Testimonials

“I met mom Yvonne through the Female Wave of Change as one of the teachers in the Women Leading in Change Program, and with that I met my teacher and mentor in life.

She leads with a big heart and takes decisive action. She’s a true role model, and is always open to learning as well as teaching. She supports you unconditionally on your path of learning and becoming. Her gift of teaching through the power of words and stories helped me take the full ownership of the leader that I am so I can serve as best as I can in my different roles. I highly recommend you to be mentored and taught by Yvonne. She changes lives with her gentle, yet powerful way of being, and she’ll help improve yours.”

Tanja Bogataj: Life, Leadership and Transformational Coach and Consultant.
Visit Tanja’s website »

I met Mam Kgame fifteen years ago. I was a scriptwriter commissioned to work on the ground-breaking kid’s series Takalani Sesame – and she was an SABC manager. On meeting  Mam YK, her legendary  generosity and enormous creativity had the effect of making a room feel immediately energised and comfortable. The work of thrashing out ideas and structuring programs became joyful and inspired with Mam YK at the helm. I experienced her leadership and love when I joined the SABC as a Commissioning Editor in 2008 (working on music shows), and later becoming Head of Children’s Content. Ma Kgame made it a point to personally walk from her own floor and come and meet new staff members, sharing words of warmth and convincing staff that they should never feel powerless because wherever they are, they can make a contribution and be impactful. Her favourite phrase as GM was : “wherever you are – that’s your boardroom! Make your mark, be impactful!” She had us walking around full of self-love and confidence. Heads held high, shoulders back and strutting the corridors at Auckland Park feeling  like God’s Beloved.  A Rare Gift – Mam Kgame gives courage when spirits are low and convinces one of one’s talents and brilliance even amidst contradicting voices. Mam Kgame gives hugs and kisses, she looks deep into eyes and says “Wow! Look at you! God’s special Creation. You are truly AMAZING”.  Mam Kgame is a teacher and a writer who is profoundly loving, gracious and brilliant! When she came out of her stroke in 2007 and wrote her moving and passionate reflection Infinite  Grace about her survival and rebirth – she again amazed us with her strength and willingness to continue living her purpose and being someone we all wanted to be around. New staff members who received her editorial guides would request an introduction to Mam Kgame – the beautiful mind that ensured that staff members knew their role as public broadcasters, writers and producers.

I am delighted to learn that in her “retirement” Mam Kgame has gone back to her loves – publishing and teaching. I am eagerly awaiting my copy of her latest book: Busisiwe – Let Blessings Come to Life.  I know I will be richer, and will grow in the way I live and perceive life after reading the book.

Mam Kgame, thank you for your many Gifts. I am particularly grateful for your precious words. Written and spoken. Words that carry divinity and reveal worlds beyond the current confusion. Words as clear as sunshine and as beautiful and life giving as summer rain. UBusiswe Ma, Futhi uyisibusiso kuthina sonke. Ndabezitha!

Nokuthula Khumoetsile Msimang, PhD
Head of Children’s Content – SABC Children

Yvonne Busisiwe Kgame has truly reminded us that everybody has a story to tell, sweet or bitter, nay, bitter-sweet, as the ancient bard, William Shakespeare, would have said capturing metaphorically the reality of living our lives in human bodies, in a world wherein love often alters when it alteration finds, and betimes bends, for good or for worse, with the remover to remove.

I took delight, and believe strongly that many a soul will do likewise, in immersing myself in Yvonne Kgame’s miraculous awakening, aptly titled Infinite Grace. Indeed her transcendental account is bound to touch every soul as each page seamlessly contributes to and advances the book’s infinite riches showing beyond any shadow of doubt that truly love is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.

My takeaway from Infinite Grace is a powerful message that the most soothing of rainbows indeed comes amid heavy storms, that faith and steadfast belief in redemptive power will lead always to inner peace and “infinite grace”.

Infinite Grace will always serve as a constant reminder that, in times past, it was for good reason that I felt strongly, when I stood in front of Yvonne, as her teacher, the power radiating in the sparkle from her eyes.

Well done Busisiwe for sharing with us and showing us the enduring beauty of admitting no impediments in the face of life’s trials and tribulations. Indeed you are truly blessed, and a blessing to all of us as your name connotes.

A message of appreciation for Yvonne Kgame on the occasion of the launch of her new book, Infinite Riches: A miraculous awakening (12 April 2012)

Angie Motshekga – Minister of Basic Education

“I have never had the thought that this is “a man’s world”, and that we as women cannot succeed.

However in today’s world, true success will require constant courage and complete honesty on our part.

If you ever do feel afraid or discouraged, here is a secret I would like to share with you…. Take just one moment of silence, go within yourself and evoke your courage. Have the faith that you do have a solution, you do have answers, and you do know what must be done. Never let yourself be influenced by what others might be thinking. Just turn inwards, emerge the wisdom that is within, and then do something with it.

You only need to start with that one minute, saying to yourself, “okay, let me see what can be done.”

We are never without the solutions to our problems. It’s just that sometimes we may have to wait a little.

Learn how to remain peaceful, and patient. The answers will definitely come and at just the right moment, too.

Dadi Janki – “Wings of Soul”

At first impression, ‘Infinite Grace’ is a book about Yvonne Kgame as a person. It might be mistakenly read as a story about her particular life journey; about the significant and outstanding events that occurred in Yvonne’s life, starting from her childhood period, the way in which she has been raised, her relationships with her parents and siblings and the influences it has on her, continuing into her current family and business life, and culminating in the appearance of a rare and life-threatening brain tumor…. But ‘Infinite Grace’ is much more than a personal story.

I met Yvonne for the first time in the year 2004 when she attended, as an ordinary participant, the first out of three of Insight Training Center’s personal transformation workshops, the Turning Point. All that I knew about Yvonne is that she was occupying a high power position (hence being a celebrity of a kind) in the national broadcaster, the SABC. During that first and intense five-day encounter, I experienced Yvonne as being open, humble, extremely modest, and above all, willing to learn and to self confront the many aspects she called ‘my life’. There was no behavioral display of the typical person who is in high social position, i.e.  “I am the boss and therefore I know it all”. Clearly, Yvonne was there to learn and to grow.

Yvonne proceeded and attended our second level workshop, the Joy Spring. This second five-day encounter is extremely intense and a highly demanding workshop, that requires strong, bonding and intimate cooperation among the group of participants. It was Yvonne who created the slogan “Unity is Power”, the umbrella under which her entire Joy Spring group operated with great success.

Much has been and will be said about Yvonne Kagme as a person in the domain of relationship as well as her role as a representative leader in the community. However, ‘Infinite Grace’ is much more than a simple, in this case extraordinary, personal autobiography. It is an alive, in action testimony for our human search. A search for personal growth in order to break free from our own imposed limitations. A search in which we aspire to become more than the way we have been molded and shaped
by society at large. This is a search for a humane meaning for our temporarily, ever-changing and death-facing existence. This is a search for the raising of the level of our Human Consciousness, not just for a particular individual, but rather for the collective at large.

So what is Consciousness? Consciousness is a multidimensional quantum phenomenon that continuously evolves by sudden phase-shifts into new contexts. Our modern physicists tell us that we are living in a ‘participatory universe’. Even the act of observing the world, the act of focusing our attention, the act of us looking somewhere and examining the world, is an act of creation in and of itself. In a participatory reality, we are creating our experience as well as experiencing what we have created. And it is Consciousness that is doing the creation. Or to state it in simpler words, Consciousness is the creative power in and of the universe. Every aspect of the universe is created by Consciousness.

Everything in our universe is conscious at its own specific level, and at the same time is in the process of transformation to higher or lower states. We can consider Consciousness as a kind of vibration level or frequency range, oscillating as a waveform. It is Consciousness, not matter, which is the fundamental reality of the universe. It is the activity of Consciousness, determining the ‘quantum collapse’ of a waveform into a particle that brings the world into physical being. Hence, Consciousness always manifests itself. In other words, every aspect of creation – the entire universe – is the manifestation of Consciousness.

Consciousness itself, like the universe, is most likely infinite. Different humans may possess and therefore operate at different levels of consciousness. Like anything else, the choices, the results and the consequences in our human lives are the reflection of the prevailing level of our human Consciousness at any given time.

In the universe everything is interconnected. It is in the unseen spiritual world that we create the blueprint for our actions visible in the seen physical world. Thus, physical reality operates like a great cosmic screen that allows us to see the non-physical energy projected in the physical aspect of life. Everything that happens to us in our lives is done by us as the direct product of our Consciousness and nothing else.  All the problems in our personal lives as well as in the world – diseases, divorces, wars, starvation, unemployment, violence, sexual abuse, ecological destruction – can always be traced back to the (un-) consciousness levels of man.

For humanity, the shift to a higher level or form of Consciousness cannot happen passively. The transformation of Consciousness requires effective personal work, that which includes direct and wide-scope engagement with the physical (our bodies), psychological (our thoughts, emotions and beliefs) and spiritual (who we really are as well as our purpose for being here) aspects of existence. Our Western culture has conveniently eliminated the aspect of spirituality from the process of daily life. In order to enter and become part of the modern world with its ‘advanced’ technology, we have forfeited our capacity for intimate exchanges with the spiritual realm. Such an exchange requires stillness and silence, introspection and meditation, receptivity and reciprocity, and the play of imagination and creativity.

It is almost our tragic fate that while as modern people we long for a deeper and more spiritual meaning of life, all that we receive is the unsatisfactory and limited techno-scientific explanation for our existence. It is time for us to transform the Earth and its human habitants through reconciliation of the spiritual domain with the physical domain and incorporating it into our way of being in the world. Therefore we need also to acknowledge the existence of a transcendent domain, a space-less and time-less domain, of which matter, space, time and Consciousness are interrelated expressions, and in which everything we perceive as separate is intimately intermeshed and interconnected.

Often, out of fear, the mind defines the time of transformation, the time of new Consciousness when all possibilities seem open, when everything seems on the point of collapse, when uncertainty and unpredictability are the rule, as a time of chaos. Alternatively, we can recognise it as the ‘original ground’, as a new beginning, as a state of creation from which the novelty of life can emerge.

Higher Consciousness provides us with the recognition of who we truly are, and thus exposes us to a grander experience of our true Self. Higher Consciousness leads us to a larger awareness of Life and to the knowing of our place and role in it. Higher Consciousness offers us a greater sense of unity, oneness and connectivity to every aspect of creation.

Infinite Grace is Yvonne’s personal testimony to the above said. Let it be a spiritual inspiration for humanity, as we are all in great need.

Be blessed

Dr Baruch Banai – Insight Training Center

The work Yvonne has done is astounding and will definitely inspire others to action when in such a situation.

DR SR PILLAY – surgeon, WITS Donald Gordon Medical Centre

I celebrate Yvonne’s life, love, energy, uBuntu bakhe, her humility and graciousness!

I met Yvonne several years ago at a friend’s home. We were there to support the family as they were nursing their mother who was unwell at the time. Yvonne was busy massaging her. She was doing it with such tenderness, full of loving and caring manipulation, accompanied by prayers. Watching her in action, I couldn’t help it, and I said to her that one day I would like her to do the same to me. I was envious, and, guess what? It never fell on deaf ears because, after some time Yvonne fulfilled her promise to me. I have been enjoying her love and care ever since. She is where she is needed the most, physically or otherwise, including through her numerous messages of encouragement or daily inspiration. Yvonne is mothering me; it’s not the other way around.

My biggest surprise and gratitude was that Yvonne managed to drive herself to hospital. I realised that it was not her driving, but the angels. God was in action. I thank God for saving her, because through her illness and miraculous recovery, we have all shared her life lessons with her as we read about her journey to healing.

Another fulfillment I obtained when reading her story was the courage of her husband, sons and family. They were there for her all the time and handled her with care. Greatest thank you to her doctors and medical staff, for wanting to find out what was wrong and finding it. I thank the people who supported and her in all ways, because she deserves everyone’s support.

At one time I attended a friend’s 80th birthday in Soweto. My daughter Molly said after the party she would be going to visit Yvonne in hospital. I requested for a candle, Molly lit it for her and we prayed bringing her light from a distance; we were all reaching out to her, asking for the healing power of God. As a mother, imagining what she and the family were going through, I give gratitude to God as I say, “How Great Thou Art”. God really wanted us to learn something from Yvonne’s sudden illness and I have learnt quite a lot…. Our lives are in God’s hands.

Today I rejoice and am ever so proud of Yvonne because she is courageous, wise and extremely generous to want to share her life’s journey and healing with all of us. We can only wish her well!

On a lighter note I was very impressed and amused that Yvonne i
s a shop-a-holic, which I was in my early days. Indeed, how can someone with two feet have more than 200 pairs of shoes? I’m most amused that we both love beautiful bed linen… in fact and all things beautiful!

EMMA MASHININI – Pioneer of the formation of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). Author of “Strikes have followed me all my life” Awarded the National Order of Luthuli in South Africa and present at the adoption of the freedom charter at the People’s Congress, Kliptown, Johannesburg

A great friend of substance – Yvonne Kgame

Where are friendships born? It could be at school, at work, at a party or any other meeting place. My friendship with Yvonne is unique – it was born in the toilet at Macmillan Swaziland offices. The chemistry was awesome. We spoke about beauty; we joked and laughed before we introduced each other. We agreed on one thing, “people meet and connect for a reason but fail to follow through”. We promised to stay in touch – Yvonne was based in the Johannesburg office and I was in the Swaziland office. When I reflect on this chance meeting, I am always most grateful that our paths crossed.

In 1995 I moved to the Johannesburg office. The universe brought us closer and we found houses in the same neighbourhood. We started a lift club to work. Our conversations were mostly on changing the world for the better. I used to say to her “as a teacher and a writer – you can change the world through books and education”.

Yvonne loved shopping and I refused to join her on the shopping trips but she would still buy me something. The more I got to know Yvonne, the more I got puzzled by her spirit of giving. I have lost count of very meaningful presents I have received from Yvonne. It was not until I met her late mother that I understood her kind heart and genuine love for others. Mama always looked out for the less privileged, and so does Yvonne. Being a Kunta Kinte from Zimbabwe with no mother figure in South Africa, Mama adopted me as one of her daughters. Every year end, she would make sure that we give her our old clothes to donate to those in need. And Yvonne would justify that we need to buy more clothes so that the needy can also receive nice clothes! Her argument was “love your neighbor as you love yourself” – so let us dress the less privileged as we dress ourselves.

As a true friend would do, Yvonne has helped me grow emotionally and spiritually. We have been through some tough times but we have made it through by supporting each other. We celebrate our individual and family successes together.

Yvonne’s health took a downturn on Friday 14 June 2007 when she was diagnosed with a life threatening disease. I saw another side Yvonne – a phenomenal woman of great courage, with no fear; trusting and believing against all odds that all be well. She does not see problems but challenges and she believes with every challenge lies a great opportunity. Yvonne is a great inspiration to me and my family. I am truly blessed to have an awesome friend, sister and confidante like Yvonne.

FRANCIE SHONHIWA – Friend and publishing colleague

The essence of life’s journey is communication with our Creator in order to accomplish His Purpose. Quite often we go placidly through life without hearing Him. Mum Vonnie heard Him and responded, thus consummating her relationship with Him.

JUDGE BAKONE JUSTICE MOLOTO – Former South African lawyer, now a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in The Hague

I first met Yvonne in late December 2007 for lunch at her home about six months after she suffered a double stroke.  I was struck by her presence and strength of being.  I knew how hard it was to recover from a severe illness. I had had to take chemotherapy for nearly a year, twelve months before.  So I knew what it was like to battle with every part of your body willing it to live but aware that death could be very close by.

It was at that lunch, as we laughed, ate and shared stories, that her eyes told me she had conquered… the strength of her victory came through her eyes telling ‘it is well with my soul’.

Yvonne’s book helps the reader to understand what it is to walk the tight rope, battling for your life. It is a mantra on how to believe, trust and accept the gift of life. Indeed, it is through God’s Infinite Grace.

She uses memory to rediscover the past and takes us back to her childhood through to the present – her grandmother’s special love for her, her mother’s unyielding faith and her father’s enduring dignity. In fact, each person whom she has loved is honoured and affirmed with unconditional generosity.

Her love for Peter and the boys is deep and reciprocal. She gives each of them space in the book to say in their own words – how they felt, their fears and inner turmoil as they heard that their rock was shaking. We understand through these words why she had to fight for life and why she chose faith and prayer as her weapon through the long journey.

Infinite Grace is a meditation on loving, healing and prayer.

LAURETTA NGCOBO – Novelist, feminist writer and activist. Author of “Cross of Gold” and “They didn’t Die”, Editor of “Let it be Told” and “Fiki learns to like other People”

Yvonne and I met at St Francis College and have been friends for more than 30 years – for all these years I have called Yvonne ‘Smaller’. Our friendship has grown over the years and the power of prayer has strengthened our friendship. I truly believe that Yvonne and I are soul mates.

Yvonne takes time on a daily basis to send me words of wisdom and advice which I enjoy immensely. She has been my pillar of strength and supported me throughout my battle with Non-Hodgekin-Lymphoma. Her positive attitude gave me enough reason to pull through and be miraculous healed.

I regard Yvonne as one of my best friends and contact her at a moment’s notice to share important news regarding my life. Yvonne is such a calm and focused person, who is also so unassuming. Everyone relates to her because of her honesty and openness and survival.

Much love to my dearest friend.

THULI MTHEMBU

Infinite Grace is an extraordinary personal story/autobiography about Yvonne Kgame, a story about her life journey and her search for meaning and clarity of purpose… A search we may have all started on, or are currently on. The search is called the human search and even though it may seem very personal to each of us, we, through Infinite Grace, come to see that it is universal and part of a common human experience.

The book is about the significant events that occurred in Yvonne’s life, starting on the day she experiences a double stroke and drives herself to the hospital, facing the news that this was the end of the road for her, surrendering herself to God.

The book then takes us on a reflective journey of her life asking the central questions: “what is the meaning of my life?”  She takes us through the lessons and experiences she encountered from her childhood, the way in which she has been raised, her relationships with her parents and siblings and the influences it has on her.

The story continues into her search for healing – of body, mind, spirit, and the synchronous path that opens up opportunities to undergo healing through her engagement with various teachers, Gurus, pastors, friends, and family. It is in her search that she was introduced to the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and her awakening to the realisation, “I am Soul.”

The book tells of her experience as a woman in the world, the pric
e she pays for being a committed leader.

The book is an honest account of the sacrifices made as a wife, mother and the impact on her relationships with her immediate family, how her health suffered , her self esteem as a person and how she dealt with the emptiness and the : “I am not good enough,” aspect of herself.

The book tells of her discovering her purpose and the concept of service and Sacred Activism.

Yvonne’s story is a story that could be about anyone of us.

GLORIA BRITAIN – Editor Infinite Grace

Infinite Grace opened my eyes to considering new ways of healing. It has taught me how wide the world of alternative healing is and that it may be one of the best ways of healing physically, emotionally and spiritually.

PHILIA KAYA – Family Friend