Berita on juggling studies and working on new music
Afro-soul singer and songwriter Berita is working extra hard, balancing her music career with her academic ambitions.
Earlier this month, the singer-songwriter graduated from the University of Pretoria with an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration.
Speaking to The Citizen, Berita said her decision to return to education was driven by a desire to strengthen her leadership and business skills in the ever-evolving creative industry.
'This milestone represents growth and resilience. I was inspired by a desire to better navigate the music business and build long-term impact as a creative entrepreneur.'
Berita said balancing her music career with her studies was no easy feat.
'It was tough, but I stayed focused, managed my time carefully, and leaned on the support of my team and peers. Passion is what kept me going.'
ALSO READ: Berita, Eugene Mthethwa and Idols Top 5 finalist among nominees for spot as a trustee of Samro's retirement fund
New music in the pipeline for Berita's fans
Berita is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, part of the University of Pretoria.
She is also preparing to release new music.
'I'm preparing to release new music while continuing my studies, and I'm exploring ways to merge creativity, business, and social impact.'
Berita also has several performances lined up this year, including the prestigious Standard Bank Joy of Jazz on 26 September.
'I'm also excited to perform at the Mayibuye iAfrika Concert at Joburg Theatre on the 28th and 29th of June,' she shared.
NOW READ: 'From the cage to the stage,' says Chris Brown after being granted over R120 million bail
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
Samthing Soweto on finally being able to open up to his fans on his new album
Samthing's previous albums have all been personal to some extent; however, this one takes listeners on a trip into his childhood. Samthing Soweto released his third studio album, Touch is a Move (Good Morning), a month ago, and unlike his previous work, this project lets his listeners into his world in ways he previously hadn't. 'If I was closed off, part of the reason is that I exist in a very tough industry and I felt that I had to. Now, if I'm opening up, it's only because I've found a way to deal with it. The best way to deal with it is to keep the main thing the main thing,' Samthing tells The Citizen. His previous albums have all been personal to some extent; however, this one takes listeners on a trip into his childhood in Soweto. ALSO READ: Samthing Soweto serenades fans with intimate Twitter Spaces performance Samthing closing off himself He says he was closed off because he didn't trust the industry as a whole. 'The music industry is a very tough place to be in. It's tough to exist and to be happy and to be open in an industry for an artist,' he says. With nearly two decades as a professional musician now, Samthing has somewhat found a balance in being able to exercise his artistry while also handling fame. 'I'm a very practical person and, as an artist, I feel like sometimes that is not expected of me,' he says. 'They actually expect me to be very artistic in everything, including my decisions and to be passionate and to just be propelled by 'the spirit'. And I do have my fair share of passions, but some of my creative decisions are not propelled by passion alone.' He says the element of entertainment has played a part in his decision to do this album now. 'They [decisions] are also propelled by wanting to make content that most people will like. Because there is nothing more painful than doing something for an audience and they don't resonate with it.' ALSO READ: Samthing Soweto's 'Isphithiphithi' makes Apple Music history An idealist with a practical outlook His above statement holds. Samthing came into the industry as a member of an a cappella group, The Soil. He then released music as part of a trio, The Fridge, and also released music as a solo artist. His music with The Fridge and his earlier solo work is the kind that a bohemian audience is fond of, not so much the widespread audience of Amapiano, which he instantly attracted when he released Isiphithiphithi in 2019. Songs like I'm Feeling Down and Dreamin' of U are worlds apart from hits like Lotto and Akulaleki. However, despite their sonic differences, Samthing's gentle, infectious voice and shrewd artistic genius are a mainstay in his music, regardless of the tempo or genre. If he were a cricketer, Samthing would be an all-rounder in the class of Jacques Kallis: lethal with the hits as a prime fast bowler and grounded in the art, as a purist Test batsman. 'I felt like telling a very practical story about my life would be very interesting for my audience. I do understand that I don't give them a lot to work with sometimes, I leave a lot to imagination.' 'So ja, I felt like maybe people might be interested in finding out what it felt like for me to be a five-year-old and to live my life at the time. To be honest, that's a story I often tell to people that are close to me.' ALSO READ: Mango Groove brings its 40th anniversary party to Jozi after an 'overwhelming' response in Cape Town Radio element Interludes in albums are nothing new, but for this album, Samthing roped in former Ukhozi FM radio drama producer Mpumelelo Ngidi. 'Through her help and her sitting down with me and understanding that I often talk about my past, she was able to build a version of my story for me that I could use in the music,' says Samthing. Through the seven interludes on the album, listeners are given a seat in the Mdolomba household. From the snoring of his uncle on Goodmorning, to him bickering with his sisters about wanting to watch TV, it is a world that his fans didn't know of. The most adorable of the skits on the album is probably Goodnight, where we're inside the family's nightly prayer. What makes it adorable and humorous is hearing a young Samthing listing his trivial prayer requests and his granny praying for everything and everyone that comes to her mind. 'I did have a granny who prayed long, who prayed about everything that we were going through in the 90s, from politics, to churches… everything and anything she knew about she would mention in the prayer. We'd start as the whole family praying together but for the next 15 minutes she'll go on by herself,' shares Samthing. ALSO READ: Wedding bells for Maskandi star Khuzani Mpungose A love album and a personal story He says the first draft of the interludes was to create a story based on love. 'Mpumelelo listened to the music and decided that she'd create a story about how these two [lovers] met. It was a nice telenovela type [of] story,' says the muso. 'How I did it was to reflect the connection between love stories of a man my age with my challenges, my life story my day-to-day and my past as a child.' 'The person that I am today is because of the things that happened in my past. Through her [Mpumelelo] help I was able to piece together a story that would make sense that could be used to marry the two concepts, a love album and a personal story.' His words are echoed by the eighth track on the album, Amagents, which is an ode to his daughter, where he warns her about some of the dangers of men – men who are like him. One of the better songs on the album, Ndandatho, is a song that Samthing heard being sung by a singer on TikTok, Sicelo, who is homeless. 'He came up with that song; I saw it on TikTok on a video. He was singing that song on the streets of Pietermaritzburg for money, he was basically basking. That melody never escaped me; from the time I heard it sounded amazing.' Sicelo is credited as the co-writer of the song, under his full name Sphelele Zondi. On the legal side of things, Samthing sourced the help of RAMS Attorneys. 'Samthing Soweto is a long-standing client of the firm,' RAMS Attorneys told The Citizen. RAMS Attorneys provided legal services to Samthing in negotiation and closing of agreements with producers, features, distributors, and publishing-related aspects. The firm didn't want to comment on the dispute between their client and DJ Maphorisa, where there were allegations of unpaid royalties, misrepresentation of contributions, and a lack of transparency in their working relationship regarding the song Amalanga Awafani. NOW READ: WATCH: Modise Sekgothe, a poet equipped in the exercise of digging deep and baring himself naked
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
PICTURES: Jonathan Roxmouth and Egoli orchestra shine on Broadway favourites
Jonathan Roxmouth's new show 'My Favourite Broadway' sees the multi-award-winning theatre and musical performer deliver compelling anthems and showstoppers. Presented by Howard Events, Jonathan Roxmouth partners up with the newly formed 32-piece Egoli Symphony Orchestra to deliver eight performances of Roxmouth's Broadway favourites, at The Teatro at Montecasino. The Egoli Symphonic Orchestra will be under the baton of Maetsro Adam Howard. Favourite Broadway includes performances showcasing the haunting passion of The Phantom of the Opera to the revolutionary anthems of Les Miserables, from the grandeur of Evita to the romance of My Fair Lady. The show closes on Sunday, August 3. Jonathan Roxmouth performs in his 'My Favourite Broadway'. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Members of the newly-formed 32-piece Egoli Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Maetsro Adam Howard, perform alongside Jonathan Roxmouth at The Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Members of the newly-formed 32-piece Egoli Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Maetsro Adam Howard, perform alongside Jonathan Roxmouth in his 'My Favourite Broadway' show, 25 July 2025, at The Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen PICTURES: The Cirk's Worlds Away a spectacular showcase of circus arts
The Citizen
13 hours ago
- The Citizen
Tata Motors to make SA comeback after 8-year passenger vehicle pause
In a surprise development, Indian auto giant Tata has announced its return to South Africa next month after quietly ending its passenger vehicle operations eight years ago, The Citizen reports. 'New' Tata Still present via its truck and bus division, the Mumbai-based brand has provided no details of its planned product range, though a hint has been provided by the official event invitation. Its current line-up comprises two A- and B-segment hatchbacks — the Tiago and its sedan sibling, the Tigor — and the Altroz. It also fields two B-segment SUVs, the Punch and Nexon, plus two C-segment SUVs: The Harrier and Safari. On Safari According to the mentioned document, the Safari appears set to be one of the products Tata will launch with, as the original had been a quiet presence in the local market more than two decades ago. A radical departure from its predecessor, the current second-generation Safari made its world debut four years ago and received a mid-life facelift two years back. Drawing on Tata's ownership of JLR, the Safari rides on the same D8 platform as the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, with dimensions of 4 668mm in overall length, a wheelbase of 2 741mm, width of 1 922mm and height of 1 795mm. Offered only with front-wheel drive — unlike the original body-on-frame version that had part-time four-wheel drive — the Safari comes standard with seven seats or, optionally, six, featuring ventilated captain's chairs in the second row. Boot space, depending on configuration, ranges from 211L with all seven seats up, to 1 550L with the second and third rows folded flat. Available in five trim levels — Smart, Pure, limited-edition Stealth, Adventure and flagship Accomplished — the Safari uses Tata's Kryotec 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine based on Fiat's earlier Multijet design as part of a long-standing licensing agreement. Developing 125kW/350Nm, the engine is paired either with a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed torque converter automatic. Depending on the trim, the Safari features 16-inch steel or 19-inch alloy wheels, a six-speaker or upgraded 10-speaker JBL sound system, dual-zone climate control, ventilated and electric front seats, LED headlights, push-button start, a panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, a wireless smartphone charger, rear window blinds, a hands-free electric tailgate and ambient lighting. Standard features also include Type-A and Type-C USB ports, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, and a choice between a 10.25-inch or 12.3-inch infotainment display, both with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and voice recognition. Safety and tech On the safety front, the Safari boasts: Tyre pressure monitor 360-degree surround-view camera Seven airbags Front and rear parking sensors Hill Descent Control Rollover Mitigation Hill Hold Assist Driver Attention Alert Tata also includes 21 additional advanced safety systems, a drive mode selector with Eco, City and Sport modes, and a terrain selector with Normal, Wet and Rough settings. Pricing and outlook Priced from ₹1 549 900 to ₹2 724 990 — roughly R320 481 to R563 461 before taxes — the Safari is likely to headline Tata's local line-up, although exact details remain unconfirmed. Other likely options At the lower end of the range, the Punch, which has been a runaway success since debuting two years ago, could serve as Tata's entry-level model locally, possibly alongside the Altroz, which premiered in 2020. Another contender is the coupe-styled Curvv, launched last year as Tata's newest offering in its global portfolio. More clarity is expected next month.
