Thembi Ntahane KaMhlangu, an author passionate about storytelling, recently published her fourth thought-provoking novel, ‘Echoes of her return,’ inspired by the conflict between ubungoma and Christianity.
Released on September 24, the 28-year-old’s latest book is a sequel to her previous book titled Nomvula’s Calling, and she continues to explore a love story between two born-again Christians, Nomvula and Bheki, who find themselves at a crossroads when they discover that Nomvula has a calling.

“I’m passionate about educating the next generation of leaders, but what gets me up in the morning is the burning desire for storytelling. So, with this book, I aimed to tell a story that reflects the injustices experienced by women in the name of culture,” Thembi shared.

The science teacher from Ga-Nala said she has always been a writer because, as an introvert, it is through writing that she gets to express herself freely.

“I’m not someone who often speaks her mind, so writing helps me get my thoughts out of my head and make sense of them,” she said, adding that it has always been her dream to tell stories without having to open her mouth.

Inspired by real-life experiences, Thembi says she started writing journal entries, which evolved to poetry and short stories, but her writing career officially kicked off in 2017, and she started publishing her books a few years later.

In 2020, her first book, He saw the storm, was published, followed shortly by After the flame and her poetry collection titled ‘Chasing the light’, both published in 2021. Last year, she released her fourth book, Nomvula’s Calling, which laid the foundation for her most recent novel.

Inspirationally, the writer says she has been published internationally three times and has won three awards, including an African Honouree’s Award in 2021, and two times Best Female author at African Print and Poetry Awards 2021 and 2024.

“I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m far from where I began, and for that I’m really proud of my achievements so far,” she said.

Thembi said she draws her inspiration from two female South African authors, Dudu Dube and Busisekile Khumalo, who are great models of the woman she dreams of becoming. Though getting her books into bookstores continues to be the most challenging part of her writing career, her ultimate goal remains to continue writing and pushing hard, to ensure that she gets her work out there so that it becomes accessible to a wider audience.

The passionate writer said that though it has always been a lonely writing journey, she commends everyone who continues to support her in whatever way they can, but importantly, she also appreciates Thuli Zulu, a friend who came and filled the void since meeting her through Nomvula’s Calling.

“Advice I can give to someone who is starting their writing career: don’t rush to get published. Do your research and reach out to people in the field as much as possible,” Thembi said.

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