Thembelihle ‘Lihle’ Nkosi is a TV Host, Entrepreneur, Model, Digital Content Creator and a brand ambassador for some Africa’s leading brands. Born on the 25th of June 1997, Lihle has never been afraid to chase her dreams until she has seen them become a reality.

In this interview with Gabriel Olawale, Lihle talks about her passion for business, fashion, beauty, health, entertainment  among others.

 Tell us about Lihle Nkosi including your educational background.

I am a 23 year old final year law student, who has a passion for Media Law & Entertainment. In 2017 I graduated from one of the leading TV & radio presenting schools in Africa, and since then I have presented & guest presented on numerous platforms and channels such as Selimathunzi, YoTv, Soweto TV, Ritevac TV, SAMA Awards Red Carpet 2017 just to name a few. I was also the host of Miss Lesotho 2017, ZRF Media Forbes 30 under 30 Networking Sessions 2019 and part of the Youth Parliament on Power FM.

How did the idea for your business, Social Hour Productions come about?

It has always been a dream of mine to own a production company and a media law firm. But to be honest I never thought the company would grow so quickly and get international recognition in less than 2 years of existence. It just goes to show that if you love something and you are passionate about it & willing to work hard: The sky is the limit!

 So far, how have you been able to grow your business?

I think mainly based on the fact that I understand the concept of marketing in Africa and the whole concept of creating a sustainable brand because I don’t believe in short term, I want to create something sustainable, something that will be identified 10-20 years from now a legacy my children can take over.

 Who/What has been the biggest influence in your life? Why?

In every way, my parents have the biggest influence in my life. Together, they are my ‘yardstick for life’. They taught me never to settle for second best, and to treat people with the same degree of respect, regardless of social standing, race or creed. Since I was a child, they have always instilled in me the value of hard work and perseverance. They would always challenge me and always encourage me to aim higher and higher.

They have taught me many values that define who I am now, the values of honesty, integrity and sincerity, the benefits of hard work and the importance of striving for excellence.

 If you could travel back to the early days of your business, what would you have done differently?

I think when I started off I didn’t know how important it is to have mentors and advisors. The value I’ve found over the last couple of months from working with my experienced advisors and mentors in the same field has been tremendous, and it could’ve helped me avoid a lot of these regrets in the early days.

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You recently launched Latizia Magazine, tell us about it?

Latizia Magazine is a high end lifestyle magazine that focuses on sharing business, fashion, beauty, health and entertainment content from Africa, it is also under Social Hour Productions.

Influencer marketing has grown monumentally in the past few years, what would you say is the future of Influencer Marketing in Africa especially post-Covid?

Influencer Marketing will change a lot post-Covid, companies are going to change how they have been doing most things they will start moving more on the online space not necessarily only through social media but other platforms too.

 You have built a remarkable portfolio as a model, what would you say contributed to your success?

It was a lot of hard work and persistence. You literally need to build up a thick skin which sometimes isn’t easy because if you are in the public image you have everyone supporting you and at the same time you have people who will criticize you and say hurtful things so you really need to remind yourself of where you come from and where you are going and then stay grounded. But I would say the one thing that has made me successful in this space is discipline, ambition and hard work.

 What do you like to do in your free time? Your hobbies and interests?

Travelling, Cooking, Listening to Music & Going out with friends!

What should we expect from you in the next two to three years?

Taking ownership of spaces that I am currently in, I will definitely be focusing more on becoming a part of the media law world and taking my company Social Hour Productions and the Latizia Magazine to the next level.

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