A Life Well Lived: Limpopo Granny Still Thriving At 115
Nompilo Maleka is no ordinary village granny.
At 115 years old, the Driekop village resident, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo, still wakes up early every morning to clean, cook and take care of herself.
“It keeps me young,” she says.
Maleka credits her long life to hard work, prayer and a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables. Every morning, she makes her bed, washes dishes and prepares meals.
“Cookig runs in the family,” she says.
The inspirational mother, grandmother and great-grandmother uses her own secret recipes to prepare delicious meals. Her favourite dishes include brown mabele pap, sugar beans and indigenous morogo. She also enjoys milk, Appletiser, oranges, mangoes and grapes.
“My work keeps me young and fights chronic illness. Eating vegetables and fruits keeps me fit,” she says.
Maleka says she has witnessed many historic and painful moments in her lifetime.
“I have witnessed World War 1 and 2. I have seen many people die of polio, HIV, malaria and Covid-19. Now, thanks be to God, many of these diseases can be managed and treated,” she says.
A mother of 10 children, grandmother to 55 and great-grandmother to 110, Maleka says she remains strong and healthy.
She proudly says she is “healthy like a racing horse” and does not take chronic medication for high blood pressure or diabetes.
Each morning, she prays for God’s mercy and grace before continuing with her daily house chores.
General practitioner Dr Robert Sehulong Moraba says people who live beyond 110 often benefit from a combination of genetics, active lifestyles, healthy eating, low stress and strong family or community connections.
“Extreme longevity looks less like one secret and more like whole-life harmony, where body, mind and relationships all get a vote,” he says.
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