Interview: This Body Works for Me – Nelly

Nelly on This Body Works For Me comes from a small town in the Eastern Cape called Tsolo. Her full name is Anele Mahlakatha. Nelly studied nursing and dropped out of university to pursue her dreams of being part of the adult entertainment industry.

Nelly: From OnlyFans to exotic dancing

When Nelly came to Johannesburg she started as an OnlyFans content creator, but she felt that it wasn’t for her. She needed to make means for herself and so decided to learn how to be an exotic dancer. While doing so, she also developed a love for music and is now an accomplished musician.

The life of an exotic dancer

Nelly started working at Summit Strip Club, and two months after she started her career, she was fired for not adhering to the terms of her contract. She and her friend then found their way to work in Nigeria.

Nelly says that she makes more money working in Nigeria and believes that the people in Nigeria admire foreigners. “I’ve made up to R50 000 in one night here in Nigeria, however, it was a once-off opportunity,” she says.

Relationships with family

Nelly is very close to her cousin, with whom she shares an apartment in Johannesburg. She also has a good relationship with her grandmother back in the Eastern Cape.

“My grandmother knows I work in Nigeria but she doesn’t know what type of work I do, and I prefer it that way.” Nelly’s mother is late and she describes her relationship with her father as “non-existent”.

Friendship and trust

Nelly believes that she is not a person that struggles with trusting the people around her unless they prove otherwise. “I’ve decided to keep my distance from Primadonna as I really felt betrayed by her actions,” she said. According to Nelly, she doesn’t have any beef with Primadonna, but she wouldn’t want to work with her again or build any form of friendship with her.

This Body Works For Me is an 18SLN reality series only on Showmax, with two new episodes available every Wednesday.