MY STORY
How i became zamani
My name is Bryan Stone, aka Zamani (meaning “the trier” in isiZulu). I was given this name at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Howard Campus in Durban.
Back then, in my second year of my BA with isiZulu as a major, I would try out my broken isiZulu with the security guards at the campus gate when walking in each day for lectures. After a few months of this, I walked up to the gate one day and an old security guard greeted me with "Sawubona Zamani", telling me that he had named me uZamani because he could see that I was truly trying every day with my isiZulu.
Funnily enough, I actually didn’t intend on studying the language at all. I went to university to study Psychology with the goal of becoming a psychologist, but during our first year, we had to choose three electives. All the departments came to introduce their subjects to us first-years sitting in a massive lecture theatre.
Suddenly, a big white man wearing khaki shorts and a shirt stepped up and projected his massive voice in perfect, deep rural isiZulu.
A turning point
The native isiZulu speakers all around me went crazy with excitement at how well someone who was seemingly an outsider could speak isiZulu.
Seeing how much it meant to everyone that someone had taken the time to learn and speak their home language so beautifully, I knew right then and there that I had to choose isiZulu and become fluent.
A rewarding journey
My journey with learning the language has been wonderfully rewarding. It has made me feel deeply South African because it allows me to connect with the people of my country on a much more profound level, making me feel like I belong. It has taught me not to fear, but to rather reach out and connect, and watch in awe what wonderful power language has as a bridge.
I've had some wonderful experiences; from chancing upon a gathering at Moses Mabhida Stadium led by Jacob Zuma, to finding Firefighters at Durban beachfront and joining their braai under the boot of their combi in the raid, to being an Ilobolo negotiator for my uncle's gardener Morris Ndugane in Umlazi and University security guard (not the guard who named me Zamani) Simo Zulu in Melmoth.
my teaching background
I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in isiZulu in 2010 and have been teaching ever since—spanning over 15 years. My background includes designing my own syllabus to teach American exchange students through the School for International Training (SIT). My teaching experience ranges from primary school learners in grades 1 through 4 to undergraduate medical students, alongside years of independently tutoring adults in both one-on-one and group sessions.
I have since moved away from Durban and transitioned to teaching isiZulu online. This has opened the doors to connecting with eager students not only throughout South Africa, but across the globe—including Australia, the USA, the UK, and even Germany!
Going global online
sharing my
passion
I truly love my job. I get to connect with people from around the world, share my passion for language acquisition, and give my students the tools necessary to form genuine, meaningful connections of their own through language.