30/08/2026
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From a young girl who dreamed of acting to a woman building her own path in media, entrepreneurship and publishing
As August comes to a close, VitalHer Magazine celebrates women whose stories remind us that purpose does not always arrive according to plan. Sometimes, it is discovered in the detours, the disappointments and the seasons when survival itself becomes the beginning of a dream.
For Zinhle Jane Nkosi, affectionately known as βZizy DaPoet,β the journey has been anything but conventional.
Born in Ermelo on 22 December 1993, Zinhle is a mother, entrepreneur, aspiring author, media personality, presenter and woman whose faith in God remains at the centre of everything she does.
But before the titles, the camera, the microphone and the business, there was simply a young girl with a love for performance and a dream.
THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO ACT
Zinhle's story with the entertainment industry began in 2008, when she was in Grade 9.
One day, an acting coach walked into her classroom looking for learners interested in joining free drama classes after school.
For Zinhle, there was no hesitation.
"Say no more, I'm in."
In her imagination, she could already see herself acting on Generations.
That early dream eventually led her to apply to study Drama at DUT in 2011. She was accepted, but financial circumstances meant that she could not take up the opportunity.
It was a disappointment, but it was not the end of her story.
Years later, another door opened.
In 2016, Zinhle was introduced to Ligwa FM, where she began working as a news reader and presenter. Within just three months, her talent was recognised when she was nominated for and won the Best News Reader award across Mpumalanga.
That achievement became a turning point.
It opened the door for her to work as a television presenter at Rising Sun TV, then based in Witbank.
"Working on radio for the first time made me feel like a bird that just found out it can fly," she recalls.
And perhaps one of the most memorable confirmations of her talent came unexpectedly, not from a studio executive or a colleague, but from a stranger in a taxi.
A passenger remarked that while other news readers sounded as though they were simply reading the news, βuZizy DaPoet uyazishaya izindabaβ she actually spoke the news.
Zinhle was sitting right there.
Nobody knew.
She laughed all the way home.
For her, that moment confirmed something important: she belonged behind the microphone.
WHEN THE DREAM CHANGED SHAPE
Zinhle later studied Film and TV Production at the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA) in Johannesburg.
It was during this period that she discovered something about herself.
Although acting had been her first love, she realised that she was even more passionate about being in front of the camera as a presenter.
She had found her lane.
But just as opportunities began appearing, life had another plan.
She secured roles in both presenting and acting for a new television production that was expected to air on SABC3. Then COVID-19 arrived.
Auditions stopped.
Productions stopped.
Opportunities disappeared.
And like many others, Zinhle was forced to leave Johannesburg and return home.
What looked like the closing of one chapter unexpectedly became the beginning of another.
FROM SURVIVAL TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Zinhle did not initially become an entrepreneur because she had always dreamed of owning businesses.
She became one because she needed to survive.
"This is when entrepreneurship was born. Not out of love or passion, but we had to eat at home. We needed bread on our table."
Before sneakers, hair and iPhones became part of her business journey, Zinhle sold almost anything she could find an opportunity in.
She sold amagwinya, skincare products, weight-loss tea and weight-loss pills. She joined network-marketing ventures and explored ways of making money online.
She kept trying.
Eventually, in 2024, she was introduced to the business of selling sneakers, hair and iPhones.
What began as necessity became a lesson in independence, resilience and possibility.
"I didn't wait for employment, but I created work for myself."
And perhaps one of the things she loves most about entrepreneurship is that every day presents another opportunity.
There is no fixed ceiling on what she can earn.
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE BRAND
Behind the public persona is a woman who understands that being visible does not mean giving everyone access to every part of your life.
Balancing public and private life is not always easy, she admits.
Her approach is intentional: she limits what she shares on social media and tries not to allow the idea of being a public figure to consume her personal identity.
And when the pressure becomes overwhelming, she returns to the foundation that has carried her throughout her journey:
her faith.
"All I have, all I am, all I'm becoming is because of God. Without Him nothing gets possible."
When the noise becomes too loud, she asks herself a simple question:
βWho is bigger than all of this?β
Her answer is always God.
A MOTHER'S PURPOSE
For Zinhle, one of her greatest sources of inspiration is her nine-year-old daughter.
When she feels like giving up, she looks at her daughter and asks herself:
"What will she become if I fail her?"
Motherhood has therefore become more than a responsibility. It has become part of her motivation to keep building, learning and pushing forward.
For Zinhle, success is not simply about money, recognition or titles.
Success means being able to provide for herself and her daughter.
It means going to sleep knowing that she gave the day her best.
And, perhaps most importantly, it means knowing that she is in right standing with God.
LESSONS FROM THE JOURNEY
Entrepreneurship has taught Zinhle patience.
She openly describes herself as an impatient person, but business has forced her to understand that not every day will look the same.
One day can bring 50 sales.
The next can bring only one.
Instead of allowing the numbers to determine her worth or her hope, she has learned to trust that God is her ultimate source, not the business itself.
She has also learned how to work with different personalities, accommodate people and remain grateful even when the results are not what she expected.
Her advice to young women who have big dreams but limited resources is simple and powerful:
βStart where you are, use what you have.β
She believes social media has created opportunities that previous generations did not have in the same way. Her advice is to research, learn from people already doing what you aspire to do and start before you feel completely ready.
Because if she had waited until she had enough money to begin, she says, she would probably still be waiting.
βDON'T EVER DOUBT YOURSELFβ
If Zinhle could sit across from her younger self for ten minutes, she would not give her a complicated blueprint.
She would give her permission to be herself.
"Nobody knows how it feels to be you, so be you anyway in the best possible way you can."
She would tell that younger Zinhle not to apologise for who she is.
To be confident.
To stand her ground.
To believe in herself.
And above everything else:
God loves you. You are enough. Don't ever doubt yourself.
It is advice that sounds as though it was written from the lessons of a woman who has spent years learning to believe in herself.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Today, Zinhle is still hungry for the media opportunities she once dreamed about.
She is actively seeking platforms where she can sharpen and showcase her presenting abilities, both on television and radio, while also exploring voice-over opportunities.
But her ambitions extend beyond the microphone.
She is working towards publishing her first book, Your Mind is Your Self-Esteem, and hopes to find a publisher who can help bring that vision to life.
And when she looks five years ahead, her vision is bold.
She sees herself married, with two additional little family members. She sees herself as a published author with six books, a multimillionaire and the founder of a brand centred around women's wellbeing, spiritually, mentally and health-wise.
She sees herself as a sought-after speaker addressing young people in schools, churches and seminars.
And she sees herself hosting a successful, loved television show alongside her own production.
It is a big vision.
But Zinhle has never been afraid of big dreams.
A LEGACY OF POSSIBILITY
Perhaps the most important part of Zinhle's vision is not what she wants to own or achieve, but what she wants other women to believe about themselves.
She wants young women to remember their value when they look at her story.
She wants them to believe wholeheartedly that they can become whatever they want to become.
She wants women to understand that independence is possible.
And she wants every woman who looks up to her to understand the role that faith has played in her own journey.
Because for Zinhle, success without God would never tell the complete story.
WHO IS ZINHLE WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS STRIPPED AWAY?
Take away the microphone.
Take away the cameras.
Take away the businesses.
Take away the public image.
Take away the titles.
What remains?
Zinhle's answer is perhaps the most powerful part of her entire story.
She describes herself first as a child of the Most High God, saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Her talents can be stripped away.
Her passions can change.
Her businesses can rise and fall.
The cameras can stop rolling.
But her faith remains.
And that is the foundation upon which she intends to build everything else.
Zinhle βZizy DaPoetβ Nkosi's story is ultimately not simply about becoming a presenter, entrepreneur or author. It is about becoming the woman she believes God created her to be.
As August draws to a close, her journey leaves us with a message worth carrying into the final months of the year:
Start where you are. Use what you have. Believe in yourself. Keep going. And never forget who is bigger than it all.
God.
