Braving the recent chaos in downtown Jozi, Minnie Dlamini-Jones arrived at our offices looking cover-ready in skin-tight white jeans, T-shirt and heels. Her make-up complemented her casual look. Her effervescent personality was most infectious. And she exuded confidence with her take-charge demeanour.
Of course, given her years in the industry, it is to be expected.
She joined me in the studio for "Beyond the Spotlight", a biweekly podcast interview, where she spoke about being a millionaire at 20, growing her brand and getting ready for her feature film debut next year.
Taking her back to where it all started, Dlamini Jones recalled: “I broke into the industry at the age of 19. In the year that I was turning 21, I was still 20 when it happened, I got a major endorsement deal with LEGiT and that was where I made my first million. It, literally, changed my life.
"It was then that I understood the importance of being more than just a TV presenter. I won’t lie, I signed a very painful deal. It was a time when I had nothing and again, you learn through experience. So in terms of what I made, I could have definitely made a lot more. A lot of people took away a lot of money from that deal. Nonetheless, I was a millionaire. I think about six months later, I was back to being flat broke.”
Now she’s in an exciting space. With "Becoming Mrs Jones" kicking things off for her production house, Beautiful Day Production, and the launch of her new skincare range, MD Body, she fallen in love with content production.
And she’s loving being married to Quinton. The couple is currently away on a romantic break for a double celebration: their two-year wedding anniversary and Quinton’s birthday.
She said: "My husband and I love being outdoors and on the beach. We love spending time together and we are big feeders. When you come to our house, your waistline expands. I make an amazing curry. My husband is a great cook and I play sous chef. We are very home-based and community-based. It’s two years for us...we are going away. It’s also his birthday in the week of our anniversary. Should be fun.”
Dlamini-Jones also touched on the subject of babies.
Listen to the full podcast interview below:
“Beyond the Spotlight” is an Independent Media Lifestyle podcast, where we enjoy a no-holds-barred chat with the entertainment industry heavyweights, newcomers and trailblazers. Catch the next one with John Sanei, a disruptive innovation speaker, who talks about his new book, Foresight, in a fortnights time.
The podcast was produced and edited by Masabata Mkwananzi.