Nonhle Thema’s recent radio interview about her legacy has sparked debate on social media.
Featured on 947 Drive with Thando, hosted by Thando Thabethe, the renowned South African media personality reflected on her rise to fame, lessons learnt, and the challenges she faced throughout her career.
While her success and influence remain undeniable, some of her bold claims — including that she introduced Mzansi to Twitter after discovering the platform in the United States — received mixed reactions from listeners and social media users.
Dubbed the original “It Girl”, Thema received both praise and criticism, with fans reminiscing about her peak years while others questioned some of her statements.
“I don’t think we have had a celebrity who got close to such stardom better than Nonhle Thema. She was alongside these stars at their prime in the USA,” commented @OvoMogoeng, who shared a photo collage of Thema with some of America’s biggest entertainers.
@CMogoeng added: “She was ahead of her time, not just in South Africa but across the continent. At one point, she was Africa’s biggest entertainment personality, rubbing shoulders with global celebrities.”
Entrepreneur and podcaster Nhlamulo “Nota” Baloyi also criticised Thando Thabethe’s conduct during the interview, accusing her of making dismissive facial expressions.
Despite the controversy, many viewers praised Thema’s honesty, particularly her reflections on the positive and negative sides of fame and the challenges of navigating public attention.
“I was once in a box where I thought everyone was lovely. But there is dark and light, and how am I going to be able to navigate that if I’m not aware? So that was my first awakening. I was also awakened by spiritual entities that take place on social media. The humiliation rituals that were done on me,” Thema said.
She concluded by attributing her struggles and career setbacks to spiritual work she needed to undertake, saying that without changing her ways, she believed she would not have lived beyond the age of 40.
