Garebamotho Anna Milani was born in Pretoria in 1982, the second of three sisters. Her mum, a professional nurse, contributed to the opening and running of clinics in different areas of the country. Anna had a happy childhood with mum and sisters. When in 1997 mum died in a car accident, Anna did not lose her positive attitude, she pursued her dreams and she eventually graduated in IT, then obtaining a honours degree and an MBA. This opened her the doors to a quick and successful career with corporates in South Africa and in Europe. In October 2020 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She confronted the illness with an extraordinary spirit of faith and confidence. She died peacefully in Pretoria in September 2023.
Anna’s childhood was characterized by happiness and a life spent with mum and two sisters. The first years were in the township of Mamelodi, close to Pretoria. In this period the older sister Isabella acted as a role model in Anna’s life, together with mum Margareth Mosima. Mum was a respected professional nurse, whose organizational skills and empathy for people were well recognized by health institutions, who often assigned her the duty to set up clinics in remote areas of the country. In 1992 Anna, with mum and Isabella, moved to Jane Furse (Limpopo), where Anna attended the Baropodi Primary School, then moving to the St. Mark’s college from Grade 7 to Grade 12. Here she met Anna Maloa, who soon became her best friend, for the next 25 years. In 1993 Isabella went to a boarding school and then to university, so Anna spent most of her time with her mum. She was a bright and diligent student, and in her life she would glorify the education and principles received from mum Mosima. Anna also excelled in sport, especially as a sprinter, where, barefoot, she won important competitions even at the national level. The youngest sister Motlatsi arrived when Anna was ten, and life went on happily and joyfully until the day, in 1997, when mum was involved in a tragic taxi accident and lost her life.
Anna was left in despair, alone with a 5-year-old sister, but she soon promised herself that she would not lose hope and she would make a success of her life. These were the toughest years, years of silent tears before sleeping, and years spent between studies and piece jobs to guarantee Motlatsi and herself sustained and proper education. Life was so difficult that she often said that she was on the narrow edge where you could easily lose yourself and ruin your existence forever. For many years Anna showed all her love for her young sister, advising and supporting her through the entire education journey, from primary school to graduation, many years afterward. Anna never lost her positive attitude, always confident, always waking up with a smile, and in 1999 she obtained a scholarship to register at the university in Cape Town. This was a turning point, as things all of a sudden became possible. She rapidly obtained a BComm (Honors) in Business Management and she started working for companies where she distinguished herself for her intellectual acuity, humbleness, and empathy for people.
Anna was soon considered a young rising star. While studying to obtain an MBA from the prestigious ‘British Henley Business School’, she worked as a project manager for Nedbank, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and Vodacom. In January 2015 she met Lorenzo. They soon fell in love and in June 2015 they got married. It was the greatest love. In 2016 she followed Lorenzo to Italy, and then she got a position as senior project manager for Adidas, in Germany. For 3 years Anna enjoyed the European life – she could fulfil her innate curiosity, her passion for art, music, and historical sites, but also mountain hiking, and she travelled a lot, to take in as much of the beauty of Europe as she could. In 2019 Anna and Lorenzo decided to go back to South Africa: they wanted to stay together as much as possible, and eventually have babies, Anna’s true reason for life. They moved to the beautiful hills around Pretoria, and Anna started working as an executive for Accenture, where again she distinguished herself for her innate capacity to deal with people, finding a solution to challenging matters, always with grace and kindness. Being a mentor for young employees who had just started their careers was certainly one of her favorite activities. But the period in Europe had modified Anna’s major goals, and the desire to move corporate to a self-employed job was growing. Anna realized that life would become fully rewarding by dedicating herself to practicing her extraordinary empathy, understanding, and love for people in need.
In October 2020 Anna discovers her breast cancer, starting a long journey of surgeries and heavy therapies. Although she endures debilitating treatments and invasive operations, Anna shows extraordinary resilience, accompanied by a strong faith and a positive mindset. She never complains about her situation, and is always ready to make a plan to face the most stressful situations. She was the one who supported Lorenzo in the darkest moments of this path. Not even one day did she wake up without a smile. She always showed gratefulness for what life had given to her, and she continued making plans for the next years with her husband, with kids around, and a new life in support of those less fortunate. Despite the debilitation due to the heavy therapies, she was fully committed to taking care of her body, with a healthy diet and active physical training. She kept on traveling, including to some of the places in Asia she loved most. Many other trips were on her list of dreams. She proved to herself that, no matter her condition, she could still successfully compete in a pageant, and she was among the finalists of Mrs South Africa when, at the beginning of 2023, things suddenly worsened. The last six months were a painful journey with no return. Anna was extraordinary even in those terrible days when her body was progressively abandoning her. She never had a word of anger or resentment – never. She kept on making plans for her family; she was always dreaming of the kids she would have soon. She was grateful to people and life until the very last moment, on September 24, when, early in the morning, she peacefully passed away in her beautiful house in Pretoria. Her legacy lives beyond life through the kindness, grace, and joy she shared with those who met her.
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