Zandile Ndhlovu | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1988-08-25)August 25, 1988 (age 36) Soweto, South Africa |
| Occupation | Ocean Conservationist & Storyteller |
| Awards | 100 Women (BBC) (2023) |
Zandile Ndhlovu is a South African ocean conservationist, social activist, and filmmaker who is the first black femalefreediving instructor from the country. She is the founder ofThe Black Mermaid Foundation. In November 2023, Ndhlovu was named to theBBC's 100 Women list.[1]
Ndhlovu was raised in the landlocked township ofSoweto, which bordersJohannesburg. She had never gone to a swimming pool or learned to swim as a young child until she was eleven years old and enrolled in a multiracial school. She was formerly a consultant with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her love of the sea developed after she went toBali,Indonesia and experienced snorkelling for the first time. While perusingInstagram, she came upon freediving and became certified as ascuba diving instructor.[2] Ndlovu became the first black female diving instructor from South Africa and was affectionately called theBlack Mermaid. In 2020 she founded the Black Mermaid Foundation. In the municipality of Langa, which is close toCape Town, she began working with a community group. She taught them how to swim and snorkel while in the water, and also made them aware about the effects ofplastic waste on wildlife.[3]
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)