Born in Gqeberha in the 1990s, HIV/Aids activist Nozibele Mayaba’s upbringing was one of struggle and strife. She was raised by the tough hand of her mother in a strict Christian household. Mayaba strove to be the “good girl” that everyone adores to win her mother’s approval and the affection of her absent father.
She lived by the book and was steered by her faith. Hers became a life of firsts. She was the first person in her family to travel overseas, and the first to graduate from university. It was also her first love, with his infectious smile, who infected her with HIV.
This diagnosis threw her life into disarray. Fearing stigma and feeling the need to maintain her “good girl” image, she kept her status a secret. However, she soon succumbed to depression. It was only in the aftermath, when she picked up the broken pieces of her life, that she found purpose in all the pain she had endured.
She went public with her story in a video that went viral and set her on a new path. Mayaba, who has since got married and recently became a mother, has made it her mission to hold open conversations about her journey through life with HIV.
Told with gut-wrenching honesty, Mayaba is at her most vulnerable in this brave account when she speaks about what it means to live and love beyond HIV.
Listen to Mayaba and Nkambule's conversation here:
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