Old Mutual On The Money
Old Mutual On The Money
Nomsa Buthelezi on the Cultural Pressures of Overspending on Funerals
Legendary actress Nomsa Buthelezi shares her views on the cultural pressures of overspending on funerals and the financial implications for those left behind. She passionately believes in life insurance and discusses the difference between funeral cover and life insurance with our Head of Financial Education, John Manyike.
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Old Mutual 0:00
Welcome to the On The Money Podcast with John Manyike.
John Manyike 00:04
Good morning. This is Nomsa herself in flesh.
Nomsa Buthelezi 00:09
Yes.
John Manyike 00:09
Wow, wow. It's an honor for you to join us today.
Nomsa Buthelezi 00:13
Thank you.
John Manyike 00:14
You've achieved a lot in the entertainment industry, but before we go into, talk to us about how you grew up, your upbringing, you know, your family background and so on.
Nomsa Buthelezi 00:23
Nomsa Buthelezi was born and bred in the dusty roots of Alexandra, Gomora. That is why I call myself "Gomora Diva". That's where the name comes from. And yeah, my family, we are a family of five. We’re a small family, you know, so my mother and my father, you know, they created that loving and happy family. You know, the comedy comes from my mom, you know, she's like the comedian, and everything that Nomsa has, I learnt it from my mother, you know, she used to be like, yeah, maybe now it's old age.
John Manyike 00:56
But it is still in her, it's still in the blood.
Nomsa Buthelezi 01:03
There is this comedy in her. Even my mother even likes the saddest moments in her life, there's always laughter.
John Manyike 01:11
Wow.
Nomsa Buthelezi 01:12
You know, I think that's how she copes, you know. And that's how she teaches. She’ll teach you, the comedy. She will smack you, but then after, she will come back with something and then you want to cry or you're crying.
John Manyike 01:28
Yeah.
Nomsa Buthelezi 01:28
But then you laugh. That's how I grew up.
John Manyike 01:34
One who bites and soothes at the same time.
Nomsa Buthelezi 01:35
One who bites and soothes at the same time. So, yeah, that’s the word [laughs]. So, yeah, my family, my mother and my father also, you know, they taught me hustle.
John Manyike 01:40
Yeah. Growing up, in Alexandra, what has been your biggest highlight?
Nomsa Buthelezi 01:45
I think Alexandra for me, is like a university, on its own.
John Manyike 01:49
University?
Nomsa Buthelezi 01:49
You are learning there, a lot of things. And especially for me as an actress, it's gold, because you see a lot of characters there. So, the highlight of me growing up there is actually being that person that people look up to, you know, I never thought that would happen. Because I never thought that television is for women like me.
John Manyike 02:12
Yeah.
Nomsa Buthelezi 02:13
But the highlight is actually conquering a world that I'd never thought I would able to conquer, you know, for my township, you know, when they say "Gomora Diva", it's actually Nomsa Buthelezi. So, for me, it's the highlight for me, the dream I made it happen. I made sure I make it happen.
John Manyike 02:34
Yeah. So, Alexandra is not the richest place on the planet. In fact, it's the other side of Sandton.
Nomsa Buthelezi 02:43
Yeah, separated by the freeway, but when you jump the freeway you are in Sandton, we are just separated by the freeway.
John Manyike 02:53
Okay. So we know Alexandra is marked by poverty scarcity. How did that shape the way you look at money?
Nomsa Buthelezi 03:01
There's something about Alex, I don't know. People will say Alexandra is poverty stricken . But Alexandra is so rich guys you don't understand. Alexandra, when you say you're poor, you're poor by choice. Because there's so many things that you can do Alexandra you know, and in Alexandra you'll never sleep with a hungry stomach. Yeah, there you are taught to actually make money you know. And me personally, I used to do those small, you know, drama and whatever. Make people pay R500, you know, do your own street performances that made me like learn how to make money. In Alexandra, if you don't have money in Alexandra, it is by choice, because there's a lot of things that you can get in Alexandra, there is too much money.
John Manyike 03:51
Yeah. What has been your biggest financial lessons growing up at Alexander?
Nomsa Buthelezi 03:55
For me, I think it's also the teaching of giving Alexandra that taught me when you have money, you need to give it to the universe. It's like a boomerang, it comes back to you.
John Manyike 04:05
Yeah, you featured on our screens. We're talking about Abo Mzala, Lockdown, Isibaya, Generations The Legacy and My Perfect Wedding. In fact, you put My Perfect Wedding in a class of its own. And breaking all the clutter, the stereotype about the kind of people who present on television, and you are not short of confidence. When and how did you discover that you've got talent for entertainment?
Nomsa Buthelezi 04:31
I was this kid whenever there was a primetime seven o'clock, it was news time. That was my stage time.
John Manyike 04:40
Yeah.
Nomsa Buthelezi 04:40
That is where I performed for my family, for my mother, for my mother and father, they know that there's a performer coming and I used to wait for the right time when they news started and then there was that Ghaaaa, there's television. There's a TV shows starting. And there's one thing about my parents there was never a time where, they move me from the television. They would listen to me. Look, those people, there would be the audience that will watch me and go [clap]. Because they knew it was like two seconds, “Hi, hi, everybody,” so but all of that. I think my parents never looked down on me. I think they, they said to me, “Nomsa, we see you.” But you need to show to the world. So, my father used to tell actors, the guy was a traffic cop but was also an actor.
John Manyike 05:25
Okay.
Nomsa Buthelezi 05:25
And he used to tell that guy, I have an actress in the house. So, the confidence, my parents, they breathe on me. You understand that they believed in this talent. But also growing up, I found out that you can have the talent but I’m built like Humpty Dumpty. And I'm Humpty Dumpty and have this talent. Where am I gonna take it? You understand? But somehow the confidence, it jumped overboard to the fact that I am built big, You understand? And sometimes I look like a man. Sometimes I look like a girl and I thank God for the makeup. You understand? But somehow I had to fight for it. There was a moment where I said, I am talented. I need to fight for people. I must see me. So I cannot have all of this and not people see me. Then I started doing theater on the streets of Alex. From the streets of Alex to the Grahamstown festival. Then I went to the Market theater which was the biggest stage. It was the biggest stage and something was alive in me. And when my mother saw me for the first time at the market theater, you know, she cried, and she said…
John Manyike 06:34
Goodness, listen to that.
Nomsa Buthelezi 06:37
Wow, you know, I think I had that. But she's pushing it further this girl, you understand, I did not have the education. I didn't have everything. I never had that. But my daughter, she has that thing to push herself. And those tears for me, they were not something that said my mother is sad. It was like that my mother is proud. And with those tears, I ran with it, I don't care. They'll open their doors. And if they don't open that door with this big body, I’ll pounce.
John Manyike 07:03
I've got goosebumps just listening to you. And hearing how, you know, your parents had so much confidence.
Nomsa Buthelezi 07:11
Too much.
John Manyike 07:11
They were actually depositing this thing and they were your encouragement.
Nomsa Buthelezi 07:13
Too much.
John Manyike 07:17
So, when you look at all the shows you have done, which one would you say is the biggest carrier highlight for you?
Nomsa Buthelezi 07:23
For me, I'd say, Our Perfect Wedding.
John Manyike 07:26
Okay.
Nomsa Buthelezi 07:27
I started the show, I wouldn't say they hired me by default.
John Manyike 07:31
Okay.
Nomsa Buthelezi 07:31
But the presenter was sick, the original. And they thought you know, we need another presenter because she is sick.
John Manyike 07:40
To stand in.
Nomsa Buthelezi 07:40
To stand in. And they called me, and I went to the audition. I look like, eh, I don't want to say the word, but you know, the girls from Hillbrow, I had this piercing, I had I was ratchet that day. But anyway, I went there, and I did the audition. And I was like, no ways OPW is for the beautiful girls. You know, all the presenters of OPW, they’re beautiful, they will never, you know, choose me. And then I had the conversation with the producer, and then the producer, like, ‘Are you available every weekend?” I'm like, ya I'm available every weekend, I'll be drinking every weekend in Alexandra, I am tired. And then they said, we're thinking about you. We’re thinking about but no go home, we'll have a meeting. I think the next day my agent called me and she said you got the job. And that on its own was a winner for me. A girl growing up in Alex with nothing but only a talent and belief from parents, you know, the whole community on her shoulder, I'm gonna go there. So, OPW made Nomsa, somehow it put me there because of, from that presenter who was chosen because the other one was sick. And also being body shamed. After being on the show, I had to prove to South Africa that I'm beyond my body.
John Manyike 08:56
Listen to that.
Nomsa Buthelezi 08:56
You understand? I'm beyond my body. I can do this. That the body shaming and all of those thing, it's music to my ears, it's music. It doesn't take me down anymore. Because I know when you do that , when you say fat to Nomsa, it's like you're doing charge, you're charging me up, and I’m going to go up, and I'm going to go beyond you. And if you think you're beautiful, I'm going to come back and I will look like Naomi Campbell ,more than you. Because in a way, that was motivation for me.
John Manyike 09:25
You know, you went through some very tough challenges in life, like what you just explained now with body shaming and all that, you know, but over and above that you went through some tough challenges with having to navigate the grief and anxiety, having lost your father, your brother and your partner. How did that shape into your financial priorities in, just your outlook towards having to take care of the loved ones and being financially ready?
Nomsa Buthelezi 09:53
You know, when I lost my father this year, you know, my father's death was so sudden, and when a person dies just like that when they say, somebody's dead, you're thinking, do I have a funeral plan? You, see? We are artists. Money comes, and it goes. You know, we're not like, money doesn't stay. We are street vendors. When he died, it made me aware that sometimes we have to look at things that are important. You know, have your life covers. Have your things that, you know, if anything happens you have a financial backup somehow. And his funeral, was not really that tough because my father was a township icon. So, when a township icon dies, obviously, people will come in. And there's one thing that one actress called me, “Nomsa, you lost your father?” And you know, your family is looking at you, because you are the celebrity of the family, they will know that you will bury him. But somehow, because I'm clever, and I know how to navigate around my finances, I was able to bury my father, and with the help of people that really came up, came through for me in the industry, I was able to bury my father, yeah.
John Manyike 11:23
Yeah. So, you’re also cited by media, you know, lamenting, you know, how a lot of public figures would actually die in poverty and having to rely on crowd funding for burial and all that. Can you talk more on that you know?
Nomsa Buthelezi 11:37
People don't pay us, people don't understand. And the problem is even celebrities don't talk about this thing.
John Manyike 11:44
Yeah.
Nomsa Buthelezi 11:45
They are embarrassed. The only thing that they know and I'm not saying everybody but there is this thing that celebrities paint, you know, when you’re balling, drinking champagne that you can’t even afford, you understand? Just to show it's for Instagram. But for celebrities to talk about finances, to talk about how they paid in the industry. Pay artists on time, they will be able to do their things. If you don't pay me on time, my policy will lapse, you know, I did the work and you pay me. You understand? And there are people who believe in the silence because they feel that it’s gonna get sidelined. But if you pay your artists too well, and you pay them on time, they won't have problems. Because others you don't pay them on time they go to to the loan shark because they need to go to there all white. And when the money comes, you have to pay the loan shark. So, it comes what is it depression. So, if people on television or you know, your public figures can be more vocal about their finances, I think dying as a pauper. It won't like be that, like this high. Because if I die today my card will be the bank with no money because I really did not, somebody did not pay me. And even after my death, they won’t pay my family that money they owe me.
John Manyike 13:22
Because they wouldn't know that you have debts.
Nomsa Buthelezi 13:22
They wouldn’t know my invoice and others. So, sometimes that thing of being paid late, it's a problem. And they don't talk about it. And they still have to live the life of being a celebrity and they go to to loan sharks, they lend money or they go to somebody when the money comes, they pay people and it’s already spent. It causes depression, you die as a pauper.
John Manyike 13:44
That's very painful, that’s very painful. So, you know, because of someone who's been very outspoken about the importance of a celebrity or even people in general, on the importance of a funeral cover, but when a criticism, especially for black people. We are too focused on funeral covers and that thing, I'm sorry for saying that thing. I mean, what, what I meant was, it's just for burial. If, for example, someone dies and is the breadwinner and there is no life cover then what happens after the funeral because people will eat and leave. So, I want to find out from you how familiar are you with funeral cover and a life cover?
Nomsa Buthelezi 14:27
Thank you for that. Thank you for that because I was speaking about that last week. I was like, you know, people have this tendency when a celebrity dies or when there's a funeral of a celebrity, they feel, “Oh my God, we're gonna see a coffin that has wheels and wings.” Okay, you take, and you bury me with a coffin with wheels and wings. After that what are my kids are going to eat? Their wings are going to tend to be you know hot wings at the end of the day, they’ll not get anything after the funeral or after seven days of those things. People come in with tea, scones and their depressing songs After that my kids are left with nothing. I believe in Life Cover, it gives you peaceful sleep at night. If anything happens to me, my kids are going to have something. So, I mean, I would always say a dignified burial but not too expensive. You understand? The kids must get the life cover and get money, they continue their lives, they go to school, they have something to push them.
John Manyike 15:35
But why do you think black people are focused a lot on the burial and people eating, but the children cannot go to school because there is no income whereas the life cover would have replaced the income so life can go on, what is our problem?
Nomsa Buthelezi 15:49
Pressure. There is this thing of saying, I want to show people that I am, you know, or Nomsa was so I'm going to show them with her coffin or marque, if they could just say, I get this money from the insurance. I bury Nomsa with this money the other money will push us until the life cover pays. You understand? So, you do a calculation, the pressure black people have is that they want to show off. But at the end of the day, the plates are empty. Right after the seven days, I tell you, the plates are empty. The depression is in. Everything is upside down. Sometimes they even sell their house. Before the burial.
John Manyike 16:37
Yeah. Another thing that you were quoted on was your concern about artists and people who couldn't buy food after the Covid pandemic and all that. What do you think the pandemic has taught us about planning for the future or any shock that might happen and unprepared?
Nomsa Buthelezi 16:55
Be covered. You see, there's this thing. I don't know you know it, why are we paying insurance? What if I die after 60 years or what if I die after 70 years? It's eventually, it's gonna come. But you're going to come, it's going to come, you will be, your family will be financially free. You understand? Plan ahead, have life covers, try to generate money and not waste money. I know before Covid, we used to ball, because we knew we had no problems, but Covid taught us how to save money. Be wise. Stay covered. Have an insurance somehow because there are covers that cover unemployment. Imagine if you're paying insurance, it covers your unemployment. It would have paid us during Covid, but we didn't know, but now we are wise. What we need to find, we need to get an insurance that will give me money whenever I'm down. You understand?
John Manyike 17:58
What about the emergency funding? Because I mean, if let's say the industries are closed, you can't make money and there is no income, how important is an emergency fund?
Nomsa Buthelezi 18:08
Too much. And if you know that you can get money quickly, that is important. People are lazy. We are lazy and we will always procrastinate that I will do this, emergency money is the most important and you need to have covers and insurance will pay the money, within 24 hours, they pay, it will come back to you. You understand? Pay it to your insurance, it’s going to come somehow.
John Manyike 18:45
So, in your industry, income isn’t straight , it fluctuates. How do you navigate fluctuation of income? How does your budget work?
Nomsa Buthelezi 18:56
You know personally, I don't want to talk about anybody. Personally, I want to tell you the truth. I can't plan, I am a breadwinner, everybody is on Nomsa, even for data they phone me and its not because they like doing it, they don't have the money for it, I’m a light for my family. If my flight doesn’t take off, it's going to be a problem. So, when everything goes up and down,so I have to plan ahead.
John Manyike 19:27
But as a breadwinner, as you say your family relies on you. Do you get to a point where you say you can do certain things, but not others?
Nomsa Buthelezi 19:44
Talking about that [laughs]. I remember there was one time this year, unemployment, nothing like it was dry , you would check your emails and there is nothing, but because I know how to plan, and I know how to use my budget, there was one time I was crazy. I was off the chains. I was like, you know what, I'm going to go to that family. I'm going to tell them off. I went there. And I told them, “Guys, I'm an artist. You know, I was like lecturer. I'm an artist. When I sell goods, people buy. If people don't buy, there's nothing. So, I don't have money right now. I don't have employment.” You understand? They don't understand. They don’t understand. They don't get it. When you tell them that they think you are telling them a monologue, it’s the truth that we don’t have money. So, education to my family might be for the young ones growing, but the old ones, they don't understand.
John Manyike 20:40
You know what the problem is? Because they see you on the screens every week, they think that every week you are getting money, not knowing that you shot it months ago and the money has come and done it’s work already.
Nomsa Buthelezi 20:51
Let me tell you what they do , there's also a strategy in the black community when you’re a celebrity or you’re on TV. When they want money, they say, I saw your film yesterday. Can I have some money?
John Manyike 21:09
[Laughs] Immediately?
Nomsa Buthelezi 21:09
Immediately. It's a way of saying "I want money". So, they don't understand the thing you shot it two years ago, you used all that money already, you buying Savanna’s, they still want money. It's about the education in our families, we have to try to teach them, In my family which really there is no gig. It means that this time Nomsa usually gives us groceries for R2 000, but this month we will get about R1 000, because there is no gig. But when it's better that money will come back to you, you teach them. If you don't teach them, depression is real.
John Manyike 21:49
What would your advice be to, number one, families of a celebrities who always put pressure on them which they must help or contribute. And number two, what would your advice be to young people who want to get into the industry?
Nomsa Buthelezi 22:04
The advice I would give to the families of people who are on television, “Be kind, be gentle.” Your child is not a robot, it’s not an ATM. It’s a human being first of all, and you must understand which jobs they’re doing, do not just ask for money, not knowing without knowing where it comes from, they go to an extent of going to loan sharks to get money for them. There are people who are in debt like they have debts deep, deep, deep, deep, but there's nobody that can tell because nobody listens to them. There's this thing of television. They must just be kind and learn from their children, because at the end of the day, they are going to lose their kids to drugs, alcohol, depression, and you must stand their ground. If you don't stand your ground, they will keep on abusing you. Because I know most of us are depressed because of we are abused. We are carrying people's problems that are not ours. If you don't have money, you don't have money. You won't sell your kidney for them. You understand? So, there must be that education between the celebrity and the family and secondly the young kids who want to come to the industry, they must go to school. They must go to school. You know this industry there is a thing that you don't study a talent. People want to come in. When life is bad, people want to come on television, “Not all that glitters is gold”. And you must understand when you have a backup, your education, whenever your days are dark you're able to go to wherever or put on a stethoscope be a doctor, like a serious like a real doctor. You understand? So, the education comes first. You must understand the industry, understand the finances of the industry. Also, this thing of being in front of the camera, it’s old news now, do sound, do camera. You know, I wish I did sound, but the only problem is the boom because my hands are big. You understand? Maybe camera work something. The TV industry is not about being like in front of the camera. Do something and you will also be in the industry. You’ll also experience those things. The only thing people won't know you, you understand, unless you work for another show where you see cameraman on camera. You understand? But I'll just say they must go to school, understand their finances. Also, they must never ever, ever, ever forget where they come from.
John Manyike 24:41
Yeah.
Nomsa Buthelezi 24:42
Never forget where they come from. Because sometimes fame does not change a person. Sometimes it changes people around you. Sometimes you can be Nomsa, and you're famous. And when you come back, you find your family members, different people, money hungry, greedy monsters, and that will send you to your early grave. So, you must watch surrounding, your aura you’re surrounding, people that you surround yourself with, there must be positive people, people that will make you generate money. If you're able to start a business, start it now. Start it now when you are a celebrity, you're able to use your face or your influence to do this thing, like the owner of Mofaya.
John Manyike 25:20
Nomsa, we've learned so much. Thank you so much.
Nomsa Buthelezi 25:24
Thank you a lot. Thank you so much for having me.
John Manyike 25:27
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