Sobantu Nqayi is an actor whose face has graced South African and global screens as far as Australia and the United States. He is a regular on South African television commercials. Sobantu Nqayi plays Nceba on BET Africa’s daily drama, Isono. His debut role was on Forced to Love, an SABC1 drama series. He is best known for his role as Zuko Ntuli in Umlilo, an e.tv drama series. On social media platforms, Sobantu Nqayi has created diverse characters that represent the diversity of South Africa. These characters are British, Griqua, Xhosa and one that could be labelled as a ‘coconut.’ His ‘coconut’ character, Thembinkosi, can barely speak isiXhosa yet he is inspiring and quite popular with audiences. He pronounces his Xhosa phrases like an English speaker. His Thembinkosi character can be linked to influencing the twitter viral Woollies water hashtag “keep it flowing, keep it going like the water.” His Griqua and Xhosa characters provide powerful social commentary that affect everyday South Africans. His comedic genius keeps audiences returning for more.
Diedre Jantjies is a cultural activist passionate about the historical stories of women. She is the founder of Na Aap Productions, a fully integrated, broad based production company, screening untold stories of Southern Africa. Jantjies has a long history of stage performing, she took these skills and started writing her own stories that she is creating into short and feature films. Working extensively on narratives closest to her heart. Stories that include indigenous heritage and traditions that have been forgotten, is the most important dialogue that she wants to create. Company founder Deidre Jantjies identified that women needed a voice to represent themselves creatively. This was a great way to start a company that stood for African writers, directors, and producers. In 2020, the company partnered with an Indian storyteller and produced Love Thy Neighbour, an animation short film that won international awards. In the same year, Na Aap also produced Tweegesig, an online comedy series that featured on Facebook and Stories in die Wind, a web series that tells the indigenous story of a young girl finding her purpose.
Zandi Kula is an emerging and passionate filmmaker who is currently creating her first documentary about the township. She explores issues that affect people. Zandi will share more readily when her film project is completed.
Leon van Nierop has worked as an announcer/producer at the SABC in 1975. He became a writer of radio serials from 1976 until now. Leon has been a TV-script editor for SABC television (1984/85), wrote several TV series in the 80’s including several dramas. He has written 36 novels for many of South Africa’s leading publishers and became a film professor in 2004. Leon is a film reviewer for various publications like RAPPORT and ROOI ROSE. Also for the SABC’s MONITOR radio programme. Also for kykNET TV’s Ontbytsake, and wrote film reviews for 20 years for DAILY SUN. I freelance for various other publications and websites with film reviews. He is currently writing a soapie for RSG (SABC) entering its 7th year and am adapting a book for them.
Nadine Angel Cloete is an independent filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa. Her work focuses on themes of identity and history. Nadine’s work has screened on national TV, online platforms, and global film festivals. Her documentary Miseducation premiered on the New York Times Op-Doc site and IDFA. It was created as part of the Why Poverty documentary series and looks at a very simple but complex walk to school. The most recent In Conversation screened as part of the Social Justice Film Festival, Seattle USA. It discusses access to safe abortion. Action Kommandant is Nadine’s first feature documentary. This film has travelled across Africa, Europe, and USA. It won the Audience Award at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. It won Best Documentary at Africa in Motion, 2016. It was nominated for Best Documentary at the BlackStar Film Festival, USA, and a SAFTA nomination for Best Achievement in Directing a Documentary Feature. Action Kommandant has screened at many schools throughout the Western Cape and now finds its place on the online Showmax platform. Action Kommandant tells the story of liberation hero, Ashley Kriel.
In 2019 Nadine branched out into fiction directing and Address Unknown is her first professional endeavour in this genre. Address Unknown premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival, USA and won the Audience Choice Award at the Durban International Film Festival. Address Unknown won the 2020 SAFTA for Best Short Film. The film places focus back on the apartheid-era forced removals in District 6. In 2019 Nadine received a Certificate of Appreciation from the African Union Youth Envoy. Nadine was also part of the 2019 and 2020 Queer Feminist Film Festival planning committee. Nadine’s latest short fiction film called Net Ons (Just Us) premieres as part of the Silwerskermfees in March 2022. She is currently working as the Acting Production and Development Non-Fiction Manager at the National Film and Video Foundation.
Lukhanyo Calata is an actor, author, documentary filmmaker and award-winning journalist. He has worked for eNews (now eNCA) before joining the SABC in 2011. Lukhanyo is the son of Fort Calata who was one of the Cradock 4. His book about his father is titled ‘My father died for this.’
Oratile Olivia Gabaphethe is a Scriptwriter who has shown great talent and passion for writing from a young age. Her recent credit saw her being the Head Writer of a short film, Sephiri se Tutetse which was produced in 2021. She is also an emerging tv/radio presenter, an advertising/campaign model and voiceover artist.
Siki Dlanga, will host this conversation as a representative of Indigenous Languages Action Forum (ILAF) for International Mother Tongue Day/weekend celebrations. She has published 2 poetry books Word of Worth and Siki’s Love Collection that are available on Amazon. Siki sees herself as a creative agent for change regardless of whether she is leading, writing, or creating. Indigenous languages in South Africa are transforming, developing, and proving to be a powerful tool in the reformation and reimagining of the South African landscape.
