Umhlanga-based influencer Lee Khumalo stays true to her Zulu heritage.
With her warm presence and genuine smile, Lee Khumalo is one of those people who is easy to be around. Raised in KwaMashu, Lee is now based in Umhlanga where she works as an entrepreneur and content creator. Glamorous and successful, she fits seamlessly into the world of influencers, but there is more to her than her social media feed. In fact, Lee is soon to be registered as a traditional healer and herbalist, and has been on a profound journey of spiritual training.
Lee credits her family for her success in all facets of her life. “I grew up in a loving and supportive household, which I’m always so grateful for because I truly believe it helped shape the woman I am, both as an individual and in my spirituality,” she says. “I’m still deeply rooted to home because family is one of my core foundations and the place I can centre myself best.”
Straddling the worlds of traditional healing and content creation is a unique place to be, but Lee says that both forms of work found her. Her career as an influencer began when she was approached by a brand that had seen her profile on Instagram. “From there, I took it upon myself to learn more about the industry and to try to curate my page to be more appealing,” she explains. “It’s been so exciting to work with different kinds of brands; it’s a dream for a creative mind!” She has worked with a number of brands, including Vodacom, VW, Roberto Cavalli, and Woolworths. “My favourite part of content creation is when you see the vision you have in your head come to life, and have people interact with your work positively.”
When it comes to her work as a healer, Lee says that she found her calling through a series of spiritual signs. “I was feeling out of place in the space that I was in and a lot of vivid dreams indicated that my life was headed in that direction,” she says.
“Coming from a spiritual home, it was easy to seek help from someone we trusted as a family to get clarity on what I was experiencing.” Lee underwent training for over a year, a period she describes as the hardest of her life. “It took a lot of willpower, sleepless nights and a very big change in mindset to get through the series of rituals. Every day is different and there’s always something new to learn, so it’s like an ongoing initiation.” Lee’s spiritual mother, a woman named Makhosi N Mhosho, is her biggest mentor, while her mother’s strength and prayers have also helped her immensely, especially when she was close to giving up. “Dealing with different people and energies can be overwhelming, so I’ve taught myself to create periods of rest where I can reboot, and take care of my mental and physical health.”
Now, Lee has started her own business called Okwedlozi Botanicals. It’s an online store that focuses on spiritual healing using mainly African herbs and medicines. The offering includes a range of spiritual health, aromatherapy and wellness products designed for the mainstream market. Each product is made from fresh organic herbs, and Lee says they are handcrafted with love.
She also offers online guidance, which includes prayer and meditation tools, as well as spiritual counselling, consultations and cleansings. Lee would like African spiritual healing to find a place in the world of wellness for its ability to positively affect people’s lives. “African spirituality often has negative connotations,” she admits. “Like everything in this world, it has two sides to it, but most of us who try to heal do so with honesty. We try to show the beauty in who we are as young healers, educate the masses on what exactly healing is about, and what we do in the attempt to change people’s lives for the better.”
Details: @exquizit_lee, @okwedlozi_botanicals
Text: Jennifer Campbell Photograph: CHRIS ALLAN PHOTO Makeup: MPILO DLADLA Outfit: CHARLES CELE
