{{Short description|South African activist (born 1992)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Use South African English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | birth_place = Pretoria, Transvaal<br />South Africa | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|9|4|df=yes}} | honorific_suffix = MP | office1 = Member of the National Assembly | party = African National Congress | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | term_start1 = 14 June 2024 | alma_mater = University of South Africa | birth_name = Tshehofatso Meagan Chauke | nickname = {{flatlist| *Megan *Tsheho}} | name = Meagan Chauke-Adonis | spouse = {{marriage|Sikhumbuzo Adonis|2018}} | education = Pretoria High School for Girls }}
'''Tshehofatso Meagan Chauke-Adonis''' ({{Nee|'''Chauke'''}}; born 4 September 1992) is a South African politician, activist, and entrepreneur. She has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly of South Africa since June 2024.
Born in Pretoria, Chauke became a disability activist, content creator, and public speaker after she lost her vision in 2015. She is the chief executive officer of an assistive technology startup called Featherlinx. She joined the National Assembly in the May 2024 general election and is the head of the ANC's disability desk.
== Early life and career == Born on 4 September 1992,'''<ref name=":122">{{Cite web |date=10 April 2024 |title=Final Candidate Lists for 2024 National and Provincial Elections: National Candidates |url=https://www.elections.org.za/pw/Documents/Candidates-List-NPE2024/National%20Candidates%20List.pdf |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Electoral Commission of South Africa}}</ref>''' Chauke was born in Pretoria and grew up in the affluent suburb of Waterkloof.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Zwane-Ejike |first=Nokuthula |date=14 April 2023 |title=My Story: I went blind the same year I found out I was pregnant and my kids helped me embrace life again |url=https://www.news24.com/you/mystory/my-story-i-i-went-blind-the-same-year-i-found-out-i-was-pregnant-and-my-kids-helped-me-embrace-life-again-20230414 |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=You |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2021-02-17 |title=Opening society's eyes to the benefits of inclusivity |url=https://www.thisability.co.za/2021/02/17/opening-societys-eyes-to-the-benefits-of-inclusivity/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Thisability |language=en-ZA}}</ref> She matriculated at the Pretoria High School for Girls and studied towards a Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of South Africa.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Zwane-Ejike |first=Nokuthula |date=21 April 2023 |title=Verslae toe siekte my sig steel in die jaar wat ek swanger word |url=https://www.netwerk24.com/huisgenoot/nuus/verslae-toe-siekte-my-sig-steel-in-die-jaar-wat-ek-swanger-word-20230421 |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Huisgenoot |language=af-ZA}}</ref>
While a student in 2015 she was diagnosed with total and irreversible vision loss, and she rose to public prominence in subsequent years as a disability activist and social media influencer. Under the moniker "Blind Goddess", she posts vlogs about parenting while blind on TikTok, where she had over 126,000 followers by January 2024.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Legodi |first=Simangele |date=24 January 2024 |title=Meagan Adonis relishing challenges and joys of being a blind mom |url=https://www.ewn.co.za/2024/01/23/meagan-adonis-relishing-challenges-and-joys-of-being-a-blind-mom |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=EWN |language=en}}</ref> She also founded several companies and charitable organisations, including a non-profit called Disabled Women Living with Dignity.<ref name=":1" />
In 2019 she founded Featherlinx, a Pretoria-based tech company which aims to develop assistive technology for persons with disabilities; it is a member of the GrindstoneX programme, a startup incubator founded by Grindstone Accelerator and Naspers Labs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dhond |first=Ila |date=27 December 2023 |title=Second cohort of 10 female entrepreneurs announced by GrindstoneX, Naspers Labs |url=https://incubees.com/second-cohort-of-10-female-entrepreneurs-announced-by-grindstonex-naspers-labs/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Incubees |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Political career == In July 2022, the African National Congress (ANC) announced that Chauke would stand as its candidate in an upcoming by-election in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. She stood in Tshwane's Ward 42, a southeastern region comprising Waterkloof and Monument Park, where the incumbent councillor, Phillip Nel of the Democratic Alliance (DA), had died.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 July 2022 |title=Independent Electoral Commission on candidates contesting municipal by-elections on 3 August 2022 |url=https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/independent-electoral-commission-candidates-contesting-municipal-elections-3 |access-date=22 July 2024 |work=South African Government}}</ref> The by-election was held on 3 August 2022 and the DA held the ward; Chauke lost to Shane Maas, who received 77 per cent of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 August 2022 |title=Results of the Municipal By-elections held on 3 August 2022 |url=https://www.elections.org.za/pw/News-And-Media/News-List/News/News-Article/Results-of-the-Municipal-By-elections-held-on-3-August-2022?a=AISDGvpz75ps1usOfX7oitKw1FY09pkRBcHVjeGhsUM= |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Electoral Commission of South Africa}}</ref>
In the May 2024 general election, Chauke stood as a parliamentary candidate, ranked 16th on the ANC's national party list.<ref name=":122" /> She was elected to a seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African Parliament. She was appointed as a member of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and as a member of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tshehofatso Meagan Chauke-Adonis |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/tshehofatso-meagan-chauke/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}}</ref> She is also the convenor of the ANC's internal national disability desk.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Elections 2024: The Under-45's Club |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/the-under-45s-club/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Chauke's vision loss was caused by permanent optic nerve damage as a complication of idiopathic intracranial hypertension.<ref name=":0" /> After suffering persistent unexplained headaches and blackouts, she began losing her vision in January 2015 while awaiting a diagnosis.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> She has said that she suffered depression and anxiety attacks both while awaiting a diagnosis and after receiving the hypertension diagnosis.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> She is legally blind but can see light, silhouettes, and some colour,<ref name=":0" /> which she describes as "like looking through a blanket of fog".<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 January 2020 |title=Megan Chauke is blind but navigates life with a powerful vision |url=https://www.yfm.co.za/2020/01/30/mytruestory-megan-chauke-is-blind-but-navigates-life-with-a-powerful-vision/ |access-date=22 July 2024 |work=YFM}}</ref>
In 2018 she married Sikhumbuzo Adonis, her boyfriend of five years.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> They have two sons together, born in 2016 and 2023.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cupido |first=Gerry |date=13 June 2024 |title=Meagan Adonis, the Blind Goddess, on motherhood and her passion for fashion |url=https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/style-beauty/fashion/meagan-adonis-the-blind-goddess-on-motherhood-and-her-passion-for-fashion-9c82c053-bdca-4c56-9c79-b18c01995502 |access-date=22 July 2024 |work=IOL}}</ref>
== References == <references />
== External links ==
* [https://www.parliament.gov.za/person-details/5453 Tshehofatso Meagan Chauke] at Parliament of South Africa * {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|id=tshehofatso-meagan-chauke|name=Tshehofatso Meagan Chauke-Adonis}} * {{TikTok|id=meaganadonis|name=Blind Goddess}} * [https://www.featherlinx.co.za/ Featherlinx website] * [https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/disabled-but-not-unable-the-story-of-a-young/id1525345773?i=1000558067298 "Disabled but not unable"] (2022) {{Current MPs of South Africa}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chauke, Meagan}} Category:Living people Category:1992 births Category:21st-century South African women politicians Category:African National Congress politicians Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2024–2029 Category:Politicians from Pretoria Category:Politicians with disabilities Category:South African activists with disabilities Category:South African blind people Category:South African disability rights activists Category:University of South Africa alumni Category:Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa Category:South African women civil rights activists