Luthando ‘Loot love’ Shosha on finding a balance in her life and journey to self-love

After her exit from MetroFM this year, the media personality announced last month that she’d be taking over as the new host of Apple Music’s first African music radio show Africa Now Radio. We caught up with the media darling to find out what makes her tick.

Who is Luthando “Lootlove” Shosha?

“Uhm, it’s very difficult to answer this question at the moment because I think I’m in a beautiful state of growth and redefining who I am. Once you have kids it takes about three to five years to kind of settle back to who you are; so if I would define it, I guess it would be... someone who is growing, evolving, learning a new language and just settling into herself.

“I guess that’s who I am. [I’m] just someone who’s re-learning life and experiencing from a different view, someone who is understanding the intensity of deep spirituality, an ever-growing being I guess.”

What was your initial thought when you were told you’d be the host of Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio?

“Well, tears then shock and excitement. And then a bit of heartbreak and that explains my tears because I just felt overwhelmed by emotion and I couldn’t believe that this was an opportunity handed to me so beautifully.

“The shock naturally because this is a big deal, so you kind of go into shock mode. Heartbreak because the person who would have gotten it the most in terms of what it means to me on a real level, my younger brother who is not here to share this moment with me.

“The rest has just been to take everything in and just be present and enjoy it. I’ve also got a really great team that supports me ... from producer to the rest of the team at Apple Music Africa who make sure that I’m fed with enough information because it’s a lot to take in at one go and there’s a lot to move through all the time.”

How would you best describe your fashion sense?

“No description. It literally is my mood of the day. That’s literally what I think about what I wear. What I pick, would I like it? Like who do I feel like being today, you know? I think that’s the thing about fashion. You can do anything. You can play. If you understand your body and you understand your design.”

What is your love language?

“All of them. The discovered, or undiscovered – all of them: material, affection, time … all of the love languages are my love language. I think everybody is like that at different stages of their lives...”

If you weren’t afraid, what would you do?

“I’m literally doing it right now. I was afraid of having kids, I had them. I was afraid of being single, I’m single. I was afraid of so many things, I was afraid of losing someone to death and I did. So, at this point I’m fearless, I’m living like I have nothing to lose. I’m just not scared of anything.”

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

“That you don’t have time and to be present and to also give yourself the room to be a person that’s allowed to be frustrated and to make mistakes, to not understand, to give yourself room to be happy and change your mind about anything at any point.

“You can change your mind about anything. I’ve also been taught a very important lesson on the power of forgiveness, but it all starts with you; to be able to be in a position to forgive yourself before you can forgive someone else.”

What would you never be caught wearing in public?

“Tights! There was a phase where those tights, the black ones, were worn too much. We know they are tights and we’re supposed to wear them underneath something, like a revealing skirt for example. I could definitely wear tights at home, but not when outside, no!”

What does the world need more of?

“I think the world needs more empathy. If we were more empathetic and gave each other room.

“I think if we were less judgmental and open to truth and what it actually means, things will be less complicated!”

What do you love most about being a mother?

“The beauty of how in touch children are with their emotions and how honest they are and me experiencing every day the beauty of being mirrored. So, I always know where I stand. If I’m too agitated, they reflect that. If I’m patient they reflect that. If I’m loving they reflect that, so that mirror is quite powerful.

“But also, their innocence. I enjoy them seeing things for the first time and getting excited over and over again.

“I’m enjoying seeing parts of me in them. I’m enjoying how fast and quick and smart they are. I’m mostly enjoying seeing the relationship between my mom and them.”