There’s no doubt The Voice contestant Ruva Ngwenya has a gift.
Her powerhouse voice has not only turned red chairs on the reality series, but entertained live audiences in large-scale theatre productions such as The Lion King and We Will Rock You.
Fame surely lies in store, but the 24-year-old isn’t picturing her name in lights just yet.
Ruva’s humble nature and quiet determination is derived in large part from her mother.
The singer revealed to TV WEEK her mum’s “Cinderella rags-to-riches” story – in which she fled Zimbabwe for Australia – has had a huge influence on her own life.
“Growing up in the villages of Zimbabwe, there’s no running water or electricity,” Ruva says. “The infrastructure is totally different to what we have here – everything is hard.”
Ruva impressed the coaches during her blind audition.
Ruva’s mother, who was sponsored by an Australian family, made the brave decision to leave her homeland. She was determined to give her two-year-old daughter a better life.
“She had little education [when she arrived], but she built herself up,” Ruva explains. “She lived in Housing Commission [accommodation], but put in the hard yards to go to university and become the amazing, successful lawyer she is today.”
As Ruva forges her career, she knows her family is behind her.
“They all want to see me do well in the competition,” she smiles. “I feel lucky.”
