37:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/"},"wordCount":825,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp","articleSection":["Celebrities"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/","name":"Bongeziwe Mabandla \u201cWalila\u201d Single Heals Ahead Album","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-16T14:37:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e"},"description":"Bongeziwe Mabandla\u2019s healing new single \u201cWalila\u201d explores karma and justice as he gears up for his upcoming album \u201cNdingubani.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bongeziwe-mabandla-reflects-healing-hope-b0df.webp","width":586,"height":393},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/bongeziwe-mabandla-channels-healing-in-new-single-walila-ahead-of-album\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bongeziwe Mabandla Channels Healing in New Single \u201cWalila\u201d Ahead of Album"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/","name":"Zalebs","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e","name":"Zibuyile Dladla","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Zibuyile Dladla"},"description":"Zibuyile began her media journey as a sales intern at Mediamark (Kagiso Media) before moving into digital content creation for ZAlebs.com. Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.","sameAs":["https:\/\/za.linkedin.com\/in\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a"],"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/author\/zibuyile-dladla\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}