Sho Madjozi,(birth name Maya Wegerif) rose to superstardom when she was featured on Okmalumkoolkat’s songs Ngiyashisa Bhe and the chart-topping hit Gqi.
Since then, the 31-year-old has achieved many remarkable milestones in the music industry, including at the prestigious BET Awards in 2020 where she won Best International Newcomer. She’s gained widespread global recognition in pop culture due to her fearless and vibrant persona, renowned for both her infectious lyrics and her innovative incorporation of traditional attire and dance.
Her book, Shoma and the Stars, which promotes the beauty of embracing uniqueness and diversity, was written as a tribute to her late sister who passed away in a car accident in 2019. To demonstrate her fondness for children, the Dumi Hi Phone hitmaker has recently launched her own haircare brand called Sparkle Braids to ensure that children can dazzle as much as she does.
What inspired you to launch Sparkle Braids?
It was inspired by the character Shoma from my book, Shoma and the Stars. In the book, Shoma has glow- in-the-dark sparkling braids that end up saving the day. I wanted to create some of that magic.
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Tell us more about the range.
As a performer and I’ve always tried to come up with new ways to make my hair glitter on stage. The product is a combination of synthetic hair fibre and foil, which is why it sparkles. It’s a tinsel mix, a very simple but effective product. I’ll be sharing some tutorials on how people can also make their own.
It was totally wild to see them sell out. We were sitting there watching it happen on the website. Everyone was ordering at the same time. It was mind-blowing. There’s nothing that prepared me for the frenzy that this caused.
Tell us about the deep connection you have with children?
I will never forget how much children saved my life. Little girls came shining out of nowhere for me when I was in the darkest moment of my life. At the time, I had lost my little sister. My younger sister Nyeleti, whose name means “star,” had departed from this life.
It was then that I felt an entire nation of girls coming alive with colourful hair – there’s something magical about that. Basically, I adopted a nation of little sisters.
Seeing these young girls with colourful hair lit up my night, and I vowed to myself that I would do something to show them how much they mean to me by creating a product just for them. That’s the reason I wrote Shoma and the Stars.
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How do you want children to feel when rocking your braids?
I want them to feel magical. I am just so excited and when I look at myself with the Sparkle Braids, I feel magical.
Tell us more about your book Shoma and the Stars.
It’s a book about an audacious girl named Shoma, who just does her own thing. Everything about her is different. She has colourful hair, dresses differently and essentially gets into trouble because she is so different and, in the end, her being different ends up saving the day.
What do you want a child to gain from reading it?
I want a child to take away that the thing that makes you unique is what you need to treasure and protect the most.
What can we look forward to from you in 2024?
New music and growing my business venture, Sparkle Braids.
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