Style star Lunathi Mampofu reveals her fashion secrets
While the award-winning actor has been deservedly getting her flowers, taking home accolades from the Royalty Soapie Awards and the Feather Awards, Lunathi remains as humble and driven to take care of her family, revealing that although she was winning awards she was out of work and had to sell her car to support her family.
Through it all, the 38-year-old thespian and mom remains a shining star in the entertainment industry. Not just for her captivating onscreen performances, but also for her distinct street style.
Lunathi always brings her best, whether it's a tailored 'fit exploring her androgenous style or sporting bold prints on the red carpet.
'My clothing is a form of expression of how I feel at that time,' Lunathi tells TRUELOVE.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
From a fashion line in the works to drawing inspiration from her mother, Lunathi dives into her eclectic fashion sense.
How would you describe your personal style?
'I dress how I feel, I design how I feel and most of the stuff I'm dressed in I've designed or I've inspired the designer to do them like that. I always like to look different, my mom was always the type of woman who would not dress like anyone else ... She wouldn't go into the typical shops that everyone shops in but she will go and find boutiques and all that stuff because she always wanted to look different and I think that's what I kind of draw from, obviously, because she used to dress us like that as well as children. But I don't like to look like anyone else, to be honest with you.'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
What's next for you in the fashion space?
'I'm inspired by clothing a lot and I am going to start my own clothing brand soon ... It's been in the pipeline, it's something that I'm working on, and I'm praying to God to just direct me through it and I do it as well and as hard working as I do my craft.
'I want to give my all and I want to have enough time. That's something, unfortunately, that we don't get enough of.'
A lot of your style includes bold shoulder pads. What do you love about making that kind of statement?
'The shoulder pad thing, for me, is just like, it gives you what we call isidima (gravitas). Shoulder pads [are] like i-petticoat. You know the petticoat thing that our parents used to wear underneath and then they wear with stockings and they'll wear their heels? It's one of those things that are staples that presented what a woman - poise. What isidima looks like and for me, that's what it is.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
'I was brought up by a woman who was constantly looking beautiful, loved herself, carried herself well to a point where you'd be scared to even say hi type of a situation because she's got that thing and I feel like i-shoulder pads do that for me.'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
What colours do you love against your skin?
'Nudes. I love nudes, I love black. But I think the colour of my skin complements, the shade of my skin, let me just say, is open to complementing a lot of different colors. That's why I like to experiment and play with them. But I am a natural colour woman.'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lunathi Mampofu (@lunathimampofu)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
20 minutes ago
- News24
This Cape Town ‘village' hub on reimagined land gives township entrepreneurs a chance
In the heart of Philippi Village is an entrepreneurial community hub redefining the idea of transformation. Philippi Village, an entrepreneurial and community hub in Philippi, Cape Town, offers low-income households the opportunity to become self-sufficient in the urban economy. Since its inception in 2016, the model for Philippi Village has evolved from a business support centre into a community-focused development project, adapting according to the circumstances of the community that it serves. Twelve hectares of open land and an abandoned cement structure might now be perceived as an oasis in the chaos, madness and challenges of the wider Philippi area. The project questions the role of space in the developing urban Cape Flats. Originally conceptualised to house small businesses, it acted as a 'landlord' to township-based entrepreneurs who could rent workspaces and receive guidance to launch or grow small businesses. The financial model was dependent on small businesses paying rent, which ultimately failed due to a lack of occupancy and disposable income. Although Philippi Village managed to invite external tenants such as the Desmond Tutu Foundation, it couldn't retain them due to incidents of violent crime in the area. 'People's ideas of safety are different,' says Bushra Razack, CEO of Philippi Village. 'They often have a perceived safety – where safety is armed security with a baton. How do you shift that mindset?' Klara Robertson/News24 Klara Robertson/News24 Klara Robertson/News24 The organisation decided to put up a wall to protect the investment. 'Walls mean different things to different people, but at that moment we needed perimeter safety,' Razack explains. Razack emphasises that the long-term plan of Philippi Village is to eradicate the need for the wall and use landscape design as an integrated form of security. Tearing down walls created solutions Every time Philippi Village tried to build a wall around its property, the residents of Siyangena, an informal settlement on the outskirts of the Philippi Village border, would tear it down. When the team engaged with the community to find the reason for this, the residents of Siyangena said that they broke the wall down because they had no access to toilets and used the land to relieve themselves. For Razack and her team, this was powerful information: they realised that even with the best possible intention, it was essential to understand what is important to the community. There are opportunities for the youth at Philippi Village. Klara Robertson/News24 Klara Robertson/News24 As an NGO focused on building entrepreneurial spaces in Philippi, the team was sceptical about becoming responsible for basic amenities but understood that the lack of toilets in Siyangena directly affected the village's perimeter. The Philippi team appealed to the Western Cape government to provide toilets for Siyangena, but the government claimed it didn't have jurisdiction because the land was privately owned. The solution was for the team to build the wall as a zigzag, providing space for the toilets and giving the provincial government permission to build them on their land, which occurred four years later. 'The realities of township life, though not how you want to portray Philippi, is an important part of how one has to design the space,' says Razack. 'In South Africa we have an apartheid-style approach: bring out the guns, land invasion unit. In that moment, if we don't have an alternative in place, it's the easiest, safest, most convenient way to react to it. But we are only as healthy and safe as what is happening around us.' A 'conscious contract' with the community over land The model of Philippi Village is rooted in a community-centred approach, recognising that the spatial legacy of apartheid continues to shape township design – spaces historically not built to inspire dignity, health or opportunity. When residents of Waterfront informal settlement, driven by unliveable flooding conditions, began erecting homes on the Philippi Village premises, the team responded with a collaborative, rather than confrontational, approach. The settlement, situated on city-owned land and lacking basic services like sanitation and electricity, becomes inundated with sewage during the rainy season. In response, the Philippi Village team formed what they refer to as a 'conscious contract' with the Waterfront community. They agreed to prioritise Waterfront residents on their job seekers database in exchange for cooperation in managing the land occupation challenge. This mutual agreement laid the foundation for a unique partnership. Klara Robertson/News24 Seeing a tangible benefit, the community identified 40 individuals who were not originally from Waterfront but had joined the occupation. Simphiwe Nikani, the general manager at Philippi Village, converted unused shipping containers – typically reserved for tenants – into emergency housing overnight. The community agreed to use these emergency units exclusively during the rainy season. Remarkably, they also committed to taking down their own structures and vacating the space once the agreement's terms were met. 'I've never seen another example in South Africa where there is a land occupation that is illegal, and people willingly take their structures down, fulfill their side of the lease agreement, and exit,' remarks Razack. 'It comes from that relationship-building, seeing what's important. At that moment, employment was more important than temporary housing.' A developing model of sustainable development Razack explains that the journey of the Philippi Village project is far from perfect and still has a way to go. But its community-rooted, flexible approach offers vital insights into how urban spaces in low-income areas can be developed with the people they serve, not just around them. Razack ascertains that the organisation is operating in a place of complexity. 'We are not setting up the village in a place where every day is a little bit easier,' she says. Philippi Village hopes to remove its walls entirely and rely on design – not deterrence – for security. Until then, it remains a living example of how land, relationships and trust can form the foundation for a new kind of city building.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mama June Shannon admitted to hospital
Mama June Shannon was admitted to hospital, just hours after a psychic warned her about health issues. The 45-year-old reality TV star met with a psychic during her daughter Jessica Shannon's bachelorette party, who told her she was carrying a lot of stress and "may have a heart attack" because of it. Hours later she found herself in severe pain and her husband Justin Stroud insisted she go to hospital because of the psychic's warnings. In scenes from Mama June: Family Crisis, she can be heard saying: 'It is way worse than it has ever been.' Doctors in the emergency room "determined that ovarian cysts are causing her severe pain" and June is now 'considering her treatment options'. June has suffered a number of health issues in recent years, revealing last month that along with having to undergo a total hysterectomy, she had other ongoing ailments. She told 'I am still dealing with the medical issues, and I don't want to go public with those until we find out where we are and what the treatment is going to be. 'So, the only thing that I've came public with is a hysterectomy, not the other health issues.' June is also sober following her public battle with addiction five years ago. She said: 'I'd say I'm five and a half straight, sober. No cigarettes, no alcohol, no nothing. You know, I don't even think about who that person was.'
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Zikhona Bali taps into her great-grandmother's prowess in new film
'It's good to see everyone here, but Africans have eyes to see what the white people can't see.' On the night of her birthday, the entertainment industry came out to watch her star in Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight alongside American-South African actress and director, Embeth Davidtz. Draped in a yellow vintage-inspired dress, Zikhona Bali looked ready to get into her character, Sarah. In the film, Sarah is the black maid who works for the Fuller family on their farm in Zimbabwe, which was Rhodesia at the time. Set towards the end of the Bush War and at the height of political tensions between the white minority and black majority during the country's first free elections, the film captures the events of the time from the eyes of an 8-year-old white girl, Bobo, who finds great companionship from Sarah. Read more | ' Never lose yourself in a relationship because of a man' - Zenande Mfenyana on playing Thumeka Caught in between the two races, Sarah finds herself pushed to take a dignitary stand for her people while remaining loving and loyal to the Fuller family. 'The story is very relatable to everyone. The character of Sarah moved me because I believe there are a lot of Sarahs where we come from. We carry a bit of Sarah in us; my great-grandmother was a reference for me with her characteristics. I tapped a lot into my great-grandmother, who moved so powerfully, but quietly, who had so much resilience, was strong, but yet delicate. She didn't say much, she didn't speak a lot, but when she spoke, it was very deliberate, cutting and wise.' She adds that her great-grandmother would have been immensely proud of her for telling this story. 'I'm happy for you, but are you going to return to school? When are you returning to school? Yeah, but I'm proud of you,' she imitates what she would've said. In not-so-many words, Sarah uttered emotion and wisdom. This put her life at risk of being attacked and ambushed by ZANU and ZAPU political parties, which represented the black majority. Speaking to Drum about why it is important for young people to not only watch the movie but the memoir it is based on by British-Zimbabwean author, Alexandra Fuller, which was published in 2001, Zikhona praises it for how it deals with different themes. Read more | 'I've grown so much' - House of Zwide's Nefisa Mkhabela talks industry lessons 'It deals with a lot of themes, such as loss and love and loss of identity, loss of land. It doesn't only speak to kids. It also speaks to us, grown folks, and it's very relatable. We've been kids before, and we've seen things. We've heard things. We've had our perspective. So the relatable link is that we've also been there. We've also been kids. And what I wish that people can take out of this film is a new or rather different perspective on our history as Africans. 'When I had a meeting with her (Embeth) and she told me about the story and the character, she advised me to read the book, and I read the book, and I sat on the book for a while. It's so difficult to read but very moving too. So it's a human story,' the former Diep City actress shares with Drum. Reflecting on the experience of working with Embeth and the executive producers - Anele Mdoda, Frankie Du Toit and Trevor Noah, she says she loved every minute of it, despite how horrific and sad it was. 'I loved the nuances. I loved being directed by Embers. I loved the intentional visitation from the producers on set. I loved how Embert was so gentle with the story and yet very gentle with us as the past.' The film is officially out in cinemas nationwide from Friday, 25 July 2025.
