THESE days former Jika Majika presenter Mpendulo Buthelezi is using his talent to sell shoes on the street.
The 34-year-old, who presented the popular dance show with Thembi Seete, told Daily Sun he had been selling shoes in Newtown, Joburg, with six other hawkers for many years.
“Being on the street means you need wisdom to survive in a crowded place. There is a constant flow of people all the time,” he said.
Mpendulo said the street was where dreams lived and you needed those dreams to prosper and follow your purpose.
“To me, what I’m doing is still presenting. I present shoes every day and my audience is still the same,” he said.
He said he didn’t see things the same way as other people did.
“I still meet people who feel sorry for me and ask what happened. My response is that this is what is happening now. This is Jika Majika in the form of shoes,” he said.
Mpendulo said his passion for shoes started when he was still in high school.
“I used to draw shoes and admired name brand gumboots,” he said.
He said the shoes he was selling were the same ones he wore when he was a TV presenter.
“My brand is called Scathulo and what is interesting about these shoes is that I can colour code them according to the client’s need. They are a mix of suede and leather,” he said.
After Jika Majika, Mpendulo acted in a film called Kutsa as a postman and he recently played the bad guy in Hela Banna, a film to be released soon.
Mpendulo, who was born and raised in Mofolo in Soweto, said his dream was to one day see his shoes being sold across the country.
