News24 | South African dive instructor receives 2026 National Geographic Wayfinder Award

South African dive instructor and marine teacher Silindile Mbuyazi has been named the 2026 Wayfinder Award recipient and is set to receive the award at the National Geographic Explorers Festival on 18 June in Washington, DC.

The Wayfinder Award, presented by Kia, is an honour bestowed each year to 15 visionaries under two conditions: recipients must have outstanding achievements in science, conservation, education, technology, and storytelling; and these achievements must further society’s mission to highlight and protect the wonders of the world.

Fondly known as Mama Sli, the dive instructor and marine teacher said receiving this recognition is a dream come true.

“It means a lot to me because I am the first black South African woman to have this award, [and] getting this award in the US is a lot. I always wanted to serve my local community. I want to do lifeguard [work] to help [prevent] drownings on the beach.”

As someone who has overcome her fear of the ocean, Mbuyazi said the award is personal and special to her.

“To do this as a black South African woman means a lot to me. I want to [help] my community because there have been a lot of drownings in my area.”

Her mission is deeply personal as her brother lost his life to drowning. She learnt to dive in hopes of finding his remains, but instead fell in love with the ocean. She gathered vital knowledge from this that she would later use to educate her family and others in her community, making them aware that currents – not superstitions as cultural stories suggest – were the cause of ocean drownings.

According to Mbuyazi, the award does not belong only to her but also to her community, to every daring woman who is fearless, and to the ocean that taught her to be resilient.

“I hope my story inspires others to become custodians of our precious marine ecosystems and to see the ocean not as a source of fear, but as a vital part of our heritage and future.”

Mama Sli will be receiving the honour for her transformative efforts in redefining ocean access.

“As an African, it’s very important to learn water skills before you go near water. I go to schools and educate young children and tell them about the ocean tide that I was not told about [growing up]. It is to make them aware. We’ve been told [superstitious stories] by our grandmothers on why we need to avoid the ocean and about why people were pulled into the ocean,” she said.

“Nobody told me about the tides and that the tide is pulling people into the ocean.”

Mama Sli, who is a dual-certified Scuba Schools International (SSI) and Professional A