Ananda “Mamma” Muller is a devoted mother of three and a passionate high school Business Studies teacher whose greatest purpose lies in nurturing young minds while raising her own children. Despite overcoming a difficult childhood marked by an absent father, the challenges of becoming a mother during university, and the demands of single-handedly balancing parenthood, career, and family life, she has transformed every hardship into a lesson in resilience, patience, and gratitude. Known for building strong, trust-based relationships with her students and creating a supportive classroom environment, Ananda believes that honesty, kindness, and self-growth are the foundations of a meaningful life. Her inspiring journey is a testament to the strength of embracing life’s challenges with courage, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to becoming the best version of oneself.

Here is the Q&A session we had with Ananda Muller.

Ananda Muller As Cover Story Interview – July 2026 Magazine Edition

How do you introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Ananda, better known as “Mamma” or Ms Muller. I’m a mother of three and a high school teacher. I teach Business Studies and absolutely love teaching the subject and I love love love being a mom. Spending my everyday around children is a dream that is fulfilled. I am shaping minds, I am challenging learners, I try to lead them in a direction to reach their full potential at the ages where they are at. 

Struggle – What hardships have you gone through in life?

I grew up in a home where my mom and dad were divorced. I’ve had my stepfather since I was three. With him having children of his own, I’ve always struggled with “fighting for love and attention”. I am the youngest of us five. My biological father, was and still is an absent father. He has done things to his daughters no one is allowed to do. The fact that he really never wanted us and disappeared for years on and off does play a role in my daily life. Never feeling good enough and questioning a partners intentions constantly. I had to see my mother act multiple roles, putting herself last, even now. This has taught me to be resilient, but I also love myself last… 

I had my first daughter in my second year of university. This was challenging as I was a mother with a bunch of other 20 year old “kids”. Even tho this was challenging, to be a mother, a child, a university student and a grown up at that time, I pushed through and I got my degree. My daughter made me realise that I want to be a high school teacher. She is the best thing that could ever happen to me and she is my rock. 

I gave up my work and life in East London to live with my partner in Cape Town. After two and a half years he moved away to work off shore, which left me with 3 children, a full time job and no support whatsoever. As we had no family in Cape Town, this was when I learned to function as multiple people, mom, dad, cleaner, chef, handyman, now I’m a handymom. Long distance relationships are challenging everyday, especially when we only get to see each other a few days every other month. 

My two youngest changed my life and gave me a whole different sight on life and being a mother. They have taught me how to laugh, love harder, be patient and grateful for the little things, especially being grateful for time. They are my light everyday.

I’ve mastered every challenge of life and I can do almost everything with a smile and a lot of patience.

What do people usually not know about you?

I’m really an introvert, even tho it doesn’t seem that way. 

I suffer from nightmares (at my age of 32), which brings anxiety to my nights and very little sleep. I am scared to go to sleep. 

I have red bull everyday. Somedays two. 

When I love someone, I love them with my whole heart. 

I love the learners I teach like they are my own. 

I trust too easily and I trust words. Words are enough for me to believe and this has brought me a lot of heart aches. 

When I’m at work sometimes, I long to go home to work in the garden and see and hear my kids play outside around me. 

On weekend I miss my school learners. 

With three kids alone, it sometimes feel like I’m on holiday at work.. (sorry) 

My age, I never share my age, as I feel like I’m 21. Not the party version of 21. I just dont feel like a grown up. 

I also feel anxious and uncomfortable when I’m around other parents of my kids. Im not sure why…   

Im still breastfeeding my youngest, who is turning 3 years in September  

I get upset when things dont go according to plan, im stuck in a routine and I do things in a specific way, I get upset when plans change and when I dont know exactly what plans are. 

Knowing is very important for me. 

What sets you apart from others?

What sets me apart from others, is my ability to reach out and get trust from my school learners. I have and maintain good relationships which is established on discipline, trust and firm rules. I create a constant stable environment in class and from this I get great results. I’ve even achieved a 100% on a learners matric certificate which was and still is a big deal for me. 

I am very funny as I’m very sarcastic and I have a dry sense of humour. This usually draws people to me, or chase them away. I have faced many challenges in life, this has given me a different view of life. Being angry is not okay. Rather let it go and go on then wasting time to fight, be upset and ruin days you can never have back again. 

Even tho I feel 21, life lessons have made me very wise, a over-thinker, and a planner to specific detail.

What are your upcoming major events ?

Major events for me… at this points is being able to garden, go to the beach with my children and my 2 boerboels and visiting my family members. My son is about to celebrate his 5th birthday and this birthday will be his very first birthday party outside of a school setting.   

What expert advice would you like to give?

Be honest, if you’ll have to hide something or lie about something, don’t do it.

Being honest says way more about you than the person you’re being honest towards.

Live life, you’re young for a little while and you’re old for the rest of your life.

Get to know yourself, be comfortable with yourself, spend time with yourself. If you can give 6-9 hours a day to an employer, then you can make an hour or two for yourself as well. Go do that thing you’ve wanted to do and treat yourself to go and do it alone.

Be the best version of yourself. Don’t gossip about other people, I have learner that, people who are good people, dont gossip, they live honest and happy lives, they do good, they speak good and they are most likely to be more successful in all their life choices, which is their careers, relationships and beliefs.

Your social media handles and website links?

• Facebook: @Ananda Muller
• Instagram: @ananda_muller