Sometime last year, we were all amazed at the dancing talent showcased by the man with a grey beard. This man took Social media by storm and created a spur of excitement and controversies surrounding the image and style he portrayed. Nevertheless, He is called the happy dancer by some, seen by others as the “old” bearded man who can dance. Musa Ngcobo aka “Ntshebe Majaivana”, some call him Umalume and the rest just hashtagged #Ntshebe.
The Weeks following his video flooding social platforms, he is eventually revealed to the world as Mr. Musa Ngcobo. He is a patriot and well-known figure in the ANC, a socialite and a dancer, but he’s also a successful businessman who has a passion for horse and loves riding them. He is a lover of fashion and art.
In professional detail, he is co-founder of Kensani Properties – a subsidiary of Kensani Capital a leading diversified BBBEE investment holding company and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Ngcobo’s foundation in property was gained at DTZ Leadenhall both at operational and strategic levels. He serves on the Property Sector Charter Council. He serves as Chairman of the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Transformation Committee. Mr. Ngcobo serves as a Non-Executive Director of the National Association of Real Estate Agents (NAREA) and SAPOA. He served as a Non-Executive Director of SA Corporate Real Estate Fund Managers Limited at SA Corporate Real Estate Fund since May 23, 2007 until February 21, 2012.
He got married to Olwethu during the festives last year. Olwethu is a lover of photography, a fashionista of note, and a student of art and beauty.
Musa and Oluwethu spent a brief time with us to let us know more about their love, passion and what makes them the Ngcobos:
Metrosmag: So there’s a buzz about you guys on social media, do you guys want to tell me more about yourselves?
Olwethu Ngcobo: I don’t think there’s a buzz about me, I think it’s about him. (Chuckles)
Musa Ngcobo: We weren’t trying to create a buzz.
Metrosmag: What happened?
Musa Ngcobo: We were like everyone else on Facebook and someone discovered a video of me and people linked the two.
Metrosmag: So now it’s become a trend? You’re putting up more videos.
Olwethu Ngcobo: No, it’s not a trend now it’s a business because everyone wants to see more, so you want give it to them. Musa Ngcobo and I are both in arts and we’re trying to get that basis for South African art, more especially for people in the township because they usually don’t have a platform to showcase their talent so we started a company called Sphaza TV, it’s an internet based channel that is all about South African content, we showcase everything that’s about South Africans and their history, the cultures around us and the South African partying culture that’s coming out right now. I think Musa Ngcobo is part of the internet phenomenal where everything is easily accessible. We’re trying have content that will bridge the gap between where you are and home (South Africa) when you’re abroad, when you Google ‘South Africa’, local entertainment, events and talent should come up.
Musa Ngcobo: But also the creative arts and the industry need to come up with their own ways of making and getting their art out there and making a living out of their art. And the first thing is to have quality content that’s out there for marketing. The National Development Plan speaks of the same issue, how does the creative industry which is already a multi – billion rand industry apart from the main stream get themselves to that level where they’re competing with the best local shows and then go global? But it can’t be done if you’re not showing it.
Metrosmag: So that’s the platform you’re trying to create with Sphaza TV?
Musa Ngcobo: Yes
Metrosmag: So back to your dancing Mr Musa Ngcobo, What moves you?
Musa Ngcobo: I don’t think I must be moved.
Olwethu Ngcobo: I’ll tell you what moves him, South African everything. South African politics, South African art. In our house, we always share stuff because he’s into politics and I’m into art so we tell our stories about the history of the country differently.
Musa Ngcobo: With 20 years of democracy, we’ve achieved so much and we’re celebrating so little and I think that’s our first problem. We can’t have confidence if we don’t celebrate our country. We’ve created great artists, I heard the other day that Bab’Hugh Masekela works pretty much all year round, that’s an artist to look up to. But we don’t speak about him in that light, you always just see him as the jazz man but as an artist, he’s always got work. That’s the essence of changing the conversation.
Metrosmag: How did you guys meet?
Olwethu Ngcobo: We met at a small gathering of people that knew each other. It’s your typical boy meets girl story where boy pursues girl but the girl isn’t really interested.
Musa Ngcobo: It’s a short story.
Olwethu Ngcobo: We were friends before anything else which is the basis for our relationship so we got to really know each other. Our relationship is pretty simple, there’s no secret to it. I mean if you click with someone, you click with someone. We also have fun together that’s why it’s also easy for us to be together.
Metrosmag: Olwethu Ngcobo what inspires your fashion sense?
Olwethu Ngcobo: Everything. My garden, Musa Ngcobo. I love fashion like every girl, I love the pretty stuff. It’s the reading, I also love comfort so if it’s comfortable then it works.
Metrosmag: When will Sphaza TV be launched?
Olwethu Ngcobo: We’ll launch it in May.
Musa Ngcobo: We’ll turn on next month (April).
Olwethu Ngcobo: We already have enough content so the launch will just be to tell the people that don’t already know about Sphaza TV.
Metrosmag: There’s a lot of followership presently; how do you plan to keep the viewers interested?
Musa Ngcobo: It’s like anything, everyone’s watched TV and knows Duck Dynasty. If you have content, you have content. If you don’t, turn off. I don’t think you can debate with the follower or the viewer. If it’s happening they’ll stay, if it’s not, it’s not. We’ve got young people who should want to put their best stuff out there and that should keep it going. There are short movies, documentaries, a whole history lesson, small business interviews from all sorts of quarters of the country. The lifestyle, if you look at TV, you’ll end up at the lodge but what about the museum and the conference centres? The city hall and the various other South African surroundings?
Olwethu Ngcobo: The channel is about South Africans taking part, it’s not about having a lot of viewers. It’s about viewers having participation in the station. We want to make it accessible to people (in the township), If you’re an aspiring actor, scriptwriter or anything along those lines, we want to give you the platform. It’s an interactive space where the viewers can control it into what they want it to be. Sphaza’s provide the essential things and that’s what we want Sphaza TV to do.
Musa Ngcobo: We’re on journey and we need to learn from each other. Our experiences can only enrich each other. We never really about the successes in Limpopo or the real challenges besides from the newspapers so we could technically give a space where the young Limpopians can tell their stories.
Metrosmag: Mr Musa Ngcobo, we’ve seen how much you love horses. Can you tell us more?
Musa Ngcobo: Well firstly I’ve always been riding, from the time I was 8 years old. Normal pony club life, good school pony, jumping, dressage, your full discipline and that stage, you get a good foundation. You’re riding on a Sunday when other kids are doing other things, you’re riding on Thursdays. I guess the question is, do you want a hobby or not? I mean lots of people have hobbies, book clubs, and bikers, there’s cyclists and there’s running people who spend lots of money going to their long distance races. It’s one of those past times that I feel like if you don’t want to end up with a lot of free time on your hands and you like your horses then do it. I’ve changed from being just a horse rider to being a horse keeper and it’s a different phase for me. If you have a passion and it’s something that doesn’t take away from you then do it.
Metrosmag: Given all that you’re doing and now you’re trying to empower the youth as well. How much government support are you expecting?
Olwethu Ngcobo: I don’t think it’s about getting government support, it’s more about collaboration. We’re trying to work together because we want this to be like a friendship where everyone is willing to exchange things and we help each other out and for all of us to benefit at the end of the day.
Musa Ngcobo: I think it’s an important tenet of the NDP because it says community, private sector, government and other sectors of society, we have to collaborate. Government cannot know of the challenges experienced unless it’s told. We must keep trying to open the lines of communication because we’re all going to the same place. To a more free and wealthier South Africa.
