Azania the Zulu Princess

She’s a courageous woman; a female warrior – these words best describe Sindiswe Buthelezi.

By: Letlhogonolo Ndhlovu

And, how delightful it is to converse with a smart, beautiful young woman who has accomplished so much – no barriers or borders has held her back from living her soul’s desires.

ShowMe was more than a little curious to find out from the nomad – photographer – designer and entrepreneur what keeps her heart pounding, and this is how it went.

Who is Azania Zulu? 

Azania Zulu is the name of the brand. Back in 2008 I was living in New York and working in Brooklyn when I was given this name by friends who thought Sindi wasn’t African enough even though I made them aware that my full name is Sindisiwe.

So I allowed them to call me Azania the Zulu princess and then later decided to adopt the name, first for myself and then for the brand when I decided to coin it into “AzaniaZulu – Africa is Heaven”.

I was born in a small village called Magogo in KwaZulu-Natal midlands and was raised eMpangeni and Nqutu (where we currently reside).

My parents divorced when I was 7 years old, so I was molded & nurtured by the warm and compassionate hands of my mother, MaKhumalo Nelisiwe Rachel Buthelezi.

So your mother’s hands and strength raised the wonderful woman you’ve become?

My mother was a teacher and an industrious business woman who worked tirelessly to make sure that she provided for her seven children and made sure that, through all the odds against her, we got an education.

Part of the reason why Im doing what Im doing is to glorify my mother, to thank her for all she has done for us and show her that the hardships she went through were not in vain. She will reap the good she has sown because God is faithful.

You are a photographer, designer, travel advisor, entrepreneur – what else do you do with your time?

I’m a thinker, I’m also introverted so it is a normal thing for me to be alone for many hours, thinking, conceptualising & planning for the future.

I’m passionate about the world of antiquity and learning about other people’s cultures. Back in 2012 I registered for a BA in Anthropology with UNISA, I plan to go back and finish it or even take it to the Doctorate level.

Also there is no link between the word ‘travel’ and Africa. When you say to someone, “I want to travel”, immediately they assume you are talking about overseas travel. They would talk about shopping in America or skiing in Europe…

Where did your journey with all you’ve accomplished begin? Which project did you tackle first and how has it led to what you are doing now?

Growing up I’ve always been an achiever, I mantained the first position in class in primary and high school and got numerous certificates of recognition & awards.

I’m an inquisitive person who loves life, who’s industrious and passionate about serving humanity. When I finished high school in KZN I came to Gauteng to study Information Technology in Pretoria, after which I pursued an IT career for 6 years.

During those years I was involved in many projects within the companies I worked for; I was tasked with roles such as taking care of the companies’ servers to deploying new systems.

That taught me a lot about responsibility & accountability. I took those lessons and applied them in my personal life and also in business.

What inspires or motivates you to keep going after your dreams and passions?

I draw my inspiration from ordinary Africans who are working tirelessly to ensure Africa’s greatness is re-instated, whether it is a woman working at the market so she can feed her family or a government official working earnestly at the parliamentary offices, as long as they have Africa’s progress and future at heart, such people inspire me to work harder towards achieving a common goal that is Africa’s bright future.

I believe the sooner one knows their purpose in life the better and mine is to help rebuild Africa.

Azania Zulu at the Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

 Are all your projects self-funded?

Yes but from time to time I may require financial assistance from family & friends.

You love our continent immensely, where have you been and apart from curiosity, what has led you to trotting the continent?

I’ve travelled 10 African countries including our own, South Africa. I’ve been to Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya & Egypt.

For me travelling is a way in which one can build cross-border relationships & promote intra-trade. People travel for different reasons i.e. for a peace of mind, enjoyment, business, for learning & interacting with others, etc.

What people are missing is an understanding that any trip to a new place is an investment in either your personal life or business or even both.

It’s encouraging that you travel on your own as a woman (correct me please), most people lay so much baggage on women who want to travel on their own, any words of encouragement for other nomads out there? 

I once read a quote, “Those who say it can’t be done, are usually interrupted by those doing it.” I live by these words.

I first started travelling in 2006 with a friend of mine and we had many people discouraging us, telling us there’s nothing to see in the “dark continent”.

Basically we were reminded of how unsafe it is to travel on our own as women, etc. Had I listened to them, I would not have been able to summon the courage to backpack all by myself to Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania. Throughout my travels I’ve learnt that it is the ones who are left behind that are imprisoned by their own fears whilst those who travel are liberated from them.

Azania Zulu at Market on Main in Pretoria CBD, 012 Central

Where are you travelling to next?

I would love to visit Mpumalanga more particularly the Blyde River Canyon, I hear it’s amazing there, also the Golden Gate in the Free State and then maybe Lesotho and Namibia.

And, Sindi, you are also breaking that boring notion that South Africans don’t travel. Is this true and why do you think that is?

My observation has been that people do not know the value & benefits of travelling. Others think you need to have lots of money in order to travel whilst others think it’s a waste of money to travel.

Travel, for me, is more than just parachuting yourself from one place to the next. It’s about immersing yourself in a new & different environment, learning about it and connecting with people whose backgroung/culture is different from your own.  It is a way of enriching yourself because I believe one does not travel because they are rich; one is rich because they travel.

Also there is no link between the word ‘travel’ and Africa. When you say to someone, “I want to travel”, immediately they assume you are talking about overseas travel. They would talk about shopping in America or skiing in Europe.

This is why I’ve made it my duty to promote budget travelling/backpacking especially to the young people of South Africa because travel is one of the ways in which they can expand their world-views.

Through travelling I’ve grown, Ive become a better human being, one who loves and respects other people’s cultures but more importantly one who’s concerned and cares about Africa’s future.

How do you balance your time with all your projects?

There is 24hours in a day; the trick is portioning them to fit your projects. I think that’s where most people lack i.e. portioning their time.

I believe that when you are passionate about something, you make time for it.

Azania Zulu’s clothing line

Any advice for those who‘d like to follow in your footsteps as an artist, entrepreneur, traveller?

Go out there and make things happen. Stop waiting for the magic to happen, become the magic! It’s tough but very much doable. Find mentors, hang around a good & progressive crowd i.e. people are as hungry as you are.

What is your opinion of today’s youth? (I think we are a positive lot)How can we better ourselves because we are essentially the leaders of today and tomorrow?

We are a positive lot but also impatient. You can’t plant today and expect to harvest the following day. Any wise farmer will tell you that you first need to prepare the ground in which you going to plant your seeds, shelter it, water it, pluck out the weeds and more weeds and then wait.

Most people give up in the waiting part or even get annoyed from plucking the weeds. With this being said, young people need to learn the art of patience and persistence.

You do not have to be great in order to start. Momentarily lacking something doesn’t mean the end of your journey, it’s just a hiccup. Use the little that is at your disposal. Little steps do matter and they often contribute towards massive accomplishments.

Find Azania Zulu www.azaniazulu.com or at Market on Main every Saturday.

You might also be interested in Youth Movements of the Capital City.