Swim with SA’s Black Mermaid

Durban - South Africa’s Zandile Ndhlovu is the subject of an exciting short documentary, The Black Mermaid, released on free streaming channel WaterBear yesterday.

The Black Mermaid follows Ndhlovu, South Africa’s first black woman freediving instructor, often dubbed the “real life Ariel”, as she explores the power and place that the ocean holds in indigenous South African lives.

Watch Ndhlovu’s first experience of the sardine run, one of the planet’s most beautiful ocean phenomena rarely witnessed by local communities. Hear from her grandmother who mythologised the ocean and Ndhlovu, who immersed herself in it.

WaterBear is a streaming platform showcasing award-winning documentaries as well as original content ‒ spanning biodiversity, community, climate action and sustainable fashion. Visit www.waterbear.com

Ndhlovu said: “Growing up, I faced many obstacles that prevented me from exploring the deep: challenges accessing swimming lessons as a child, the lack of representation in freediving, and the steep financial costs associated with it, have historically excluded many black individuals from participating in the sport. Now, I am on a mission to shake-up the freediving world by empowering black communities to get involved.”

Ndhlovu is the founder of The Black Mermaid Foundation, an organisation seeking to create diverse representation in the ocean arena. Her work centres around enabling access to ocean spaces to local coastal people, to diversify ocean spaces recreationally, professionally and in sport, while creating a new generation of ocean guardians.

The Independent on Saturday

• Zandile Ndlovu, SA’s first black freediving instructor, is bringing about change in the diving world

• ‘Black Mermaid’ shares her passion for the ocean

• The conservationist who is helping save the oceans one shot at a time