JOHANNESBURG — Gugulethu “Berita” Khumalo (22) is one of the bravest people I have ever met.
Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on June 27 1991 Berita — as known by the music industry — grew up a lovely and a smart child that was loved and cherished by her teachers under the wing of her loving and spoiling grandmother.
Masganda, as called by her family members, chose to go to South Africa at the young age of 20 to pursue a career in finance since she had a dream of becoming a known and a successful business woman in future.
In 2007 Berita and her family had to leave Zimbabwe for New Zealand. She recalls that she spent her 16th birthday on the flight on their way there.
Like all places in the world, it is always a challenge to fit in in a new and different country, province, town and even school.
This brave young woman is a believer. She believes that God places you somewhere, anywhere, but wherever He puts you, He has reasons and only Him knows those reasons. “I love music, I love life and I know wherever I go God will have sent me there for a reason.”
A woman of faith I see in her, as she sat on a chair in front of me and glimpses of light from her hostel room window showing over her head making her look like she has a halo and little sparkles under her chin making her welcoming smile shine even brighter, she smiled and turned back looking at me paying attention to my question as I asked her “are you single or taken?”
She starts laughing and says: “Wow! I didn’t expect this question, but I don’t think those are things to talk about in magazines nje.” “Honestly I don’t have time for relationships.
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“I am too busy, my music and studies keep me very busy.”
Berita believes that relationships are sacred and special.
“Relationships are not what today’s youth think they are. They are more irresponsible.”
She talks about a song in her album, track number seven called Mwana WaMai saying: “The world we’re living in is round and round, nothing new, it’s all been done before,” she says she wishes that people her age could try and build meaningful relationships because a lot of relationships she sees around her do not last and to be honest she hasn’t been motivated to get into a relationship.
She then let me get a glimpse of imagination when she paints her understanding of success in her own world. She said in her understanding, she thought success meant being famous, being able to sell records and make money, but then she realised that success means being able to touch souls with one’s music as an artist.
Berita says she will consider herself successful when she has produced at least 10 albums and people still love her music and also when she’s gone international and her music is loved globally — when she is able to be an inspiration to others.
She says the best advice she got was when she promoted her album in Johannesburg and she came across the very wise Solly Mahlangu who said to her “when God rewards you, He doesn’t reward you for your talent because He has already given you the talent but rewards you for faithfulness to the talent He’s given to you.”
So she will deem herself successful when she’s proven to God that she is faithful to her talent and faithful to what He gave her.
— Beat Magazine
