As South Africa marked World AIDS Day yesterday (1 December), HIV advocate, storyteller, author, wife and mother Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba urged communities to dismantle stigma, strengthen support systems, and embrace a transformed approach to HIV.
World AIDS day is an opportunity to reflect on these issues.
This year’s global theme, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”, highlights the ongoing challenges facing HIV prevention and treatment.
According to UNAIDS, funding reductions from international donors continue to threaten years of progress in the global HIV response.
Community-led services are being deprioritised, prevention programmes are disrupted, and punitive laws targeting LGBTQ+ people and drug users are restricting access to essential services.
On this day, the focus is on removing these barriers.
Hope at the centre of her message
Despite these setbacks, Qamngana-Mayaba emphasises the power of honesty, compassion and solidarity.
“My story is proof that healing is possible and that HIV does not define who you are,” she says. “Compassion, education, and honest conversations can transform lives.”
Her journey: from silence to advocacy
Qamngana-Mayaba publicly disclosed her HIV story in 2019, after carrying years of silence.
“I shared my HIV story publicly because silence was suffocating me,” she says. “One day, I realised that the shame I was carrying was not mine. It was something society taught me to hold.”
Recording that first video, she explains, was both terrifying and liberating.
The impact of World AIDS day has been significant in her journey.
A turning point came when a young woman messaged her to say hearing her story stopped her from taking her life.
“That moment changed everything. I realised my healing was not only for me. It was meant to open doors for others.”
Her Christian faith remains a foundational part of her healing.
“God met me in my lowest moments with a love. Living openly with HIV has been an act of obedience.”
Finding balance as a wife and mother
Qamngana-Mayaba balances family life with advocacy, public speaking and ministry.
“Balance is not something I have mastered; it is something I practise.
My husband and child ground me. They remind me that I am more than my work.”
Authoring hope through her books
Qamngana-Mayaba is now a four-time published author, using her writing to guide readers through identity, healing and faith.
She maintains open conversations with her family about the demands of her advocacy and includes them in prayers about her work.
Her works include:
- I Am Still Me – exploring her personal journey with HIV and self-acceptance
- I Am Still Zuri – a children’s book on identity and resilience
- Positively Me – sharing lessons from her life and faith
- Let Me Tell You Something – a devotional encouraging reflection and spiritual growth
“I want people to feel held, challenged and seen. I want them to remember that God is still speaking and their story is still unfolding.”
Her books are available on her website: iamnozibele.com
HIV in South Africa: the latest picture
South Africa has about eight million people living with HIV, representing roughly 12.8% of the population. Of these, around 6.2 million are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), leaving approximately 1.8 million without treatment. The scope of the issue is underscored on World AIDS Day South Africa.
Recent figures show 178 000 new infections and 105 000 HIV-related deaths over the past year.
“These numbers show how far we have come, but they also remind us how much more work we must do,” she says.
Overcoming disruption and inequality
UNAIDS reports that the global HIV response is being strained by funding cuts and widening inequalities. Qamngana-Mayaba says advocacy, storytelling and community solidarity are essential to sustaining progress.
Her message to the newly diagnosed is clear:
“Breathe. Your life is not over. You are not dirty, cursed or unworthy. You are still loved. You are still capable.”
She also challenges faith spaces
“Faith communities should be hospitals, not courtrooms. We need sermons that address stigma and congregations that reflect compassion and dignity.”
Qamngana-Mayaba hopes that World AIDS Day becomes more than symbolic.
“I pray for healing emotional, spiritual, mental and physical. I pray that shame loses its grip and that people living with HIV walk boldly in their identity and purpose.”
She believes transformation demands innovation, honesty and community-centred leadership.
“HIV is manageable. With support, treatment and community, everyone living with HIV can lead a full, beautiful life.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.