‘My dreams are coming true' - Sweet Guluva on making music and living large
Seven months ago, this was all just a dream for Akhonamathemba Zwane.
But he chased his ambitious goals anyway. Now, Sweet Guluva is thriving.
After winning the R2 million cash prize from Big Brother Mzansi, Sweet Guluva told Drum that he'd be seizing every opportunity that the entertainment industry has to offer him, with his eyes fixated on acting.
And that's exactly what he's done.
At just 23 years old, he now travels the country performing his song, "Sweet Guluva," with DJ Zinhle, which is titled after him.
Read more | 'I'm so proud of him' – Sweet Guluva's mom bursts into tears of joy
His biggest performance yet was recently at the Durban July Afrotainment marquee, which he attended alongside his girlfriend, Ashley Ogle, whom he met in the Big Brother house.
'It's beautiful to see that we agreed to give our love a chance,' he says proudly.
Catching up with Drum after a photoshoot linked to a big announcement he'll be making on 18 August, he excitedly says, 'What's coming next is what I've always wanted to do from the very beginning of my journey. It makes me happy to be finally making music, and what's coming up'.
Hailing from the same province, DJ Zinhle and Sweet Guluva found themselves to have a lot in common, including knowing Sweet Guluva's mother, Bongiwe Zwane, whom DJ Zinhle admitted to having attended the same school with on social media.
It wasn't long after this that the two recorded their song together with Nokwazi and Ndloh, which dropped on June 6.
Read more | Sweet Guluva on pursuing acting - 'My intention was to break into the industry'
'DJ Zinhle already had an idea of how to bring this song to life, so by the time I got to the studio, there was already a beat ready for me. She wanted it to be my introduction to music because she had already heard of my wish to get into music.'
'None of this scares me, I'm just happy that my dreams are coming true.'
He adds that seeing it all come together like a well-put puzzle has kept him focused, despite the money and fame.
Through it all, he still seeks counsel from his mother on how to stay grounded and move in the industry.
'For as long as God has given me the chance to make music, I will make music with whoever comes with a beat I like and we can collaborate well on.'
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A post shared by Akhonamathemba Zwane (@sweet_guluva)
Contrary to popular belief, as a staunch Zulu speaker, he rejects the idea of hopping onto maskandi and chuckles as he shares with Drum that his preferences are amapiano, afro-tech, and house.
Sweet Guluva has since abandoned his studies at the Cape Peninsula of Technology (CPUT), where he was doing his third year and has permanently moved to Johannesburg in pursuit of the gold in the city.
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