Bonang Matheba pays homage to the matriarchs of South Africa ahead of Mother’s Day.
Image: File.
Bonang Matheba has gone from television screens to the boardroom; she has built a career around presence, ambition and celebrating life loudly.
Whether it’s through her work in entertainment, her successful MCC brand “House of BNG”, or the way she has positioned herself as one of South Africa’s most influential women in media, Matheba has spent years becoming the kind of woman many young girls look up to.
And behind the glamorous image is a woman who says she was raised by strong women long before the world knew her name.
Ahead of Mother’s Day, the 38-year-old media mogul reflected on the women who shaped her life, paying tribute not only to her own mother, but to the many mothers, grandmothers, aunties and sisters who quietly carry South African families every day.
“In my house growing up, there were always a lot of women, lots of children and plenty of laughter. We had lots of gatherings around food and each other,” she shared.
“I was raised by matriarchs to be a matriarch, to be a leader, to be strong, to be hyper-independent, ambitious and an organiser of celebrations. It’s probably why I chose to start my own bubbly brand and pursue a career that encouraged me to live life to the fullest.”
Matheba said growing up in such a strong family structure taught her the importance of community, something she still values deeply today.
“I am truly blessed to have been surrounded by such incredibly strong women who also taught me the value of community. And while we have lost a few of them along the way, it’s the one thing I never take for granted,” she added.
While Mother’s Day is often centred around celebration, she admitted this year also feels emotional following the recent loss of a family member to gender-based violence (GBV).
She reflected on the reality that many women continue to face in South Africa with GBV and why it remains important to celebrate women while they are still here.
“We live in such a volatile environment in South Africa, where 15 women on average are being murdered every day, for what?” she said.
“Women are, after all, the spine of the community and of society. They are the nurturers and the foundation of our everyday lives. We must celebrate them to remind them just how great their impact has been and how much we value them.
"Without mothers, the world is lost. We forget where we come from, who we are and why we exist.”
Bonang Matheba pays homage to the matriarchs of South Africa ahead of Mother’s Day.
Image: Supplied
Matheba also opened up about the impact her own mother, Charlotte Mokoena, has had on her life.
“When you look back at her life, it is the most incredible life well lived. My mother has raised wonderful children. She’s married to a wonderful man. She is the matriarch of the entire family, not just ours.
"She’s incredibly successful, very educated, and has held numerous, very powerful positions in corporate South Africa.”
She revealed that both sides of her family were filled with strong women, sharing that her mother had three sisters while her father had five sisters, leaving her surrounded by aunties and great-aunties throughout her childhood.
Matheba further shared that her mother recently retired after years serving as Vice President at Sasol, having started working at just 14 years old.
“I want to raise my glass to my mother because her entire life, she gave and she deserves this,” she said. She also spoke about the importance of appreciating the people who continuously pour into others.
“Having community is very, very important,” she shared. “And that’s what the world could learn from my mother.”
As she reflected on the women who built her into the person she is today, the businesswoman also had a message for mothers everywhere.
“Stand in your power. Make sure the decisions you make, the choices you make, the places you go all come from a place of empowerment. Come from deep in your heart. Let them be things that will bring you joy and fulfilment, and be brave in that choice,” she concluded.
Today, Matheba herself has become the kind of woman she grew up around.
A powerful figure in entertainment and business, she has built an award-winning career, launched successful brands and cemented herself as one of South Africa’s leading media personalities. And in many ways, the woman she is today is like a reflection of the women who raised her.