*This interview was inspired by WhiteSockGirl & her Cosmo Calendar articles. Hope she comes back to TVSA one day :-)
My first comment when I saw COSMO's 2009 SEXIEST MAN IN SA CALENDAR was "Mr May, I want your number!" I wrote that comment on WSG's blog and it was honestly just my way of saying "Wow!"
A few days later, I received an sms from a friend of mine (who has now become a special friend of mine) asking if I really wanted Vincent Ntunja's number because he could ask him for permission to give it to me. I immediately said "Yes, I wanna interview him!" I didn't even know where that came from but hey, who says no to an interview, right? lol
Anyway, I got Vincent's number but after he told me that my voice
& the way I look don't match, I decided not to use that number anymore so my conversations with him are limited to "voiceless" methods!
Here's an interview with Mr. May, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Calendar was in the Jan 09 issue
Brown Shuga: Congratulations on making it to the Cosmo Calendar, how did you end up on the calendar? Vincent: Thanks, I actually got a call from my agency asking me if I was keen to take part in the Cosmo Sexiest Men Calendar but I was kind of hesitant because I was not sure what it entailed but my booker Yvette convinced me to enter.
After a gruelling session I was finally told out of all the other thousand hopefuls who wanted to be on the calendar I was among the final twelve.
Till today I still feel honored to be regarded as sexy even though I look myself in the mirror trying to find this sexiness’ but still I have not found it yet ;-)
BS: It's for us to see, not you! Do you know how they decided which guy is on what month? Vincent: Nope: Maybe the COSMO people can give more clarity on that one..mna im still feeling privileged for just being in the calendar. Imagine all those fun fearless females looking at you every time when they're looking for some spark or motivation.
Infact if I was a manager of some company I would offer my female employees the COSMO CALENDAR every time when they feel sad or looking for productivity. You’re not feeling good? Instead of taking the Panado, get yourself the Cosmo Calendar.
BS: Hahahah that would work only if you were offering them the calendar boys, not just the calendar!
What does it all mean to you though & how has it changed your life if at all? Vincent: Like mentioned before, I feel so honored and privileged because it’s not everyday where one gets to be in the calendar. It also simply means the work and the efforts that I put in the gym are not gone unnoticed.
How has it changed my life? Honestly speaking there’s no amount of money or fame that can change me as a person because im still very much in touch with my roots and culture. I know very well where I come from and believe I cannot be greater than anyone.
My success is not to be rubbed on anyone’s faces. Im just grateful to everyone who supported me and ensured that I grow as a person. It hasn’t been an easy ride hence im still striving today.
BS: Did you guys get paid to be in the calendar?
Vincent: No, instead it provides one with so much exposure. Not everything is about money (in my opinion). (
fully agree with him here)
Sometimes we just have to appreciate without even thinking about money. For instance the COSMO SHOW was on Wednesday 28th and someone saw me parading or walking the ramp there and immediately after the show I was asked to take part in another event on the following Saturday (J+B Met) modeling the Carducci and Viyella clothing, where I got to mingle among Mzantsi celebrities like Loyiso Bala, Tumisho Masha, Kwela Tebza, Mxo, Jeannie D and Metro FM’s Unathi Nkayi.
These were the people are only saw on magazines or television and now here I am sharing the same stage with them. So it teaches us as humans that we shouldn’t always think money will be our savior as much as we need it for survival.
(eish this man!)
BS: All I know about you is that you're a model and you play basketball, please tell us more about yourself. Where you're from, what you do and what you're busy with right now? Vincent: Im from Gugulethu township in CAPE TOWN. I grew in an area known as Kak Yard. It is known like that because it is really Kak. You either have a choice to be a gangster, fraudster or deal in some sort of shady business for you to be respected among your peers or in the community.
It took me lots of guts to play basketball because it was regarded as one of the sissy sports because of the ignorance of our people. Till today I'm still thankful to my mother who single handedly taught me to be courageous and always go for what I want regardless of all the obstacles. Hence I have so much respect for single parents out there because I know now what it takes to raise a boy to become a man.
(Ncoh!)
Big-ups to my family and close friends for their on-going support. Even today Im forever thankful that I grew up in Gugs and im proud to say
‘I Love ikasi lam IGugulethu’ cause without you, I wouldn’t have been where I am today."
What do I do?
I regard myself as a multi tasker because I believe not even the sky is my limit.
I'm currently studying towards my Master’s Degree in Sports Tourism at the Cape Peninsula University and my research is focused on the 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP.
I’m also a
TV Presenter for
SABC 1 Slam-dunk a basketball programme that plays every
Sunday@ 14h00. My boy Siyabonga Ngwekazi is the main anchor/presenter for the show and I have my own slot named
Ntunja’s Talk, where I inform the basketball community about the latest scores, events or news in the basketball world.
I’m also a member of the
South African Basketball Team and just returned from a camp in Pretoria where we were preparing and training for African qualifiers which will take place in
Mozambique sometime this year.
Another hobby of mine is modeling. I enjoy it so much cause I get to travel a lot and meet different people. Recently I’ve done and an advert with undoubtedly one of the best players in Mzantsi at this moment, Orlando Pirates/Bafana Bafana star
Teko Modise.
Last year I spent a day with former Rugby captain
Francois Pienaar shooting the Lay’s commercial. I was the guy who snatched the chips out of his hands and he was chasing me around with the Golf car at the golf course and I had so much fun shooting it. I’ve also done a number of international shoots/commercials for SA and my recent one is for
EXACT!/ Foschini Club Magazine.
I’m also a social worker as well cause I believe in giving back. Through my commitments in community projects
Hoops 4 Hope (international non profit organization) in conjunction with EXACT clothing store built a basketball court in the heart of the
Gugulethu Sport Complex and the court was named after me thus making history in the process as the only player to have a court to be named after.
Despite meeting the basketball legend
Michael Jordan in Los Angeles, that court honor has been the greatest highlight of my career. So I normally host basketball clinics at the court teaching kids from Gugulethu and the surrounding areas the basics of basketball and give them life skills and instill in them that if they believe in themselves anything is possible.
I believe out of all the 200 kids I coach, if I make a difference in one of them then I will know I’ve played my part in making a difference cause kids in our communities lack true role-models to immulate.
BS: Oh my word! I'm really proud of your achievements...I'm actually surprised at all these wonderful things you're doing! I really wish you all the best, going foward!
Now back to the Calendar, how do you feel about not being the ultimate winner? I think you're way hotter than that Paul Rothman dude!
Vincent: hahaha..thanks a million times I truly appreciate the compliment, but to be honest, mna I felt like a winner just for entering because I don’t know many guys that would walk half naked in a room full of screaming woman.
In my opinion I believe the best man won. Infact if I could quote from COSMO:
"Paul gives new meaning to the term multi-talented," says Cosmo Editor Vanessa Raphaely”…
BS: Judging from the comments on your facebook profile, you obviously receive a lot of attention from females, how do you deal with it?
Vincent: Maybe its because I have so much respect for woman hence the attention. How I deal with it?eish..there’s nothing specific that I do instead I love it. If I wasn’t receiving any attention from females at all.. I think my girl was gonna be worried if there’s anything wrong with me.
BS: How does she feel about all the attention? (was tempted to ask for her pic lol)
Vincent: We both know where we stand with each other so she’s cool with everything..i think. I always wanted a girl who will understand me as a person instead of trying to change the person that I am.
BS: Three words that describe you?
Vincent: Spontaneous, Charismatic and Content
Q& A
Your favourite City in SA is..........
Vincent: Most definitely Cape Town, beautiful like its people.
The first thing you notice in a woman is........... Vincent: way she handles herself says a lot about you as a person
The most boring pick up line you've heard is.......... Vincent: aint you Tupac’s cousin?
Skinny jeans or hot pants?
Vincent: mmhh..hot pants especially in this hot CPT weather
Winter or Summer? Vincent: Both..winter for those baby making weather and cuddling up under blankets and summer for seeing pretty woman in bikini and hot pants;-)
Movie date or dinner date? Vincent: Movie date coz it doesn’t require you to dress up but dinner date is good occassionally!
Sex on the first date is.........
Vincent: showing how wild you are..grrrr
Your most embarassing moment was....... Vincent: when I took my 4year old brother to auditions for the 1st time and I was standing next to him for moral support and they asked him to perform something. and he started singing “
im inlove with the stripper”.. The sexiest Woman in SA is........
Vincent: Can't point out anyone specific. South African women are sexy in general, if you don’t believe me just come here in CPT at Mzoli’s Place (popular braai spot) u’ll see what im talking about.
Thank you Vincent for a beautiful interview, hope your star shines brighter and brighter!
Maybe next year you'll be on E!'s sexiest list, instead of Danny K! heheheh
Interesting Vincent Ntunja link:
Basketball Star injured in row with cops (that incident happened in May 2007, so maybe that's why they chose him as Mr. May lol!)