Thembi Nala was taught by her grandmother, Siphiwe, and by her mother, Nesta Nala. Aged 12, she began sculpting guinea fowl birds in clay. Later her mother taught her to make pots in the traditional Zulu way. As South African art museums and galleries began to recognize virtuoso ceramics, Thembi Nala established a career in her own right. She decorates vessels with low-relief figures and scenes, but also makes pots of classic Zulu form and decoration.