GETTING CANDID WITH CONTENT CREATOR MPOOMY

Hardly a hair over 5-foot tall, Mpoomy has single-handedly shaped her own success story as a business owner, social media influencer and YouTube content creator.

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Hailing from Middelburg in Mpumalanga, Nompumelelo Ledwaba has blown up on YouTube with her popular podcast series, Wisdom & Wellness. With refreshing honesty, Mpoomy tackles important topics around the challenges women face in their career and relationships. With a knack for inspiring others, it’s no wonder she’s popped up on this year’s Forbes Africa ‘30 Under 30’ list.

WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
I’ve always been passionate about speaking! I was just born a speaker but I didn’t think of it as a career. In terms of the digital space, I don’t think it really existed when I was working in finance, or when I was growing up. I didn’t know those terms. It just happened to me – following the flow of life, following my journey... I started by having a cleaning business, then a beauty business. And through interacting one-on-one with women, I realised how much I love speaking and imparting something to people and listening to people’s stories.

HOW DO YOU TAP IN TO THE NEEDS OF YOUR AUDIENCE?
I call myself a storyteller. So, brands can’t just come to me with a brief – I have to be able to tell a real story. I have to bring people into my life, and I need them to understand what my brand is all about. The most important thing is to tell a story so that people identify with a brand, the conversation and the specific people that I bring onto my platform. It’s a whole process, it’s not just posing for a picture or doing a reel... there’s heart, there’s story and understanding brand identity.

CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING THE 30 UNDER 30 LIST 2023! HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THIS HONOUR?
I’ve lived my 20s as an over-achiever with goals to tick just in order to heal the little 19-year-old who was scared, who felt like an outsider and a failure. Now, God has granted me the gift of a full circle and closure. It’s as if He is saying, “You no longer have to prove to you. Enter your third decade with forgiveness and redemption, set yourself free and see yourself through my eyes.” I’m grateful to my dad, too, who gave me my first job at age nine as a tea lady, and raised me to believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. He has believed in every dream I shared.

WHAT KEEPS YOU GROUNDED EVERY DAY?
I’ve found that practising gratitude in every aspect of life is one of the most impactful tools to achieving an optimistic mind-set. Gratitude is something we can all strive to practise more often – simply take a moment each day to reflect on the big and small things in life that you are grateful for.

FOLLOW MPOOMY
Facebook: Mpoomy Ledwaba
Instagram: @mpoomy_ledwaba

Twitter: @Mpoomy_Ledwaba

Words: Ingrid Corbett

Photography: Zhann Solomons