Umhlobo Wenene FM presenter Nokubonga Maci once saw slowing down as a sign that she was losing ground. Now, she believes creating space in her day is what allows her to move ahead with intention.
Quick facts
- Maci says her outlook on rest changed from her 20s to adulthood.
- Winter school breaks give her more reflective mornings.
- Her routine includes skincare, coffee, uplifting music and breathing before going on air.
- She credits the women who raised her with teaching her the value of restoration.
“When I was in my 20s, I believed slowing down meant falling behind,” Maci says. “Now I understand that it can be the way you move forward purposefully.”
She feels that change most strongly during winter, when her mornings become less rushed. During the school term, much of her early routine is devoted to preparing her son, but the seasonal pause gives her time to collect her thoughts.
“When that schedule stops for winter, I can hear my own thoughts again,” she explains. For Maci, the difference is between simply responding to whatever the day brings and starting it deliberately.
Even half an hour without interruption can influence the rest of her day, she says, leaving her feeling steadier and more engaged before demands begin to arrive.
Maci also reflects on the strength that comes from self-belief and women standing together around a shared purpose. She says the words women use about themselves matter, arguing that private affirmations can eventually become visible in their lives.
Her message is to choose language with care, encourage possibility and “speak life” over oneself. In her view, a woman who trusts her own power cannot easily be stopped—and women acting collectively can transform not only their individual lives but society as a whole.
She frames those thoughts as conversations designed to awaken purpose and strength in women, adding that while she ministers to others, she is also speaking to and encouraging herself.
Maci connects this philosophy to the women who brought her up. They may never have described their habits as self-care, she says, but they practised the principle every day.
“I now see that the women who raised me knew something I am only understanding today: caring for yourself is not selfish; it prepares you for what is ahead,” she says.
They would rise before everyone else, pray or create a peaceful home environment. Without using modern wellness terminology, those acts gave them a chance to restore themselves, Maci says.
That example continues to inform her own modest but regular habits. She takes time to wash her face instead of hurrying, enjoys her coffee, listens to positive music on the way to work and stops to breathe before beginning her live broadcast.
With hundreds of thousands of listeners tuning in each day, Maci says she must look after her own wellbeing first. “I have to replenish myself before I can pour into others,” she says.
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