Nicky Van Driel was born in 1963 at the Peninsula Maternity Hospital, in the heart of District Six, Cape Town.

As a child, she witnessed the forced removals that displaced her paternal (‘Coloured’) family to Mitchells Plain and her maternal (‘Indian’) family to Gatesville. Her father strongly opposed these removals and was deeply angered and saddened by the 1969 killing of Imam Haron.

Inspired by her father’s example of opposing apartheid, Nicky became involved in anti-apartheid activism from a young age. She participated in the 1976 high school protests, joined the Young Christian Students, and by 1980 was a student leader with the Committee of 81, experiencing detention without trial at ages 17 and 18.

In 1981, she helped establish the Manenberg Youth Movement and was active in the Manenberg Civic Association. At the University of Cape Town in 1984, she founded the Students of Young Azania (SOYA), challenging segregated student accommodation.

In 1983, she joined the Cape Action League (CAL) in opposing the Tricameral Parliament, which gave dummy votes to ‘Indian’ and ‘Coloured’ people.

She later married James April, an ANC member who spent 15 years on Robben Island. They divorced and reconciled, and together they raised two daughters.

Nicky obtained a BA, BA Honours, MA and a PGCE.

Through Nicky Van Driel Tours, she shares her personal story and the inspiring history of Athlone’s freedom fighters, including her and her partner’s fight against apartheid — offering visitors a unique, lived perspective on Cape Town’s journey to freedom.