From hustle to luxury: Boity Thulo reflects on 13-year journey

News24

2 days ago

Lubabalo Lesolle
This article was previously published in the print edition of Drum Soft Life.
There are multihyphenates – and then there's her. She's a media personality, rapper, businesswoman and an all-around inspiration for young women who are still trying to break into the business.
She has worked hard for every job, often coming in as an underdog who was underestimated, and she has shown she can always.
After spending her 20s grinding, she's now living her best life. If you ask her, she'll tell you she's living in all her eras. Her soft-girl era, her confidence era, her Jesus year.
Wuz Dat? It's Boitumelo Thulo, known to her 6,2 million Instagram, 3,9 Twitter (or X) and countless Facebook followers simply as Boity.
She's been working for 13 years and counting. Her first job? A Wimpy advert, and she's been in the spotlight since then.
'I deserve my Gucci bags,' she says with pride as we talk about her many accomplishments. Living soft is not all about money, though, she's quick to add, as that can put a lot of pressure on young girls. She might be driving a luxurious car, living in a beautiful estate and having the pleasure of travelling whenever she wants, but she's worked hard for it all. And she's proud of that.
'Young girls should not rush into wanting to be at their best during their 20s. That time is going to come; they have so much to look forward to. Trust me, there is no rush. You don't need a Gucci bag at 21, especially now with social media and young kids wanting the best things now. I worked 13 years for this.'
'At 21, I was worried about where I would get my next gig, how I would pay my rent, I needed an apartment, and I needed to look cool enough to have a car. Even though my career made it seem as though I already had those things, the truth is I didn't. It wasn't moving as fast as it looked to the people at home.'
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A post shared by Boity Thulo (@boity)
She worked on YoTV's Crib Notes, Club 808 and has been part of productions such as Rockville, among many others. Being in the limelight made her mature a lot faster than she would have otherwise, she says. She felt like she needed to have the success of a person far beyond her years.
'I couldn't be seen partying too much and making mistakes even though that's what people my age were doing.'
She saved up money from her small gigs so that she could be independent.
She got her first small apartment in Bryanston and worked hard to get her first car, Angelique, a Citroën.
She was figuring life out, as one should at that age. She wanted to be successful and still maintain being Boitumelo at her core.
'I remained the girl who dresses at Mr Price and Legit when I knew that some of my peers were wearing Michael Kors. I tried to be as grounded as possible so that I didn't lose myself in fame.'
She hasn't lost herself in the fame. Boity is speaking to us via a Zoom call from her Johannesburg home.
With a light glam face beat and her braided hair tied away from her face, she puts everything on the table. Her confidence is clear and shines through the screen.
Throughout her career, she has had to grow a thick skin, as people who watched her transition in life had opinions about her life, her appearance, as well as her success; they weren't afraid to share.
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A post shared by Boity Thulo (@boity)
Now that she is older, she's come to understand that not every opinion needs her reaction, which has been good for her mental health.
'Some people would say I don't belong on screen, I sound terrible, my presenting is bad. I had to ignore all of that and do it regardless of what people said. It takes family, friendships and support to help you through it. I had to learn self-belief and patience. Having been in the industry for this long, I had to be patient.'
And the patience has paid off. She has won an award as a media personality, was listed as part of Forbes Africa's 30 under 30, and she keeps adding accolades to her name.
'At the very beginning of my career, I was known as the underdog. It took a lot of patience, self-belief, and I spent time trying to shut down the self-sabotage. It took a long time to step into myself and be confident of the fact that I am that girl. It hasn't been an easy journey.'
There were many moments where she questioned whether she should be in the entertainment industry, but her passion and talent kept her going when she felt like giving up.
'Earlier on in my career, I received so many no's as opposed to yeses that I started doubting myself. There have been moments where it was fruitless; it's not what people think it is. People think the moment you're in, you are swimming in money, and of course, it's made to look that way, but it is far from it.
'My 20s went by so fast because of being a public figure. I used to ask God, Why not me? Why is it taking so long? I am receiving all those things now, and I think it's because I am mentally more mature. I am more spiritually aligned now to receive the accolades I assumed I should've had five years ago.'
Boity calls 33 her 'Jesus year' [the age by which Jesus had accomplished his most important work].
The year of ease and abundance, where she no longer has to prove anything to herself, as she has paid her dues for more than a decade to be where she is.
'I'm at my best age. I feel amazing. It's my peak year, I feel confident, and I am in my bag.'