My full name is…
Londiwe Ncube.
My friends like to call me…
Londie.
I grew up…
In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and moved to the UK when I was 9 years old.
My cultural background is…
Zimbabwean. I am from the Ndebele tribe.
Akela’s name came from…
It means Noble and Graceful. Her middle name is Lumi Langa. Lumi means snow in Finnish and Langa is sun in Ndebele. Both which are our native tongues. She is result of our unique love.
Our family tradition is…
We have so many in my culture. But one that has always resonated with me is celebration. We love to all get together to eat, dance and celebrate life.
Our daily ritual is…
I wake up a little earlier than Akela to do yoga or go for a run, it’s so important for me to have that time and space. Then we always try to have a slow morning, eat breakfast and get outside as soon as we can. We’re lucky to live somewhere warm so we spend a lot of our days outside. We really try to live with the sun, we have low lighting so as the sun sets we start to wind down with some music and then sit down for dinner at the table together. I want to teach her rituals like giving gratitude before we eat dinner. My family has done this since I can remember and whether you are religious or not, I believe it’s important to have a few moments in a day to be thankful.
You will usually find me…
Thrifting, on the beach, cooking for my family, dancing with Akela or trying something new!
My favourite place in the world to be…
Is with family, wherever that may be.
Before I became a mother I was…
Doing the absolute most. And that was great but society really oversells that, it’s why burnout is so common. My true joy comes from doing the least. I was ready for the calm that motherhood bought me. There is a so much beauty to slow-living and finding your balance.
Right now I am…
Exactly where I need to be.
My personal style is…
Always changing and individual to me. I love sourcing unique pieces and for as long as I can remember I have just been playing dress-up basically. I have a lot of fun with my style, but I’ve never taken it too seriously and I think that’s part of the magic.
Three words to describe me are…
Creative, resilient, and warm.
I source inspiration from…
I love learning more about my culture and African culture in general. I feel so inspired when I watch vintage films (I saw Black Orpheus recently and the visuals were so beautiful). The same goes for 90s music videos and any vintage photos of black women, it feeds my soul!
I collect a lot of magazines, a few of my favourite are The Gentlewoman, Garage, TANK and LOVE.
I feel proud of…
The family that I come from, my ancestors and the family that I have built.
I am proud of my growth, I can’t take all the credit but I come from a very humble tribe all the way in Zimbabwe and it’s beautiful to think about the journey life has taken me. I am the woman I always wanted to be in many ways and I love this chapter of life.
The person who influenced me most in my life is…
My mama. I have seen her work incredibly hard raising me and my sister as a single mum. She is a woman who moves mountains. Her heart is so big and her soul the kindest. It has inspired me to be the person I need to be for Akela, and her strength is unbelievable it has pushed me through the challenges of motherhood. I am thankful every day for her.
One lesson I hope to pass down…
To be unapologetically yourself and live in your truth whatever that may be!
I find comfort in…
A well-cooked home meal.
I feel womanly when…
I have a relaxing shower and moisturise. It’s such a ritual for me, I make my own body butter with rich butters and essential oils and I love how it hydrates my skin.
I relax…
With yoga/stretching and breathing…working in instead of working out or a glass of wine.
The soundtrack to my life is…
Anything 90s soul… but you will always find a Brenda Fassie or Erykah Badu song on my playlists.
My favourite body part is…
My skin.
My favourite snack is…
Biltong. And I have a sweet tooth, so I love dates and dark chocolate treats.
My favourite childhood memory…
Being in my grandmother’s house with all my cousins - almost 20 of us, climbing trees, chasing chickens .. all that good stuff.
Something people don’t know about me…
I want to buy a farm.
I am grateful for…
Love. To love and be loved.
I am looking forward to …
Watching Akela take her first step and every day before and after that.
Self-portraits by Londiwe in Porto, Portugal.