George Pemba

South African artist George Mnyaluza Pemba (also documented as Mnyala, Milwa), was born in Hillskraal, Korsten Village, Port Elizabeth. His father encouraged him to paint as a child and he received rudimentary training from his brother. In later years he was the recipient of several bursaries. He exhibited from 1928-1987. In 1937 he won the first prize in the May Esther Bedford Competition. In 1944 he was commissioned by the Bantu Welfare Trust to paint scenes of Black tribal life. In his lifetime, Pemba received several honorary degrees from the Universities of Fort Hare, Zululand and Bophuthatswana.

Pemba’s chosen career was viewed as inappropriate for a black person during the apartheid years. He however managed to make a good living out of his art, despite indifference from the mainstream art world. Pemba was also a good writer and wrote two plays, one of them being the well-known Nonqause. He later produced paintings to illustrate the play. He died in 2001.