It is often said that what really matters is invisible to the eye, and Nelson Mandela Bay receptionist Nolufefe “Nolu” Mgoqi is living proof of the maxim.
The 30-year-old has used a wheelchair since the age of 10, and it has not for a single minute stopped her from achieving in life, whether professionally, personally or on the field of play.
Aside from being the face of Gqeberha steelmaker Coega Steels, she is a wife, a mother and an eight-time Eastern Cape representative in the sport of Boccia, a precision game similar to bowls that is popular among athletes with physical disabilities.
The sport has taken her across the country, and with a ninth provincial cap on the horizon, her story stands as a reminder that talent, determination and the right support can carry an athlete far beyond any perceived limitation.
A diagnosis of muscular dystrophy at an early age might have felled others, but Nolufefe Mgoqi has proven, time and again, that the human spirit is capable of overcoming even the biggest of challenges.
She grew up in Gqeberha’s Motherwell township and completed her entire schooling at Northern Lights, a special education school in Cotswold. It was there, in Grade 6, that her physiotherapist suggested she give Boccia a try.
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Eight provincial caps later, she is glad she did. Her steady rise from a Grade 6 beginner to a fixture in provincial colours speaks to years of quiet, determined work. The trials for the Eastern Cape team are held annually at Cape Recife School, and such is her consistency that her selection has become close to a formality.
Boccia, pronounced “bot-cha”, involves participants throwing, kicking or rolling leather balls towards a white target ball which, as in bowls, is known as the jack. The game rewards accuracy and composure rather than power, opening the door to athletes across a wide range of physical abilities.
Players like Nolufefe Mgoqi, who are not able to throw or kick the balls, use a ramp to roll them towards the target. These competitors can call on a ramp assistant to help position the device for aiming purposes.
Her assistant just so happens to be her husband, Anele Mgoqi, who is hearing-impaired. The two met just out of high school and have been together ever since, building a partnership that now stretches across every corner of their lives.
In addition to being teammates on the court and parents to seven-year-old Uyinene, they are also work colleagues. Both joined Coega Steels four years ago, with Anele Mgoqi plying his trade as a machine operator while Nolufefe Mgoqi welcomes visitors at the front desk.
Nolufefe Mgoqi feels blessed despite having had to overcome so much in her young life, and a large part of her gratitude is reserved for her employer.
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Given the severity of her disability, travelling by bus and sleeping in hostels during tournaments are far from ideal. After sharing her dilemma with a colleague ahead of the 2025 interprovincial tournament in the Western Cape, she was advised to approach company director Anand Susainathan to see if the company could assist in any way.
“They sponsored Anele and I with flights and accommodation and everything that I needed. It is wonderful that my workplace supports me like this.”
Eastern Cape Boccia Star, Nolufefe Mgoqi
It is the kind of backing that turns participation into possibility for athletes with disabilities, for whom the logistics of competing can be as demanding as the competition itself.
With her husband at her side and a ninth Eastern Cape cap within reach, Nolufefe Mgoqi keeps rolling with South Africa’s best.
Main Photo Caption: Eight-time Eastern Cape boccia representative Nolufefe Mgoqi continues to inspire on and off the court. The Coega Steels receptionist, who has used a wheelchair since the age of 10, is closing in on a ninth provincial cap in the precision sport. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: Nolufefe Mgoqi and husband Anele Mgoqi form a formidable team at home, at work and on the boccia court.
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