KagisoMatlala

Brown girl navigating my way through life, one dramatic step at a time. I am inspired by life experiences and contrasting realities. As well as being positively obsessed with the Browngirl experience and aesthetic. Travel Junkie, Fashion Fiend, Music...

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Read my article on growing up as a dark skinned girl in South Africa.

Click on picture for link!

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Don’t forget to Subscribe xxxxx

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MISOGNY MUST FALL

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My weekend away at Jamala Royal Safari Lodge xxx

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Swaggin' Brown Women #9

A list of five brown women that inspire me. It's a random list that I drew up and follows no particular order. Enjoy xx

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Growing Up As A Dark-Skinned Girl In South Africa

I always knew I was worthy because my mother taught me to love my skin and love myself.

A piece I wrote for Huffington Post South Africa

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How to handle your haters and how to not be a hater.

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I was sitting on the couch in a small office across from two women, two therapists, on the second floor of LSU’s Health Services building. It was the first tim…

I find this to be something of utmost importance. Eating disorders are a mental health issue and most times we aren’t able to recognise it as an illness.

Have a read because we need to love ourselves and take care of us <3 

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Video up on Colourism and why I’m so obsessed with Naomi Campbell and Toni Morrison 

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Monday Morning Positivity: Melanin Goddess

Her journey is inspiring. And her Melanin is on God level. This is the story of Khoudia Diop. From being bullied all her life because of her skin colour to her ascent as a model; defying beauty standards.

Click here to watch her story!

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My Insecure Obsession

One of my favourite things about 2016 was; the premier of HBO’s comedy series Insecure. The series follows the life of Issa (played by Issa Rae), her struggles and triumphs of being a brown woman in 2017.

What makes this show so addictive is; how truthful Issa is to her character. We see her battle with the heartbreak and betrayal that occur between bestfriends, whilst still highlighting the beauty of sisterhood. There are so many contradictions found in the show and in her character but that only serves as a true (and wildly hilarious) reflection of what it means to be a brown girl in 2017.  The beauty of the show is how it manages to capture the nuances of universal brown girl problems and anxieties.

The show is a must watch for anyone hungry for original content that doesn’t use washed up, harmful stereotypes and incorrect representations of brown women.  

Watch the trailer below!

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“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self preservation and that is an act of political warfare” Audre Lorde 💁🏾

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thebrowngirlexperience

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New Year, New Life

2017 is in full swing and with that comes the hopes and wishes of maintaining New Year Resolutions.

For most of us realistic people, the new year presents itself as a moment of refection and introspection. Being grateful for the chance to see through another year. 

For me the new year represents the idea of hope and excitement for what the next twelve months has in store for me!

Wishing you all a blessed new year, filled with glorious skin, healthy edges and an overflow of slay... sans les fuckboys!!!!

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How Uber Made Moving Around Joburg That Much Easier

My main form of transport is Uber, I can’t imagine life without it anymore. It has simplified the way I get around and moving through the city isn’t the chore it used to be.  

Before I became acquainted with the Uber app I used minibus taxis and had been using them since I first moved to Joburg for university. After signing with my agency, I started attending castings, which required dressing up according to a specific brief. That naturally posed itself as a huge problem because getting onto public transport with a facebeat (full face of make up) or an outfit showing bits of skin got me into tricky situations with men on the taxi or at the rank. I constantly had to think of smarter ways of moving around, like carrying a duffel bag with my ‘audition clothes’ in it and changing before I walk into the casting just to avoid harassment. I would take metered taxis on occasions where I had no clue of where the address of the audition was or for actual sets and shoots which could start before light or after dark. This cost me a fortune and was something I constantly tried to avoid. Metered taxis were also mandatory for every girl’s night out but the admin of sharing the fare was also a nightmare.

The beginning stages of using Uber and the novelty around the app, made me curious about the drivers, their relationship with the company and the general system behind this new saving grace in my life. I was always keen to strike up conversation with the drivers to really understand this new phenomenon.

Uber is constantly changing and allows for new possibilities, you have drivers that have left their jobs working for insurance companies because working for Uber allows for a higher income. The average weekly salary of drivers is R8000!! And for the overly ambitious drivers; they are easily able to double that. One driver explained to me how he received a request from Pretoria to transport three passengers to Durban. He relayed to me that it was a slightly dubious situation; as to why anyone would pay that much money as opposed to hopping onto a flight. As a result of the distance of the trip he raked in a huge amount of money and was rewarded by Uber with a new Uber X car from Wesbank with very little to pay back. From that he was able to become a partner in the company and start operating his own business within the company. What I find amazing is how women have also joined in as drivers and are using the system to further and better their lives. I love the fact that it isn’t something exclusive to men and adds an interesting dimension to possibility of being a female driver. My experience of Uber from listening to the amazing stories of drivers, is another example of manoeuvring your way through a system to elevate your standing in society. The fixed idea of success holds no ground because there are so many avenues to creating your success.

Uber has allowed me a sense of freedom because the public transport system in South Africa is fundamentally flawed (because of our history of Apartheid). I feel safer leaving my house and even if I’m venturing off into unknown territory, there is always the peace of mind of GPS and having a driver ensure that I reach my destination safely.

There has been a negative element to the app in recent months where people are kidnapped and robbed but that’s the negligence of riders who don’t check the number plate and driver’s name before starting their trip. Living in South Arica requires us to still be extremely careful even with the app because we do live in a generally dangerous and violent society.

I swear by it and live it. If you aren’t already registered I suggest you read up more on the app and give it a try. It’s a safer way of moving around and when you do the numbers properly (I kid you not), Uber works out much cheaper than using a car when you take into account, insurance, petrol and general maintenance of a car.

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Surviving The Night

Picture: Awol Erizku

Meeting up with friends for a night out is something that most people don’t have to think too hard about. In my case, there’s always a slight paranoia with planning out my entire evening and ensuring that I make it back to my bed in one piece.

It feels strange putting this down on text but, I fret and go into panic mode before I leave my place at night. The first thing on my mind is always SAFETY!!!! Will I be in a safe environment? Will I know what kind of crowd to anticipate? Will I be made to feel (un)comfortable wearing a skirt or shorts? Do you have enough money to spend on yourself AND back up money in the event of any trouble? Is your battery fully charged and do you have enough airtime? These are all questions that run through my mind when that text comes in on my phone to meet up for drinks.

Because of gendered violence in our society, I always feel the need to be on high alert for any possible attack from a man with boundary issues. I have to make sure, that the space I’m entering in is safe and also that I’m with people who I am comfortable with (safety in numbers) all because I’ve been victimised before by fact of being a woman. My movement puts me in danger, my appearance and what I wear put me in even more danger. I’m not equipped in any way to defend myself when it comes to someone trying to inflict physical harm on me.

It’s a tough one and I think most people take that sort of freedom for granted. As a woman, having to calculate or scam my way through a night out with friends, has never been a new thing to me but it has seemed to intensify with age. Where I’m not so naïve anymore about the horrors of the world. I acknowledge that real danger exists and anything can happen to you at any time. It’s important to learn how to negotiate your way through spaces and still maintain your sense of safety.

My defence mechanism is thinking of all the possible scenarios where things could go wrong and planning what I can do to counter that. I can’t rely on any law enforcement or the justice system to help protect my rights but I can defend myself by being prepared for the worst. We live in a hard world and it’s important that we take all measures to protect ourselves, without completely giving up our freedom.

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Video follow up to Mother Daughter Relationships

Watch it on my Youtube channel. Please don’t forget to subscribe 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J459DAyumn4&t=20s