Model and DJ, Ponahalo is redefining what it means to carve out your own path. From navigating the pressures of public visibility to earning international recognition, she shares how resilience, creativity, and community have shaped her journey.
Here, she reflects on silencing negativity, staying grounded through family and friends, embracing her South African identity on the global stage, and why Johannesburg's vibrant creative culture continues to fuel her vision. It's a powerful conversation about courage, authenticity, and living the dreams that once felt impossible.
As a model and DJ, which are both public facing and expose her to public perception in real time, Ponahalo admits that she’s still learning to protect her confidence in that kind of visibility. “It’s a very isolating experience when the device from where you conduct most of your business is the very source of your negativity. I’d like to say I don’t read the hateful comments but I do because among the bad, there are some beautiful ones and there are people who admire how I just keep doing me, even though I’m considered “different” by many. Luckily for me, the mean comments are very unimaginative and they’ve gone stale. I have bad days but they don’t outweigh the good. That kind of exposure therapy instils a fearlessness in me that often takes over right when I need it.
Looking back at some of her milestones like Boiler Room and gaining international recognition, she shares that touring with Moonchild Sanelly in 2022 was a huge learning curve and shift. “We travelled to about 17 countries, and beyond the gruelling demands of back- to-back performances in massive arenas, I developed a deep love for travel. My faith in humanity was restored, and the proximity I had to such a powerhouse of a human being, witnessing her work ethic up close was truly unparalleled.” Clearly fond of Moonchild Sanelly, she adds that the artist has a unique ability to turn almost every moment into a lesson. “I’m so grateful for it. That experience really ignited a fire in me. Sharing your passion with the world is, by far, one of life’s greatest blessings.” 2024 marked a global breakthrough year for her.
Reflecting on how that level of recognition reshaped her self- perception, she says it affirmed that every sacrifice had been worth it. “The self-sacrifice, the moments I had to stand up for myself when my goals were misunderstood, the stares I’d get, both good and bad, for showing up in elaborate outfits, and all the gruelling work behind the scenes… it all felt worthwhile. There’s something incredibly affirming about being recognised and celebrated on an international scale.” Noting that you don’t realise how small Johannesburg and Cape Town really are until you step into a city like London. “The privilege of being an active participant in the global fashion and groove economy is not one I take lightly and it really instilled in me the importance of being an African and making sure that people don’t attribute your flair and presence to any other part of the world but your home.”
Ponahalo remains grounded, even as the dreams she once envisioned become her everyday reality. “I like to believe I’m generally a grounded person, and I have my community to thank for that. Staying grounded keeps you teachable, and that’s something I always strive to be. My peers are giants in their own right, so when we spend time together, we’re really just slightly taller versions of the kids we were when we first dreamt of all this.” Her family also plays a part in ensuring that she remains anchored. “They’re not particularly close to the entertainment industry, so they don’t always grasp the scale of some of my achievements. They’re incredibly proud and supportive, but they’ll still quickly remind me to do the housework, pick this up, pick that up, dish up for the elders, or serve them tea. Some preferential treatment every now and then would be nice, but that’s completely out the window! I’m the last- born at home, and I’ll always be treated as such. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She speaks passionately about Johannesburg as a creative ecosystem and as a city that shaped her taste and confidence, particularly Braamfontein/ Maboneng between 2013 to 2019 (the street culture era). “Everyone was making art for art’s sake, everyone’s style was unique to them like a fingerprint, and being a misfit was a superpower. The more unique you were, the better. I consider that to be one of the many golden ages of the Johannesburg creative ecosystem.” While she was still in high school at the time, she says it was beautiful to witness from afar, and even more beautiful to step into once she got to university. “The number of brands that had their eye on that space was huge. At all times, we were one good outfit away from scoring a brand deal, being offered a feature in a music video or simply being “discovered”. Not to sound cliché but that era was alive with possibilities in a way that celebrated the grit of the South, proudly. “People here love to feel good through their outfits; they wear their pride through their sneakers, grills, luxury items, hair and nails. We really are head-to-toe dressers in this city. It’s so worldly.”
On how the city influenced her perspective on competition, collaboration, and creative abundance, she affirms that Johannesburg is incredibly collaborative. “A lot of us either grew up in the township before moving to the big city or there are people from neighbouring provinces who’ve moved here to make their dreams come true. We have a deep shared history and a shared desire to improve the circumstances of our loved ones and ourselves, often in that order. Our blackness connects us, our youth invigorates us and our hunger sits us together at the table. We’ll never lack community or creativity and if we ever feel like we do, we’re always yet to find it. We are all of the same spark of consciousness.”
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