Tumelo Moema, Where Home Builds Careers

From the streets of Soweto to the boardrooms of global creative collaboration, Wandile Zondo has walked, run, and cycled a long road toward sovereignty. As co-founder of Thesis Lifestyle, he’s spent two decades turning streetwear into a system; building not just a brand, but a movement that fuses fashion, community, sport, and social consciousness.In this powerful episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Wandile reflects on the journey that has shaped him as a creator, a father, and a builder of culture:How Thesis became a blueprint for township entrepreneurship and local pride.Why running, cycling, and the outdoors became metaphors for self-mastery and healing.The discipline it takes to move from hustle to structure, and the hard lessons behind building a sustainable business.His reflections on fatherhood, sobriety, and redefining manhood through presence and patience.Why he believes true freedom isn’t about escape, but about ownership; of your story, your systems, and your community.Zondo speaks with the same clarity and humility that has guided his work; grounded in Soweto, but globally fluent. He shows that sovereignty isn’t about solitude; it’s about community, continuity, and the courage to define yourself on your own terms.Whether you’ve followed Thesis Lifestyle since its early jam sessions or are meeting Wandile Zondo for the first time, this conversation is a masterclass in what it means to build something that outlives the hype.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Wandile on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

From the township of Alexandra to the grandest stages in the world, Kitty Phetla has redefined what it means to be a South African ballerina. Trained under the legendary Martin Schönberg, and now a celebrated choreographer, educator, and creative collaborator, Phetla has built her life around the belief that discipline is grace made visible.In this milestone 100th episode of Listen To Your Footsteps,she sits down with Kojo Baffoe to reflect on the mental, physical, and spiritual architecture of her art. It’s a conversation about power disguised as poise, and the unseen work behind effortless beauty. Together, they explore:The moment a nine-year-old girl from Alexandra was “discovered” and how that encounter shaped her destiny.Why she believes mastery is born from respect, not passion.How pain, repetition, and stillness form the language of her movement.What it means to teach in a YouTube generation while remaining true to classical rigour.The creative alchemy behind her collaborations with jazz pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, where dance becomes spiritual improvisation.Why recognition, like her Wall of Fame star, still feels secondary to purpose. This is not a story about fame or success; it’s about becoming non-human in pursuit of mastery, where pain turns to rhythm, and the mind moves long before the body does. Whether you know Kitty Phetla from the stage, the studio, or the airwaves, this episode reveals the woman behind the grace: focused, disciplined, and forever in motion.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Kitty Phetla on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

For over three decades, Pabi Moloi has been one of South Africa’s most trusted and recognisable voices. From her early days as a child performer to her years behind the microphone, she has grown up in the public eye, learning, unlearning, and finding her balance between light and loud. In this introspective episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Pabi opens up about what it truly means to be a lightworker in a media space that often rewards spectacle over substance. She reflects on leaving radio, rediscovering her imagination, and creating a new rhythm for her life, one rooted in mindfulness, motherhood, and meaning. Through humour, candour, and gentle wisdom, she explores:How to protect your energy and define your own authenticity.Why choosing silence can sometimes speak the loudest.What the transition from radio to podcasting has taught her about creative freedom.How to raise boys with empathy and strength in today’s South Africa.Why boundaries are a form of self-respect, not distance. This conversation is a reminder that power doesn’t always come from being seen or heard; it can also come from choosing presence, peace, and purpose. Whether you know Pabi Moloi from television, radio, or her new journey into podcasting, this episode invites you to meet her differently: as a woman stepping fully into her light, on her own terms. Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Pabi Moloi on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

From her beginnings as a quiet observer to leading Hayani Africa, a Pan-African creative talent agency, Tumelo Moema has built her career on the belief that “home” is not just a place but a system. With roots in broadcast and licensing at Primedia, Getty Images, and Shutterstock, she brings a rare depth of expertise to shaping the future of creative careers across the continent.In this powerful episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Moema reflects on:• Why “home” is a foundation for safety, growth, and belonging.• The distinction between influence and being an influencer, and why it matters.• How systems, contracts, and compliance future-proof creative careers.• The philosophy behind building tables rather than waiting for an invitation.• Her role in Women in Film & Television South Africa, and how mentorship can shift the industry.With honesty and clarity, Tumelo unpacks how dignity, structure, and Pan-African collaboration can secure a sustainable creative future. Whether you’re a creative, a strategist, or someone seeking to turn vision into structure, this episode offers both inspiration and a blueprint.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Tumelo Moema on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ hayaniafrica.comSubscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

From a tent on the side of the roads to the Ubuntu Art Residency Village in Zanzibar, Reggie “The Nomad” Khumalo has lived a story where freedom, art, and Ubuntu are inseparable. Known for riding his motorbike across the continent with little more than his brushes and a belief in spirit, he has turned a life of motion into a movement of meaning.In this moving episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Reggie reflects on:• How a collapse in his early career humbled him and re-ignited his purpose.• The spiritual turning point on the Wild Coast that made him choose the road.• Why Ubuntu is more than an idea, it is the strangers who fed, funded, and sheltered him.• How selling his art now funds school fees, food programmes, and community projects across Africa.• Building the Ubuntu Art Residency Village in Zanzibar as a living archive of his journey.• Why he believes “the God you’re looking for is within” and how listening to nature shapes his art.With raw honesty, humour, and vision, Khumalo reveals what it means to bet on yourself, to trust the road, and to turn painting into service. Whether you know him as an artist, a traveller, or a World Food Programme High-Level Supporter, this is a conversation about finding freedom wherever the canvas meets the journey.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Reggie V Khumalo on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

From the turbulence of a disrupted childhood to the global stage of the Venice Film Festival and the Emmy Awards, Joel Kachi Benson has lived a journey shaped by resilience, storytelling, and vision. Known for his groundbreaking VR documentary Daughters of Chibok, which brought the voices of mothers of abducted schoolgirls to the world, and Disney’s Madu, Benson has turned the camera into a compass for empathy and change.In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Benson reflects on:• How literature became a refuge after his early dreams collapsed, and why curiosity became his lifelong tool.• The leap from music videos and corporate work to purpose-driven documentaries that give dignity to the vulnerable.• The moment he emptied his bank account to train in VR, and how it transformed his storytelling.• Why empathy is never enough unless it leads to action, and how he designs impact into every project.• Fatherhood, presence, and teaching his children contentment and curiosity as the foundation for their future.Benson speaks with honesty, conviction, and creativity, showing how African filmmakers are pushing beyond borders while staying rooted in purpose. This is a conversation about taking risks, telling truths, and turning stories into action.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Kachi Benson on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit his website kachibenson.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠⁠Ayob Vania

From hip hop cassettes in Hammanskraal to founding one of South Africa’s most influential spoken word movements, Thabiso “Afurakan” Mohare has always treated poetry as more than performance; it has been a compass for life. As co-founder of Word N Sound, he has helped shape stages, archives, and voices that have defined a generation of poets. But his truest pivot has been personal: declaring himself “a parent first” and restructuring his life and work around family, time, and legacy.In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Afurakan reflects on:• How poetry offered survival, direction, and a lifelong foundation.• The making of Word N Sound and the challenge of archiving 15 years of formats, festivals, and voices.• Why he believes income belongs to the household, not the individual.• The shift from chasing gigs to building a consultancy that safeguards time with his daughters.• Lessons on creative freedom, parenting with intention, and redefining manhood beyond breadwinning.Spoken with honesty and vision, this conversation captures Afurakan’s journey as both artist and father, revealing why poetry is not only his craft, but his compass.Listen now on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Thabiso Mohare on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | X [formerly Twitter]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by ⁠Ayob Vania

Chef Coco Reinarhz’s story is written in flavour. Born into a family of restauranteurs and chefs - his grandfather and his mother - he tried to escape the kitchen for construction engineering, only to discover that cooking was not just passion, but destiny.In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Chef Coco reflects on his journey from Eurocentric training in Belgium to building restaurants in Johannesburg and finally founding Epicure, a pan-African dining space designed to make African flavours part of everyday dining. He shares why “food is a love language,” why “you eat first with your eyes,” and how elevating presentation is key to reshaping global perceptions of African cuisine.The conversation moves through triumphs and trials:• The generational legacy that shaped his culinary DNA.• The rebellion of his youth and the return to his true calling.• Training in Belgium and realising how absent Africa was in the syllabus.• Building Johannesburg’s restaurants by word of mouth, before creating Epicure as a continental food journey.• The shock of COVID, which he reframed as a blessing that opened new markets in Dubai and beyond.• Why mentoring chefs, embracing copycats, and documenting recipes are central to his legacy.• Life beyond the kitchen: raising a family in South Africa, the joy of being a grandfather, and finding calm in golf and cigar appreciation.Whether you know him from Expo 2020 Dubai’s Alkebulan African Dining Hall or encounter him here as a restaurateur, father, and cultural storyteller, this is a conversation about food as identity, connection, and everyday experience.Chef Coco Reinarhz is not just cooking meals; he is reimagining how the world tastes Africa.Listen now on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Afripods⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Chef Coco on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, or visit the Epicure Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to: ⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠Vodcast TV⁠Show Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania

From her village roots in the Northwest to leading one of South Africa’s most creative production houses, Letitia Masina has built a life and career that embodies resilience, authenticity, and legacy. Having once walked the path of modelling, acting, and presenting, she made the conscious choice to step away from the spotlight and focus on what she truly loved: shaping stories, nurturing talent, and building spaces where creativity could thrive.In this compelling episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Letitia reflects on:Growing up in a rural village, navigating boarding school, and the journey that brought her to Johannesburg.Why she chose to leave the spotlight to tell stories behind the camera.Building Wife and Hubby Creative alongside her husband, and raising children who are also collaborators in the family business.How she reframes nepotism as intentional legacy building and why she believes in giving the next generation access and accountability.The responsibility of storytelling, balancing sensitivity with celebration, and why authenticity matters more than perfection. Adapting to new platforms where digital media reshapes how we tell and consume stories.Masina speaks with warmth, honesty, and conviction about creativity as a legacy that outlives us, family as a foundation, and the importance of crafting stories that empower. Her journey offers not just inspiration but a model for how to build with integrity while nurturing both personal and professional growth.Whether you know her as a producer, director, mother, or creative leader, this episode reveals why Letitia Masina’s work continues to shape South African storytelling and why her legacies reach far beyond the spotlight.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Afripods, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Letitia Masina on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to: ⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠zebra culture Newsletter⁠Recorded at Vodcast TVShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania

From the dusty fields of Alexandra to the stadiums of Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Bafana Bafana, Brian Baloyi has lived the highs and lows of South African football. Known as Spider-Man between the posts, he now uses his voice and vision to teach lessons that go far beyond the game.In this powerful episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Baloyi reflects on:Why football is life’s greatest teacher, shaping resilience, discipline, and teamwork.The importance of planning for retirement early, and how he chose to leave on his own terms.His belief that true legacy lies in systems, not just money, and how generational wealth is secured through structure.The personal journey of navigating his wife’s cancer battle and choosing happiness as survival.How his Goalkeeping Academy aims to inspire the next generation to dream beyond borders.Baloyi speaks with honesty, humour, and authority, sharing how criticism, failure, and pressure built the man he became, and why he now dreams, not just for himself, but for his children, grandchildren, and society at large.Whether you know him as a legendary goalkeeper or meet him here as a mentor, father, and community builder, this is a conversation that shows why Brian Baloyi’s legacy stretches far beyond football.You can find the latest from Brian Baloyi on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn | ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠X [formerly Twitter]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to: WATCH | LISTENzebra culture NewsletterRecorded at Spotify Africa Joburg StudioShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania