TV personality and producer, Toyosi Phillips, recently took an exciting trip to Durban, South Africa for the Essence Festival that took place in November.
During the festival, she got to meet Beyonce’s mom, Tina Knowles, Wizkid, Steve Harvey, and other celebrities of African descent who are doing great things in their fields of influence.
Here are a few highlights from her trip
Speaking on her experience in Durban, Toyosi says:
“On my first Day in Durban I asked myself, what exactly am I doing here? Essence Fest Durban was something I had been excited about attending. I got hooked after the first one I attended in The States in July and when I’d heard that there was going to be the first Essence Fest in Africa, I knew I had to be there!
It didn’t help that I was hearing this information from the editor-in-chief of Essence herself, Vanessa K. De Luca. If you know me, you’d know I’m enthralled by successful black women making their mark in their various industries and I’m always looking for ways to support. Attending the festival for me was not just about getting inspired and empowered; it was also about supporting Essence, the organization.”
On hearing Tina Knowles speak at the festival, Toyosi says:
“It was amazing hearing Tina Knowles speak. She spoke about how she launched all her businesses at Essence Fest and how wonderful it was that Essence was in the motherland and how important platforms like Essence were for young, black women. She got a resounding applause when she finished speaking and then an award was presented to Mama Thandiwe Thandie Ngonelo, a preacher who has made an impact in different communities in Durban.”
On Steve Harvery, Toyosi says:
“He spoke to my heart! Talked about his background and the speech impediment he had when he was growing up and about his teacher who brought him to the front of the class and laughed at him when he said he wanted to be on TV.
She had told him he would never be on TV because he stuttered and also because no one from his school or family had ever been on TV so why would he write down that he wants to be on TV?
That alone made him decide he was going to pursue that dream and now, years later, he said he sends her a TV for Christmas every year! The hall went wild.”
Oh yeah and Toyosi bumped into Wizkid at the airport:
“I don’t know why seeing him made me smile from my heart. I think I was and still am just really happy about how successful he is. He has definitely come a long way.”
