They joke that life only really got interesting after 100 — new honours, new experiences, and even first-time celebrations arriving long after most people have packed life away. At 107 and 103, respectively, East London’s Nomabhulu Sogwizi and Mthatha’s Mda Mda say they are still looking ahead with curiosity, humour and faith, planning for tomorrow even after witnessing more than a century of yesterdays. Both agree that 2025 has been a blessing, and that “God’s timing is everything”.
They speak of slowing bodies but sharp minds, of adapting to gentler routines, and of finding joy in family, memory and hope. Sogwizi said she was already looking forward to the Easter weekend, while Mda insists that staying engaged with the world kept him energised. “Staying informed keeps me young,” he said, with his love of reading and news still a daily habit.
She never attended school, spending her life working the land, raising a family and running a household. Her grandchildren listen wide-eyed as she tells stories of trekking 10km barefoot to the mealie fields and working the whole day. “Life was tough, but we were tougher.
Read Full Article on Daily Dispatch
[paywall]
Working the land and walking long distances kept me fit and strong,” she said. Her great-grandchildren affectionately call her the “Gogo of the nation”. Widowed in 2004 after the death of her husband, Baninzi, and having lost eight of her 10 children, she speaks openly about grief and endurance.
[/paywall]
