Bongani Morgan – Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Medium (Directing and Screenwriting), AFDA.
Believe in the power of your dreams, says film director Bongani Morgan, 29, who has certainly acted upon his own advice. The AFDA graduate who works for Spitfire Films has directed a number of award-winning TV shows and three documentaries, but his proudest achievement was using the power of film to change young people’s lives. During the making of a documentary on Springbok rugby player Makazole Mapimpi, the film crew discovered that his alma mater, Jim Mvabaza Secondary School, had become run-down, so the children of Twecu Village had to attend other schools that were far away. The school was refurbished and opened again in 2024, which “transcended every accolade my films have received”, says Bongani. He dedicates his spare time to empowering children who are interested in filmmaking through the Alexandra Education Committee. Bongani is excited by the “future wave” of young creatives in his field, who he says have powerful convictions — and this bodes well for the future of the film industry. He believes that the youth are open-minded enough to blend innovation with tradition, and rates the greatest achievement of South Africa in the past 30 years as the meteoric rise of its arts, culture and creatives.
The achievement I’m most proud of so far in my career is rebuilding the high school that Makazole Mapimpi (the first Springbok player to score a try in a World Cup Rugby final and now also a two-time Springbok world champion) attended, called Jim Mvabaza Secondary School.
We had discovered the school’s rundown state through preparations to film his documentary. It had been uncared for, so the local kids had to go to schools in villages that were much further away.
This led to the filmmaking team and the sponsors committing to the refurbishment of the school, which came to fruition in 2024.
What’s made me proud about this achievement is that it is something I’ve always dreamed of: the idea that filmmaking can really change lives.
We are all collectively responsible for the upliftment and the ethics of our society, and the power of film was able to touch and change the lives of the children of Twecu Village in the Eastern Cape.
This has transcended every accolade my films have received, and affirms my belief in the African aphorism: ‘‘If you want to go far, go together. If you want to go fast, go alone.”
Daniel Steyn – Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Medium, specialising in Film Directing and Writing, AFDA
Daniel Steyn was one of the journalists at GroundUp who broke the Thabo Bester story in 2023 that sent ripples through the nation, and which continues to top headlines in South Africa today. At 27, Daniel has already co-authored a book, titled The Thabo Bester Story, and consulted on a Showmax Original docu-series called Tracking Thabo Bester. Daniel is working on his second book at the moment. His academic background in film and television studies has also given him the opportunity to direct two episodes of the Showmax Original docu-series The Illuminated, which explores alternative and often controversial religious movements in South Africa. Daniel gets his thrill and motivation from investigating issues in South Africa that expose how the decisions made by powerful people affect the most vulnerable, and uncovering truths that result in holding powerful figures accountable for their actions “The reason I got into journalism in the first place wasn’t to be recognised, to be famous or rich, it was to tell stories and to hold powerful people to account,” he says. When the going gets tough in the creative field, Daniel reminds himself that it’s important to take constructive criticism in your stride instead of letting it hold you back.
Breaking the Thabo Bester story has been the highlight of my career. The months of us following and exposing Bester’s escape from prison were a whirlwind. In 2023, we broke the story, authored a book, and consulted on a documentary. It was an exhilarating time.
I was incredibly fortunate to be part of this project, and the doors it has opened up for me in my career have been truly amazing.
I learnt a lot about investigative journalism, the daily choices one makes that impact a story – from the questions you ask sources and the places you look for information, to what you decide to put in the article and what you decide to leave out. The tone, language use, and timing of the article, are all important.
I also learned that chasing after what seems like glamour and fame is not worth it. The reason I got into journalism in the first place wasn’t to be recognised, to be famous or rich, it was to tell impactful stories and to hold powerful people to account.
Godisamang Khunou – Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Medium, AFDA Film School
Making the voices of black African women and the queer community heard is the goal of film director and producer Godisamang Khunou, 32. Her award-winning documentary feature, Black Women and Sex, won her international acclaim and pushed her into the limelight. It focused on controversial topics and exposed the negative influences of patriarchy in Africa, as did her follow-up, Sharp End of a Knife, which details the lives of women who were imprisoned for killing their abusive partners. Godisamang was inspired by her grandmother, Mologadi Fatima Khoza, who raised her from the age of eight when her mother died. She learned to believe in herself and, together with the help of her strength coach Julia Makhubela, gained the confidence she needed to start her own film company, Mogale Pictures. The next big step was learning to collaborate with others to create films and raise funds for future projects that she believes will contribute to the growth of African film. The young filmmaker will study in the US and do community service as part of being a Mandela Washington Fellow, where she will also network and grow Mogale Pictures. “I will be in a business track at Rodgers University, to grow my business for the American market.”
A specific project that I am really proud of is my documentary feature Black Women and Sex, a film that forced me out of my comfort zone, to present myself and my thoughts and ideas to the world. It’s about three African women who relate to sex in different ways — a South African transgender woman, a Nigerian woman born from a polygamous home, and a Zambian woman jailed for a sex tape.I’ve always loved the idea of connecting African politics in a beautiful layered cinematic way, and the making of my first film really birthed the storyteller in me. The film was selected for the 2022 Encounters Rough Cut Lab, and was also developed into a virtual reality experience. It won the XR prize at the 2021 Digital Lab Africa, which then made me participate in XR at the 2022 Electric South: New Dimensions Lab. It won the Best Director Prize and the Zonta Elster Female Talent Prize at DOK Leipzig, the oldest Documentary festival in the world.
In 2021 I was selected for an entrepreneurial programme at the Goethe Institute of South Africa, and through this programme I was offered strength coaching mentorship and business coaching for a period of six months. Learning about my strengths as a person has completely changed the way that I relate to my work and the way that I relate to myself. My strength coach Julia Makhubela volunteered to stay on board to help me with my journey for another year after the programme was over. This was a very transitional time in my life because I had just resigned from my job at the Multichoice Group, after working there for all my adult life, and I began working full time in my production company Mogale Pictures. I learned that I needed to be okay in order for my company to be okay which altered my journey as a full-time entrepreneur.
Botlhale Boikanyo – BA (Motion Picture), AFDA
Award-winning poet, actress, speaker and presenter Botlhale Boikanyo came into the limelight at the age of 11, when she became the first poet and youngest winner of SA’s Got Talent in 2012. But she says nothing could have prepared her for the price of fame, which included being trolled and bullied on social media: it took family grounding and much self-reflection to survive. Botlhale likes to combine her art with activism: she was a lead actress in the film The Deal, which examines the issues associated with gender-based violence and the effects of poverty. She believes that the arts elevate our thinking and how we engage with each other, and help us to make sense of difficult subjects such as trauma and politics, as well as joy and ritual. To this end she founded the Botlhale Boikanyo Foundation, focusing on youth development and arts education. She was proud of being part of The Legacy of Hope Foundation, which raises funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. She performed her tribute to Madiba in New York and was named as an ambassador of the foundation. The experience taught her that being of service to others is her calling, as an artist, a civic leader and a changemaker.
In my time as a professional artist and social activist, I have been honoured to be a part of incredible projects and have founded certain projects that have been both effective and inspirational and also ones that have challenged me in numerous ways. One specific project that I was honoured to be a part of was The Legacy of Hope Foundation, an initiative to support and raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. This was done through various funding initiatives such as benefit concerts both locally and internationally, and contributing ones art and voice for social change.
Additionally, I joined an honoured collection of committee members such as the late Dr Maya Angelou, Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Charlize Theron, among others. One of the key lessons I carry from this initiative and one I still practise is serving: being of service to others, giving back and being part of the change that I want to see in my community and society. This concept is derived from our African customs of Ubuntu and “motho ke motho ka batho” (I am because you are). This initiative inspired me to continue to be a civic leader and changemaker and use my art and creativity to empower others.
