Nompilo Maleka is no ordinary granny. 

The 115-year-old great-grandmother from Driekop outside Burgersfort in Limpopo still wakes up early in the morning, makes her bed, washes dishes and cooks. A copy of her green ID book, seen by Health-e news, records her date of birth as 14 April 1911. 

The secret to a long and healthy life? According to Maleka, it’s working hard and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

For much of her life, she worked the land and grew crops such as maize, watermelon, sugar cane, chillies, spinach and indigenous morogo.

 “My work keeps me young and fit. Eating veggies and fruits helps me fight old age and chronic illness.”

Her favourite food is brown mabela pap, sugar beans and indigenous morogo. She also enjoys oranges, mangoes and grapes. She says her favourite drinks are milk and Appletiser.

“I wake up every morning to pray for the mercy and grace of God before continuing my household chores,” Maleka says. 

According to Maleka, cooking skills run in the family. She still uses her own secret recipes to prepare her meals. 

She says she has seen many difficult times in her life. 

 “I have witnessed World War 1 and 2. I have seen and witnessed many people dying of polio, HIV, malaria and Covid.”

Supercentenarians

According to a recent global study, eating traditional foods, staying active into old age, keeping close family and community ties, and holding strong spiritual and cultural beliefs, all contribute to a rising number of supercentenarians – people who have reached or passed their 110th birthday. 

Maleka’s story is unusual not only because of her old age, but also because it gives a glimpse into what healthy ageing can look like in rural Limpopo. 

Research highlighted by Wits University shows that people in Southern Africa are living longer, but not always healthier. In rural Limpopo’s Vhembe district, about 300 kilometres from Maleka’s village, many centenarians live in ways that echo some of the world’s oldest populations, according to the study. 

But the same study also found that people in the region are developing chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes earlier than the global average.

A Long Life in Limpopo

For Maleka, staying active is part of everyday life. She still walks around at home, but her family says she sometimes crawls when it’s difficult to use a wheelchair. 

Maleke’s husband passed away a few years ago at the age of 80. Today she lives with her 35-year-old granddaughter, Letlapa Maleka, who is also her caregiver. Letlapa says her grandmother relies on a wheelchair for longer trips.

Maleka’s  99-year old neighbour and friend, Matsela Mokgojane, describes her as a humble person.

“She is a one-man-woman, doesn’t drink alcohol, God fearing and a hard worker who created [more] friends than enemies”.

A combination of health factors

General practitioner, Dr Robert Sehulong Morabe, who makes house calls in Limpopo’s deep rural villages, and has treated many centenarians, says Maleka is one of his regular patients. He confirms that Maleka has no serious chronic illnesses. According to Morabe, people who live beyond 110 usually do so because of a combination of factors. 

“Supercentenarians tend to have a powerful combo working in their favor: genes that help them dodge age-related diseases, a happy, balanced gut microbiome, and everyday habits that add up over time – like staying active, eating mostly plants, and keeping stress in check,” says Morabe.

Morabe says many supercentenarians share something else too: “A generally upbeat outlook on life and deep, meaningful connections with family and community. In short, extreme longevity looks less like a single ‘secret’ and more like a whole-life harmony.”

For Maleka, the answer is simpler.

She says working hard, praying often and eating well have helped her through life.