27 Dresses is back to make young women’s matric dances special
JOBURG – Talented businesswoman Thandy Matlaila reminds her supporters and young women that God will never help them to be anybody else but a better version of themselves.
Matlaila is a graduate of Afda, the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance, in music and film, and is an inexhaustible all-round performer, artist, ballerina, choreographer and public relations business owner.
She advised young women, “Don’t be scared to embrace and celebrate yourself, it’s not being conceited, it’s appreciating and investing in yourself. Always remember the Z3 Code: Zazi zithande, zithembe which means know yourself, love yourself, trust yourself. If you have these three elements in check you can avoid a lot of negative issues.”
In support of the girls from disadvantaged households, she started a 27 Dresses initiative in celebration of her birthday last year on 27 August and donated matric dance dresses.
This year, she has added suits to the initiative. “The whole aim is to instil some form of belonging to these children and they must know that they are not their backgrounds. Where they come from should not determine where they are going. Through hard work and dedication, they can achieve so much more in life,” Matlaila said.
Most of the dresses have been distributed to students from the schools that she had paid a visit to, but she retained some and will give them away to people who e-mail her office and motivate as to why they deserve to get the dress. To win a dress, one must be an overachiever in academics, sports participation or giving back to the community.
She will host an invitation-only luncheon on 23 August at Holiday Inn, Rivonia and Mangwanani African Spa will be present to pamper her guests and give them massages. The dresses come from celebrities including Zizo Beda, Nomzamo Mbatha, Jessica Nkosi, Zikhona Sodlaka, Bhoza Mphela, Nobuhle Mahlasela, Sonia Booth, Sonia Sebibe, Sophie Ndaba and others.
She is also back on screen as Mpumi in the local sitcom Ithuba Lokugcina, a role that she feels is one of the most difficult she has ever played because out of all the characters in the show, she was the least funny. She also has a new role in Gold Diggers, a South African story that explores the various dynamics of love, money, family feuds, debts and economically motivated relationships. It is set against the strong backdrop of the mining industry.
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