The Sunday Mail
Zandile Zaza Ndlovu
WE have all heard the adage “A picture tells a thousand words”.
Sandra Ndebele has certainly been saying a thousand — and more — of late through her social media posts.
She is posting images celebrating her true “African beauty”, with a sizzling wardrobe accentuating her curves.
Sandy, as the artiste is affectionately known, is out to show working mums and wives must invest in the way they look just as much as they invest in their careers.
The former teen star, who started her career with IYASA as an unassuming singer and dancer, has evolved over the years.
She can still captivate audiences on any platform.
Covid-19 has seen most artistes struggling to make ends meet due to lockdowns that have been imposed by most countries to curb the spread of the virus.
Likewise, social media has become the new platform for artistes to showcase their talent and new offerings.
Sandra is not being left out in tapping into this new trend.
What started as a project together with Puzzle Moment photography & creative director Mzoe 7 — who is also a fellow musician — to celebrate health and fitness of fully figured ladies from Bulawayo, has catapulted Sandra Ndebele to being the ‘Queen of Social Media’ overnight.
And she has achieved this incredible feat without saying a single word.
The Sunday Mail Society last week caught up with the diva and she opened up on the new social media wave.
“This is one happy accidental social media takeover. We did the photoshoot just to express a feel-good modern woman at the same time embracing African beauty,” explains Sandra.
“To be honest, I did not see this coming. I was pleasantly surprised to see people celebrating my photographs.”
Her PR team, who recognised the social capital she had created, jumped on to the wave that has seen corporate endorsements coming through.
The project was born out of the need to make the most of the current lockdown.
“Most working mums can tell you how difficult it is to get back to that original body.
“I have been on a very strict programme, eating traditional foods and working out twice daily for the last three months. And I am extremely grateful for the results,” said Sandra.
And she has a word or two for both plus-sized women and her audience.
“To my fellow sisters or thick madams as people call us, we are beautiful within our bodies and let us celebrate our African curves. And to the men, I thank you for appreciating us full-figured women.”
Zandile Zaza Ndlovu is an arts and lifestyle reporter. You can follow her on Facebook page Zaza and on Twitter and Instagram on @zazaliciousone
