From campus to celebrity, Sweet Guluva's decision to leave his studies and pursue 'Big Brother Mzansi' paid off in a big way.
Image: Nomathamsanqa Sithathu
Charismatic. A proud Zulu man. Likeable. These words easily describe Sweet Guluva, the newly crowned winner of “Big Brother Mzansi” Season 5.
In a brief one-on-one interview with him yesterday, a day after walking away as the winner of the season, he was still basking in the glory of his win. On Sunday night, he was announced as the grand prize winner, taking home R2 million.
When asked about his plans for the prize money, Sweet Guluva revealed that he's still in the process of figuring things out.
“To be honest, I don't have any concrete plans just yet, but one thing I'm certain about is that I want to grow the money.
"I want to take the R2 million and turn it into something more,” he said.
And as for love? Yes, he says, he is still with girlfriend Ashley Ogle. In fact, his least favourite moment of his Big Brother season was when she was evicted from the house.
Before entering the “Big Brother” house, Sweet Guluva, whose real name is Akhonamathemba Mbele, was a student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, studying Business Information and Administration.
With only two years left to complete his qualification, he made the bold decision to leave CPUT and pursue the “Big Brother Mzansi” opportunity.
When asked if he plans to return to his studies, Sweet Guluva expressed uncertainty. “I'm not sure about going back to school, but I'm certain about finishing my qualification. I just need to figure out how to make it happen,” he said.
In our interview, Sweet Guluva shared his emotions when his name was revealed as the winner.
“It still feels surreal to me,” he admitted. “I think it’s still going to sink in properly when I have time to myself.".
The 23-year-old also expressed his gratitude to his supporters, thanking every single person who voted for him.
However, one thing is certain, now that he is out of the “Big Brother” house, Sweet Guluva is eager to dive into the entertainment industry.
He shared that he wants to delve into every facet of media. “I'm interested in doing voice-overs, music, TV presenting and radio if possible,” he shared.
Looking back on his time in the “Big Brother Mzansi” house, he revealed that his strategy to stay ahead of the game was to win the Head of House challenges in order to give himself immunity and avoid being nominated for eviction.
When asked about his biggest cheerleaders, Sweet Guluva had two special mentions. The “Big Brother Mzansi” Season 5 winner revealed that Melino, a former housemate, has been supporting him from the beginning and that he believes he's still cheering him on from outside the house.
He also gave a special shoutout to his mother, whose name he didn't want to divulge as she liked her privacy, saying she has been his biggest cheerleader since day one and has been with him every step of the way.
Sweet Guluva also said that his favourite moments in the house were the arena games that took place on Friday night inside the Big Brother house.
