ALL HAIL NOMALANGA

The detail is in the hair

Actress, radio and television presenter Nomalanga Shozi (29), who is also the face of Black Entertainment Television (BET), may not be a city girl. But, she has taken the City of Gold – and the world – by storm. There’s more to this star than meets the eye or the big,stemmed from one of her favourite American music icons, Erykah Badu, who, at some point, was also Afrocentric and with whom she has rubbed shoulders on red carpets while presenting at BET awards events. The eloquent, bubbly personality shares where it all began when it comes to her hair journey. “Branding myself through my Afro was a way to stand out and iconise myself. When I was young, my parents didn’t allow me to grow my hair, mainly because it was affordable to maintain short, natural hair. When I was able to finally grow my hair, I knew I wanted to have the biggest Afro to rebel against my strict background where I was denied the chance to grow my hair. I felt that hairstyles were a form of communication and self-expression. And, I wanted to do that as boldly as I could. I wanted my Afro to amplify how I expressed myself as a young woman.”