Actress, producer, and women’s rights advocate Nambitha Mpumlwana has launched the national tour for her women’s empowerment movement, The Divas Repartee — the flagship experience of her Diva Nexus movement.
The event will take place on October 26 at Thyme on Nicol in Hurlingham, Johannesburg, marking the beginning of the national tour.
It will centre around topics related to women as “thinkers, creators, and catalysts for change.”
Speaking to Sunday World this week, Mpumulwana said it is not just a space for actors and creatives, but for all women.
“It is about women being heard. It is a formal space to cling to each other’s wisdom,” Mpumlwana said.
“It’s about self-actualisation, self-empowerment, appreciating, and celebrating oneself each day.”
SA’s chronic epidemic
South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates in the world, often linked to ongoing intimidation, domestic abuse, threats, and sexual violence within an intimate relationship.
Women make up 51.5% of South Africa’s population.
According to research conducted in 2024 by the Human Sciences Research Council, gender-based violence is a chronic epidemic in South Africa, especially among black African women and women with disabilities.
One of the guests at the event will be renowned actress Florence Masebe, who in 1999 nearly died.
A group of people shot Masebe nearly 40 times as she was returning home from her night shift as a TV presenter. However, she managed to survive and share her story.
Mpumlwana, who has known Masebe for three decades, believes it is important to hear her story.
“Florence has lived through a heck of a lot, and her story of being shot, surviving that, and thriving and inspiring others [must be told],” Mpumlwana said.
“She is a beacon of hope for many women, and she will be a great addition and catalyst for the dialogues we are going to have. Her voice will be heard.
“Many times, women are not heard. Women’s power is taken from them, and sometimes we need to realise what our power and authority really are and what we can and cannot control.”
Dealing with negative labels
The word diva usually has a negative connotation and is associated with “troublesome, problematic, temperamental, and difficult to work with,” she said.
Within her career as an actress, Mpumlwana has been labelled a diva for knowing her worth and being outspoken.
“In my experiences and in my line of work, I have often received negative labels when I stood up and spoke out.
“They would call me a diva — hoping that I would feel insulted by that. I would use that to empower myself and those around me who had high standards.
“Those of us reaching for the stars and refusing to be deterred in a world that celebrates mediocrity are called divas.
“When you want to excel, you are shot down and called negative names like prima donna or diva,” she said.
Redefining the word diva
Through her initiative, Mpumlwana is redefining the meaning of “diva” as someone confident and unafraid to live their truth.
“I hope my words inspire any woman who hears them, as women in acting are often told to ‘tone it down and dim your light’. Being a strong black woman in our industry is frowned upon.
“I have redefined the meaning. The word diva is an abbreviation for divine, inspirational, virtuous, and accomplished.
“Diva Nexus is about unleashing the diva’s voice within. This is not about actors but about all women being heard.”
