South African presenter and the current face of BET, Nomalanga Shozi represented our country on the big stage as she covered this week's most talked about event: The 2019 BET Awards.
The BET presenter has been rising up the entertainment ladder over the past few years and this weekend's exploits, in the sunny surrounds of Los Angeles, California, appeared to announce her arrival on the global entertainment landscape.
From hosting the BET Cocktail Voyage to strutting and presenting on one of the hottest red carpets in the States, Nomalanga had a weekend for the books and by the time we had a chance to catch up with her for a quick chat, you could tell that she was still buzzing with excitement.
It had just passed midday in Los Angeles (a city which is 9 hours behind Central African Time) when she finally replied to a small selection of questions we had sent her way. The bubbly presenter wasted no time in gushing over the outfit she was wearing on the night of the awards; a dazzling Rich Mnisi piece which was actually named, "The Nomalanga".
According to the designer himself, "The Nomalanga is inspired by a precious resource; diamonds, to capture her striking stature and uniqueness. To tell a story of a girl unearthed from the fertile African soil. She is a diamond in the rough, perfectly rooted, polished in Africa and exported to the world to marvel at"
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When we complimented her on slaying the Blue Carpet and asked where the inspiration came from, she replied glowingly:
"SLAYING was the aim at the end of the day and I am thrilled to see one of SA’s leading entertainment sites, Zalebs thinks I did. I really didn’t have to think long and hard on which designer can execute this look as I’ve watched Rich Mnisi at work for many years and he happened to have room to fit me in. He has a good designer eye on what to do with his art so I gave him creative freedom completely and this was what he came up with for me."
Covering an awards show is never easy, but the pressure is definitely on when it's on the international stage. Nomalanga is no stranger to big, glitzy events but one couldn't help but wonder if the pressure of an entire BET Awards might have gotten to her. Instead, it appears as if she embraced the nerves in order to deliver a world class performance.
She explained a bit more about how she prepared for the big night when she said,
"Leading up to this, I was excited and nervous at the same time so I gave myself homework each day to master and learn the art of doing a red carpet. There were many shows watched and loads of rehearsals from my side but I think I did the best and nailed it. People who missed the awards can watch again on Saturday at 8 PM on BET Africa to see it all happen from the red carpet to the entire take over that I was tasked with as the Face of BET in Africa."
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Certain stars appear to be destined for international stardom. The grace and poise which Nomalanga displayed in Los Angeles had us wondering if, should the right opportunity come along, she would ever consider moving to Hollywood to further her career. It came as no surprise that the ambitious 25-year-old is up for any challenge that comes her way and she reflected this in her response when she said,
"If I was offered the opportunity to work in LA I would most likely consider moving, every talent would love to work abroad as its part and parcel of the industry I am in to grow and maneuver in different markets – be it across Africa, Europe, Asia, USA or any landscape that provides growth. Johannesburg is a big place and has afforded me growth in my career and I am definitely working on my next steps and will continue to look for opportunities for my career growth."
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Nomalanga's star is undoubtedly on the rise and her appearance at this year's BET Awards was one of several highlights for South African viewers. Many of you will already be award of the fact that Sho Madjozi walked away with her first ever award after pipping competition to win the Best New International Act category and the mood coming out of these awards was that the future is black, female and most importantly South African.
Well done to every South African who held it down at the awards this weekend.
