Believe it or not – but Cape Town-based beauty influencer Vuyelwa Ndlovu has actually enjoyed a lot of the time she’s spent in lockdown! From trying out advanced make-up tutorials, to taking part in viral challenges while, of course, sharing her own content on YouTube and social media — Vuyelwa (much like Mihlali a few weeks ago) has proven that it’s possible to be productive during the lockdown.
The 23-year-old content creator is the founder of Vulo Vlogs, a platform which shares beauty, lifestyle and fashion content and has used her time indoors to continue building her brand. She is a bio-technology major and a former pageant queen — she won the 2018 edition of the Miss UWC pageant and has since set her sights on the most coveted crown in the land: Miss South Africa.
We caught up with Vuyelwa to find out how she is handling life under quarantine and what messages of hope she has for the rest of the country.
Moziak Magazine: How are you social distancing during this period?
Vuyelwa Ndlovu: I’ve always been what’s generally referred to as a “home body”, which is someone who prefers to stay home majority of the time, so social distancing was somewhat easy for me to pull off. Aside from staying home, I’ve developed a daily routine that keeps me occupied and active.
MM: Where do you wish you were right now?
VN: I don’t necessarily wish I were anywhere else, but I really wouldn’t mind being on an island somewhere, sipping on bottomless cocktails and enjoying a sea breeze… For now, one can imagine and dream!
MM: Name 3 positive things about the world almost coming to a standstill?
VN: – We have a chance to use this period of pause to re-evaluate our lives and just breathe
– Mother Nature is making a steady recovery
– Ubuntu is shining through the darkness, which counts for more than a little
MM: Name 5 things you plan to achieve whilst in “quarantine”
VN:
– Create more quality content
– I’m working on aligning my chakras, honey
– I’ve dove into some research, so I’m hoping great things will come from that
– Learn to step out of my comfort zone
– Resting without feeling guilty about it!
MM: What surprising item made your shopping list?
VN: Self-raising flour! After years, I’ve revisited a few home recipes with all this time on my hands.
MM: Did you stock up on additional toilet paper?
VN: No. I generally buy toilet paper in bulk (9 or 18-pack), so there’s never really ever a need to stock up on more – it lasts for what feels like ages!
MM: Have any important plans or activities of yours been cancelled/postponed because of the coronavirus?
VN: Sadly, there are a few… There were a number of events I was looking forward to attending and covering for my blog and YouTube channel, as well as some moves I planned to make to better my brand. But, I’ve chosen to go with the flow of things and adjust my plans and expectations accordingly. On the bright side, I’ve got access to resources that still allow me to widen my reach and attain at least most of my 2020 goals.
MM: In a year’s time when you look back, what do you think you will be saying about this period?
VN: I truly hope I’ll have a positive outcome to look back onto. I think I’ll look back and speak about how this period brought on a deep sense of anxiety, but also about how I overcame it and learned so much about myself and where I draw strength from.
MM: What advice do you have for people who are struggling with the idea of social distancing?
VN: Above all, it’s imperative to bear in mind the bigger picture of our current situation, and how important it is that each and every single person plays their part in our plight to flatten the curve and deal with this pandemic as best as we can. As sudden as the changes to our daily lives have come, it’s important not to dwell on how hard it is not being able to move around freely, but rather to focus on how best to deal with and handle it.
MM: What are you looking forward to the most when the coronavirus pandemic is over?
VN: I’m sincerely looking forward to seeing my loved ones! It’s one thing to choose not to go home, but having the option there… It’s a completely different scenario to have the option stripped away from you, albeit for good reason, but it’s still a sore spot. So I’m looking forward to some warm family time once things have settled down.
2 comments
I enjoyed this article so much. Also I’m a big fan of Vuyelwa Ndlovu and Vulo Vlogs. Thank you for doing a piece on her
Thank you so much, sis @Zingisa! Your support means the world to me 🙏🏾♥️