After her six-round Sole Survivor bout against the experienced South African, Mkandla has not only preserved her perfect professional record but also sent a strong message to the rest of the contenders in her division.  

Mkandla displayed the clinical precision and relentless workrate that have become her trademarks, and despite facing a highly experienced opponent, the Zimbabwean made the victory look effortless, winning every single round on the judges' scorecards.

"I won all the rounds comfortably because I've been preparing so hard for these fights in all of my camps, and for this fight specifically I’ve been training my socks off since January," Mkandla noted.

"My plan was to box well in all six rounds and try to finish my opponent or win the fight on points." 

The 26-year-old’s continuous rise to the highest level of African Women’s boxing is fuelled by a powerful backstory, and her entry into the ring wasn’t motivated by glory at first, but rather by necessity. 

“I was born in a place called Gwanda, and my boxing journey started in high school because I was bullied when I was thirteen years old," she explained.

"So I initially only learned about boxing for the purpose of self defence, but when I put the gloves on, the coach said I was something special and it didn’t take me long to beat up a champion in one of my first fights.” 

Mkandla, a former African Boxing Union champion, admitted to SABC Sport that she has set her sights on international opportunities and possibly a world title.

“I really want a world title in 2026. I’ve been promised that good things are coming, but I still don’t know which title is coming for now, but I’ve been told good things are coming," she concluded.