Change 1 Woman founder, Charnia Yapp, interviewed Thandi Kgosana, Lead publisher of Mathematics at Maskew Miller Learning during the Printing SA and PrintHER Mentorship Program networking event in Cape Town.
They discuss Kgosana’s journey from growing up in a rural community to publishing mathematics textbooks for schools across South Africa. Kgosana also reflects on the importance of inspiring young girls through education, as well as her personal health transformation alongside her son, after both made major lifestyle changes to improve their wellbeing and confidence.
Yapp: You mentioned that you studied to become a teacher. Are you still teaching, and what are you doing now in your life and career?
Kgosana: In a nutshell, yes, I still teach, but not in a classroom anymore. I do some teaching online, and within the company I also train teachers on how to teach. I’m a maths teacher by profession, and I taught in a very rural area, where I learned everything I could. Currently, I’m a mathematics publisher for textbooks used in schools. From Grade R to Grade 12, I make sure that the content going into the books is valid and aligned with what teachers and learners need at each level. That’s what I’ve been doing.
Yapp: That’s amazing. So when you say you’re publishing books, you mean maths textbooks. Not just stories. You’re working in education, which is so valuable.
You were also saying that the Change 1 Woman initiative really speaks to you. Why does it inspire you, and what do you think you can do through it?
Kgosana: It speaks to me because I think about myself as a young girl growing up in a rural area. At the time, I thought life was just normal and limited to what I saw around me. But when I got the opportunity to go to university and study teaching, so many doors opened for me simply because I had earned a degree.
I believe there are many women and girls out there who think their circumstances determine their future. I want to inspire, advise, and motivate them to see that it doesn’t matter where you come from or where you were born. As long as you have passion, you can go somewhere and achieve something. Even something as simple as becoming a teacher has taken me very far.
Yapp: And just by sharing your story with young girls, they can see what’s possible. If you went back to the area where you went to school and spoke to the girls there, do you think it would make a difference for them?
Kgosana: It definitely would. Let me give you a practical example. Last year, when we published a new maths book, some of the sales team used my story and my podcast from work to motivate young black learners by showing them that this book was created by someone who came from a background just like theirs.
The book has done very well in the market because of the story behind it. I created it not because I was in a position of power, but because I remembered myself as a child who didn’t have access to that kind of resource. I wanted to create a book that a child without money could still afford. A book that gave them everything they needed to succeed. So I truly believe stories like mine can make a difference.
Yapp: You were also telling me about your personal health journey and the positive decisions you have made for both yourself and your son. Tell me about that.
Kgosana: It hasn’t been easy, and it’s still an ongoing journey. In 2024, we relocated to Cape Town because of a major project at work. My husband, children, and I all moved from Johannesburg. During that time, I was spending long hours at the office, and other people were helping take care of my children. Naturally, they spoiled them with food and treats.
After a while, I noticed my son had reached 74 kilograms, and I was close to 120 kilograms myself. My legs were constantly sore, and my son was struggling with asthma and getting sick often. It became overwhelming.
One of my mentors suggested that we tackle the journey together. Eating healthier, exercising, and making small lifestyle changes. We didn’t have a lot of money for gyms and expensive programmes, so we started by walking. We slowly cut out sugar and unhealthy foods. Years later, I’ve managed to lose around 35 kilograms, and my son has lost about 29 kilograms.
Yapp: That’s incredible.
Kgosana: Thank you. For the first time in his life, at 10 years old, I could buy him clothes in a normal age range. That was a huge moment for us. What’s even more meaningful is seeing how he now carries himself. He had been bullied at school and was often excluded from sports like rugby, because he couldn’t run properly. It affected his confidence and his ability to participate. Now he’s active, happy, and confident. Both of us are healthier and more confident. We feel capable again.
Back then, I would encourage him by saying, ‘It’s okay,’ but deep down I knew it wasn’t okay. The challenge was figuring out how to fix such a big problem. So we started with very small steps.
Yapp: Small steps.
Kgosana: Exactly. We started by walking, because we were too overweight to run. We walked for hours, climbed stairs, and gradually changed our eating habits.
We cut out sugar, oils, snacks, sugary drinks, and eventually starches too. No rice, potatoes, bread, pap, or pasta. Coming from a rural background where pap was considered the main meal, that was a huge adjustment, but eventually it became discipline.
Now my son can even recognise when he feels unhealthy and will regulate himself. He’ll say, ‘Mom, I’m fasting this week,’ or decide to drink only water at school. Every morning at 5am he goes to the gym. At first they didn’t want to allow him in because he was only nine years old, but eventually they accepted him after I hired a trainer for him. Now he wakes himself up and trains independently. If we don’t go running, we climb the stairs in our building. We live in a flat with 15 floors, so we’ll climb from the ground floor to the 15th floor five times.
Yapp: That’s amazing. He’s got a backup plan.
Kgosana: Yes, exactly.
Yapp: You must be really proud.
Kgosana: I am and I still believe I can lose more weight. My goal is to reach 70 kilograms, so I’m still working toward that. I’ve become very disciplined. If I indulge one day, then the next day I know I need to work harder again. It really is all about discipline and purpose. Once you start seeing results, you want to keep going. You realise cheating isn’t worth it because you don’t want to undo your progress. I believe these are stories mothers need to hear, because we have to take care of ourselves and our children. Our children reflect what they see from us.
Yapp: Exactly, we can’t tell them one thing and do another.
Kgosana: Exactly. We have to support them by doing it ourselves. It’s hard. Very hard, but it’s doable.
Yapp: And you’re living proof that it’s doable.
Kgosana: Yes, we are.
CHANGE 1 WOMAN
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