I walk into Kitchener’s and I’m struck by her beauty – all the gold jewelry on her hands, neck and fingers, make-up on point, heels on lock, and Ray Ban’s to complete the look that is her.

Nomuzi Mabena is a 21-year-old girl from Benoni who describes herself as “a girl on the hustle who is trying to make a difference in her life firstly and then the lives of the people I can touch”. In 2012 Nomuzi won a countrywide competition which granted her the chance of becoming a VJ for MTV Base Africa.

“I remember how I got into this emceeing thing. At an event in Benoni some guy was supposed to MC but the guy didn’t show up. So I was dating the organiser at that time, and I was like, ‘YO!! put me on I can do it!” Nomuzi states.

This is a clear indication of her confidence and willingness to step out of her comfort zone and take on challenges. After that event she decided to take it more seriously and turn emceeing into a career.

She goes on to mention the most important thing about presenting, “What I always appreciate about my job is that it has taught me how my own, natural, spontaneous self” – her tone rises like it’s a question – “is the best self I can be when I’m on stage or on TV.”

The bald-headed beauty turns heads, but she’s much more than her looks.The conversation leads into women and their confidence, and what feminism means to her as a young women in the public eye. “Our generation, everything that we do and everything that we say, is based on what is portrayed in the media. I think it’s very important for girls like me and other girls to step up their thinking,” she says. “Everything else in the world has picked up, men are elevating, the world is elevating, things are changing.”

She decides to take a break from eating breakfast to stress her next point, “We girls are stuck in being bitchy and being mean instead of us just getting this work.” After making her point she scrunches her face and then giggles. She is female and sees women fighting each other on a daily instead of working together, her facial expression suggests.

She goes on to say that, “If we really want to be equal, we need to stop trying to change things. Stop trying to get other people to change and just change our own thinking first.” She adds, “I think a lot of girls don’t have the patience with each other to sit around a table and talk about things. We would rather compete with one another for that Revlon deal or that interview with Big Sean, or even being verified on Twitter.”

Nomuzi believes those are some of the struggles girls worry about and go through. She does share a piece of advice “I think we need to open ourselves in doing confrontations whether we like it or not. We owe it to ourselves and the girls coming after us.”

Speaking of women and the role they play, we get into her recent Marie Claire photo shoot where she posed naked for the Lunch Box Fund. The shoot caused a buzz, and I wondered what her mom’s reaction was like. “I have good instincts when it comes to my family, I sort of know how they’re going to react to certain issues,” she says, before adding, “My parents were shocked when I brought the issue, but they were ok after and understood that it was for a good cause.”

Besides MTV Base and the Marie Claire campaign we also spoke about other business ventures. Nomuzi works with a company called 4Play Media, which does graphic design and events, and is considering starting her own jewelry line. “People really appreciate the way I wear my jewelry and always ask me for tips, so I’m planning on starting my own line. I mean we are the city of gold,” giggled the beauty.

Nomuzi sounds like “a girl on the hustle” and is making good moves in the media and business circles. With such plans in the pipeline and her success on MTV Base, she just might be the next “IT GIRL”, if she isn’t one yet. Her bubbly personality makes everything she says come alive in front of you and her confidence in her craft shows that she is dedicated to what she does.

Our favourite bald chick is destined for greatness.

For more Innerviews with your favourite people of influence follow me on twitter @Thy_Black_Hippy

Photography by Mpho Lehlongwa