It is important to be in tune with yourself and find out who you are!
Sibonisile Ngubane is a Poet/Vocalist/Blogger, Motivational speaker, and philanthropist and very recently became a Top 2 finalist on SABC 1’s Leadership Show: One Day Leader Season 6. She forms part of the panellists on Power FM’s PowerUp on Thursdays and is an apprentice and Account Manager for Ditsego Media.
Early Life
I was born in rural Mhlabuyalingana where I did my first phases of schooling. At the age of 15 I travelled to surrounding rural areas raising awareness against women and child abuse along with The Child Welfare Association and have since been very passionate about women empowerment. After high school I was unfortunately unable to afford tuition to study further but was saved when I was offered a position as an English Teacher in Training at my former high school. I began teaching my own classes just a month in to my training. This is where I also began my journey as a writer and wrote and directed my first theatre play comprised of poetry and music in 2011.
I am the writer for my personal blog: Colour Her Free on FaceBook which is a domain that I use to tell Black women’s stories as a way to heal and strengthen them through my work. I a motivational speaker who concentrates on youth and black women empowerment and am currently working on my first book based on black feminism and general womanhood. As a poet I have performed locally and internationally and was a guest performer at the Young People’s Concert in China, Hangzou in 2015. I’ve also received an invitation to perform at the Intercontinental Dance Fest in Budapest, Europe as the first and only black South African Artist/Poet to attend.
One Day Leader:
Being a runner up on One Day Leader is one of the greatest honours I have received as a black woman and a rising leader in the current climate of SA. What it means to me is it I am a beacon of hope and perseverance for many other young South Africans who have dreams for a better tomorrow in this country. I also stand as a representative of South African youth and am proof, that we are not lazy, we have initiative, we have goals and are only lacking opportunity to further fulfil our purpose and make a change in South Africa.
Advice to young people:
My advice for young people is this; In a world where so many ideas exist, it is important to be in tune with yourself and find out who you are, what do you stand for? What are your dreams and what contribution do you want to add to this world? Before you choose a career or pursue anything, you must first know your purpose, it is this purpose that will guide you and it this purpose that you must fight for and not give up on till the end and most importantly, it this purpose that you must use to change the world.
What I hope to achieve before my term ends:
I do not believe leadership has terms, I do not believe that it is something you begin and then complete, it is a journey and you make differences along the way. Yes positions may differ and can be stripped of but leadership is not a position so in my journey I hope to continue achieving being a true inspiration and role model for the youth, the black women and the children of this country. I hope to have opened my centre that will empower the boy and girl child to strive for better and teach them the values and integrity it takes to be an upstanding citizen of this country. Hope to continue partaking in projects and initiatives that add value and make impactful change in the lives of ordinary South Africans. I am currently part of an activism campaign against the killings of those living with albinism and I hope to see in my life time the end to the discrimination and cruel acts towards them as our fellow brothers and sisters.
What keeps me awake at night:
What keeps me awake at night or makes me tick are all the things I’ve mentioned above with regard to my purpose, it is both the excitement and fear of all that lies ahead for me, of all the responsibilities I have not just to myself but those who look up to me, the responsibility to effect change in the lives of those who do not even know they require change. I still have a lot to do and this is both scary and motivating.
Mentoring Others:
I’ve never actually had a consistent mentor myself or been a part of a mentorship programme but I have a whole host of people I consider my mentors simply because they’ve allowed me to learn from them just through them being themselves and sharing their experiences. That’s what I try to do by actively participating in programmes that include the youth where I get to share my leadership experiences and allow them to learn from those and ask questions where necessary. In the future I want to have a physical space where I can mentor young girls and have role model men to come mentor younger boys so we can ensure a brighter future for South African leadership.
Highs and Lows of One Day Leader:
I think the overall experience of ODL was a quite a unique one and unlike any other I’d ever experienced so the whole experience amazing and at an all time high simply because of the lessons I took from it. The lows would probably be the emotional toll of the show, sometimes in the form of our tasks and projects which looked at really sensitive and often tragic stories but I appreciated even these moments because they are reflective of the society we live in and all its injustices so these lows made me want to grow as a leader so I would one day be able to help. My highs were our legacy project which allowed us to provide a crèche facility for a community in Denysville. Seeing the joy on the parent’s and kid’s faces was really an unforgettable moment and of course being in the top 2 has to be one of the greatest honours.
Accolades since One Day Leader:
I currently form as part of the panel on Power FM’s PowerUp early morning show that looks at all the current issues and topics going on in SA affairs and am also proud to have been headhunted as an Apprentice and Account Manager for PR and Communications Company, Ditsego Media owned by one of the judges on One Day Leader, Tebogo Ditsego.
Thoughts on transformation in SA:
I think as a country we have a long way to go in terms of transformation or rather true authentic transformation but I do believe that we can go a long way as individuals by transforming ourselves and the way we think. There’s a lot of work for the government to do but with that work there also lies great responsibility in the individuals it’s meant for. I look forward to a SA where the citizens have chosen to take initiative without being asked, where those with the will and means proactively make a change in their communities and rebuild broken social structures brick by brick, whether through entrepreneurship, fighting against the discriminations that exist within our communities, through spreading positive messages and returning to the true core and ethics of ubuntu and returning the pride of our culture and identity which we have been so tragically robbed off. I believe this is the start to true transformation and the answer to so many political and social ills that exist within our societies.
Giving back to my immediate community:
I’m currently in the process of finalising Wellness and Career Development Programmes which I’ll be taking not just to my immediate community but all over SA as a means to equip the youth and normal citizens with the extra skills they need to enter the SA job markets but the programme will also be looking at issues of emotional wellbeing which have been grossly abandoned in our black communities. The overall objective is to uplift our communities not just in the material and tangible aspects but emotionally as well.
Life Outside of work:
When I’m not at work I’ll most probably be on stage performing and doing shows which is also work in a sense but when opportunity allows I also try to make time to spend with friends and go to theatre plays or jazz and poetry clubs like, The Orbit.
Facebook: Sbo Ngubane
Instagram: Sibonisile Ngubane
Twitter: @ngubanesbo
