Before she was a master of the reefs, Silindile “Mama Sli” Mbuyazi was a young girl terrified of the ocean, certain she would never enter the water. Her journey from profound fear to deep-seated love for the sea is the heartbeat of “Indoni Yamanzi”, a landmark film currently in post-production that captures her transformation from a grieving sister to a guardian of the deep.
Triggered by the symbolic quest to find a brother lost to the ocean, Sli’s story parallels that of the Indoni (Black Beauty) fish, starting as a solitary juvenile in a world where no one looked like her, only to grow, change, and eventually “school” with a new generation of divers she now leads.
Today, Sli is a dual-certified SSI and PADI dive instructor, redefining who belongs in the blue as a mentor for African women, scientists, and storytellers.
“In many African communities, we grow up being told the water is dangerous,” says Sli. “My work is about removing that fear and helping people fall in love with the ocean”.
The film took five years to produce, and was supported by an initial 1.4 million Rand development and production grant from the KZN Film and Tourism Authority. This investment was matched by NEWF (Nature Environment Wildlife Filmmakers) through their Africa Refocused programme. Indoni Yamanzi is slated for a first look screening at the upcoming NEWF Fellow Summit in March 2026.
“Sli’s journey from a young girl on the shore to a world-class dive instructor is the ultimate proof of our ‘Theory of Change’ in action. By investing into this production and our broader Ocean Access Program, we are flipping the script on extractive storytelling. We aren’t just making a film; we are building an entire ecosystem where African storytellers own their intellectual property and lead the global preservation of our planet,” said Noel Kok, Co-Founder and Executive Director of NEWF.
Over the course of her career, Mama Sli has trained more than 150 divers, matching reef conditions to the creative, scientific research and educational needs of filmmakers, scientists and conservationists, while guiding hesitant learners into confidence.
Sli’s influence extends across Africa, including being instrumental in supporting NEWF Fellows in establishing dive programmes in Tanzania, Ghana, and Cameroon, building a Pan-African culture of stewardship. Alongside her training, Sli is establishing the Indoni Yamanzi Lifeguard Academy to improve water safety and address the history of drowning in her community. Through NEWF, Mama Sli represents a new model of heritage rooted in custodianship and leadership, reshaping the future of ocean storytelling, and conservation, in Africa.
