Almost 60% of South Africans Consult Sangomas, and It’s Estimated That There Are Eight Times More Traditional Healers Than Westerntrained Doctors in South Africa. But What Does This Ancient Practice Look Like in 2017? It’s Taken a Decidedly Digital Turn…
Bright-pink acrylic nails? Check. Gucci handbag? Check. Brows on fleek? Check. Kwenzekile Mngoma, 29, is ready for work (and her Instagram #selfie).
Except she’s not heading to a corporate office or a hipster coffee shop. She’s walking to a thatched-roof indumba (hut) behind her home in Durban. There she will spend the day holding a very modern mix of in person, FaceTime, e-mail, WhatsApp and InstagramDM sessions with clients.
They’re seeking her advice, her counsel and her calling: she is an izinyanga (a herbalist sangoma), and she’s practising the age-old tradition in a very 2017 way.
‘Most of my clients are women in their 20s. They see me on Instagram, follow my lifestyle and pics, and see that I’m real and relatable and young, and that makes me relevant to them,’ says Mngoma. ‘Being able to form relationships with clients, for them to trust you and confide in you, is key. I offer counsel and guidance, not just treatments, cleanses and future readings. How you relate to a sangoma is vital – and that’s where social media is important for me. You can see into my life and understand who I am.’
Mngoma’s modern-day spiritual consultations don’t require you to go to her home.
Just as we’ve all adapted to working remotely and being always ‘on’, so has she. ‘My clients are mostly young, busy women like me, so they appreciate the convenience of digital consultations. Some women prefer to e-mail me, others choose WhatsApp or direct messaging on Instagram. I also do consultations on FaceTime or on the phone.
Esta historia es de la edición Feb 2017 de Cosmopolitan - South Africa.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición Feb 2017 de Cosmopolitan - South Africa.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Marc Buckner
The Bachelor SA Season 2’s star is here to make you swoon. Find out why boss babes are ready to risk it all for this adventurous dog lover.
I Tested Positive For The Alzheimer's Gene At 26 Years Old
A DNA testing kit is like a crystal ball, but what if you don’t like what you see?
Basically No-One Has A 28-Day Menstrual Cycle
Brought to you by: the idea of a ‘normal’ period is a lie
For Those Times When You're Like, ‘I Love You, But You're Annoying...'
Coupledom can be hard!
How To Get Sh*t Done
Calling all procrastinators: sometimes getting started on a new project or goal can be the hardest part. Here’s how to stop putting it off and actually press go
Is Rage Bait Okay?
It has become the new engagement strategy for many brands. Companies bait their followers into engaging with their content around topics that cause outrage. But is this okay? Social -media strategists Talya Goldberg and Jabulile Dlamini -Qwesha share their views.
Is Cardio A Scam? And 7 Other Not-stupid Questions About Fitness Things
Thanks for calling 0800 -WTF- Is -This
Hold The Phone
Zozibini Tunzi is here to remind you all to Take. Up. Space. She’s rewriting the pageantry rulebook, and she wants you to join in (in a bath, wearing sparkly boots, because that’s just how we roll).
How To Tell It Like It Is *And Finally Get A Promotion*
Receiving constructive criticism on your work can be terrifying. But do it right and it can be a career game-changer.
What Makes A Compulsive Liar?
We all do it. Tell those lit t le white lies to ourselves, and others. But what about those for whom lying is a way of life? Catriona Harvey-Jenner investigates the rise of a new kind of scammer.
