On Pivoting

From electrical engineering to computer science, this is a story about choosing again and choosing better.In this conversation, Bongiwe Mokati shares how a gap year, self-doubt, and starting from zero led her to a path where she now thrives - winning hackathons, earning recognition, and building a future in tech.We talk about feeling left behind, finding your place, navigating male-dominated spaces, and learning to accept failure as part of growth.This episode is about letting go of what doesn’t fit, trusting the process, and starting over with purpose.

There comes a point where you look at your life…and you don’t recognise yourself anymore.After losing her father, Lerato Raphela turned to drugs as a way to cope. What started casually became something that slowly took over until she found herself living a life she didn’t recognise.In this episode, she shares the moment everything shifted, what it took to choose differently, and how she rebuilt her life from the ground up.

In this episode of On Pivoting, Linda Dube joins us for a deeply honest conversation about grief, resilience, and what it means to keep going when life doesn’t pause.While completing her Master’s degree, Linda lost her mother, yet continued studying, lecturing, and showing up for life in ways she didn’t think were possible.This is a conversation about quiet resilience, the complexity of grief, and the parts of ourselves we meet when we have no choice but to carry on.

What does it actually mean to have a relationship with yourself?In this episode of On Pivoting, Lucinda Valentine explores self-connection beyond clichés — from disconnection and emotional overwhelm to learning how to regulate, choose yourself, and show up with clarity in your daily life.We unpack how this relationship shapes everything: how you love, how you respond, and how you move through the world.

In this episode of On Pivoting, we sit down with Sindeka Mandoyi, a children’s author, literacy activist, and founder of the Chosi Chosi Book Club.But this conversation isn’t just about the work.It’s about what it costs to care.From growing up without books to building a space for children in her community, Sindeka shares what it means to constantly show up for others while quietly navigating the weight of responsibility, family, sacrifice, and self-neglect.We explore the tension between giving and choosing yourself.This is a conversation about relationships in their fullest form — to family, to community, and to yourself.

In this episode of On Pivoting , we sit down with Sivuyile Pharela — a Digital Anthropologist exploring identity, society, and what it means to exist in an increasingly digital world.From leaving psychology after just a few days to discovering anthropology, Sivuyile shares a deeply personal journey shaped by poverty, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of understanding.We unpack broken education systems, the pressure to “make it” after university, and how identity is formed beyond race, class, or tradition.This conversation challenges how we think about life, death, belonging and what it really means to find your voice.If you’ve ever questioned where you fit in the world, this one is for you.

In this episode, we sit down with Sanele Mlambo for a conversation on the quiet pivots of early adulthood, the subtle, often unseen shifts that shape who we become.We explore what it means to come back to yourself, question the path you’re on, and make decisions that feel aligned rather than expected. From navigating identity and expectations to choosing happiness over performance, this conversation reflects the in-between moments we rarely speak about.This is not about having it all figured out, it’s about learning to listen to yourself as you go.

For most of her life, Hazel was known as the high achiever.The one with good grades.The one people believed in.The one who was expected to succeed.But when she got to university, that identity began to collapse.Hazel opens up about failing, being excluded from university, the shame of returning home, and the quiet period of rebuilding herself from the ground up.In this conversation we explore:• The pressure of being “the smart one”• People pleasing and living up to expectations• The trauma of academic failure• Learning humility after success• Redefining success beyond achievements• Finding peace after identity collapseToday Hazel is a mechanical engineer beginning her career but the journey to get there reshaped how she sees herself and the world.Sometimes the most important pivot isn’t your career.It’s who you allow yourself to become.

What happens when you return to the places that raised you… and realise you don’t fit anymore?In this episode of On Pivoting, I sit down with Noentla Khumalo — spiritual healer, cultural producer, and founder of Umsebenzi WeThongo, for a deeply human conversation.We talk about growing up between worlds, feeling “too much” or “wrong” depending on the room, and what it means to stop discarding parts of yourself just to be accepted. Noentla shares her journey through rebirth, community, boundaries, and the slow work of integration — learning to hold the gifts, the darkness, and the uncertainty without shrinking.This episode is for anyone who feels like they’ve outgrown an old version of life and is learning to choose themselves anyway.

What does it feel like to step into a new environment and quietly ask yourself: Will this place see me?In this episode of On Pivoting, I sit down with Matsetsebale “Tsetse” Tleane to explore the power of geographical pivots and the discipline of not forgetting who you are while entering new spaces.From leaving Limpopo for Gauteng, to sitting in global rooms and realising that we have something to offer the world, Tsetse reflects on identity, leadership, and impact. We speak about roots, church, community radio, family and how those early environments shaped his conviction to serve.We also unpack what it means to “create the future” instead of only reacting to the past, and how growth can look like doing more with less — fewer emails, fewer proposals, but deeper impact.

So many of us build our identity around what we do.In this episode of On Pivoting, I sit down with Thapelo Masebe for a reflective conversation about identity beyond titles, productivity, and ambition.We explore what happens when work stops defining you, how worth gets entangled with output, and the quiet process of becoming someone new when old identities no longer fit.This is a conversation for anyone questioning who they are beneath the job and what it means to choose differently.

Welcome to On Pivoting.