2007 July Style Star: Hlubi Mboya

 

 

Popular Isidingo actress, Hlubi Mboya, is a bundle of energy and readily admits that sport and exercise play a big part in her life’s successes.

 

If she is not sweating it out at the gym, you can find Hlubi learning African contemporary dancing, because, as she says, exercise is a celebration of life and it gives her that “extra glow and X-Factor”.

 

Her favourite spectator sport is soccer and her favourite sports star, is none other than Barcelona’s Ronaldinho.

 

Hlubi’s greatest ambition is to follow in the footsteps of her style icon, Charlize Theron, and win an Oscar.

 

She describes her personal style as eclectic and moody, and her favourite colours include deep yellow, gold, and red.

 

Hlubi is excited about life and its challenges, and she puts an incredible amount of energy into everything she does.

 

But, at the core of her being, lies a deep passion to help South Africans get to grips with HIV-AIDS.

 

Hlubi’s portrayal of Nandipa, an HIV-positive woman, on Isidingo, has catapulted her into a role as an HIV-AIDS ambassador; one that she finds really empowering.

 

Now, Hlubi, who is also a Nike ambassador, is determined to take her efforts of educating people about HIV-AIDS around the world, and already has the United Nations in her sights. She opens up to gsport about acting, HIV-AIDS, Style, and her Oscar ambitions!

 

Introducing gsport’s July Style Star, the irresistible Hlubi Mboya! 

 

How has the role of Nandipa on Isidingo changed your life?

 

It’s become one of my passions. It’s become one of my loves, being an HIV-AIDS spokesperson. It’s allowed me to travel Africa to speak on the subject. I’ve learnt more about the pandemic, more than I ever could, I think even more than a doctor would.

 

I’ve got the social side of it, I’ve got the psychological side of it, and I’ve got the South African reflection of it as a whole, and that has empowered me to be able to talk about it, and to be able to educate people about it.

 

How do the public react to you when they meet you, not just as Nandipa from Isidingo, but also as an HIV-AIDS spokesperson?

 

They’re obviously so enthusiastic about it. Firstly, it’s a face on TV, so that’s definitely a big draw card, but secondly, Nandipa is very much a family network, and South Africa is based on family networks, and people love just me coming out and speaking on it, just from and an average South African’s point of view.

 

Its very empowering and very positive in that sense. I think the writers of Isidingo wanted a positive HIV storyline, and that’s the kind of thing I talk about in my speeches, in my talks, and in my workshops.

 

How did the HIV-AIDS storyline come about on Isidingo?

 

Isidingo tackles social issues in South Africa. It’s more of an edutainment kind of forum. They wanted to tackle the disease with a positive storyline; it being on the background of drama so basically the producers asked the cast who had the guts to take up this role.

 

After speaking to my parents, after speaking to peers, and other actors, I decided to take the role, because I believe nothing bad can come out of planting a good seed. It’s been beneficial for me, beneficial for my spirit and hopefully its been beneficial for the country, as a whole.

 

Absolutely, more people are talking about HIV-AIDS now because of Nandipa!

 

It was such a big thing because I think Nandipa was one of the first characters on television to expose the HIV status. Before, it was stigmatized; it was discriminated against; now I’m trying to change those perceptions.

 

You’ve been with Isidingo since 2000, how long do you plan to continue with the soap?

 

It’s a role that has become such a big part of my life. It’s given me my vocation in life. This is really what I want to do. I want to join the United Nations and do things like this around the world. I’ve been on the show for seven years, and as an actress on a daily television drama… my lifespan as an actress hopefully will not come to an end too soon.

 

But, I do have my own ambitions, I do have my own dreams, and I do want to venture into film. I don’t think I would like to do any other television acting work but I would definitely like to do film, and I think that would be the next step after Isidingo.

 

How do you keep so fit and beautiful?

 

My boyfriend and I do a lot of training. I am a very active person by nature. I believe exercise is really a celebration of life. It keeps me sane when I’ve got a lot of things on my mind, when I’m trying to get out of the rut of being negative, or being bombarded by the public, or by the media.

 

Exercise gives me the extra glow and that X-factor and that drive to get me back to the start and go back on for a bit more. It really is mind, soul and being pleasure! It keeps me fit, I love it, I love it, it keeps me going, and it keeps me on top of the game!

 

How do you keep your energy levels up during Winter?

 

It’s tough to be in your house and then go out to exercise because you’re all wrapped up in your duvets and you have to go out. It’s just a process of getting yourself out of the warm comfort of your home and hitting the gym or doing dance classes. I’m doing African Contemporary dancing now; I’m doing a bit of Latin dancing, so it doesn’t have to be hardcore exercising.

 

You don’t have to go to gym and do the whole routine of weights, treadmill, etc. You can go and really enjoy yourself; exercise doesn’t have to be limited to an institution. Go and work, go and play, join a club, do some tai-chi, do some martial arts.

 

It really just gets your body flowing. And gets your mind, and gets your spirit, and gets your soul on top of the world. It’s a great stress reliever. I apply everything I get from sports and exercise into my daily life, and I think that’s why I’m doing so well, and that’s why I feel so internally powerful.

 

What is your favourite spectator sport?

 

I love watching contact sports. Football, because of my boyfriend, is a really big one for me.

 

Who is your favourite sports star?

 

Ronaldinho from Barcelona.

 

  How would you describe your personal style?

 

I’m very eclectic! It’s all my moods and comforts and it just shifts to the functions that I’m going to how long I’m going to be there, but ultimately, I love colour, I love the old school classic looks, I love tailored clothing, and I’m small and petite so I don’t have many options, but I stick to what I know, and I stick to being comfortable, and I stick to expressing myself through my clothing.

 

What are your favourite colours?

 

I’m dark in complexion so I love the reds, I love the deep yellows, I love golds, I love greens. I love everything, I love the rainbow.

 

Where do you shop for clothes?

 

I love bargaining, I just think there is a whole excitement about bargaining. So Oriental Plaza is a big must for me. I love the vibe, I love the smells, with the incense burning in the background. All five senses must all be at work while I shop. I’m a very sensual person. Obviously, I love the labels, so I love the Fendi, I love the Versace, I love the Malcolm Kluk (a local designer, I have to go for local as well) Anything that really expresses my personality and how I feel. I’m an easygoing girl like that.

 

What is the strangest outfit you’ve worn?

 

I love costume dresses. I love costume dressed parties.  I love dressing up as characters that are not necessarily me. So, I’m always down to go to a dinner party where somebody gives us a theme, so I’ve dressed up in a lot of things that I’ve never minded. I’m in the Arts, anything to be over the top, drama, drama, and dramatic effect – cheap theatrics… they’re all in my book!

 

 gsport strives to celebrate femininity. How would you define femininity?

 

Femininity is the little girl inside. The girl who loves to run around in her little shorts, and her long hair, and her little bras. She still loves pink and still loves shopping, and still loves the lipstick and still loves doing the girlie things. I think being feminine is the real girl’s girl. I think that’s the thing you’ll never lose touch with, no matter how old you are you will always know that you have that little girl inside.

 

I think that’s an important thing to capture, especially in this day and age, when women are wearing suits, women are earning more money, and we’re driving bigger and better cars. I think a lot of women has lost sight of that. Sometimes we must return back home, and sleep next to your big teddy bears and just enjoy being a girl. Wear flowers in the hair and just tune in to that little girl.

 

You’ve appeared on a number of magazine covers over the years, which was your favourite cover?

 

True Love, which was my first big glossy cover. I really adored that. It was me at my most natural. There were no extensions in my hair. It came out beautifully. I still use the designer who designed the dress. It was a wonderful experience.

 

The next one was the Elle cover. The Elle cover was absolutely electrifying. I was the first black non-model to grace the cover of Elle magazine so I was just happy to be a part of it. It was just exquisite. Every cover is important to me, it shows a different part of me, it shows a different space in my life. It shows a different journey in my career. I think all the covers reflect a different Hlubi at different times in my life.

 

Who is your all-time Style Icon?

 

I love Charlize Theron. She is classic, she is not too loud. She is beautiful, she is sexy, and she is elegant. And I love to aspire to have all that combined, and still to live a life of stardom. I really look up to her in a sense of style.

 

What do you enjoy most about being a South African woman?

 

The fact that we can become world class contenders in anything we put our minds to. And being South African, we’ll give it a good fight, and probably will win… (laughs).

 

 Greatest ambition?

 

The Oscars, I want to bring it back home! That’s my dream…its coming home!!! I’m also a Nike Ambassador, and what I love, adore, and cherish about Nike is they try and get involved with the youth. I’ve found home and I hope they (Nike) never kick me out! They’re unbelievable! It’s contagious what they do. I leave every Nike function I go to, feeling that I wan t to go out and help young kids get off whatever they’re doing and get into sports, so they can be whoever they dream to be!