Hard work and dedication are the key ingredients to achieve greatness.
So says softly spoken Cape Town-born entrepreneur and TV producer Sibulele Siko Sosha who recently landed a gig as a writer on a new vibrant show called House of Zwide currently airing on weekdays on e.tv.
The 36-year-old journalist who hails from Khayelitsha, told Vukani she was excited when she was approached to join the show’s team of the writers.
The show is about a family as they rise in a fierce and competitive fashion industry – and that brings nothing but high drama.
As Ms Sosha, who says she has always been passionate about writing, describes the show as the Bold and Beautiful of Africa, her excitement is palpable.
But there are challenges, one of which, says Ms Shosha, is that it’s a white- and male-dominated industry which is difficult for women to crack.
As a female writer in this industry, she says, one is required to put in extra effort in each and every project one is involved in until such time that you don’t have to introduce yourself but your work speaks for yourself.
“It is really not easy to be a female writer in our industry as at times we are not regarded enough and we must prove ourselves beyond reasonable doubt that we actually have the skills and abilities.
“I’m extremely passionate about people telling their stories and I think that is what has attracted me to this field.
“One of the key factors that ignites my passion for writing is the fact that I know I’m actively making an impact in my society through my story-telling and I know that I’m representing my community through my stories.
“Despite many endless challenges in this industry, learning about people and shaping how they think is what keeps me going. I firmly believe that we should own our stories so that we could tell it the way we want,” she says.
Ms Sosha starting working as a junior journalist at Drum East Africa Magazine in 2006 – and then she surprised everyone, perhaps even herself, when she was head -hunted to be a content manager at Africa Lead in the same year.
She was appointed the first and youngest black female editor for the business publication, Black Business Quarterly (BBQ) just the tender age of 21 in October 2006.
Two years later, she started Dumile Brand Boutique Agency as a side hustle. But she soon realised that she could turned it into a stable and viable business.
In 2009, she stepped down as the editor at BBQ to focus her energy on her business and in 2013 she established a TV production company called Narrators of Africa which was responsible for the production of Cape Town’s first prime time drama, Nkululeko, which aired on Mzansi Magic in 2018.
She also produced SABC 2 youth dramas Signal High and Snake Park. Ms Sosha holds a BA in international relations, politics and media studies from the University of Witwatersrand and a diploma in journalism from Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
When she asked how long plans to write for the show, she jokes that she’ll be there until they fire her.
Concluding the interview with Vukani, she urged young girls to be fearless.
