AmaMpondomise Princess walking firmly into the future

AmaMpondomise Princess Dr Nikiwe Bam carries the weight of history on her shoulders, yet she walks firmly into the future.

Born into the Mpondomise Kingdom under the Ngxabane clan of the Mte Royal House in Ngcobo, known as the right-hand house where no decisions are valid until it has spoken, her lineage is steeped in responsibility rather than privilege.

For her, leadership is not a title; it is a calling to serve, protect tradition, and give voice to those who are too often left unheard.

It is this calling that led the Mpondomise Princess to establish Afrikan Indigenous Leaders (AYIL), a movement uniting young people, women, traditional leaders, and communities under one voice that speaks for Africa’s identity, dignity, and future.

Princess Bam has made it her mission to ensure that African perspectives are not only acknowledged but respected. As the facilitator of the C20 Working Group on Cultural Diversity Recognition and Embracement under the G20 process, she is carving space for indigenous voices at the highest levels of global decision-making.

She was recently honoured with the title Chief Ambassador of Umoja MaChifu in Tanzania, as part of an initiative dedicated to restoring the rightful place of traditional leaders in society.

As co-founder of the African Royal Chamber of Commerce, she is reshaping the narrative of cultural leadership, aligning heritage with economic empowerment so that communities do not just preserve tradition, but prosper through it.

Princess Bam’s inspiration is deeply rooted in the soil of her upbringing and in the legacy of her father, uNkosi Tatana Bam, fondly saluted asManzayabila! Ahhh Manzayabila!

Growing up in the rural areas, she experienced a simple but purposeful life, where every day carried meaning. From an early age, she watched her father serve his people with unwavering devotion. Princess Bam told Mukurukuru Media that her father was not only a traditional leader but also a researcher of AmaMpondomise history.

“Even when politics turned divisive and, as a PAC member, he and his community were sidelined by the ANC municipality, he never wavered in his duty to serve. That steadfastness left a lasting impression on me. Leadership is not about power or recognition. It is about service, protecting dignity and ensuring no one is left behind,” she reflected.

Balancing her identity as a Princess with her activism, she insists, is not a dual role but a single calling.

“Being a Princess is not about privilege; it is about responsibility. Unlike Western royalty, we do not grow up with gold, guards, and servants. We grow up in poverty, with our land and resources stolen. That environment makes you a fighter,” she explained.

For her, royalty means living not for oneself but for one’s people, fighting for their development, speaking for them in spaces they cannot reach, and ensuring their voices are present where decisions are made.

“Being a Princess and being an activist are not separate. They are one duty, to serve, protect, and lead with dignity,” she said.

To Princess Bam, cultural heritage is central to Africa’s future.

“If we do not know who we are, our history, and where we come from, then we do not have a future. Heritage is not only a compass that grounds leaders with moral clarity, but also a foundation for innovation. When we draw from our culture, we find solutions rooted in our own reality, solutions that fit us as Africans, not borrowed ones that erase us. For Africa to rise, cultural heritage must be at the centre of development, because it is not just about the past, it is the seed for the future,” she believed.

This vision also shapes how she sees the role of traditional leadership.

“Traditional leaders must never see themselves as limited. They are not secondary players; they are the first government of the people,” she asserted.

She recalls how her father embodied this principle.

“He built Bashee JSS School long before the state took over. He assisted elders in registering for pensions. He secured food vouchers for struggling families, and he ensured justice through traditional courts, which in many cases proved more effective than arrests for minor offences. Even the police respected his authority, never entering the village unless summoned by him,” she said.

Princess Bam said that is the essence of traditional leadership.

“Our leaders are not just cultural custodians; they are governors. They must be central to community-led development, managing resources responsibly, working with municipalities, and seeking private partnerships. Because they live with the people daily, they understand their needs better than anyone else,” she emphasised.

Princess Bam has drawn her inspiration not only from her father’s example but also from other traditional leaders who have successfully turned heritage into engines of rural development.

These include uNkosi Minenkulu Joyi, who, through his foundation, has become a beacon of agricultural innovation and youth empowerment.

“Through his foundation, he has hosted the BRICS Youth Career Expo, launched farming projects, and supported schools, showing how traditional authority can shape opportunity for the next generation,” she said.

“In Mqanduli, uNkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo has strengthened agricultural development by hosting the Minister of Agriculture in his community. That engagement translated into tangible tools and resources for local farmers, empowering them to work their land more productively.”

Beyond South Africa’s borders, examples of this kind of leadership also shine.

In Malawi, Senior Chief Dr Felix Lukwa has built thriving agricultural projects, farming crops and fruits that not only supply shops but also create jobs. Farmers under his leadership send their produce to distribution centres where it is graded, packaged, and sold, a process that instils dignity, skills, and economic strength,” she explained.

Closest to her heart, Princess Bam remembered her own father, uNkosi Tatana Bam, who lived this ethos long before it became popular. “By selling vegetables to major retailers such as Spar supermarkets, he created income for families and job opportunities for local workers.

“That is what it means to lead with purpose. Leadership that feeds, sustains, and empowers,” she reflected.

She dreams of rural communities transformed into spaces of innovation, where tradition and development walk side by side. She sees women rising, not in competition with men but in true partnership.