Octavia is a happy, pretty woman.

She was born in 1972 at Loskop, KwaZulu-Natal, and after attending primary school and working on a farm as a temporary labourer for a short while, she heard about the Ardmore Ceramic Art studio through Agnes Ndlovu, step-mother to the legendary Bonnie Ntshalintshali.

In 1993, at the age of 21, Octavia joined Fee Halsted’s team of artists as a painter. After only one month she discovered a love of clay and realised she would prefer to do coiling and sculpting.

Octavia creates coiled bowls, dishes, jugs and vases with a great deal of care and skill. Like her, her work is robust.

Octavia’s work has been exhibited in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town as well as overseas in Germany, London and the United States.

She has found a home for herself and her three children at Ardmore and, as the sole breadwinner of her family – and with the aid of the Ardmore Excellence Fund – is able to give her children a future with hope.

Ardmore gives her the opportunity to enjoy the creative work she does so well.

Since 2009 Octavia and Betty Ntshingila have been the only two women working in the clay making studio. Octavia is renowned for her beautiful pumpkin shaped forms that become teapots and urns.