Rejection is a hard pill to swallow. However, sometimes, it can really lead to bigger and better things. Just ask Bonang Matheba - one of South Africa's biggest entertainment personalities, who has had her fair share of rejection in the industry.
Speaking at Nedbank's Talk for Success, Queen B shared her story of how several doors were shut in her face while she was still starting out. The Top Billing and Metro FM host explained how she got into the industry. She said after a while, she got tired of doing kids TV shows and spoke to her agent about getting her an audition for a "really, really cool job".
In a video uploaded on YouTube, Bonang shared: "I auditioned for the Live Lotto Draw, I auditioned for a character called Tshidi on Rhythm City, I auditioned for the Real Goboza and I auditioned for Live Amp. I went back for a call back for the Live Lotto Draw and they decided 'oh well, sorry we actually want a white girl', and they went with Vanessa Carreira."
The Real Goboza told her that she wasn't a b**ch. "We need somebody that's a b**ch, you're not a b**ch," Bonang was told.
She said she got a call back to play Tshidi on Rhythm City. "I actualy shot one episode. After I shot that episode they were like 'you know what, actually, you can't act. So we're gonna find another Tshidi, thanks for coming'. That's how ruthless the entertainment industry is. And when you look back it's like Hmmm... God doesn't say no, he says not now..."
She eventually got the job to be a presenter on Live. And, as they say, the rest is history! We wonder how Miss Matheba's life in the industry would have turned out had she stayed on Rhythm City?