Khosi Twala on Turning Big Brother Fame into a Lasting Empire

Media personality, entrepreneur and Khosi Twala is opening up about what life really looks like after winning one of the biggest reality TV shows on the continent. Speaking to DRUM Magazine, Khosi reflected on the highs, the pressure and the quiet moments that followed her victory.

After being crowned winner of Big Brother Titans, Khosi said the sudden fame was overwhelming — but in a good way.

In an interview with Drum, Khosi shared that the noise, love, and attention were overwhelming in the most beautiful way, but the quiet months that followed allowed for real growth.

For her, those quiet months became the real turning point. Instead of chasing the spotlight, she focused on building something that would last.

“Hype fades, but structure sustains you. Longevity isn’t built in applause; it’s built in silence. In strategy meetings. In discipline. In saying no. In refining your brand and healing privately. If I wanted to last, I couldn’t chase moments. I had to build foundations.”

That mindset slowly shifted her from reality TV winner to what many now see as an empire architect.

Khosi explained that even before the finale, she understood that fame does not last forever.

“There’s a difference between being famous and being established. Very early on, even before the show, I realised fame is borrowed, but ownership is permanent,” she said.

When the cameras stopped rolling, she asked herself an important question: Who is Khosi without the show?

“That question shifted everything. I didn’t want to be remembered as a moment in pop culture. I wanted to build companies, platforms and impact systems that function whether I’m trending or not,” she added.

After her win, opportunities came quickly. Brands wanted endorsements. Event organisers wanted appearances. Partnerships were everywhere. It would have been easy to accept everything, but she chose a different path.

“Exhaustion is expensive. I’ve turned down deals that didn’t align with my long-term positioning. Some people were taking advantage of the moment. I’ve chosen sustainability over speed,” Khosi shared.

Today, as CEO of Active Lifestyle Brands, she says building a business is not about looking good on Instagram. It is about strong systems behind the scenes.

“Slow growth means scalable systems before expansion. It means strengthening production, customer experience, supply chain and community before chasing volume. It means reinvesting profits instead of flexing them,” she explained.

“Slow growth is choosing profitability over popularity. Cash flow is oxygen. You can have visibility, influence, and demand, but without disciplined financial management, you suffocate. Passion without structure is chaos,”

Her daily routine is not as glamorous as people think. Most days are filled with reviewing budgets, approving samples, negotiating brand deliverables, planning campaigns, coordinating NGO work and handling legal reviews. The glam may shine on social media, but the boardroom work is what truly keeps everything running.

If winning a show made her visible, launching ‘Khoffee With Khosi’ made her powerful. The talk show reflects her academic journey at the University of the Free State, where she studied journalism, and later at the University of Johannesburg, where she pursued Strategic Communications.

“Journalism taught me how narratives are constructed and how easily they can be manipulated, but Strategic Communications truly helped me navigate and solidity my brand.” Khosi said.

With a deeper understanding of media and branding, she now responds to trends carefully.

“Relevance feeds attention. Reputation feeds legacy. Not every trend deserves participation. I ask myself, ‘Will this make sense five years from now?’ If the answer is no, I’m comfortable sitting it out. You don’t have to be loud to be powerful,” she highlighted.