Iconic TV personality Zandi Nhlapo‘s latest ventures see her putting women’s health in the spotlight by having frank conversations to help them learn and understand their bodies and emotions as they age.
Loved as a 1990s SABC1 continuity presenter and for her latest acting roles in Imbewu and Housekeepers, at the weekend Nhlapo hosted a wellness event that was premised on the physical, emotional and mental changes that come with ageing and menopause. This International Women’s Month, she unpacks why it’s crucial to have such conversations openly.
Sowetan: What was the intention behind the event?
Zandi Nhlapo: I wanted to curate a wholesome event for women of different ages to receive advice and tools from a menopausal perspective. With all that we seasoned women know, we need to teach and share information with the younger generation that is coming up behind us, because none of that skips a generation. The better prepared you are, the more fluid life becomes. When you know better, you do better.
Sowetan: What kind of conversations did you unpack?
Nhlapo: We went through all the facets, from an emotional and mental wellness perspective, right through to nutrition and an overall outlook on self. We had a psychologist who spoke to the emotional side of things, where you find yourself emotional and how to navigate it when you reach a certain point in your life where you need tools that will make you better from a vitality perspective and an emotional and mental wellness perspective.
Sowetan: Why are such conversations important?
Nhlapo: This is a conversation I wish I had had with someone when I was younger, before I even got into menopause. These conversations are not being had, or if they are, they’re not being had enough. I realised through my posts on social media that every time I post about menopause, there is huge engagement where women say they don’t know where they are.
Sowetan: What are those emotional shifts?
Nhlapo: Usually, as a woman, you find yourself not understanding the emotional state you’re in. This is why homes are breaking down because of unclear emotions; you are at the end of everything, but you don’t know why. You’re anxious. You fall into depression very easily because you just don’t know what your body is doing. It also affects the mind, self-esteem and confidence. You can imagine the trickle effect that it has on your life.
Sowetan: What has that experience been like?
Nhlapo: I’m perimenopausal, and I’m not shy about it. It’s part of life. There’s nothing taboo about it for me. I have most of the symptoms: brain fog, anxiety and emotional stress. When you are dealing with something you do not know, it becomes scary. But when you look at it in the face and say, “That is my reality,” then you can work with it.
Sowetan: What are your hopes for the future of these conversations?
Nhlapo: I’m hoping to take these conversations nationally this year. Everything happens in Joburg, but women exist everywhere. I would love to go to different corners of SA where women can gather in one room and unpack this transition together. There are women out there going through menopause without even knowing what it is. Sometimes the tools can be as simple as journaling, listening to your body and paying attention to your mind.
