Musician and performer Patty Nokwe was born in Eshowe on 26 June 1931. She attended St Michaels School where she participated in the school choir and studied further at M.L. Sultan Technikon. Patty married the late playwright and musician Alfred Nokwe in 1954. Their two children Tu and Marilyn are also musically talented.
Nokwe’s vocal talents were noticed when she auditioned for the SABC choir; she impressed Madame Davi to such an extent that she offered to train her for free. Nokwe has performed in a number of musicals including Run to the Ground; Sing the Times and the biographical My Voice My Life. She has also performed internationally.
With the help of the Hare Krishna Society, Nokwe contributed on feeding her community on a weekly basis. She continued to conduct singing and dance lessons and is a member of the Sibongiseni Club which caters for the elderly. She passed away in February 2018.