The Art Of Being South African and Brand Bonang

With a remarkable 20-year track record in the entertainment industry, South African television presenter, radio personality, and businesswoman, Bonang Matheba, spoke with FORBES AFRICA in September, reflecting on the highlights of her career, such as founding Bonang Matheba Entertainment in 2017, producing award-winning documentaries, and becoming the first face of Revlon outside the United States in 2013.

“When I think back, [the pivotal moments] were meeting certain people or being part of certain moments or events or projects that have really pivoted my career and completely changed how I view things,” she says.

Even as her reality show B’dazzled by Bonang airs the final episode (of the season), Matheba says that building a brand is a never-ending strategy but one she has been fortunate to take in different directions.

“I usually do very well when I’m doing something I absolutely love, or I’ve aligned with things that love me back,” she explains. “It’s not just about me slapping my name on to something. I’m a bubbly girl, so I launched my own bubbly. I’m a shoe girl, so of course, I’ll have my own shoe collection with Steve Madden. I’m a big makeup person, so of course I’ll be working with L’Oreal and flying between Paris and South Africa.”

And through working on “the small big things as opposed to a lot of little things”, Matheba believes there is more opportunity for growth. Five years ago, Matheba launched her own luxury bever age brand, the House of BNG and its Brut and Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classiques (MCCs).

In July this year, she launched the non-alcoholic version of BNG. Her inspiration?

Simple; listening to trends and “giving people what they want”.

Matheba says she worked for about three years listening to her consumers and researching non-alcoholic beverages. The market for this is big, as Statista reports that in the non-alcoholic drinks market, South Africa alone is expected to generate a revenue (in supermarkets and convenience stores) of over $4 billion in 2024.

“I think BNG for me has expanded [way more than] what I thought I could do as a businesswoman and entrepreneur; and also [to] kind of commercialize using my name, to generate a lot more income, and a different kind of approach to brand Bonang has been amazing.”

However, the buck does not stop there for ‘Queen B’ (as she is affectionately known by her fans). Matheba says she believes that she was put on this earth to serve. Be it by promoting the growth of other aspiring entrepreneurs or creatives or just by giving back, she notes the significance of her endeavors.

“I will always tell anybody that knows me or listens to brand Bonang or watches what I do that you should always be guided by your heart,” Matheba says, commenting on the work she also does as a global ambassador for Zero Malaria and with her foundation, “because you will never, ever fail; your gut and your heart are really your true lighthouse”.