Yasss Queen! Whether she’s captivating hearts on the small screen, lending her voice to activism in a call for better, tantalizing earbuds with her signature voice on the airwaves or even bringing a bit of spice with her bubbly luxury wine brand @HouseofBNG , one thing is certain, Bonang Matheba’s triumphant reign is unquestionable!
Bonang Dorothy Matheba, South Africa’s in-demand personalities wears many hats: presenter, radio personality, speaker, model, producer and businesswoman. The 33 year old petite beauty proudly also takes seat as one of Africa’s most inspiring and influential women, making a difference in the world and reshaping the media space and beyond.
Not just content with being famous, Matheba utilizes her platform to bring about change, often lending her voice to matters of importance such as the importance of quality education and girl education in Africa, as well as gender-based violence.
Queen B began her career in the entertainment industry in 2007, Matheba auditioned for the inaugural season of the SABC 1 music show LIVE (now Live Amp) after leaving varsity, emerging victorious. She got to co-host the show alongside Tbo Touch and her talent paved way for SuperStardom, thereby cementing her name as one of the most iconic media practitioners in South Africa.
Matheba has so far had a super successful career, raking in a number of firsts;
In 2011, she became the first South African celebrity to launch an online reality show called B*Dazzled. In 2013, she was the first international ambassador for the cosmetic brand Revlon, outside the US.
In 2014, she hosted the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards pre-show, which made her become the first South African to host the pre-ceremony. In 2015, she became the first African to be given an E! News Special Africa on E!.
2016 saw the media darling profiled in Forbes Top 50 Power List alongside other leading women, Ugandan executive director of UNAIDS Winnie Byanyima, Cameroonian born technology entrepreneur Rebecca
Enonchong and former trade unionist and businesswoman, South African, Irene Charnley.
Being a powerful woman, Matheba tells Forbes, “means that you create your own narrative. It means that you are strong enough to make your own decisions, to be free and to break the status quo that people have set up for women.”
In 2017, Matheba launched the Bonang Matheba Bursary Fund in to help educate girls by paying for their tuition fees, stationary, and accommodation for those who are in tertiary institutions.
2019 and she officially added yet another to her name with the launch of her very own luxury beverage brand with the introduction of the House of BNG and its Brut and Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classiques (MCCs). Needless to say, being a black business woman in the wine market is no easy feat. Nowadays the diva is taking things slow on the media side, has been super busy growing her business empire and focusing on the alcohol industry.
A trailblazer, Matheba sure has got quite an impressive number of awards: in 2018 became the first-ever recipient of the 5 For Changemaker Award, was QQ Woman of the Year 2020, made Forbes Women Africa: Top 50 Power List, was awarded Global Social Awards in 2019 for Best Inspiration & Influence at the prestigious Global Social Awards held in Prague, Czech Republic. Was announced as one of the recipients of the E! Africa Ultimate Pop Culture Icon Award in 2019 among other prestigious honours and accolades.
