Leadership doesn’t always look like authority; sometimes, it looks like authenticity. For Kelebogile Nonkwelo, living openly as a queer woman living with HIV is more than personal truth; it’s a form of leadership that empowers others to believe in their worth. From her rural childhood in Ngqeleni to her role as Senior Health HIV/AIDS Officer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), her journey is one of visibility, compassion, and creating spaces where others no longer have to hide. In her truth, others find courage.
Originally from Ngqeleni in the Nyandeni District of the Eastern Cape, Nonkwelo’s rural upbringing shaped her passion for public health and social justice. “Growing up, I witnessed the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. Not just the illness, but the silence and shame surrounding it. I knew I had to be part of the change,” she reflects.
Diagnosed with HIV 22 years ago, Nonkwelo draws strength from her journey and channels it into her work. “Living with HIV has taught me empathy. I don’t just see people’s conditions, I see their pain, strength, and stories,” she says. While she occasionally conducts HIV counselling in a colleague’s absence, her primary role focuses on broader health promotion and support, including awareness campaigns, peer educator programmes, and implementation of the Higher-Health mandate.
Her work spans ten key focus areas, ranging from gender-based violence and mental wellness to sexual reproductive health and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. “No two days are the same,” she shares. “But each one reminds me why this work matters.” Nonkwelo’s impact reaches far beyond her formal job description. As a queer woman living with HIV, she openly shares her story to empower others facing similar challenges. “Disclosing my status was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But it allowed others to see that healing, growth, and success are still possible,” she says.
Her journey from a rural village to a leadership position at one of South Africa’s premier medical universities is a source of pride. “From where I come from, girls weren’t expected to lead or even dream big. I’m here to say: rural girls have power too.”
Navigating dual marginalisation, both as a queer woman and someone living with HIV, has not been easy. “People judged me for where I came from and what I live with. But I never let that define my worth or derail my mission,” she says. Nonkwelo believes visibility is a powerful form of healing. “Representation matters. When students see someone like them in a leadership role, thriving and unafraid, it permits them to do the same.”
She applauds SMU’s strides toward diversity and inclusion, particularly the work done by the Advocacy and Diversity unit under Student Affairs. However, she urges continuous progress: “Policy must always translate into everyday practice.”
She asserts that SMU is more than a workplace; it’s the platform where she shows up, fully seen, and where her presence tells a story of possibility. Each day, in counselling rooms, awareness campaigns, and quiet conversations, she offers a message that transcends HIV, gender, and identity: “You are not broken. You are whole. You are worthy.” In her truth, others find courage. And in her visibility, they find permission to lead.
By Tumelo Moila
