Nhlanhla Mafu on Mafikizolo, motherhood, loss and life

Nhlanhla Mafu is a founding member of Mafikizolo, accomplished businesswoman, and a multi-talented force in music, fashion, and philanthropy.

She credits her parents and her upbringing for the person she is.

"The one thing that my mom used to say ALL the time was, 'respect yourself and respect other people, no matter who you become in the future'... so I think that also stuck with me."

As she approaches 30 years in the music industry, Mafu said that the fame and recognition really took the successful pop group by surprise.

"We didn't see this coming, just as much as we didn't see getting recognition from outside of the country... when we started at the time, we just wanted to make good music and just grow and become famous and sign autographs and be on stage and perform and be on TV – but it became bigger than what we thought it would be."

Mafu admits that – like Mandoza – they also suffer from the 'curse' of that one song that EVERYBODY always wants to hear!

"That song, yes that song... that popular wedding song. But, at the same time, when we want to get the people vibing, no song does it like that song... it's not just about what the fans want, but it's also about how it makes us feel."

On the longevity of the band, Mafu says it's largely down to a shared vision with her bandmate, Theo Kgosinkwe.

"We've always had our dreams, we've always aligned in that sense... we come from the same neighbourhood, literally same street – and then we became friends, and then the music came."

Being a working and travelling mother also had its challenges over the years, but Mafu speaks proudly about how her children are forging their own paths.

"There's a lot of artists whose children want to follow in their parent's footsteps, they want to sing and become stars – but our kids understand that it's not easy... just because I'm who's who's child, does not mean that people are automatically going to love what I do and support me."

Mafu also opened up about the grief and trauma of losing her daughter, as well as her divorce.

"A trauma is something you live with forever, it's something you just have to accept – that it's going to be with you... I don't think there's one therapist I've been to that has said to me that 'I'm going to heal your trauma', and 'you're not going to feel this' – not one therapist."

On the lessons learned from failure, Mafu says it build character.

"You become stronger the minute you decide to get up, stand up... and try and do it again – always being determined, and never giving up."

To listen to Nhlanhla Mafu in conversation with 702's Relebogile Mabotja, use the audio player below: