Sue Nyathi is a Zimbabwean author and screenwriter born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, on June 23, 1978. She is known for writing stories that explore themes such as polygamy, migration, family relationships, and gender-based violence.
Her best-known work, The Polygamist, was inspired by generations of polygamy within her own family.
The novel has gained renewed attention in June 2026, after being adapted into Netflix’s trending drama series The Polygamist, which has emerged as one of the platform’s most talked-about releases.
Nyathi is a mother to a son named Sonshine. While she has occasionally shared aspects of her family life publicly, details about her marriage have largely remained private.
Educational Background Of Sue Nyathi
Sue Nyathi began her education at Tennyson Primary School in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, before completing her primary studies at Carmel Primary School.
Her interest in writing emerged at a young age, and by the age of 10 she was creating stories inspired by magazine photographs.
She later attended Girls College in Bulawayo, where her passion for writing grew further. At the age of 13, she wrote her first novel, Crazy Over You, inspired by the popular Sweet Valley High book series.
During her secondary school years, Nyathi actively wrote poetry and participated in poetry competitions, earning several awards and recognition for her work.
After completing her Cambridge A Levels, she initially hoped to study journalism. However, with no journalism degree available in Zimbabwe at the time, she enrolled at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and pursued a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance.
She later advanced her studies at NUST, earning a Master of Science (MSc) in Finance and Investment.
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Despite her academic and professional background in finance, she eventually built a successful career as an author and screenwriter.
Sue Nyathi’s Career Life
Sue Nyathi spent more than 15 years working in the financial services sector before becoming a full-time writer.
She worked as a research analyst for a stockbroking firm and later as a research associate and development economics consultant for a strategic planning and economic consulting firm in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Despite her career in finance, Sue Nyathi continued writing alongside her professional work. She has described herself as an investment analyst by profession and a writer by passion. In 2018, she left the finance industry to focus entirely on writing and screenwriting.
Nyathi’s literary career began long before her professional transition. She wrote her first novel, Crazy Over You, at the age of 13 and continued writing poetry and fiction throughout her school years.
Her breakthrough came in 2012 with the publication of The Polygamist, a bestselling novel inspired by generations of polygamy within her family.
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The book has gained renewed attention after being adapted into Netflix’s trending drama series The Polygamist.
She followed her debut with several books, including The Gold Diggers (2018), A Family Affair (2020), An Angel’s Demise (2022), and Rubies and Rain (2025).
In 2021, she also edited When Secrets Become Stories, Women Speak Out, an anthology focusing on gender-based violence.
Beyond novels, Sue Nyathi has contributed to anthologies and written newspaper columns.
She also built a career in television, serving as a screenwriter for the South African drama series Matatiele on e.tv in 2015 and Bone of My Bones on SABC 2 in 2017.
Her work has earned significant recognition, including the NIHSS Award and the South African Literary Awards (SALA) in 2023.
Her novel The Gold Diggers was also longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize.
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