Living her dream - Unathi Nkayi

Unathi's very hot property: she featured on the soundtrack to Tsotsi, which recently won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and she has been invited to support Lauryn Hill in concert in Johannesburg on 15 April. There's just no stopping her.

She's worldly, she's wise and she understands the choices she's made in life. In one word, Unathi Nkayi is evolved.

This down-to-earth celebrity was hailed by The Media magazine as one of South Africa's most influential women in the media last year and once you meet her, you can understand why. There's no insecurity about her. She loves her casual clothing, she wears no make-up, and she sparkles with intelligence and a profound understanding of human nature. It's as if she attracts success. It just comes naturally to her. Like when she first came to Johannesburg with R200 in her pocket and pounded the pavement to find work. After a month, she auditioned to present popular SABC1 television show Castle Loud and got the job. YFM's then programme manager Greg Maloka approached her to train as a YFM DJ. She grabbed the opportunity and after a full day working on the Castle Loud set, she would head to YFM's studios for hours of training for no extra pay, getting home late into the night. It was only months later when she was asked to fill in for a DJ who was away, that she truly got her break on the air. Not long after that she was offered a full-time presenting position with her own show at the station.

A few months later this self-confessed 'shower singer' was humming a tune in the corridors when she was overheard by artist Zola. He asked her to sing with him... and the rest is history. Last year she released her first album My First Time and has been co-hosting the popular YFM slot Kamikaze Heat with Rudeboy Paul.

She also gave birth to a son, Sinako, proving that women can have it all. 'You just have to be strict with your time,' she says.

A typical week involves working mornings at the station, setting aside Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons for interviews, shoots, meetings, and band practice on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Evenings are for quality time at home, in particular to bath and relax with 'Bubba'. She only goes out at night for special events such as charity functions. 'No compromises,' she says. 'It's a choice that I've made.'

Unathi has a no-holds-barred attitude about her. She believes that if something is bothering her she needs to talk about it: 'So many people are suffering silently � look at TK (the popular

young R&B singer Tsakani "TK" Mhinga, who was found dead last month); she was upset and she took an overdose. We need to reach out for help.

'I believe I can be instrumental in making things go right, in a positive way... there is a reason I am here today.' As her name, meaning 'God is with us' implies, she's spiritual, as in 'I worship God but I praise the ancestors'.

WALKED FROM 'I've been very blessed with a colourful, musical, rich up-bringing.' Unathi was born in Grahamstown, lived in Namibia for four years, spent seven years in Cardiff (Wales), returning home to Grahamstown when she was 11 years old. She matriculated at Victoria Girls High, enrolled at Rhodes University to study journalism and drama, and moved to Johannesburg in 2001. During her final year she was selected to attend a Dutch university as part of a four-month journalism exchange programme.

'I grew up in a modest home; my parents believed that material wealth was not as important as the wealth that travel and knowledge can bring.'

Her mother (a teacher) and father (a psychologist) fed her with cultural experiences. If there was African theatre, dancing or ballet going on, she would get to see it. 'They would encourage us to celebrate our heritage.'

A highlight was seeing the movie Cry Freedom in London when it was banned in SA. 'There was one other South African family there and it just made me appreciate my life.

'I realised that had I had grown up here, I could be angry like one of my fellow 27-year-olds. And if I was born 20 years earlier, my life would have been so different.'

That's the voice of wisdom beyond her years.

WALKING TO A loving family, an opportunity to live and study abroad and a keen human interest has paved the way for Unathi to achieve her goals. 'And believing that I can,' she says simply.

The opportunities just keep rolling in... she's been asked to be part of the POSITIVE 2006 event at Sun City from 9 - 11 June. Initiated by Sun International and headlined by Seal, it's a major fundraiser for Tapologo AIDS Hospice. Unathi and her band will also be one of the supporting acts at the Lauryn Hall concert this month and she's also hosting her own mid-morning show.

Ideally, Unathi would like to perform more, release one or two more albums and fine-tune her skills as a solo host on radio. She believes in living 'in the now' and that South Africa is embarking on a music revolution. 'I'm blessed to be part of that.'

KEEP WALKING On achieving her goal of becoming Minister of Arts & Culture, Unathi says she's realistic and happy to bide her time. 'Maybe in 30 years when I've gained the knowledge I would need. But really, these guys have no idea! We lose millions because there's no local quota... YFM is the only radio station with a 50/50 mix of local and international music. Why are there no walls for graffiti artists to paint, why do kids have to pay to play in a park, why do painters struggle to be artists?' All big questions which she hopes to answer one day.

WALK THE TALK AWARD 2006
Unati Nkayi is the fourth candidate for the Johnnie Walker 'Walk the Talk' Award. The winner will be announced at a luncheon in July 2006.

For more information about the Walk the Talk award, visit:
www.thepropertymag.co.za or www.johnniewalker.com