Mzansi celebrities share their New Year hopes and reflections
As 2025 approaches, South African celebrities are taking a moment to reflect on the past year and share their aspirations for the new one.
From intimate family gatherings to bold resolutions, the stars of Mzansi have diverse ways of ringing in the New Year.
Reality TV star, JoJo Robinson
How will you be ringing in the New Year?
We don’t go out on New Year ... We will be at home fast asleep. LOL.
What are the important lessons you carry with you from 2024?
Put your family above all else, and don’t stress over things you can't change.
Embrace everything for what it is and know that everything that is meant to be is already written in the stars.
Do you believe in New Year resolutions?
I don't do New Year resolutions. I don't think you should wait till a new year to make a change. If you want a change start whenever you are ready. And don't be hard on yourself if you mess up.
Just do what you can, when you can. Small changes make for big results over time.
What has been your most memorable celebration to date?
I celebrate life every day and the fact that me and my family are healthy. Gratitude for all the small things makes for a beautiful life.
What are your objectives for the new year?
Next year I want to step more out of my comfort zone. I want to try things I never have or things that scare me. Unfortunately, any new projects I'm busy on you will have to wait and see. – ZamaNdosi Cele
Chef Prim Reddy
How will you be ringing in the New Year?
“I’ll be welcoming 2025 with family at a local restaurant in Cape Town. Champagne, great food, music and dancing. So looking forward to seeing it in with those closest to me.
What are the lessons you’ve learnt this year?
My learning in 2024 have been life changing. I’ve learnt to surrender and trust the process. Operate on higher energy, start the journey and the universe will complete it. Once I realised, life changed.
Do you believe in New Year resolutions?
Yes, but I’ve also learnt to appreciate every day. The broader resolutions are always present but peace and happiness remain the goals, amongst people, places and things.
What's been your most memorable celebration to date?
My most memorable celebration was looking into my families eyes, knowing they are always there. My nephew, Kaelin and his beautiful wife, Priyanka are having a baby, so now we busy planning for our new addition. So so excited.
What are you looking forward to in the New Year?
There are exciting plans in the pipeline for 2025. Wearing a marketing hat means I can create campaigns to effectively market what we do. I’m having great fun creating and 2025 will be a liberating year for my heart, my soul and my peace. – Lutho Pasiya
Actress Hunter Plaaitjies
Do you believe in New Year resolutions?
I believe in resolutions ever so often as you need them, not only on New Year. If you’ve got quarterly goals or monthly goals, it’s great to write them down and try to hold yourself accountable.
Sometimes we get side tracked but if you need to set a resolution for the start of the new month and you believe that’s what will get you motivated, then I’m here for it.
Are there any dream roles or projects you hope to tackle in the new year?
Yes, always. Any project is a journey of its own and I love unfolding it and going through that process. A dream project would be to play in something action driven or where my character needs to learn a whole new skill and I need to go to classes/practise/training for it. That sounds like a wonderful challenge.
What's been your most memorable celebration to date?
Life is full of celebrations ... I have a great appreciation for the way I get celebrated by my family and the way we support and celebrate each other.
At the end of the day, if I did not have their support, all celebrations would fall flat and would not be as meaningful if I couldn’t share it with them. – Bernelee Vollmer
Actor Jason Willemse
How will you be ringing in the New Year?
I am going to be at home with my wife and children, probably braaing. I feel like next year will be one of my best in the industry.”
What is the most important lesson 2024 has taught you?
Don’t be scared to try new things. This year I modelled for Soweto Fashion Week and the Shining Stars Africa Awards.
Do you believe in New Year's resolutions?
Yes, it sets the pace for what I would like to achieve in the year.
What are your objectives for the new year?
I would still like to win a Saftas and travel overseas more. My short animated film, “Journey Through the Karoo” has been selected for the Joburg Film Festival and won an award for best stop motion at the Varsity Expo Film Festival in Zambia. I am excited to see how far it goes.
I also hope to direct more documentaries. ‘Dichipi’ season 2 is in the works for next year, and I am currently working on another animation called ‘Lighthouse in the Karoo’. - Bernelee Vollmer
Radio and TV personality, Carol Ofori
How will you be ringing in the New Year?
I am looking to welcome in 2025 on the continent of Africa. My family and I are going to be in Zimbabwe at the iconic Victoria Falls and we’re really looking forward to our trip there. It’s going to be our first international family trip (even though it’s only two hours away).
What are the lessons you’ve learnt this year?
The biggest lesson I learned about myself in 2024 is that people will treat me the way I let them treat me.
I have learned to be a lot more assertive, not allow people to walk all over me and if that means I lose relationships because I gain respect, it is what it is. I also learned to let myself have a little bit more fun and enjoy life a little bit more.
Do you believe in New Year resolutions?
No, only because my birthday is on January 14, where I always have a conversation with myself and check in on my dreams, aspirations, what do I want to see come true for myself this year.
Those are kind of my resolutions in a way. I have that conversation and I try and make as many of those dreams come true as possible.
What are your objectives for the new year?
I really want to start working on a second book series next year. I am hoping that I get to travel a little bit more. I also want to go to a lot more concerts next year! – ZamaNdosi Cele
Actress Linda Mtoba
How will you be welcoming 2025?
I always make it a point to surround myself with people I truly love and care about—those who have supported and carried me through the year. For me, New Year’s Eve is such a sentimental day.
I’m not sure where I’ll be just yet, but I hope it’s somewhere calm, where I can be snuggled up on a couch, starting 2025 on a peaceful and grounded note.
What important lessons are you carrying with you from 2024?
One of the biggest lessons from 2024 is that not everything needs to be shared. Some moments and experiences are meant just for me, and keeping them private allows me to enjoy them more fully.
Do you believe in New Year’s resolutions?
Yes and no. I believe in reinventing yourself at any time — whether it’s a new day, week, month or year. But what I love about the New Year is the renewed sense of hope it brings.
It’s a time when your dreams feel more achievable, and there’s an excitement about starting fresh. Life can knock you down during the year, but the New Year gives you a moment to reset, refocus and try again with a full heart. – ZamaNdosi Cele
Lotus FM presenter, Shaastra Nagesar
How will you be welcoming 2025?
I’ll be ringing in the new year with my family in my new home. It’s an exciting milestone, and we’ll be keeping things simple, a relaxing evening filled with good food, laughter, and maybe viewing the fireworks display at the beach.
What are the important lessons you carry with you from 2024?
This year has been a crash course in adulting. Buying a new home was a huge step, and with it came learning how mortgages work and juggling all the associated responsibilities.
I travelled to India and had quite the adventure, started doing TikTok adverts and social media work, and I won my first solo radio award, which still feels surreal.
Through it all, I’ve been slowly learning to prioritise myself, set boundaries, and make self-care a non-negotiable part of my life.
Do you believe in New Year resolutions?
I know many people may not agree with me and say that we should rather go with broader goals, lifestyle changes and vision boards. But honestly, I believe in New Year resolutions.
I actually think resolutions can be really motivating. Sometimes, having that fresh start, a Monday, a new month, or the new year, is just what people need to kickstart change.
Sure, it might not stick for everyone, but for those it does, it’s absolutely worth it.
What are the objectives for the new year?
Looking ahead to 2025, my schedule isn’t fully locked in yet but I’m planning to be a lot more active on social media, bringing more engaging content your way.
On a personal level, I’m focusing on clean eating and consistent exercise, things I’ve already started but want to be more disciplined about. I’m also working on being kinder to myself and prioritizing health, creativity and building meaningful connections.
“Here’s to a fresh, exciting start in 2025! Keep an eye on my social media for updates and new projects. – ZamaNdosi Cele
Jacaranda FM presenter, Rozanne McKenzie
How will you be ringing in the New Year?
I will be welcoming 2025 with my family in the Drakensberg. It's one of our favourite places to visit. The kids love it, it's so peaceful and we just get to relax.
What are the important lessons you carry with you from 2024?
2024 was a year of two extremes for me. The first half of the year had a few disappointments with projects that I was really looking forward to, not working out as I'd liked, but things picked up in a positive direction in the second half of the year.
The major lesson that I learned was that everything happens when it should, even when sometimes that's a hard pill to swallow, I have to be patient sometimes and I will admit that patience and trusting the process are not really my strong points! Something to work on in 2025.
Do you believe in New Year's resolutions?
I don't believe in New Year resolutions, because I haven't ever made any that I've stuck to. I try and make small changes in my life, that slowly become habits, that I can stick to and with time, they just become part of my life.
So, whether I do that in January or September, it doesn't matter to me. We put too much pressure on January 1, to be this whole ”new year, new me“ thing and that pressure can sometimes be the reason that we fail.
What are the objectives for the new year?
My objectives for the new year are to take better care of my mental health, to try and manage my time better and to spend more time with my family.
I have a few exciting things coming up, that I can't share yet.
I'm also working with an incredible group of other producers on developing a South African novel for the screen. It's a long process, but every step is one step closer to getting it made.
I am taking on the 2025 Auto and General Cross Triathlon again in February and the first HYROX Joburg event in March, so I'm looking forward to challenging myself physically as much as I can.
I'm such an endorphins junkie, so anything physical makes me very happy. – Karishma Dipa