Somizi’s daughter loves to SPEAK and be HEARD!
ACTRESS Bahumi Mhlongo wants people to be confident.
The 29-year-old actress, who is the daughter of Somizi Mhlongo and actress Palesa Madisakwane, is venturing into motivational speaking, with her first event focusing on confidence among other topics.
She spoke to Daily Sun about the seminar called Speak & Be Heard, which will be held at the Steyn City Hotel, north of Joburg on Saturday, 8 February 2024. She spoke about what inspired the seminar.
“There were a number of factors at play. The first is more of a personal one from a passion perspective. I really love people, and I think it’s a trait that we should all have. I genuinely care about people, and if there’s anything I can do to help, I want to share that. Whether it comes in the form of speaking or another talent or skill, I want to do that. So, I think that’s where the motivational side comes from. On the more practical side, this is not just something I jumped into. I’ve been speaking since I was a kid. I did public speaking in school when I was in grade 4. I love speaking, but I also want to make sure that what I say truly engages people. Speaking has always been something I liked from a young age— I think it’s a God-given gift. All that I needed to do was refine it, and I want to take all that I’ve refined and share it with people,” Bahumi said.
She said she wants people to leave the event with true confidence.
“One of the things we’ll be discussing at the seminar is confidence. I know it’s something that’s often spoken about loosely. I’ve realised that the world presents a counterfeit version of confidence rather than true confidence. True confidence is based on trust, and many people trust their ability to speak more than the substance of what they’re saying.
“A lot of people rely on their external appearance rather than on the content of what they’re doing or saying. I want people to focus on what confidence truly is. I want to draw it out from them in such a way that they can apply it in their lives,” she said.
Bahumi said she has been learning a lot about herself in the past year, and in 2025, she wants to do more.
“I’ve been absorbing, learning, processing, and even shedding tears more intently over the past year. I previously allowed many things to hold me back, with fear being a major one. There were times when it was necessary for me to hibernate, stay in my cocoon, and just grow. But there were times it wasn’t, and this time around, I’m doing everything that is inside of me. I have this big drive to let it all out—all the ambitions, the dreams. Let them all out, in God’s due time, of course,” she said.
