JIKIJELA

Director

Khanya Ngcuka is a theatre maker, performer, facilitator and teacher from the Eastern Cape, and currently based in Cape Town. She obtained a master's degree at Rhodes University, where she specialised in applied theatre and directing for theatre. She is interested in the lived experiences of the marginalised and their translations into theatre forms. Awards Khanya has won include three Standard Bank Ovation awards in the silver and bronze and blue categories from the National Arts Festival. And the Rhodes University top 100 Alan Grey Leadership award in arts, sports and society. Khanya is currently a junior lecturer in live performance at AFDA Cape Town.

Performers 

Sanele Phillip

A theatre-maker and director born in King William's Town in the Eastern Cape. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Theatre and Journalism at Rhodes University. She has had an honour to be a part of South African composer, singer, and songwriter Maki's Platinumb Heart Live Art Exhibition in 2022. Later that year, she performed Jikijela, directed by Khanya Ngcuka, on the National Arts Festival stage, where the production was awarded a Silver Standard Bank Standing Ovation award. In 2023, she was part of the Market Theatre Foundation's Kwasha! Theatre Company, where she had an opportunity to devise and direct a theatre production titled Ngaphesheya under the mentorship of MoMo Matsunyane, who held the Standard Bank Young Artist award for Theatre for the year 2024. In the last six months of 2024, she formed part of the Magnet Theatre Youth Company, mentored and directed by Roshina Ratnam, Jennie Reznek, and Mark Fleishman.

Christelle Futshane

A Cape Town-based artist whose work delves into the potent language of the body. Christelle is a master's candidate in drama at Rhodes University specialising in interdisciplinary performance practice. Central to her creative process is pushing the boundaries of physical expression and creating performances that blur the lines between meaning and interpretation, inviting audiences to be co-creators in the narrative of the performance. Through site-specific and immersive works, she tackles pressing issues like gender-based violence and systemic injustices, seeking to disrupt norms and reimagine realities. Futshane's practice is a powerful exploration of identity and the body's capacity to convey and shape the truth, and holding a mirror to society to reflect and challenge its complexities.

CREW 

Sèrvane A.

Sèrvane is a multidisciplinary creative, arts manager, academia, executive producer, and researcher based in Cape Town. Working across theatre, film, art administration, and community development, his practice exists at the intersection of artistic experimentation and social impact. Sèrvane is a beneficiary of the National Arts Council (NAC) and the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture, producing multiple funded works and creative programmes. Following his debut at the Vrystaat Kunstefees, he received the award for Best Dance Production. He is also the recipient of the Standard Bank Ovation Award in the bronze category, a Netflix Scholarship recipient, as well as AFDA’s Emerging Scholar Award for delivering a stimulating academic programme. His creative practice is rooted in ensemble performance, physical theatre, avant-garde storytelling, and socially conscious work. Alongside his artistic pursuits, he has developed and facilitated projects focused on youth development, raising awareness on social ills, and women’s empowerment through skills training and capacity-building initiatives. Through both administration and artistry, Sèrvane continues to create work that is intellectually engaging, politically resonant, and community-driven.

Akhona ka Namba-Heshu

Akhona Zenande Namba-Heshu is a writer, teacher, performer, applied theatre practitioner, and project co-ordinator. Born in Cape Town and raised in East London, she currently resides in Cape Town.

She holds a Drama Honours Degree from Rhodes University, specialising in acting, writing, and applied Theatre. Akhona is passionate about uncovering untold stories and amplifying silenced voices, using storytelling as a collaborative tool for dialogue and social change. She has co-ordinated two productions at the National Arts Festival, one of which received a Standing Ovation Award, and has performed at the Market Theatre. Her work also includes television productions. She is currently co-ordinating a theatre production and a Film Festival in the Eastern Cape later this year.

Sky Dladla

Sky Dladla is an internationally acclaimed indigenous instrumentalist and composer whose music bridges ancestral tradition and modern expression. Rooted in African spiritual heritage and cultural preservation, Sky’s artistry embodies a profound journey of resilience, identity, and healing. Performing under the brand Sky Dladla, they have graced stages across the world — from Brazil, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe to New York, London, and Germany — representing South African indigenous sounds with authenticity and innovation. Sky went on to represent the National Arts Council in Hong Kong in 2024, finishing at the Market Theatre in Joburg in 2025, and holds a postgraduate degree in African instruments at the prestigious University of Cape Town. Since then Sky went on to teach marimbas and African music in schools around Cape Town such as Langa High, Bishops Dioscan Boys, Herschel Girls High, The Grove and various other schools.

Through their music, Sky brings forth the philosophy that the sun does not set on those who move with purpose. This belief forms the heart of their artistic and personal journey, driving their mission to preserve and promote indigenous instruments while sharing their spiritual message with global audiences. Sky has worked on music composing for the score of the BAFTA and EMMY-nominated, SAFTA-winning documentary Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey