A snorkelling trip to Bali prompted Zandile Ndhlovu to set up a foundation that gives Black people access to the ocean and teaches them about the challenges it faces
When Zandile Ndhlovu looked below the surface of the ocean for the first time, she was terrified. Then 28, she was on a snorkelling trip in Bali. “The captain told us to jump off the boat into the water, and I started freaking out when I realised I couldn’t touch the ground,” says Ndhlovu, who has since gone on to become South Africa’s first black female freediving instructor.
Eventually, she calmed down enough to enjoy the experience. “The blue was overwhelming. There were yellow fish moving through the honeycomb coral, which looked like it was lit up from above. It blew my mind. Something inside me opened up, it felt like home.”
Ndhlovu plans to soon open her first ‘community ocean hub’, an education centre and meeting place