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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay resident Bonani Mkhize was the third black woman to qualify as an architect in South Africa. She attained her qualification in June 1996.
Linda Sparg interviews her on her career and personal life.
Q: Why did you choose architecture?
A: When I was at school I loved anything to do with being creative. Bantu education didn't have art subjects, but I enjoyed the literature and poetry side of art in English classes.
I was one of the few learners who enjoyed Shakespeare. In my own time I enjoyed writing poems, sketching and even attempted writing a book.
My father encouraged me and would keep my poems and got my book typed.
However, when it came to choosing a career I was lost because I had no interest in the typical choices at that time, which were in the medical, academic, accounting and commerce fields - or even engineering.
I was fortunate to be at one of the few black boarding schools that made us aware of such choices.
It was my father who introduced me to architecture. I had no idea what it was, but when I found out and started studying it, I loved it.
Q: Where did you study? Mention the different institutions if there were more than one.
A: I first studied at the University of Natal and later at the University of Cape Town, where I completed my course.
Q: How long did it take you to achieve your qualification?
A: Nine years. Architecture is six years at university level.
When I started I was doomed to fail, coming from the Bantu education system. It did not expose us to European architecture and culture.
I didn’t even know what the Eiffel Tower was and other iconic European buildings! Everything about the class material was so European.
In terms of culture, the course content was "white South African", with which I was not familiar, because of the separation of races caused by Apartheid.
Besides the political trauma at the time, this made my first year tough and I failed it. However, I loved architecture and was determined to finish. There were other challenges in the following years, such as a practical year when no firm was interested in hiring me as an intern. This was before the new South Africa days.
Q: Who helped you along the way?
A: At the University of Natal there were two elderly professors, who were helpful to black students.
After not making it in my first year the rule was to work for an architecture firm a year before coming back to study. Those professors gave me a job during varsity holidays. Thereafter they found me jobs with two other architects for six months each.
These firms were also helpful to black students during that time. When I was at UCT, GAPP Architects helped me to apply for a UK RIBA bursary. Back then there were hardly any bursaries for architecture and it was one of the most expensive degrees to study. One of the founders of this firm was also a professor, dedicated to helping black students at that time.
Q: What made your studies difficult for you?
A: It was a time when being racist and being vocal about it were the norm. I had one lecturer tell me that I would never make it because black people couldn't draw in 3D.
We had architecture students boycotting 16 June and coming to class when the whole university stopped classes that day because of anti-Apartheid riots.
In my class we had students who went to the army before going to varsity and they would tell stories of how they killed black people in the border wars.
There was a black Zimbabwean man who already had a diploma from Zimbabwe. When he got better results than white students, some would complain to the lecturers. There was this rule which was applied mostly to non-white students: if they failed they would either have to work a year or more for an Architectural firm before coming back, or be banned from studying architecture at any university in the country. An Indian lady student in my first year class was banned. It didn't help that she was a political activist.
To this day architecture is predominantly white male-dominated in the country. On the entire Garden Route I could possibly be the only registered black and woman architect. In the Western Cape there could be a handful of us. The mindset regarding the profession makes it extra difficult. I have to work harder to be taken seriously at times. Sometimes I feel the need to show a man he can respect me, knowing his attitude will be different the next time he works with a woman.
Q: Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up.
A: I was born in Ingwavuma, KwaZulu-Natal and grew up in Umlazi township, also in KZN.
My father was a social worker; he furthered his studies and retired as a DGD in the Department of Housing, KZN.
My mother is a retired nurse and teaches at a nursing school.
I am the oldest of five offspring - four girls and a boy, who is the youngest.
In my home, education was extremely important and my father made us believe we could do anything as long as we believed we could and challenged us to be the best we could. This was unique for a Zulu father of girls at that time.
Both my parents studied at university level when we were at school and when we were at university ourselves. Talk about pressure!
Our parents never compared us with one another, but rather focused on our uniqueness. This gave us plenty of confidence to really focus on our dreams and work towards achieving anything we set our hearts on. As a result, all of my siblings are highly educated, one with a Doctorate in economics.
Q: So you’re a princess! Tell us more!
A: Yes, I have royal blood. My grandmother from my father's side was the first-born of a king of the Thonga people in Ingwavuma. My father is her first born, and I am my father's first born.
My grandmother's younger brother became king instead of her, because she was a woman. My great uncle was a great king for his people and very close to my father. The only advantage I can think of is we were brought up knowing of and being proud of our heritage.
Even during Apartheid we knew who we were and it gave us a level of confidence.
The only disadvantage I can think of is, growing up, the high sense of responsibility expected of me by my father, especially responsibility towards my siblings.
Q: Tell us about your husband and children.
A: I met my husband in 1990 when we were both studying at UCT. We have been married for 28 years. We had four children - three boys and a girl who is the youngest. Our oldest child passed away four years ago. My husband is a professional chemical engineer. My second-born son, aged 21, is a businessman - working as a music producer; he produces and DJs his own music.
My third-born son, aged 18, has just finished matric and plans to have a gap year while working in my business. My daughter, aged 11, is home schooled. My family is the most important thing on this earth to me.
Q: Speak about your career and business and the state of architecture in South Africa.
A: I have an architectural firm - Agape Community Development Consulting (AGAPE CDC).
We have two offices - one in KZN and the other in Mossel Bay.
The business was registered in 1996, however I first acquired experience by working for a variety of firms, government institutions and parastatals for about eight years before working full time in the business.
Architecture has its challenges for a number of reasons. Historically, getting projects was done typically over playing a game golf or in some men's club. Thereafter, it's word of mouth. It is not easy to compete with that.
Secondly, with the new South Africa, processes to assist small businesses are not working in the favour of most small businesses. It's an ongoing process but it has cost a lot for small firms such as Agape CDC.
The one thing that has kept us afloat is the decision to cut overhead costs and invest in the latest technology to minimise costs, yet still deliver quality work.
However, this works against my desire to train youth for this field. Those we train we can't keep due to an inconsistent income. The other challenge is working in the private housing architectural space, where technically qualified people other than architects can be employed; this area is highly competitive and most of the public don’t understand the difference and don't understand the value an architect brings to a project.
My hope is for a breakthrough within the private sector businesses. I am also now working in the area of property development.
The state of architecture in South Africa is mostly affected by the economy. If there is less money around, people can't afford buildings. Firms that survive have had to change with the market.
There used to be old firms who had a secure market in the old days. Today, either they have closed down, downsized or evolved by changing with the market and merging with other disciplines. Like any other business, understanding the market and times will contribute to the sustainability of an architecture business in South Africa.
On the human development front and with regards to transformation, there are efforts made by the architecture institutes to encourage black people and women to study and practise architecture. This, I believe, will change mindsets and balance the demographics in this industry in future.
Q: You commute between KZN and Mossel Bay a great deal. Who are your clients and where are most of your projects?
A: I am not at liberty to name specific clients, but most of the projects I do are public infrastructure projects. Almost all these projects are in KZN. Now and then I get private houses in the Mossel Bay area.
Q: Tell us about your faith and ministry.
A: I was born again at a young age of 15 through a missionary. Since then I have been radical for Christ in everything I do. Over the years and especially after getting married, my husband and I had Bible school training; we were involved in a number of ministries as we were moving from one city to the next because of work.
Eventually when we moved to Mossel Bay we felt led to start a ministry among the youth. The ministry is called Agape Ministries International (AMI). In that ministry there are specific programmes. There is the Esther Generation for girls, the Joshua Generation for boys and a prison ministry for juveniles.
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We teach the gospel, disciple, use the arts in the form of Christian dance, drama and so forth for teaching and provide music lessons. We also offer leadership training. We have done camps, mission trips and community outreaches. We have been doing ministry as AMI for 10 years now. We believe there is so much more the Lord wants us to do.
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