Born on November 20, 1990, Nozi Qamngana-Mayaba is a South African TV host, Youtuber, Podcaster, and Author. There is a lot to learn from this woman who has shown great talent and a strong will to survive despite the stigma of living with HIV and all she has faced in life.
Early Life/Story
Life was not rosy for her years ago. In August 2013, she attended a wellness day event planned at work and was tested by the medical aid consultants at the testing station. There she discovered she was HIV positive and went into depression, locked herself out of the family for about two years. According to her, she was sleeping with only her boyfriend, who was the first man she has ever slept with. To make things worse, her boyfriend left her. Fast-forward to some years later, she got her family’s support, is now healthy, and is on treatment.
Education
Nozibele Qamngana is a graduate with a National Diploma in Marketing(2008 – 2010) and a Bachelor of Technology in Marketing(2011 – 2013). She also holds a BA Honours Degree in Development Studies. All these qualifications were attained at Nelson Mandela University.
Husband/Family/Child
She got married to her husband Sikhumbuzo Mayaba in April 2019. They welcomed their first child(son) Lumingonaphakade Isaiah Mayaba on April 2023.
Career
Sometimes you need to turn your predicament into success. Her motivation has paved the way for her successful career today, let us dive more into it.
Author (Book)
As an author, she has made herself famous with her motivating book, especially her book titled I am still me. The book is based on the story of a 7-year-old girl who was born with HIV, the stigma, inspiration, and acceptance. This is what she said about the book;
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“This is a book based on a 7-year-old girl that was born with HIV. She courageously tells her story to bring more awareness about HIV.”
“When I came out with my story, I didn’t necessarily set out to be a leader among people living with HIV,”
“But I wanted to represent people who could not speak for themselves. People who are still in denial about their statuses. People who have been rejected by their partners after disclosing their HIV statuses. I wanted them to see themselves in me. If that makes me a leader, it’s an honor.
Awards
The Nelson Mandela Business Chamber Top 40 under 40 achiever recognition
Businesswoman Association of South Africa Regional Achievers Award
Fruits of Democracy Award winner (civil society),
Vision4Women “Beyond the Balance Sheet” award finalist
South African International Youth Committee Ambassador
Social Media Accounts
Her Instagram followers have grown massively to more than 250,000 followers. Her Youtube channel was created on Jan 28, 2014, which she created to help inspire others in the same situation as her. Today the channel has gained more than 16 million views and over 230,000 subscribers.
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