Sanele Sigasa: Redefining mental health advocacy through faith, purpose and leadership
Sanele Sigasa
A young woman from Katlehong is building a platform where faith and mental health coexist — and where no one has to struggle alone
By Anila Bukhari
Sanele Sigasa is a young South African woman from Katlehong whose journey represents the powerful intersection of faith, resilience, education, advocacy and purposeful leadership. A BCom student at the University of South Africa, she is a believer, a child of God, a mental health advocate and the founder of Mental Space with Saneh, a platform dedicated to creating meaningful conversations around mental health, faith and healing.
Sigasa’s advocacy is deeply rooted in her personal journey with depression. Having navigated mental health challenges herself, she developed a profound understanding of how important it is for people to have spaces where they can speak openly, honestly and without fear of judgment. Rather than allowing her experiences to remain a private struggle, she chose to transform them into a source of purpose and a reason to advocate for others.
At the centre of her work is a message that faith and mental health do not have to exist separately. As a committed believer, she strongly believes that a person can love God, maintain their faith and still need professional support, therapy, community and meaningful conversation. Her advocacy challenges the misconception that struggling emotionally or seeking professional help represents a lack of faith.
Through Mental Space with Saneh, Sigasa is creating a platform where conversations surrounding mental health can be approached with honesty, compassion and understanding. Her work encourages individuals to acknowledge their emotions, understand their experiences and recognise that asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
Her own experiences have given her advocacy a deeply personal dimension. Depression is often accompanied by isolation, misunderstanding and silence, particularly when individuals fear being judged by their families, communities or faith environments. Sigasa’s decision to speak openly about her journey helps create visibility around experiences that many people continue to face privately.
For her, mental health advocacy is not simply about raising awareness. It is about creating connection — reminding people that they are not alone and that their experiences deserve to be acknowledged with dignity and compassion.
Her faith remains an important source of strength throughout this journey. She approaches her advocacy with the belief that healing can involve different forms of support. Spirituality can provide comfort and hope, while professional guidance, therapy, trusted relationships and healthy communities can also play meaningful roles in a person’s recovery.
This balanced perspective is particularly important in communities where conversations around mental health still carry stigma. Sigasa’s voice contributes to a more compassionate understanding of wellbeing, encouraging people to view mental health as an essential part of overall human health rather than something to be hidden or ashamed of.
Alongside her advocacy, she is pursuing her academic journey at the University of South Africa. Her education reflects another important dimension of her leadership: the commitment to personal development. She understands that knowledge, discipline and continuous learning strengthen her ability to contribute meaningfully to society.
Her journey as a young woman from Katlehong also represents the possibilities that emerge when personal experience is transformed into purposeful action. She is building her identity not only as a student but also as an advocate and emerging leader whose voice she wants to have a lasting positive impact.
Sigasa’s story demonstrates that leadership does not always begin with a large organisation, a prominent title or an established platform. Sometimes it begins with the courage to share a personal story and use it to help someone else feel understood.
Her work also reflects the importance of young people participating in conversations about mental health. Young adults are navigating a rapidly changing world filled with academic pressure, career uncertainty, social expectations and personal challenges. Creating safe spaces for honest conversation helps individuals recognise that their struggles are valid and that support is available.
Through her platform and advocacy, Sigasa seeks to contribute to a culture of openness. Her message is one of compassion, faith and hope, while firmly acknowledging the importance of taking mental health seriously.
What makes her journey particularly meaningful is that she does not separate her different identities. Her faith informs her values, her personal experiences inform her advocacy, her education contributes to her professional development and her leadership brings all these elements together.
Sigasa is still at the beginning of her journey, but her direction is already clear. She is using her experiences not simply to define herself but to create conversations that may help others understand themselves more deeply.
Her story is ultimately a reminder that difficult experiences can become part of a larger purpose. A personal struggle can inspire advocacy. A quiet voice can begin an important conversation. And a young woman from Katlehong can use her experiences, education and faith to encourage others to speak, seek support and believe that healing is possible.
As she continues her academic, personal and professional journey, her work through Mental Space with Saneh has the potential to become an even greater platform for conversations around mental health, faith and healing.
Her journey is not defined only by what she has experienced but by what she chooses to build from those experiences.
Sigasa represents a generation of young leaders increasingly willing to speak about subjects that were once surrounded by silence. Through faith, education, advocacy and purpose, she is creating a space where mental health can be discussed with greater honesty, empathy and humanity.
Her story is a powerful example of how purpose can emerge from personal experience — and how one person’s willingness to speak openly can give another person the courage to feel less alone.
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