Iconic talk show host Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, who now lives in the US, says her New Year’s wish is that South Africans would learn how to talk more in order to build a better understanding of each other.

Mabuza-Suttle, who became the country’s biggest talk show host in the early 90’s, believes that 2019 is an important milestone for Mzansi’s hard-fought democracy. It is the 25-year-celebration of the first democratic elections.

Felicia’s 2019 wish list

“I am overwhelmed by my 2019 wish list, which includes eliminating illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, and crime, but I leave that to the experts,” says Mabuza-Suttle. “My expertise, however, is in changing negative perceptions about South Africa through communication and sharing my passion for our beautiful country.”

She recalls that former president Nelson Mandela, whilst on his first historic visit to the US in 1990, called on South Africans living abroad to come back home to help build a new democracy. “I proudly answered to that call, and used one of the most powerful mediums, television, to create understanding by bringing black and white, young and older South Africans together.”

Mabuza-Suttle says, “As we celebrate 25 years, many people tell me, we are not talking with each other any longer as we did on The Felicia Show. If we want to continue to eliminate fear among races and to create better understanding between the generations, we need to talk more again.”

The international award-winning entrepreneur plans on hosting various indabas in 2019 with the public and private sectors “to have us to talk and act on how we can all contribute to bring out the little bit of the Mandela in all of us, and to tackle some of the. We cannot just continue to blame it on apartheid.”

She says, “For a nation that was led by a man who preached ubuntu, Mandela, we have to exhibit this one characteristic that is in our DNA as Africans – ubuntu, to make South Africa a great nation.”

Mabuza-Suttle says she will furthermore continue to change negative perceptions about South Africa and to encourage nearly every American to visit South Africa. “Never does a day go by, without me educating or encouraging an American to visit South Africa. I will also continue to help young South African artists abroad, and to assist to create a platform to showcase South African culture and talent. I just came back from an amazing show where Soweto Gospel Choir was performing. Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela educated the world about South Africa with their music.”