There’s a quiet lie many people are sold: that if you achieve enough, acquire enough, or reach the right career milestone, peace will follow. But what happens when you attain everything you once dreamed of and still find yourself struggling to hold on?
Nandi Mbatha’s testimony dismantles that lie completely. Her story isn’t about someone who had nothing and found faith – it’s about someone who had reached the height of her career, by every outward measure “made it,” and was still drowning.
The well-known South African actress recently shared a deeply personal and vulnerable testimony on Testimony Tuesday, a YouTube series by Until All Are Found. In it, she opens up about her struggles with severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, and her eventual profound encounter with God that would ultimately change the course of her life.
A Struggle with Mental Health
Nandi candidly discussed how childhood experiences of being bullied and other traumas eventually manifested as long-term depression and anxiety. She described the peak of her despair, detailing her repeated attempts to take her own life, even while achieving success in her professional career. This is a reminder that earthly possessions are good yet temporary, but the peace of Jesus is priceless and eternal, and we have the privilege to enjoy it while we are on earth.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? – Matthew 16:26 AMP
A Divine Encounter With Jesus
One night, while at her lowest point and preparing to end her life, Nandi cried out to the Lord in a moment of total surrender. She describes an extraordinary encounter with Jesus in her apartment, where she felt a sense of stillness and heard a promise that while she was suffering, she would eventually be okay. This experience shifted her perspective, leading her away from active suicide attempts into a season of “functioning depression” while she began a journey of spiritual growth.
Baptism and Breakthrough
Nandi recounts the period of “pruning” that followed, where she faced heightened anxiety and spiritual warfare. She eventually found a church community that provided the support she needed, especially through her pastor’s words, which reminded her that terror may come, but it would not consume her.
Nandi described her transformative baptism experience as a moment when the old version of herself died and she emerged as a “new creation.” In Romans 6:3-4, the Apostle Paul explains that being baptised into Jesus means being baptised into His death. Going under the water symbolises burial with Christ. Rising from the water symbolises His resurrection, meaning believers now walk in a new life.
Since that day, she reports being free from suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. Her story testifies that Jesus is a miracle worker who can provide hope and restoration in any circumstance. Watch the video below.
