I was born on 12 July 1973 in East London, South Africa. As a child, at the top of my list of dreams was to become a teacher. I loved gathering my soft and cuddly toys, arranging them in neat rows, and playing teacher. 

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I’ve always loved books. My childhood bedroom had a bookcase above my bed which held a wonderful collection of Ladybird Fantasy books. These books whisked me away to enchanting lands filled with castles, fairies, and exciting adventures. 

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After matriculating, I opened a children’s Educare. For a whole 10 years, I had so much fun taking care of adorable children who were 2 to 4 years old. 

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When I was in my early thirties, I thought, “Why not get a teaching degree?” So, I enrolled and studied through Unisa University. I was so proud to graduate with a Bachelor of Education. I loved studying so much that I even went on to complete my Honours degree. 

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While reading a book to my Grade 2 class, I thought I would really like to read a book that was written by a South African author. I decided to look on the internet.

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During my online search, I stumbled upon something exciting – a writing competition called The Golden Baobab Prize. I decided to give it a go. I asked my class what kind of book they wanted to read. They said, “Ma’am, just make it a great adventure, and make sure it’s funny!” What awesome advice it was as I won the competition in 2016 for my Early Chapter Book, The Ama-Zings! Winning the competition gave me confidence in my ability as a writer. From then on, I just kept going. 

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I am passionate about making reading more enjoyable for kids and dedicated to inspiring and empowering young readers. To this end, I have held loads of educational literary workshops across South Africa.