Most Attractive Youtube Thumbnail (9)

OVER 30 UNDER 50: Formidable And Forging Ahead

The South African actor immerses herself in all things Kenyan, from the natural wonders to cultural experiences, and has an awakening.&nbsp;&nbsp; 



It’s a Wednesday afternoon in Sandton, South Africa, and the
sun is a couple of hours away from its daily disappearance down the horizon.
FORBES AFRICA makes a phone call. A voice at the other end says a deep “hello”.
It is award-winning South African actor and entrepreneur Nomzamo Mbatha, who is
in New York City and has just woken up. 



From the Big Apple, her mind travels to Africa.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="924" height="619" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo1.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-40770" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo1.png.png 924w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo1.png-300x201.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo1.png-600x402.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo1.png-768x514.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 924px) 100vw, 924px" /><figcaption> Nomzamo Mbatha describes Kenya as the warmest place in Africa. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



When she’s not scorching television screens, in the award-winning South African drama-series, Isibaya, Mbatha spends a lot of time traveling. 



She has been to 13 countries, but as an African, none has
made her feel at home quite like Kenya. 



She describes it as the warmest place in Africa and speaks
of her endearing memories of the East African country. 



“Kenya makes you feel like you should live there. Kenya
makes you feel like you’re at home&#8230;” says Mbatha.



She traveled there for the first time when she was 16,
handpicked by Save the Children, a non-governmental organization promoting
children’s rights, as one of three South African children representing the
country at a conference hosted by Kenya.



Mbatha recounts her first impressions. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="928" height="615" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo2.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-40771" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo2.png.png 928w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo2.png-300x199.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo2.png-600x398.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo2.png-768x509.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" /><figcaption>Nomzamo Mbatha traveled to Kakuma on a United Nations mission in 2018. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



“I remember seeing furniture doors just piled up on the side
of the road and thought ‘whoa! I’ve never seen this’ and then I just remember
Kenya having lots and lots of bananas. 



“Because we were always on a bus, we didn’t get to see it
(Kenya). My misconception of it, as a child, was that there’s not much to do as
a tourist.”



In 2018, Mbatha was in Kenya again, flying first class on
Kenya Airways with a carry-on and two big bags. “I don’t know how to travel
light,” she confesses. 



She recalls there were times in the earlier years as a
traveler when she would pack everything, leave the house and get to the airport
only to realize she wasn’t carrying her passport. 



“So passport… that’s like your golden item! The number two [must-have item] I’d say is sneakers. It’s always great to have comfortable
sneakers so you’re able to walk around the city, around the towns and just be
comfortable. So always carry sneakers no matter what! 





<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="638" height="475" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo5.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-40774" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo5.png.png 638w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo5.png-300x223.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo5.png-600x447.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px" /><figcaption>Nomzamo Mbatha in Kenya. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



“Number three – I always have a nice little bag of small
decanted toiletries. I have like 20 different things that I use. 



“So when you’re traveling, especially long-haul flights, you
want to be able to have your [face] cream because you don’t want to end up
using what the airline gives you&#8230; 



“When I’m traveling and connecting flights, I always make
sure I go to the bathroom and use my products and keep my skin hydrated and
clean. 



“And, of course, the fourth must-have, is a book; it’s
always a great travel mate.” 



On her last trip to Kenya, Mbatha traveled with her manager
and they were scheduled to fly out to Kakuma on a United Nations mission,
however, she requested three days to be in Nairobi before the trip. 



“I really just wanted to experience it and see more of it.
Also, I was in a space where I hadn’t traveled in a while. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="927" height="615" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo3.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-40772" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo3.png.png 927w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo3.png-300x199.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo3.png-600x398.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo3.png-768x510.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 927px) 100vw, 927px" /><figcaption>Nomzamo Mbatha visited the K1 Flea Market in Kenya. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



&nbsp;“It completely
changed me. I went to the K1 Flea Market which is so amazing. Everybody has a
smile. Everybody is so welcoming. 



“I got to go to the Maasai Market which is absolutely
fantastic. And there is so much art and craft you can find there&#8230; And then
the fanciest restaurants; five-star restaurants they don’t tell you about, that
they don’t show you. The party scene in Kenya is amazing. And what I really
loved about Kenya is I felt completely safe.”



She then explored the Karura Forest, saved from
deforestation by conservationists led by the late Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace
Prize laureate, leader of the Green Belt Movement, and environmental and
political activist). Karura presented the most memorable moments for Mbatha
while in Kenya.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="462" height="616" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo6.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-40773" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo6.png.png 462w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo6.png-300x400.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo6.png-225x300.png 225w" sizes="(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px" /><figcaption> Nomzamo Mbatha enjoys the meal at the K1 Flea Market in Kenya. Picture: Supplied </figcaption></figure></div>



“It was lush. And it was just inspiring to know that a
woman’s name was behind all of this. I just remember thinking how massive it
was. We just stood there and it was one of the best experiences of my life… it
was beautiful. For me, it was better than seeing the Eiffel Tower. It’s nothing
like you’ve ever seen.” 



While the visit to Karura Forest left Mbatha in awe, it also
taught her a valuable lesson. 



“It was emotional in the sense that there is so much we can
do for the planet. And it implores one to really do better in terms of our own
social responsibility when it comes to environmental sustainability.” 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="462" height="614" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo8.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-40775" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo8.png.png 462w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo8.png-300x399.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nomzamo8.png-226x300.png 226w" sizes="(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px" /><figcaption> Nomzamo Mbatha outside the K1 Flea Market in Kenya. Picture: Supplied </figcaption></figure></div>



Mbatha says the African continent has much to learn from
Kenya. 



“A lot of innovative businesses in Kenya [are] self-started.
The government of Kenya is very cognizant of the fact they are not going to
bring international brands. In fact, they empower local brands to start their
own businesses, down to potato crisps. It’s very motivating for people to have
the entrepreneurial spirit,” says the globetrotter in love with Africa.

Nomzamo9

Executive Travel: Nomzamo Mbatha’s Kenya

When Rina Chunga-Kutama started her business, she was just trying to make some extra money while studying. Since then, her African brand, Rich Factory, known for its distinctive Zambian prints, has grown in leaps and bounds.
Chunga-Kutama was born in Zambia but grew up in Botswana and lived there for 15 years. She moved to Polokwane, in the Northern Province of South Africa, in 2004. Despite this, she’s never forgotten her Zambian heritage which is evident on her clothing.
She studied fashion at LISOF in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital city, but started working on her business during her gap year in 2007.
“I got a job from a designer lady in Polokwane who was sewing. I learned to sew and that’s when I started making pieces for people, creating garments for pocket money,” she says.
<div id="attachment_35289" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35289" class=" wp-image-35289" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Rich-Factory-_AW18-m-200x300.jpg" alt="Rich Factory Rina Chunga-Kutama" width="250" height="376" />A model wears a dress made by Rina Chunga-Kutama (Photo by Eunice Driver)</div>
In 2008, she went to college but faced financial difficulties. Because of this, she had to alternate between going to school for a year and taking a year off. When she finally got to her third year in 2012, Chunga-Kutama still had two modules from the first year she had yet to complete and couldn’t graduate.
That did not stop the young lady from pursuing her dreams. Chunga-Kutama knew most of what she needed to start a business, and she was also not keen on being in the same class with younger students – she was 25 years old at the time – and so went straight into the working field.
“I wasn’t in school so I could do the business full-time, it was a full-time business because the clients were coming in and I was still working from home,” she says.
By 2013, it wasn’t about making pocket money anymore. She moved out of her sister’s home and rented a cottage in Melville, Johannesburg. Here, she installed mirrors and converted her home into a shop.
Chunga-Kutama has never looked back and has grown her business and worked with celebrities, like award-winning South African musician Zahara, actress Terry Pheto, and actress and model Nomzamo Mbatha.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2018/01/12/fashion-bloggers-signing-off-style/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Fashion Bloggers Signing Off In Style</a>
Chunga-Kutama made an impression on Mbatha when they met at a shoot in 2015.
“I remember they had this girl [from] Rich Factory and she was doing the styling. The stuff that she had pulled for me was just so apt. Working with someone I’ve never met before, they knew exactly how to style me for that campaign according to my personality and body. Everything fit really well and I loved how funky and how out-of-the-box her thinking was when it came to styling and I just enjoyed her as a person,” says Mbatha.
After the shoot, a friendship was sparked and the two decided to collaborate. Rich Factory was now dressing Mbatha for red carpets locally and internationally, such as BET’s Black Girls Rock! awards ceremony in New Orleans, United States, the MTV Europe Music Awards in the Netherlands, and the Cinema Camp Film Festival, among others.
“The Camp Film Festival was a huge footprint for us because everyone was in their beautiful ball gowns and here’s this yellow, African, kente print walking the red carpet and everyone was having a moment,” Mbatha recalls.
<div id="attachment_35288" style="width: 540px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35288" class=" wp-image-35288" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Rina-Chunga-Kutama-1-300x200.jpg" alt="Rina Chunga-Kutama Rich Factory" width="530" height="353" />Rina Chunga-Kutama (Photo by Motlabana Monnakgotla)</div>
Although it is not something that Chunga-Kutama pursued, Rich Factory garnered business and free publicity from dressing celebrities.
Rich Factory has gained attention from its celebrity clients but has become more strategic about taking on famous clients. Chunga-Kutama doesn’t want it to be seen as a celebrity business and alienate other clients without the buying power.
Her first celebrity client was musician and TV personality, Nomuzi Mabena. Chunga-Kutama met her in 2011 while working as an intern for well-known South African fashion designer Khosi Nkosi. Mabena came second in a model search competition that Chunga-Kutama was styling. A few years later, Mabena won the role of an MTV Base video jockey and needed garments; Rich Factory was happy to assist. Mabena really helped Rich Factory take off.
“I was in the magazines and newspapers because of her,” says Chunga-Kutama.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2017/10/06/fashion-operation-theater/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Fashion in The Operation Theater?</a>
In 2017, Rich Factory found itself walking the ramps at the South African Fashion Week (SAFW) in collaboration with Nestlé for its chocolate, Aero.
Chunga-Kutama was approached by Sunshine Shibambo from marketing and advertising agency Cheri Yase Kasi to work with the chocolate brand.
“The brand was looking for a South African designer to partner with that was expressing their positioning which was ‘let go’. Someone who is not confined by the prints or fabrics that they are working with but always finding a release in their fashion, new forms and new shapes. So she was the perfect candidate,” says Shibambo.
<div id="attachment_35290" style="width: 259px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35290" class=" wp-image-35290" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Rich-Factory-_AW18-l-200x300.jpg" alt="Rich Factory Rina Chunga-Kutama" width="249" height="374" />A model wears a dress made by Rina Chunga-Kutama (Photo by Eunice Driver)</div>
Chunga-Kutama was never going to say no to chocolate and showing at SAFW.
According to Chunga-Kutama, the brief was perfect because she has a playful brand. She used African prints only and didn’t use any western fabrics.
The collaboration was incredible, according to Shibambo.
“The collection had a play of the Nigerian shape with a combination of geisha and Asian inspired shapes, which isn’t the normal traditional form for a designer using African print,” she says.
Chunga-Kutama has a team of five people working with her. Two are based at a factory in Johannesburg’s central business district, while Dimo Kutama, her husband and business partner, has opened a store in Parkhurst, a plush Johannesburg suburb.
Her husband used to work as a client care advisor but now runs sales and logistics at Rich Factory. It’s not an easy role.
“The only difference is time. When you’re running your own business, you never have time for anything, including a haircut,” says Dimo.
From starting in a garden cottage four years ago, Chunga-Kutama is now dressing socialites, in African fabric, around the world.

Tag: Nomzamo Mbatha

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

OVER 30 UNDER 50: Formidable And Forging Ahead

Executive Travel: Nomzamo Mbatha’s Kenya

Traditional And Thriving