Thandolwethu Emily Nomvula Sikwila, also known as Thando, is a Zimbabwean Australian singer, songwriter and actress from Melbourne, Victoria. Her most notable appearances were her appearances on The Voice Australia. She was a contestant in season three, but was eliminated in the tryouts. She later returned in season eleven and reached the finale. She also played Effie White in StageArt’s Australia’s first professionally produced Dreamgirls.
Thando was born on April 9, 1993 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to Nokuthula and Victor Sikwila. Thando is bilingual and speaks Ndebele.
At the age of 20, she auditioned for season three of The Voice Australia with the song Mercy and chose Kylie Minogue as her coach. She was eliminated in the tryouts.
Growing up, I fondly remember the great joy and excitement of eating together. I grew up tinkering in the kitchen, creating my own dishes, learning recipes from my grandmother and those before her to acquire my wooden spoon.
Thando means love, but it’s my love and passion for my heritage and food that has brought me this far. My meals are inspired by the beautiful cultural diversity of Southern Africa and the passion and Ubuntu that radiate from Africans.
I am a firm believer that there is no one-size-fits-all allure of Africa, but you should attend one of my workshops to experience the warmth, taste and conviviality usually found at an African family dinner table.