By Tamlyn Canham
Thembi Seete is reflecting on her journey in the entertainment industry in the latest issue of Oak Ave magazine.
She says her career took a major turn two decades ago when she bagged her first acting role on ‘Yizo Yizo’.
The 44-year-old says the role helped relaunch her in the industry after Boom Shaka parted ways.
Thembi went on to release her first solo album and the rest is history.
“25 Years ago I embarked on a new journey. A journey that brought me to where I am today and where I am going still.
“I remember @zwabheka and @bomb_productions giving a little ol me a chance to shine again with a role on Yizo and later releasing my first solo album ‘Lollipop’. I celebrate this journey everyday of my life but this it’s just extra special because that baby turns 25!” she wrote on Instagram.
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Opening for Janet Jackson
Thembi and her Boom Shaka group members, including music icon Lebo Mathosa, burst onto the music scene in the 90s.
Their kwaito sound was a hit with South Africa’s youth, many of whom copied Thembi and Lebo’s box braids.
Surprisingly, the group did not win any awards.
“We were dramatic, sexy, confident because we were influenced by international music and other traditions. So we build that music for our market, we wrote our own music and we wanted to be out of the box. Although we never won any awards during Boom Shaka, we knew we were influential and impactful,’ Thembi told Oak Ave.
Boom Shaka was so popular, they were picked to be Janet Jackson’s opening act during her ‘The Velvet Rope Tour’ in 1998.
It was the American singer’s first concert in South Africa.
An icon is born
Despite being part of a successful group, Thembi says making it as a solo act was tough.
“It was bad, it made me realise that at the end of the day you are on your own. You also need to make sure that you are independent.
“I thank God that I realised that very early in life, in every relationship, if you become dependent on the other, you become desperate. You must never be dependent on anyone, ” the ‘Gomora’ actress told the publication.
But Thembi did not give up on herself and her dreams. She is now a respected actress, musician, and entrepreneur.
Read Thembi’s full interview here.



