Born on 11 June 1972 and raised in Plettenberg Bay, Ald. Nompumelelo Ndayi is a resident of the Kwanokuthula community in the Bitou municipal area.
Ald. Ndayi is a mother of five (5), including three (3) daughters and two (2) sons. Two of her daughters work in Cape Town and Johannesburg, respectively. One as a law enforcement officer and the other in debt collection. Her mother lives in Gqeberha and is one of five siblings. One of her brothers sadly passed away in 2012.
In 2008, Ndayi was appointed as Manager at the Nothando Backpackers Lodge for more than four (4) years. During this time, she was responsible for the daily running of the front office and all other operations, such as handling the financial side of bookings. She also had to ensure that stock was controlled, new staff trained, and most importantly, she was responsible for the welfare and disciplining of all staff. She recalls being the go-to person the owners relied on during their time away.
Later that year, 4 October 2012, a new chapter in her life began when she was elected as a Bitou Councillor. In 2016 (at the start of her 2nd term as councillor), Cllr Ndayi was allowed to represent the local municipality at the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) until April 2017. In August 2017, she was elected as an additional member of the East region for the DA. She still holds this position today. The year 2018 presented to her an opportunity to open books again when she attended training for the 6th bi-election that Greg Krumbock presented. Ndayi was elected during 2022 as a Mayoral Committee member, serving as the portfolio chairperson for Community Services at GRDM.
She holds a Diploma in Silver Service and has numerous Certificates of Competence for short learning programmes. Some include the roles and responsibilities of Municipal Councillors in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act, Decision-making in Local Government, Oversight in Local Government, as well as various training courses she completed while working in the private sector.
From being a strong woman to an active and firm politician, she also has a lighter and relaxed side. She enjoys playing chess, darts, watching netball and listening to gospel music.
Ndayi describes herself as a patient and open person due to her community involvement. She said: “I am not afraid to face challenges and work hard to overcome them”. Adding to this, she said: “We cannot fix all problems, but we can at least help; we just need to stay focused”. Cllr Ndayi has a passion for addressing the challenges women and children face, especially issues linked to gender-based violence. “I look at myself today, and I see that girl-child of yesterday who has become a strong woman – a woman that is an activist of the Democratic Alliance, more so an activist for the community. ”