Gugulethu woman, 86, is a published author

Nofundile Mayathula-Memani has always had a love for words and was praised for her talent at school. She went on to study nursing and raise a family, so her dream of working with words was put on the back burner. 

In her late 70s, after her children had all left home to start their own families, Nofundile picked up the pen again. 

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According to Destiny, Nofundile's dream of writing a book in isiXhosa took off when she joined a writers' network in 2010. Soon after, her daughter bought her a laptop. Nofundile then wrote her first novel, Ukuzenza akufani nokwenziwa, which tells the story of the aftermath of adultery in a family. 

Nofundile wants to use her work to promote literature in the isiXhosa language, and the novels she has completed certainly put her on the right track.

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Nofundile is an inspiration to her community and to her family. Her grandson says: "She is proof that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams as long as one has the heart and the passion. She is a real inspiration."