Truganina author Kabinga C Mazaba’s success at the 2025 International Bookfest awards might just be proof that life’s darkest chapters can be a source of light for others.
Her memoir and self-help guide ‘CONFRONT: Reclaim Your Life,’ won first place in the body, mind, spirit and healing category and third in the memoirs and transformation at the festival.
She said she couldn’t believe just how much her debut work resonated with others.
“When you are a first-time author, sometimes you feel like you are a bit out of place and wonder ‘is it going to stand out among others,” she said.
The book chronicles the Zambian-born public speaker and life coach’s childhood trauma, sexual assault and triumph of recovering from her ordeals.
She wrote the book to break the silence around difficult topics and offer hope to others—especially within communities where speaking about personal trauma may be stigmatised.
By design, each chapter can be read in isolation and aid her audience in different stages of their respective journeys.
“That’s the beauty about it, when I wrote this book I wanted it to be a self help guide where every chapter resonates with a different type of audience,” Mazaba said.
“This book is a game changer.”
The recognition has only inspired her to continue writing her second book that will focus on what it actually takes to become the person you want to be.
“It will be a tale of perseverance, having a lot of grit and the steps it takes to get where you want to be,” she said.
