Kim Jayde On Juggling All Her Titles, Her Trusted Mantra And Future Aspirations

Kimberley Jayde Robinson / 27 / MTV Base Africa TV Presenter / Model / Fashion & Travel Blogger 

How was it like for you growing up in Zimbabwe then having to move to South Africa?

I loved growing up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was a small, safe town with a great sense of community. Cape Town, and now Johannesburg is the complete opposite! A fast-paced, big city with so much opportunity! It was definitely an adjustment moving here, but totally worth it for the career path that I am on right now.

You hold a few titles under your name, how does each title represent who you are?

Each title allows me to explore a different creative side of myself.  TV presenting allows me to work with people in entertainment, modelling allows me to take on various roles in TV commercials worldwide; from a Brazilian Samba dancer, to a Middle Eastern girl drinking Pepsi. The KimJayde blog allows me to travel and share beautiful places and experiences, as well as teach my followers about the fashion trends I’m loving at the moment. No two days are ever the same; that’s the beauty of wearing more than one career hat!

Did you ever imagine that you would have achieved this much at this age?

To be honest, my mum always tells me “I never stop to think about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve achieved.” I have my eye on so much more that I want to do. I look at the top women in the industry and that drives me to work harder and push even more. I’m so grateful for where I am now but I’m so focused on where I’m going, so watch this space!

Is there a downside that comes with being in this industry?

It’s a competitive one for sure. Only a select few get the opportunity to even be on TV, and to be on a platform like MTV is huge! The pressure to maintain a certain image in the public eye is something I have never dealt with before. Also, in the public eye, you are expected to be happy everyday. Should I have an off day, or go through a break-up, or anything like that, I still have to go to work, stand in front of the camera and be happy. So there are pros and cons to the job.

What’s your mantra to always stay focused?

“Dream big. Work Hard. Stay Humble.”

What’s the one item you can’t function without?

My cellphone.

Any other aspirations you dream of?

I am a qualified Social Worker (Honours Degree in Social Work from the University of Stellenbosch) and it’s in my ten-year plan to start my own non-profit organization that will empower women and children through skills, training and education.

2017 in one word so far?

Blessed.

How do you manage to give all your titles 100% each time? 

MTV Base Africa is my full-time job, I am also lucky enough to be able to blog when I have the time and inspiration to do so. Pace yourself, that way you can give it your all to create a quality product.

 

Follow Kim!

Instagram: @kimjayde

Twitter: @KimJaydeBlog

Facebook: Kim Jayde

 

–Bridgette Makhela

 

Ms Cosmo On New ‘Connect’ Single, Grinding, Setbacks And Vinyls

Nonqaba Rwaxa / 28 / DJ

Congratulations on your new single ‘Connect’, was it easy getting the featured names on it?

Yes, it was cool because I have a relationship with all the artists and they were keen to jump on my first single.

Ever considered releasing an entire album for your fans?

I have thought about it, but that will come in time, not this year.

How’s your 2017 looking like so far?

I’m excited for 2017, I’ve got a lot of plans. I’m touring the single, releasing the album and growing FunHouse as a brand and other projects too.

How does a typical day look like for Ms Cosmo?

There’s no typical day. I’ve got meetings and interviews on most mornings, depending on the agenda for the day. Then I’m on the Roger Goode Show at 4pm on 5FM, then gigs on the weekends.

How do you manage to juggle being a DJ, Radio, MC and Voice Over Artist?

I’ve got an amazing team and they keep me on my toes.

Favourite Hip-Hop track out right now?

Besides my own song, I’m loving ‘Lifestyle’ by Da L.E.S.

What keeps you grinding each day?

Money money money!!!

How do you handle setbacks in your industry of work?

I try to find the lesson within the mistake and do my best to grow from it.

Vinyls or Cassettes?

Vinyls, because I learned to DJ from vinyls and they represent the true art of DJ’ing.

Follow Ms Cosmo!

Instagram: @mscosmodj

Twitter: @MsCosmoDJ

Facebook: MsCosmo

–Bridgette Makhela

 

Ayanda Thabethe On Her Modeling, Acting, TV Hosting And Entrepreneurial Career

Ayanda Thabethe

Actress | TV Host | Model | Entrepreneur

Who is Ayanda?

A lover of God, family and friends. Ambitious and carving my own path, my own way.

How did you break into the modeling industry?

After many closed doors, due to my height and lack of exposure, I reached out to a friend who happened to know my current agency head. He then put us in contact with each other and when she saw my pictures, she immediately signed me to the agency under which I now work under.

Was it a surprise to be selected as an E! Africa Television host?

A complete surprise and an absolute honour and privilege. I had worked with the team before on a production for SABC 1, a movie called Zion. They remembered me from then and called me for E!, much to my amusement and delight.

Any other avenues you are focusing on this year?

I’m focusing on my Marketing agency Buzzworthy that I have been running with my business partner for over a year now. We are seeing great strides in the business and just want to continue with the momentum. I’m also quite excited for my BIG acting debut on one of South Africa’s leading drama series, Rockville, as a lead.

Being a model for Khosi Nkosi, how did that come about?

I suppose when you are being authentic and running your own race people get drawn to you as a person, so I suppose that’s what happened with Khosi Nkosi. I just received a call regarding being the face of their Autumn range and I couldn’t say no. The brand fit was just right. Khosi Nkosi speaks to the woman that is taking strides, owning her talent and is a go-getter, I believe that describes me perfectly. Needless to say, the campaign was a hit!

How do you maintain your fitness and health?

I really struggle in this department, for me it’s a matter of trying, falling off and getting back again. I try my best to eat healthy but I have an extremely sweet tooth which is a big problem. Otherwise I exercise with my mates as often as possible. I do enjoy spinning quite a lot.

Music or milk?

Music… It soothes the soul in a way that nothing else can.

Who makes you laugh?

Nothing gets me like a good quality conversation with great sense of humour.

Describe your life in one word…

Grace.

Favourite quote?

“It takes a long time to become an overnight success.”

Follow Ayanda!

Instagram: @ayandathabethe_

Twitter: @ayandathabethe_

 

–Bridgette Makhela

 

DreamTeam On Group Dynamics, Growth And Upcoming Projects

Trevor Sineke, 32, Musician
Lusaso Ngcobo, 26, Musician
Mthokozisi Mkhathini, 25, Musician

 

Why the name DreamTeam?
Well we’ve always been friends even before we started making music together, and the name DreamTeam speaks to the Dreams that we’ve always wanted to achieve, and the fact that we’re a tight knit Team. We have a strong circle of support which also falls under the brand so we’re basically a team chasing all of our dreams together.

You three are already a big name in the Hip-Hop industry, where to from here?
We’ve still got a long way to go to get to where we ideally want to be, so the name of the game at this stage is growth, and consistency. We want to develop the DreamTeam brand to be a continental powerhouse, so our focus this year is creating and establishing partnerships and relationships that will allow us to grow in other African countries. That means more collaborations, promo tours, performances etc…

KwaZulu Natal will always be home right? Do you guys now reside in Jozi full-time?
Yes KwaZulu Natal will always be home to us. We’re currently in Johannesburg to fulfil some of our work obligations, but KZN and Durban still play a big role in our lives, as our strongest support base.

How do you guys manage to keep your schedules in-sync?
We have a really strong team, and although it gets hectic at times they are responsible for keeping our schedules aligned.

Who decides on the daily look of the group?
We all have an input into what we dress like; we’ll normally have a conversation around it and decide on a look that everybody is comfortable with.

How has the album been received so far?
The reception to the album has been fantastic. It took a bit of time to get traction around it but people have been really responsive and seem to love the body of work we put out. We’re still on that campaign trail to push it more and create a stronger awareness, and we’re still planning to tour, so we’re expecting more positive feedback from people that are yet to hear it.

Any new music your fans can look out for soon?
Yes we have a lot of new music coming in the near future; we’ve got a couple of features, most notably with PatoRanking for his album and Duncan for his. We might be dropping a video very soon too.

Who keeps everyone in check between you guys? Lol
Depends on who needs to be kept in check really…But we all rely on each other to keep the team in line.

Cape Town or Gauteng?
Cape Town!

What are DreamTeam’s future plans?
We are hoping to drop a new video and single soon, we’ve had a great response to our current single, ‘Shandis’ so we’re hoping the new single at least matches that. We are also doing an event called Dubane Spring Break in September, last year it brought in over 10 000 people so we’re hoping to top that…Other than that, expect a tour, and possibly a new album.

Follow DreamTeam!

Instagram: @dreamteamdbn

Twitter: @DreamTeamDBN

Facebook: Dreamteam_DBN

 

–Bridgette Makhela