For many mothers, the hardest part of parenting is often the feeling that they are carrying the weight of the world alone.

For Ziphozomusa Nxumalo, personal assistant, creating a platform where women can speak honestly about motherhood has become deeply personal.

Nxumalo recently launched her own programme on Vuka Inspiration Radio after years of working with mothers through community groups and wellness initiatives linked to the NPO, the City Moms Foundation.

Since April 23, she has been using the show to discuss motherhood, wellness, literacy and the emotional realities many women quietly face every day.

Warm, compassionate and quick with humour, Nxumalo says the idea for the programme grew from years of conversations with mothers who simply needed someone to listen.

“One of the things moms often say after listening to each other is, ‘I am glad I am not the only crazy one’.”

That sense of connection became one of the driving forces behind the programme.

While the City Moms Foundation hosted meetings and support gatherings, Nxumalo realised time constraints often prevented mothers from attending regularly.

“With meetings, time is short for moms. I realised we needed a bigger platform where more women could listen and learn.”

She initially explored the idea of creating a podcast but found the process more complicated than expected. An unexpected opportunity arrived when she was invited to be a guest on Vuka Inspiration Radio.

Soon afterwards, she was approached to contribute inserts on various shows before eventually launching her own programme.

Her first recording marked the beginning of a new chapter that combines her natural empathy with practical advice for parents.

Nxumalo believes many mothers are desperate, not only for emotional support, but also for practical assistance. One of her goals is to connect listeners with experts who can guide them on issues affecting families, including legal matters.

“One of the things I want to help moms with is legal advice from experts because many women do not know where to turn to should they need legal advice.”

Her understanding of motherhood comes from lived experience. Nxumalo is the mother of 10-year-old twins, Ingiphile and Mlweli, who attend school in Pretoria east.

Raising twins taught her resilience, flexibility, and the importance of community support.

“Twins are never easy,” she says with a laugh.

For a long period, she raised the children as a single mother before later finding support through a partner. She remembers the pressure of managing emergencies alone while trying to maintain work and family responsibilities.

“If you are a single mom, emergencies become difficult because you often have to leave everything else to tend to your children.”

Long before launching her radio programme, Nxumalo was involved in supporting mothers through twin parenting groups in KwaZulu-Natal. She also co-ordinated work linked to the South African Multiple Birth Association in Durban.

After relocating to Pretoria, she attempted to recreate those smaller support circles but eventually realised motherhood challenges stretched far beyond parents of twins.

“I decided to focus on all mom groups because motherhood connects us all.”

Today, she jokingly describes herself as part of a wide parenting community built around school activities, friendships and shared experiences.

Her honesty about motherhood is one of the qualities listeners are already responding to. Nxumalo openly admits that parenting rarely feels perfectly organised.

“As a mother, you have very few moments where you feel you have everything together.”

She believes every mother becomes ‘a bit of a freestyler’ because no two children are the same. That philosophy has shaped the tone of her programme, which focuses less on perfection and more on encouragement.

Financial pressure is another reality she addresses openly. Like many South African parents, she understands the balancing act between transport costs, school fees and household expenses.

“I am grateful that I can make budgets balance, but not all moms are in that position, and it can become overwhelming.”

Part of her work now focuses on reminding women not to neglect themselves while caring for everyone else. Self-care, she says, is not a luxury but a necessity.

“Mothers need to learn that they cannot forget about themselves and that self-care is something they must schedule time for.”

Compassion and empathy were values rooted deeply in her childhood. Nxumalo and her four sisters were raised in a home where kindness mattered. The death of her mother, HG Nxumalo, in 2010 left a lasting emotional impact and strengthened her desire to support struggling women.

She says motherhood requires consistency, patience and emotional discipline.

“If you want to be a mom, you have to show up every day.”

She also believes parents must avoid trying to overcompensate for guilt or hardship.

“You must discipline yourself not to overcompensate because children still need structure.”

Before dedicating herself fully to motherhood advocacy, Nxumalo worked as a model.

Today, however, her dreams are centred less on glamour and more on meaningful support for women who may be battling quietly behind closed doors.

One of her wishes is to create care baskets for struggling mothers containing toiletries, comfort items and small treats.

“Sometimes a mom just needs a hug in a basket.”

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