Nomgcobo Magoloza-Bangiso
Location: Cape Town, South AfricaNomgcobo’s fellow artists call her ‘Thendai’, which means ‘thanks’. She’s also fondly called ‘Makoti’, which means ‘an African bride’ in Xhosa. African brides wear a doek (scarf) on their heads to signify their status. Nomgcobo skillfully wraps beautiful scarves on her head and this made an impression on the other artists at Taunina.
Nomgcobo was born in a small village called Nxelesa, near the town of Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape.
‘It’s a beautiful area with many mud huts built closely together . Ours is a tight community and our surroundings are very lovely with forests, hills and lots of water.”
As an accomplished seamstress, she puts the finishing touches on Taunina bears, transforming delicately embroidered pieces of fabric into works of art. With a diploma in fashion design from Cape Peninsula Technicon, she enjoys making clothes and creating dresses for school dances and church events.
She still has her first teddy bear, Tina, who she used to dress in wonderful handmade outfits.
