Basetsana Kumalo facts for kids

Basetsana Julia "Bassie" Khumalo (born 29 March 1974) is a famous South African television personality, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is also a former beauty pageant queen. Her journey started in 1990 when she was crowned Miss Soweto and Miss Black South Africa at just 16 years old. In 1994, she won the title of Miss South Africa. In the same year, she also became the first runner-up in the Miss World competition.

Early Life and School

Basetsana Khumalo was born in Soweto, South Africa. She grew up with two sisters and a brother. They often helped their family by making sandwiches to sell at soccer matches on weekends. She went to Thabisang Primary School in Orlando West. Later, she attended Trinity Secondary School, where she finished her high school studies. She then enrolled at the University of Venda to study education.

Family and Giving Back

Basetsana met her husband, Romeo Kumalo, when she was crowned Miss Soweto. Romeo is a business executive and used to be a broadcaster. They started dating in 1997 and got married in 2000. They have two sons, Nkosinathi Gabriel and uShaka Kgositsile Emmanuel.

Basetsana and Romeo have a special charity called the Romeo & Basetsana Kumalo Family Foundation. This foundation helps children, especially those who have lost their parents due to illnesses like AIDS. In 2009, their foundation received an award for its good work. Basetsana also worked with actress Salma Hayek and UNICEF. They helped with a campaign to stop a disease called neonatal and maternal tetanus, saving many babies' lives.

Her Amazing Career

Beauty Pageants

In 1990, when she was only 16, Basetsana won the Miss Soweto title. She had planned to become a teacher, like her mother. But her mother entered her into the Miss South Africa pageant. Basetsana went on to win this big competition.

Television Work

While she was still Miss South Africa, Basetsana started hosting a popular TV show called Top Billing. She then teamed up with the show's producer, Patience Stevens. Together, they created a company called Tswelopele Productions. Basetsana owned half of this company.

Tswelopele Productions became very successful. Top Billing was their main show, shown on SABC3. In 1999, their company joined with another one and was listed on the JSE (South Africa's stock exchange). This made Basetsana one of the youngest black women to be a director in a major South African business. Tswelopele Productions also started making other popular shows like Pasella and Seskohona.

In 2016, Basetsana was a special guest judge for the final Miss South Africa 2016 pageant. This event was shown on TV networks like M-Net and Mzansi Magic.

Business Ventures

Basetsana has been the leader of the Business Women's Association of South Africa. She is also on the boards of many different companies. She works with UNICEF as a spokesperson for their Tetanus campaign. She is part of the UNICEF Influential Women Circle, a group of powerful businesswomen who raise money to help children in need.

Helping Others

Basetsana is very passionate about helping people. In 2007, she volunteered to take a public HIV test to encourage others to do the same. She also helped raise money for Baragwanath Children's Hospital. She worked with a project called Agang Sechaba, which gives back to the communities where they grew up.

Her Own Brands

In 2000, Basetsana launched her own clothing line called Stature Ladies wear by Bassie. It was sold in many stores across Africa. Later, in 2002, she launched her own eyewear range. She also created her own makeup lines, Bassie Red and Bassie Gold, which were sold in Foschini stores.

Writing and Publishing

Basetsana has also contributed to books. In 2004, she wrote for Inspirational Women at Work. She also featured in Recipes from the Heart, sharing recipes with other celebrities.

She was the editor-at-large for the Top Billing magazine. She also worked as the Beauty Editor for DRUM magazine. In 2020, she published her own book called Bassie: My Journey of Hope, which has sold many copies.

Radio Show

Basetsana even had her own radio show! She hosted the Breakfast show on Metro FM for a short time in 2006.

Endorsements

Basetsana was chosen to be the face of Revlon Realistic Hair Care for over five years. This helped her become even more well-known.

Awards and Special Recognition

Basetsana has received many awards and honours for her work:

• In 1994, Nelson Mandela gave her an honorary scholarship for overseas studies.
• In 2002 and 2003, she was voted the most stylish female TV host by the Sunday Times and Elle Magazine.
• In 2004, she was voted 74th on the list of 100 Greatest South Africans. She was the only Miss South Africa on this list!
• In 2006, she received the Fashion Icon Award at the Cape Town Fashion Festival.
• In 2011, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
• In 2019, she won the most stylish icon award at the South African Style Awards.
• In 2021, she received an Iconic Award for being a very influential woman in media.