Anele Zondo on new music, motherhood, love with L’Tido

Anele Zondois back with a bang. At the weekend, she hostedBasadi in Music Awardswith Lerato Kganyago, Nomuzi “Moozlie” Mabena and Unathi Nkayi. The rapper, under hermonikerNey The Bae, recently dropped her new single,Bhampa, signalling a new era in her musical journey.

Sowetan: How do you balance music, acting and other TV work? Anele Zondo:The consistent juggle. I believe I’m able to space the different personalities out.

For example, I told my team that I’m ready to focus on my music career. I usually analyse my timing and the preparation to accommodate all my talents in their respective fields to make sure that everything is in order. I’ve come to realise that life doesn’t have a balance, but the trick is to stay present in the moment.

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I often approach life with a clear mind and the intention of simply finishing my tasks, knowing exactly what I need to do in a day and ultimately receiving that rewarding feeling. Sowetan: You’re very confident. Do you ever doubt yourself?

Zondo:There was a time in my life when I was not fully confident, and this was straight after my pregnancy. I believe that was me going through postpartum depression, where I didn’t know how I was going to do next, because for nine months, my daughter relied on me for everything. Eventually, I got out of that phase.

I asked myself who I am now, as a mother. Do I like the things I used to like? As a big believer in affirmations, I started doing positive self-talk.

I let myself know how I felt at the end of the day by journaling and spoke good things about myself every single morning. I’d also recite five things I was grateful for, which brightened up my day. I also made sure to take special care of how I looked and relied so much on my passion for fashion to be the person that I always believed I am.

Sowetan: What sacrifices have you made over the year? Zondo:So many. Coming to Johannesburg from Newcastle was my first sacrifice.

Being away from my family to build a life here and having to sacrifice sleep to build a career in TV and music was a huge sacrifice. The biggest sacrifice throughout my career was the consistent fight as a woman to solidify my space in the industry and in rooms that I walk into. I’ve had to fight for my voice to be heard because a lot of these rooms are filled with men.

Sowetan: What excites you the most about this season? Zondo:It feels so new, good and exciting. I’m getting into the routine of what it means to be who I am.

I have new management, I’ve just partnered with Universal and everything feels fresh and the air is definitely different and blowing towards these beautiful things that have happened and are still to happen. As someone who studied marketing, I love watching and building different eras and seeing how they translate to the audience. Sowetan: Your relationship with L-Tido, how do you describe it?

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