Of late, I've been solely narrating stories from Afrillennials who inspire me, inspire others, and especially those who seem as though they are from the future. With their ambitious thinking and the guts to dive deep in and bring the future back to today and from my perspective, Nomalanga Shozi a.k.a. The Flame is one of them. She is a force of nature slowly making her mark in the South African entertainment industry as an actress, radio presenter, TV presenter, fashion style maven and digital media influencer. She also doubles as a PR agent as she has studied in this field. A daughter, sister and friend to many, she is a people's person and most importantly, a girl's girl.
At a mere 20-years-old, The Flame has dabbled in all forms of arts. She currently lives between Durban and Jo'burg. In Durban, she presents a radio session on Gagasi FM, and in Jo'burg she presents "All Access Mzansi". The beginning of her all sphere talent, as she is also currently trying her hand in modeling. Her latest achievement is landing the role of 'Nomalanga' – shall we say destined? On etv's "Rhythm City" series.
In 2014 when The Flame started studying PR is when she understood the term of a brand, and since then she has worked tirelessly to become an embodiment of her brand flawlessly. She wants people to know what best represents her as a person entirely.
She says, "I am soul, authenticity, originality, funk, creativity, fluidity and lots of fire. Also, clothes and food. Just to put it out there! The way I've been able to do this is by staying real, true, honest, raw and unfiltered. Nothing stunts growth as much as not being vocal about your feelings, views, and opinions. I have always believed in being as open as possible, even in times of vulnerability."
Continuing, "I felt it was necessary to take ownership of my space, power, and God-given talents. I refer to myself as 'The Flame' to also remind myself that I wasn't born to be average, normal or even passive. I am here, and this is me. Let's rock 'n' roll."
She added, "I'm genuinely on the quest to grow as a human being, to grow as an artist, to increase as a brand, to increase as a business. I advise any young aspiring African actresses, actors and fashionistas, to go on and chase those dreams. You hold the keys."
I'm in the habit of asking great minds about their favourite's quotes, and why, check out The Flame's;
"Fall in your ways so you can crumble. So you can wake up and rise." - Rise, by Solange Knowles.
She explained it so vividly, "I love quotes that inspire or encourage young people to take chances, make mistakes, fall and rise again. Allowing oneself to be human is the most important thing to hold onto in this relatively inhumane world."
If you're into the entertainment industry and want to know some reading material that you can get your hands on which also keeps The Flame going, here are her top three;
"The Richest Man in Babylon: George S. Clason; because young folks need to master the laws of making money and how to attract and retain it.
The Alchemist: Paulo Coelho; because it's a good read.
Harry Potter Series: J.K Rowling; because no human being, be it old or young, should ever lose their belief in magic and magical worlds – Don't let the realities of life kill your inner child."
It wouldn't be a feature without me knowing The Flame's top three social media influencers, check them out below!
Asiyami Gold: "She is real and authentic. A very pleasant human being in general. I dig that. There's nothing to lose by being nice.
Trevor Stuurman: "He is also a genuinely lovely person regardless of where he's at in his life right now. I dig people who remember that they are still people at the end of the day. He's also done quite a lot for the influencer and tastemaker scene locally in South Africa."
I'll leave the last one for an undiscovered person. I'd hate to wish I had waited for the day I find or discover them."