Ntombifuthi Magwaza Sibiya is a respected wire-weaving artist from Nongoma whose journey has shaped the work she creates. She is known for her bold colour combinations, precise geometric patterns, and her distinctive blend of Zulu and Ndebele influences – a style she has refined since she began weaving in 1993. Over the years, she has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s leading telephone-wire artists, with her work collected both locally and internationally.

Behind her achievements lies a deeply personal story of loss, interruption, and remarkable resilience.

Before tragedy struck, Ntombifuthi’s life was full and busy. She had taught her husband how to weave, and together they were making baskets. Her husband also built houses for people as an additional source of income, helping to support the family in multiple ways. Their eldest son worked closely with his father, and for a time, the family seemed to be steadily building both their lives and their future.

Then everything changed.

Her son was shot and killed, leaving a hole in Ntombifuthi’s life that could never be filled. The grief was unbearable, a weight that pressed on every moment of her days. Not long after, her husband passed away, and with him went another piece of her world. In a short span of time, she had lost the two people she loved most. The pain was so deep that weaving (once her refuge and source of joy) became impossible. She tried to pick up her work, but her hands trembled, her mind felt clouded, and each attempt reminded her of all she had lost. Eventually, she had no choice but to step away from the craft that had once defined her.

To support her family, Ntombifuthi returned to domestic work. In many ways it reminded her of difficult times in her past, yet it was what she needed to do to survive. This became a long, quiet pause from weaving, a period of survival more than creativity, a time of slowly processing her grief and rebuilding her life in small, unseen steps.

As time passed and her heart began to heal, the threads of weaving called her back. She picked up wire again gently, reconnecting with the craft she had loved. Each basket she created became part of her recovery, a way to steady herself, to rebuild, and to move forward. Her return marked not just personal healing, but the beginning of a renewed and celebrated chapter in her career.

Today, Ntombifuthi’s work is admired both in South Africa and abroad. She is a two-time FNB Vita Craft Now Award winner, and her baskets are known for their precision, bold designs, and cultural depth. Her work is featured in iNgqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa, a major exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) in the United States. She also participated in a live wire-weaving demonstration at MOIFA in July 2025. Her pieces are part of the permanent collections at the Phansi Museum and the KwaMuhle Museum, and she continues to play a key role in the Siyanda telephone-wire weaving community, helping to carry forward this uniquely South Africa art form.

Ntombifuthi is now fully restored to her craft, weaving full-time with the same passion and precision that first defined her work. Her baskets, each one vibrant, intricate, and deeply rooted in her journey, are available for purchase at Woza Moya.  Her story is one of resilience and renewal. Each basket carries her history, strength, and a story of hope woven into form.