Zandile Martha Nomathemba Myeka is a dedicated professional in the field of archives, information, and knowledge management, currently serving as the Metadata and Photographic Archivist at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Zandile was born and raised in Zola, Soweto, and has developed a strong passion for preserving and sharing people's stories from an early age.
She has recently been awarded a fellowship to study at the Graphic Design Research Unit at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. We are so proud of her achievement!
Zandile’s educational journey led her to the University of Johannesburg, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in public management and governance. She went on to further her studies and successfully completed an Honours degree in Information and Knowledge Management. To further enhance her expertise in the field, Zandile obtained a Higher Certificate in Archives and Records Management from the University of South Africa. Her undeniable passion and commitment to preserving society's memory motivated Zandile to pursue a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in Digital Curation at the University of Cape Town. Through this program, she aims to deepen her understanding of curating digital resources and making them accessible for future generations.
Zandile joined the Archive and Research department at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 2016 as a junior archivist and she has grown from strength to strength ever since. In 2020 she was promoted to the position of Archivist, where she was given the responsibility of maintaining the physical archive, artefacts, and taking charge of the digital textual records relating to global icon, Nelson Mandela.
Zandile’s passion is making Nelson Mandela’s archive more inclusive by ensuring that the archive is accessible, especially for disadvantaged groups who do not necessarily have the resources to come to the Nelson Mandela Foundation archives, which house the life and times of Madiba. She firmly believes that by making society's memory accessible, we can promote understanding, empathy, and a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of our shared past and present.
The significance of this fellowship to Zandile is beyond measure. It is a big opportunity for her to collaborate with other fellows and researchers on a journal article about the role of archival practice in the emerging concept of Graphic Heritage. Zandile looks forward to exploring the archives of the Foundation and the Loughborough Urban Graphic Object Archive.
Zandile’s work and life are shaped by a statement made by Nelson Mandela, “In the life of any individual, family, community or society, memory is of fundamental importance. It is the fabric of identity”. Having made her mark within and outside of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the sky is only but a starting post for this powerhouse.
Zandile is set to leave for the UK in July 2024. The Foundation wishes her nothing but the best with the fellowship and hope that she will continue to do great things. “You’ve got this Zandi”!