Rabia “Choti” Motala was born in Kokstad, Natal (now kwaZulu-Natal) in 1932. She completed her primary schooling in Kokstad at the local Coloured school but her conservative father did not allow her to attend high school. Choti remained at home, helping in the family shop, did dress-making, but the urge to study was always there and she read profusely.
