Nkunzi Nkabinde

Nkabinde was on a journey of self-discovery as they explored the intersections of their sexuality and gender identity. Initially, they identified as a lesbian sangoma and represented this within the majority of their work. Towards the end of their lifetime, they began to reimagine their identity as a transgender man. Academic Ruth Morgan, who has worked closely with Nkabinde, reports that they had intentions to release a book about their experiences as a transgender man before their death. As Nkabinde’s life was cut short during this journey, it is unsure which gender pronouns would best reflect their gender identity. Some scholars refer to Nkabinde with feminine “she/her” pronouns which is what Nkabinde used for themself in their autobiography. Others use “they/them” as gender neutral pronouns and few use “he/him” as masculine pronouns.

Nkabinde died on May 24, 2018. The cause of death is unknown.

In 2004, Nkabinde joined Busi Kheswa to interview same-sex sangomas and presented this research with Ruth Morgan, the Director of the Gay and Lesbian Archives in South Africa (GALA). They shared their findings in Dublin, Ireland at a lesbian conference.

Nkunzi Zandile Nkabinde (born December 7, 1975) was a South African sangoma, author, and LGBT activist. They are recognized for their work and writings surrounding LGBT life as a South African, and they are best known for their memoir Black Bull, Ancestors and Me: My Life as a Lesbian Sangoma.

Nkabinde was born on December 7, 1975 in Soweto in Gauteng, South Africa in the midst of apartheid and six months prior to the Soweto uprising. Nkabinde’s mother, Sibongile, went into labor without her husband present because he was a truck driver who worked away from home. Her friend, Mamtshali, aided her when she went into labor, and she ran outside to find transportation to the hospital. While rushing, Mamtshali left her dompas behind, so she was aggressively arrested by police, and a neighbor had to transport Sibongile to the hospital. Mamtshali was also pregnant at the time and went into an early labor at the same hospital as Sibongile because of the aggressive force used by police officers. The baby died because it was delivered too premature to survive. That same evening, Sibongile gave birth to twins which are considered bad luck in Zulu culture. The first baby was a boy who died during childbirth. The second baby was Nkabinde, and they were named Nkunzi, or "black bull," after their male ancestor. On the day of Nkabinde’s birth, there were multiple deaths in their family, including their twin brother, paternal grandmother, and maternal uncle. This was considered extremely bad luck in their culture, and followed Nkabinde throughout their life.