PHILANTHROPIST IN HER OWN RIGHT

GIVING BACK IS ALWAYS A GOOD DEED

Bassie Khumalo

 “I stay connected with all the happiness as I live, learn, grow and share my insights” Basetsana Khumalo. 

Miss South Africa 1994 , Basetsana Khumalo

Many of us may just know Basetsana as just the former Miss South Africa or also the 1^st Princess in the Miss World pageant. Well there is more to Bassie than just her pretty face.

Bassie is one of the highly respected media personalities, on and off the set. Not only is she the chairperson of one of the longest running lifestyle production company called Tswelopele Production, she’s a mother and business woman.

Chairperson of Tswelopele
productions, Bassie Khumalo

Tswelopele Productions is well known for owning South Africa’s longest lifestyle TV program Top Billing. It also produces shows like Pasela, Top Travel, Top Dogs and No Reservation.

An ambassador for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bassie is all about giving back and improving people’s lives. Bassie and her husband Romeo Khumalo started their own NPO (Non-Profit Organisation) The Romeo and Basetsana Khumalo Family Foundation.

Basetsana and Romeo Khumalo

This foundations aims are to assists the development of children in this country, especially those who have been orphaned by Aids and other related diseases. Their foundation has been successful over the years due to the fact that it is a self-governing foundation, that is organised, private, voluntary.

This foundation is voluntary in a sense that:

• ·         Bassie received a special award from Operation Hunger, the Cancer Association of South Africa and the RDP (Reconstruction and Development Programme), in which she played a key role in all these foundation, making it easier for her to get sponsors.
• ·         Not forgetting, the Child line
• ·         Take a Girl Child to Work
• ·         And Reach for a Dream.

Most influential people should follow in Bassie’s footsteps. She is a leader among her peers and is always striving to better the lives of others, through what she hass been blessed with. I am ending with a bible verse quote that Bassie lives by and I hope it will also inspire you to also make a change.

“To whom much is given, much is expected” Luke 12:48 

sources:  www.basetsanakhumalo.com

BONANG, 1st BLACK S.A FEMALE VERIFIED

Twitter recognizes real celebrities 

Bonang Matheba received a verified Twitter badge.
source www.yomzansi.com

Have you ever wanted to follow your favourite celebrity on twitter but once you search for them, numerous accounts just pop out and you find yourself confused on which one is the legit one and not just a parody account.

Well I have and I get so frustrated whenever it happens. But fortunately twitter has come up with this amazing thing called VERIFICATION. Basically what is means is that Twitter gives verified accounts to celebrities.

I know you would ask yourself that aren’t all accounts verified? Well the answer is no. Twitter only hands out verified accounts to people that they have confirmed to be the real person and not hoax.

These verified accounts make it easier for us the followers to actually find the people we really want to follow.

Bonang posing for Yfm
source: www.ynews.co.za

Bonang, finally verified

Not many South African celebrities have verified accounts or even none at all. Exact our very own television and radio sweetheart Bonang Matheba.

Twitter verified badge.

Bonang Matheba is the first South Africa Black female media personality to have her account verified by Twitter. She has approximately 272 970 twitter followers to date.

“I feel truly honoured and humbled by the news of being verified by twitter. I know it’s a small tick, but in the world of social networking, it’s a real big deal, meaning that I am clearly doing something great.” said Bonang.

Other Twitter Verified Accouts:

• ·         Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics)@RajonRondos
• ·         Quinton (Rampage) Jackson@Rampage4real
• ·         Missy Elliott @MissyElliott
• ·         Kristin Davis @KristinDavis
• ·         Cheryl Burke @CherylBurke1
• ·         Leonardo DiCaprio @LeoDiCaprio and etc.

Bonang Matheba.

Bonang is a well-known brand in the country and thanks to the power of social media she is now well-known all over the world. It is amazing how social media can give people such great exposure at a cost of nothing really but just a good reputation and Bonang is a great example of that.

sources:http://bonangmatheba.com, https://twitter.com/TruthTweet, http://www.wonted.co.za and 

A BRAVE HERO

A CONSISTENT BRAND

Natalie du Toit  holding her prosthetic
 leg after her win

 In the world we live in today, all that really matters is how people perceive us as individuals. And that of cause will determine your success or failure in whatever it is that you pursuing in life. As for Natalie du Toit, she has built her brand to be respected and well known, despite all the hardship and obstacles, she still managed to come out as a hero to many.

She understood the true meaning of building her own brand.  She understood that it’s the perceptions that bring together an individual and her followers. I mean establishing an image or brand of yourself means creating favourable affiliations with your audience, be it internal or external, and she has done so through her swimming.

Benjamin E. Mays said; “The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals; the tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace not to have stars to reach for.”

These are the inspirational words Natalie du Toit lives by every day, ever since her tragic accident that turned out to be her biggest triumph in her sporting career.

Natalie’s sporting career and her triumph

“I have always had the dream to take part in the Olympic Games, and losing my leg didn’t change anything” said Natalie.

This is how her road to success began:

The smile of victory, after winning the 400m  freestyle

·         in 2002 when she competed in the Commonwealth Games, where she became the first amputee to race in the finals of what is known as a major abled-bodied swimming competition and that’s when she made the finals for the 800 meter freestyle. This is when she received the David Dixon award for Outstanding Athlete of the games.

·         In 2003, she won a gold medal for the 800m freestyle at the All African Games, a silver medal at the Afro-Asian Games. She received five gold medals and one silver medal at the Paralympic Games in 2004. 2008 she qualified for the Beijing Olympics and was selected to carry the flag during the opening ceremony.

·         Recently at the London 2012 Paralympic games, Natalie won her 12^th career gold medal for the women’s 400m freestyle.

Natalie’s story shows that when you are destined for greatness, you will surely succeed even when you have been in a tragedy. She is a great example of how to build and maintain yourself as a brand and always appearing as a credible individual among her followers. Companies could learn a thing or two from Natalie du Toit.

Natalie hugging her opponent after coming second in her race 

sources : www.nataliedutoit.co.za, www.nataliedutoit.net, www.timeslive.co.za, http://en.wikipedia.org, www.telegraph.co.uk and lastly www.thestar.com