The Anele Podcast

“Beef or oxtail bouillon cube for the stew?” can you think of a more frivolous question to answer while choosing a coffin for your mother’s funeral? Today’s guest, Nozipho Tshabalala can answer that – and how this moment illuminated her relationship with control. A relationship that began at the tender age of 5.

Imagine surviving a petrol bomb, being smuggled off to another family, having to change your name and appearance, and then trying to normalise your life. Nozipho did it all, without even realising the incredible feat she had achieved. But also, without realising (until that bouillon cube moment) how control had become a default response to everything. Control was the safety net she depended on for survival.

In today’s episode, Nozipho shares how her formative years shaped the woman she is today and the many lessons she’s learnt along the way. As a conversation strategist, she finds herself in perfect company, with two esteemed conversationalists – Anele and Mantshoe. Together the three travel down memory lane, sharing the moments that shaped their lives.

Anele will have you in stitches with her pre-school shenanigans, which led to an intoxicating sense of control. Mantshoe shares her performative nature as a child, how it led to her own desire for control – and its detrimental effect on her adult relationships. Like 67% of South African women, they’re exhausted from having to “keep it all together” all the time. Yet another insight revealed by the 1st for Women Her & Now 2025 Report.

Stay tuned for a whole new perspective on control and how to harness it. You won’t want to miss this one!

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Lynn Forbes, widely known as AKA’s mom, joins Anele Mdoda alongside her best friend of 25 years, Pilani Bubu. Together, they open up about the profound loss of loved ones. Sharing the things left unsaid, the weight of grief, and how these experiences have reshaped their lives.

The conversation also turns to independence and entrepreneurship. Unpacking the realities of being your own boss, the highs and lows that come with it, and the kind of spirit it takes to leap into the unknown and build something on your own terms.