Thembisa Mdoda Has Nothing But Praises for Her Younger Sister

Thembisa Mdoda Has Nothing But Praises for Her Younger Sister. There is nothing a s beautiful as seeing sisters get along, and support each other in everything they do. Thembisa and Zamalisa Mdoda, have been giving us just that for as long as we can remember. These two Mdoda siblings have shown us

Zama lives abroad, but that has not affected the relationship she has with her big sister Thembisa. From her graduation day to her birthdays over the years, Thembisa has always been there to celebrate with her. A year ago, she celebrated Zamalisa’s return to the stage with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut of her one woman show, titled COUNT TO FIVE. The play is directed by Rodrigo Jorge and produced by his production company, Dreamatorium.

Now another opportunity for Thembisa to celebrate Zama has presented itself. The storyteller has just been unveiled in the longlist for the 2025 4thWrite Short Story Prize. This is a competition open to Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers living in the UK or Ireland. Zama has been nominated for her work, The Girl Who Befriended Fire. This is a lyrical, modern fable about a young girl in a South African town who survives the blaze that kills her mother and begins to commune with the fire that marked her. As she grows, this strange companionship becomes both a source of solace and a mirror to her unspoken grief, drawing her into a private mythology where flame is not only destruction but memory, inheritance and power.

Sharing the news of Zama’s nomination, Thembisa expressed how proud she is of her. The multi-award winning media personality and actress also stated that she is proud of everything that all her siblings have achieved.

“…that’s my baby sis♥️😭🥹✊🏽🎭…,” Thembisa said.