Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mwenzela Ndhlovu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mwenzela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
It just happened!
For as long as I can remember, I had always wanted to work in the creative industry. I recall one time when I was 10 years old looking in the mirror pretending to be speaking to my “subscribers” who at the time were non-existent.
But of course, I never really had the courage to pick up a camera and start creating YouTube videos. To me it seemed like something that would stay in my imagination without really getting implemented you know.
Not until 2021 though. Which I like to call my “breakthrough year”.
It happened so randomly. I was visiting my grandparents in early January right before going back to University for my second year of studies, when it hit me in the bathtub (sounds weird right? I know). I felt like my higher power was telling me something. To be specific “Make that YouTube channel now”. And so I did!
And the rest is history (as the say).
However, at that point it was merely out of interest and pure curiosity as to what YouTube was really about. I had no monetary motive towards creating content. It came as a by the way which was a win to me because it was then I realized I could seriously make a career out of it.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’m Mwenzela Ndhlovu. Informally known on my social media as Zee. I’m a full time ACCA student, content creator and entrepreneur (a multi-faceted lady I love to call myself).
Lot’s of people ask me where the name Zee came from and it actually was a nickname my parents used to call me when I was a baby. Although, I didn’t really use that name up until I started creating content because so many people couldn’t pronounce my first name right, so I made it easier for everyone.
I started creating content professionally, both on YouTube and Instagram in 2021. Although prior to that, I had been posting lots of pictures and videos on my Instagram account as a hobby since 2016. I’ve always loved it!
When I started my YouTube channel, I had no idea what I was going to post, talk about or even record. It was a “I’ll figure it out along the way” type of thing. And so I did.
Surprisingly so, I became really good at what I do. My YouTube channel was monetized just two months after starting (which was extremely fast for a creator based in Zambia, as records show that it takes on average 8 months to a year for a Zambian creative to get Monetized on YouTube).
I was shocked.
People seemed to love my content. And I loved that they did! As that was when I was convinced to do my first ever vlog.
I had no idea what a vlog was, how to record or edit one. I had never even watched a YouTube vlog before. Literally!
So I kind of just winged it. To me it was basically recording certain aspects of my life and sharing it with the world through a lens. And, surprisingly so, people loved the kind of life I had going on. So creating YouTube content became fairly easy for me as I would just pick up the camera whenever I woke up and got to doing something.
But of course, my entire journey hasn’t been without challenges.
Trying to find a balance between keeping my life private and sharing certain parts of it became difficult. Because often times, the things I wanted to keep hidden, were the things people wanted to watch most. And that became an issue.
On top of that, trying to be a creative that was authentic, different, and “in her own lane” was something I really wanted to radiate off my content. But doing so was hard. Especially seeing as I was, well am a university student still trying to navigate her way around her studies as well.
It’s taken me 2 years to get to a point where I can say I’m enjoying creating content, not just on YouTube but on Instagram as well, while also keeping a major part of my life private you know.
Another major problem I faced was to do with my first business ventures.
I picked up on editing skills pretty quickly when I started creating content. And I became really good at it. So I decided to make an income from it.
It started with an editing course that I was selling for K49.99 which was relatively cheap now that I think about it. I hit my sales goal and felt so proud of myself that I had actually created a new stream of income from scratch.
Shortly afterwards, I launched my second online business – Zee’s Kitchen. And oh my it was definitely something.
One thing my supporters learned about me was that I loved and had a passion for cooking. It’s something I’ve been doing from the time I was tall enough to turn the knobs on the stove.
I have been posting snippets of what I cook, as well as sharing my recipes on Instagram since 2019. And when my supporters picked up on that, they were the ones that convinced me to start selling my food. So I did.
But just like any other business owner, I encountered so many hiccups along the way. Lack of support, poor time management, liquidity issues, and fierce competition to say the least.
It was hell.
I questioned whether I could go on like that because I seemed to be moving backwards and not making any substantial profit from what I was selling. It was quite heart breaking actually, seeing as cooking was something I had always loved. But from the minute I saw that it wasn’t going anywhere, I eventually fell out of love for it.
During the same period, from about August 2021, I started filming a series called “Cooking with Zee” on my YouTube channel. And boy oh boy did people love it!
It was like another way to channel my love for cooking to the world you know.
But shortly after posting about 5 episodes, my views on YouTube dropped drastically. People didn’t seem to be enjoying the cooking content anymore. And that just added more salt to the wound I already had from running Zee’s Kitchen.
So in September of 2022, just a year after launching Zee’s Kitchen, I decided to close it down as well as stopped posting cooking content extensively in order to fall back in love with it. And I’m glad to say I’ve never been more in tune with my food ever since. I keep it more private now, occasionally posting one or two pictures of my kitchen creations on my Instagram page and adding them to “my kitchen” highlight. You can check it out for some inspo if you’d like too!
So that’s that. There’s a lot of other businesses I ventured into which came about because of my growing social media platforms such as, “Zee’s Closet” – which was my thrift store where I would sell pieces from my closet I no longer wore or liked (although now closed as well), Content Creation Mentorship Classes now under my content creation studio called “Studio 925”, Embellished ZM – which is a local SHEIN retailer for my ladies here in Zambia and so much more!
I’ve had quite the entrepreneurial journey and I know there’s a lot more for me to learn and experience as I go on running my businesses. But it’s safe to say I’ve gotten to a place where my past challenges are now a walk in the park as I’ve been in the game for a while now.
Through my content, both on Instagram and on YouTube, I like to be authentic, raw and real.
To date, my vlogs range from showing my monthly self care routines and maintenance days, to in depth talks about my relationship with God and controversial issues. You’ll literally find everything and anything in my videos.
I’ve taken this route with my content because I never want to paint a picture in my supporters minds that I have a perfect life, because I don’t.
I of course will not share every single thing I have going on. But from what I have, the feedback I’ve gotten from my besties (which is what I love to call my supporters), is that they appreciate the fact that I’m not afraid to do my own thing and proudly talk about my religion because that’s something lot’s of content creators don’t seem to do these days.
So my main goal with my content creation? Is to provide a place where people can relate to certain things and topics while also being motivated to go after the life they want, because that’s something I’ve been able to do through creating content professionally. And I believe everyone can do so as well in their respective fields of work.
Oh what a ride.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being able to make a living off doing what I love. From multiple sponsorships to brand deals, I’ve been able to create a stream of income that comes relatively easily because the work I have to put in is doing what I do on a daily basis, live.
On top of that, being able to inspire others, younger and older women and men, in multiple ways, is something I take lots of pride in. Because it’s shown me that I’m capable of helping people get out of certain situations and get them to build the life of their dreams.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Of course! The life I envision myself living in the near future requires me to take everything I do today seriously. Not just content creation, but my business ventures and academics as well.
I have to put in the work. Because in as much as creating content is fun, it can be pretty challenging and tiring as well. Not to mention the mental health effects content creation comes with.
So I know there’s a lot more I have to keep doing in order to achieve my long term success goals. And will get there. Taking everything one step at a time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/zee_ndhlovu?fbclid=PAAabz62A6t8sFABTpZyOOkzBx5NZOyR1Y0Mhusop3ZhLhvoWh9oSyhRLDv1c
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/zee_ndhlovu?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndhlovuzee/status/1484454730395009025?s=46&t=Qy5Y6wRMvnnRTxpCF6_m2A
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ZeeNdhlovuOfficial
Image Credits
Thandiwe Siboniso Cynthia Ndhlovu Chiza Nakazwe