Health scare inspires Roodepoort author to follow her passion
After leaving the corporate world, a local writer is embracing a new chapter dedicated to faith, purpose and inspiring others through storytelling.
A life-changing health scare in 2025 prompted Fundile Bridget Nobantu Gwala to leave the corporate world and pursue her lifelong passion for writing.
The decision marked not only a career change but also the beginning of a journey of purpose, healing and self-discovery.
“I realised that I needed to embrace not only the talent God had given me but also my life fully. My purpose includes sharing beauty and truth through my writing and pouring into other people’s souls,” Fundile said while speaking to the Roodepoort Northsider recently.
She credits much of her outlook on life to her upbringing in her grandparents’ home, where four generations and between 12 and 14 family members lived under one roof. Raised in an environment grounded in faith, love and stewardship, she learned the importance of gratitude, compassion and supporting others through life’s challenges and successes.
“My grandparents taught us what real family love looks like, and those values continue to guide me today,” she said.
Although writing had always been part of her life, Fundile kept her work private while building a successful corporate career. Her health scare, however, forced her to reconsider what success truly meant.
“It wasn’t because I was incapable. I had simply become so consumed by it that I lost myself. Choosing my health and my heart became the greatest act of courage,” she explained.
Throughout the transition, her Christian faith has remained her greatest source of strength.
“God didn’t bring me this far just to bring me this far,” she said.
Friends and family describe Fundile as fiercely loving, passionate and unapologetically authentic. She is now focused on building a career as a published author while using her writing to encourage others to embrace their own purpose.
More than achieving personal success, she hopes her story inspires others to live authentically, even in the face of uncertainty.
“It’s not about being fearless; it’s about loving fully and living fully, even when fear is staring you in the face,” she said.
As she begins this new chapter, Gwala hopes to show that choosing purpose over comfort can lead to a more meaningful life.
Those interested in her poetry and books can visit the Writers Blog at https://writersblog.co/ or attend the open mic sessions hosted by Writers Blog.
