John Lockley
Xhosa Sangoma
About John Lockley
Born 1971. John Lockley is a South African healer, shaman and traditional healers of South Africa.
John Keith Kelly Lockley (born 1971) is a white South African who is initiated as an igqirha, a traditional healer or sangoma of the Xhosa people.
Training as a sangoma Lockley was born in Cape Town in 1971 during apartheid to an Irish mother and a Zimbabwean father with British ancestry.
He completed an honours degree in clinical psychology at Rhodes University in 1997.
In 1997 in post-apartheid South Africa he met Xhosa sangoma Mum Gwevu in the Joza township in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. Mum Gwevu says she had foreseen his arrival in a dream. He was trained as a sangoma in the Eastern Cape townships, serving a 10-year apprenticeship with Mum Gwevu which he completed in 2007. Mum Gwevu gave him the Xhosa name Ucingolwendaba, which means "messenger".
He also practices and teaches yoga and Zen Buddhism.
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Important facts
People in John Lockley's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Lockley's
Frequently asked questions
Who is John Lockley?
Xhosa Sangoma
When was John Lockley born?
John Lockley was born in 1971 in Cape Town.
What is John Lockley's occupation?
John Lockley is a healer, shaman and traditional healers of South Africa.
What nationality is John Lockley?
John Lockley is South African.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Lockley. https://biography.guide/john-lockley/
MLA: "John Lockley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-lockley/.
Chicago: "John Lockley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-lockley/.
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