JO-ANNE REYNEKE

BronzePage: It's so nice to be able to chat with you. What a day! Let's do it! You are a very famous actress in South Africa. You are confident, self assured, humble, very beautiful, great energy, but there is something else  that comes across right away....your wisdom. You look so young and gorgeous but you have the mind of a sage. Help us unpack that.

Jo-Anne: Thank you so much for the compliments. I've never considered myself as wise. Throughout my life though, I've constantly heard it from those who are close to me. My best friend of 25 years Thando Thusi, says it to me almost daily. If I'm being honest I really don't feel like it comes from me, I feel used in those moments. It's like someone older and wiser lives within me and jumps at the opportunity to speak when I have a platform. I do appreciate that at least what is being said is helpful to those who are listening.  I like to think of myself as loud and funny...I like to keep conversations light. Or maybe it's the Gemini in me...the duality I have. 

BronzePage: Tell us about your upbringing. Your mom is Black and Zulu and your dad is White. Tell us about growing up in a biracial family.

Jo-Anne: Yes, I am the child of a biracial couple. My mom is Black, Zulu. My father is White, Afrikaaner. They had 3 kids of their own when they met. My mom had 3 Black kids from previous relationships; my dad had 3 white kids from his past relationships. Then there was me, the only mixed race in the family. I was half of everyone. For the first 5 years of my life, we lived with my dad, and all the kids. It was a good life from the pictures I've seen. Then they separated, and we moved back to KZN (Kwa Zulu Natal). My childhood was fun. We lived with anyone that would take us, so for me that meant endless friends. I loved it. I had no idea we were in bad shape....until I grew up, and started playing the horrible game of comparison.
My mom has always managed to get us a good education, I went to Alston Primary, then to Russell Girls High. I'll never know how my mom managed to pay my school fees, they were double what she earned. The power of a Loving mom- I guess. 

BronzePage: You once said you used to be very shy. How then did you decide you wanted to be an actress? Did you always know this was your destiny and if not, how did it happen? Did someone encourage you? How did a very shy young girl decide to delve into acting?

Jo-Anne: Yes, I was quiet shy while I was growing up...not in my day to day, but anytime it was time to perform on stage, I would shrivel up and almost die. I always wanted to be on stage entertaining people. I did it at home all the time, it's only on stage that I would get so scared that I'd start crying. Also 'The Bold and The Beautiful' was a constant fixture in our home, and the lady that plays Brooke Logan, her performances inspired me. I wanted to do what she was doing. So when I met  my Drama teacher in the 8th grade, it was life changing. She taught me the tools, and made me completely fall in love with the subject. I'll forever be grateful to Mrs Holness. 

BronzePage:  You won the Best Actress Award for the movie 'A Queen’s Lobola'. How was your reaction when you heard your name being called out as the winner?  

Jo-Anne:  I was absolutely shocked when my name was called. I was nominated amongst some of our best actresses in SA. Unfortunately, I wasn't there in person to accept my award, so my director on the film Ash accepted it on my behalf. It felt fitting, because this project was his baby, and he worked so hard to make it happen, I was glad he got the honor of going on that stage. 

BronzePage: You have done many movies. There is always that movie that strikes a chord with the actor, maybe for personal reasons. Which is your favorite?

Jo-Anne: I have done a lot of shows. I've luckily loved a lot of my characters, but the one that excited me the most was Sli on "Side Dish" playing on Netflix. She was my first morally unstable character, and I had the most fun playing her. Until I played my last character. She's called BK, on an upcoming show, she's gritty, a mother and a hustler.  It's not out yet, but it's coming soon to Netflix. I cannot wait for the world to meet her. 

BronzePage: You have admirers world wide...no surprise. Would you ever do a Hollywood movie? Should we reach out to a few directors? And would you do movies in other African countries besides South Africa? 

Jo-Anne: Yes I would love to act in Hollywood or Nollywood or any wood.. really. 

BronzePage: Imagine Mission Impossible 9 featuring Tom Cruise and Jo-Anne Reyneke. A scene with Tom trying to convince you to jump out in a parachute before the plane blows up...you both have 60 seconds left. 

Another good one will be Rush Hour 5 with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. They both fight to free you from a very dangerous situation.. Chris is your fiancé so it's very personal to him.  Wait! We have one more; Bad Boys  5 with you, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith chasing after a very bad guy. You are a female Detective brought in to crack the case of a South African criminal now in Miami....someone you are very familiar with. You are the only one who can lead them to this guy. Oh wait! We have one more....What if  Juliet Ibrahim ( who has been featured here) reads this and both of you-two very gorgeous women -go after bad guys in a Nollywood Movie.  

Do you see great imaginationwe have.... What do you think of all these plots? Which one sounds better? 

Jo-Anne:  No, this is not a fair question!!! These are some of the biggest franchises, that I happen to be a huge fan of!!!! Why must I choose? Kevin Hart never has to choose!! I would jump to do any of the above.

Monalisa Okojie is famously referred to as “The Jewelry Designer to the Stars'' because she has catered to very many Hollywood Celebrities...the list is unbelievable.

The next few days are going to be very exciting as we delve into the life of this African Princess and founder of Nehita Jewelry. 

Monalisa has been featured in Jet Magazine, Allure, Vanguard, Hollywood Weekly, LadyBrille and many other prestigious publications.

We interviewed the empress herself a while ago and she was very candid, humble and forthcoming..... enjoy it.

BronzePage: Hello Monalisa, we finally get to do this. Where are you from in Africa?
Monalisa: Yes, thank you. I have been looking forward to this interview. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, I am an Ishan Princess from Eguare, Irrua in Edo State, Nigeria.

BronzePage: First thing, let's talk about Nehita. Great name, with African ring. What does Nehita mean?
Monalisa: Nehita means 'What God Gave Me', it is actually my middle name.

BronzePage: Tell us about the business aspect. What is Nehita for those who do not know?
Monalisa: Nehita Jewelry started as a hobby, but now has been built as a lifestyle of designs that integrates culture, transcends time and embodies sophistication. Nehita is based on designs inspired by my international travels and knowledge. It is also important for me that people know that all of the gemstones used in the collections are from conflict free countries.
I understand the global immersion of fashion, the business has grown on both the African, Asian and American continents. Nehita’s designs are already in Ghana, Nigeria, Canada, China, United States of America and Dubai.

BronzePage: What inspired you to start such a business?
Monalisa: After I moved to Los Angeles, California, I sought for 18 karat gold jewelry but could not find any jewelry that was close to the kind I grew up wearing or saw my Mum and Aunties wear in Nigeria. When an opportunity came for me to travel with my Aunt to Dubai, I jumped at it. On my visit, I went to the Gold Souk, I was like a kid in a candy store, every design I ever imagined was there. I got some pieces for myself. After wearing them for a few months, I decided to alter the designs with the help of a local goldsmith here in Los Angeles. After a few weeks of a handful of compliments from friends, strangers and family members, I thought to myself,  'if I could alter these designs to look like brand new pieces of jewelry, then I can wear my creative hat to start making designs with 18 karat gold here in Los Angeles'.
My inspiration as you can see started off as a hobby, re-designing my personal pieces of jewelry and now it is a full time business. Nehita designs are constantly evolving, from unique and colorful fabrics worn in traditional settings to beautiful flowers, plants, paintings or the vibrant colors in our everyday lives. One is never far from their culture and their roots. I invested so much into my creations that my husband challenged me by asking if it was a “hobby or a business.”

BronzePage: What or when was that first break (in Hollywood). . . every business has them?
Monalisa: I never envisioned that my fascination for jewelry and design would lead to Hollywood, California and to becoming known as the Jewelry Designer to the Stars. However, my first break was after I started designing jewelry pieces for the late Whitney Houston in 2010. She loved Nehita jewelry. She gave out Nehita diamond crosses to friends/family as gifts during their birthdays.

BronzePage: Tell us about your designs. How do you go about creating your pieces?
Monalisa: I am alays unconsciously creating, drawing from those memories which are incorporated from my African background and heritage. I stay away from designs that are in vogue, I create pieces that are classic and elegant and can be passed from generation to generation. I want people to see quality, craftsmanship and beauty in all Nehita pieces.

BronzePage: What are your goals for Nehita? Let us look through your telescope.
Monalisa: In terms of my business, I would like to see more exposure of the Nehita product-line; the Nehita scarf or Nehita jewelry. Although Nehita started out as exotic jewelry for women, we soon recognized that the number of men wearing jewelry had increased exponentially, we didn’t want to leave them out so I created a line for them. I would like to see my designs with worldwide visibility, not just with celebrities here in the US but all over the world.

BronzePage: You are so private about your personal life, but as a celebrity. I’m not sure fans afford you such privacy. Tell us about your husband and children.
Monalisa: I am very protective of my family. My husband is a lawyer, he has his own law firm in downtown, Los Angeles and in Calabasas both of which are in Los Angeles County. He is very supportive of all my endeavors, he even volunteers when needed. I have three children;  I must say they all have been bitten a bit by the acting bug. I do encourage each of them to participate in our volunteer activities and teach them the importance of giving back. However, as I said, I am protective of them so you will probably not see them on the red carpet with their mother.

BronzePage: What are your plans for Africa? Any?
Monalisa: I am a patriotic Nigerian who represents her country wherever I go. However, I feel I am more than that; I am a global ambassador who uses her celebrity to give hope to the unfortunate and to the many lives I touch especially in Africa. This can be seen through Upward African Woman, a non-profit California-based organization, which I founded in 2013, whose mission is to give hope to disadvantaged women and children all over Africa. We currently have schools in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, where we educate, feed and care for women and children. The organization tackles issues of poverty, disease and illiteracy.

BronzePage: What do you want your friends, fans and the world to know about Africa?
Monalisa: First of all, I want them to know that I am a proud African and I stay true to my African culture and upbringing. I feel extremely blessed to be from a continent with such a colorful culture, a continent where we love to dance and celebrate at every given opportunity, a continent rich in natural resources, a welcoming culture where we see each other as brothers and sisters, despite the high level of poverty in most African countries. Some important facts that people should know about Africa are that there are no tigers in Africa. We speak over 1,000 languages. We have the deepest and most powerful river in the world in Congo. I must also add that the biggest misconception is that Africa is a Country, it is a Continent. My Africa is beautiful. 

BronzePage: What are your hobbies?
Monalisa: Dancing, reading, cooking, empowering young ladies to be leaders and watching good action movies.

BronzePage: For a young African child who is inspired by your story, please share with them what they must do and what pitfalls to avoid.
Monalisa: Get the best education that you can. Next, follow your dreams and desires, find out what you are really good at and develop that talent. Doubt will come along the way but don’t give up. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed in business. It is important, that they should give back to the underprivileged, a smile, words of encouragement, gifts and love go a long way to many people. Finally, choose your friends wisely and you will avoid many pitfalls.

BronzePage: How can our readers get in touch with you (website, twitter, Facebook, any other platforms), phone if necessary.
Monalisa: The Nehita website is http://nehita.com/. Facebook: Nehita Jewelry; X: @nehitajewelry; Instagram: @nehitajewelry, phone number 1.213.471.2310

BronzePage: Tell us something many people do not know about Monalisa. We must know something no one else knows (smile).
Monalisa: Hahahaha… that I am a great cook, I can cook pretty much any kind of food and I absolutely enjoy cooking.

BronzePage: Do not be a stranger. you are always welcome here.
Monalisa: Thank you, you are so kind. I must say this has been an interesting interview. 

BronzePage: What an absolutely delightful woman.