She is back in South Africa for a few days for work purposes. She wears many hats; actress, singer, radio and TV host Khanyi Mbau is now a permanent resident in Dubai with her partner and businessman Kudzai Mushonga. The two relocated a few years ago to start a new life. Khanyi tells ZiMoja that she went to Dubai to mostly "find herself' and to rebrand.

LIVING IN DUBAI

She is enjoying moving between both countries. "I have been living in the Middle East full-time. I am a resident,' she says. "I am there trying to figure out what I am doing and what my contribution in this entertainment industry space is and what my purpose now is.' This year she celebrates 20 years  in show business. "I have been doing this for 20 years. I am literally in Dubai trying to figure it out,' she says. "I have done marriage, children, acting, music, skin bleaching, being a sugar baby. I have done it all. So, what I am doing now? I thought the best way to figure this out is to move away so I can look back in,' she says. "Gen-Z (A term used for people born mid-to-late 1990s) is amazing. Our time has come. I know I am still relevant, but the industry has changed. It's no longer about going to events to be seen. There is now social media and people going viral every day. I am living in Dubai, taking some type of hiatus to find myself and my position. I am doing this though in an ultra-futuristic city where the world is leading.' 

20 YEARS IN THE GAME 

The Khanyi that started out 20 years ago has made mistakes but mostly learned some lessons. "In these 20 years, I learned that I am not new or the freshest thing. The industry gives you your turn. You're not special, or different, it's just your turn to drive the culture,' she says. "I learned that South African culture is the bravest in the world and this is why we make waves on social media. Our TV shows and films are insane. We are telling our own stories and it has made me braver.' Khanyi has done it all and her next move is to create and own a telenovela. "I want to own it. I am ready to write, produce and open up the industry and let other children shine. I have been cancelled many times. I have had my nudes all over the internet and on people's phones. I have seen it all. I know what it's like to be thrust into this fame with bosses not understanding but I want now to go into proper production.'

MAKING MONEY

 Recent reports have stated that the mom of one is broke but Khanyi says she has always been money-wise and being poor is not an option. "I still do come home often for work. Now for an example, I am here for the Castle Milk Stout Black Conversations launch where I am part of a panel of people discussing issues affecting black people. Acting on The Wife has also kept me alive. I do social media marketing, influence campaigns. I conceptualise for agencies and I have a lot of work. God has been good to me in the 20 years and I am grateful. I have also dated people with money in the past, and I do have something stashed that can save me on a rainy day,' she says. 

WHERE IS MANDLA MTHEMBU?

Raising a daughter has not been easy. Khanyi has been quiet about the challenges of being a single mother and continued to do her work as a mom in silence. But she says not knowing the whereabouts of the father of her child, Mandla Mthembu, has been a hard burden to carry. "I don't know where Mandla is. My daughter does not know her father. She has not seen him ever since she was a baby. She has no recollection of him. All she has is old pictures from when we were young.' Khanyi says it's almost like that part of her life was a dream. "I genuinely don't know where Mandla is. I feel like he was a dream. Did he even happen? No calls, no texts, nothing. My daughter who is my partner in this life thing is 16 years old now."

 SOCIAL MEDIA BULLYING

She recently shared her opinions about ubusangoma and bravely said sometimes people do not have a calling but are anxious and depressed. She received a lot of backlash. "You have to take it with a pinch of salt,' she says. "I am used to being called names and shamed. Even on the show I am working on, I am ashamed. My life has always been some kind of make-believe. I run to my inner child is when I cannot handle anything.  When bad things happen, I go there. 'I realise that as people we get our strength sometimes from pulling the next person down to make us feel strong. It made me realise how broken we are. I cried because these are my peers, the same people who have been making my experience in showbiz hard. It's people who find my dark painful part to try to bring me down."