(Above: David O’ Sullivan, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Dawie Roodt, Professor Pitika Ntuli, John Robbie, Gugu Aseda, Vusi Thembekwayo & Malcom Gooding)
Well-known South Africans share their stories that matter
The HISTORY® Channel Africa (DStv 186) is excited to launch My History Moments, a poignant short-form series that sees notable South Africans share pivotal moments from their lives that have historical significance and profound personal meaning. To further uncover stories that shaped our nation, the channel is also calling on South Africans to share their My History Moments as part of the campaign.
Marketing Manager of the HISTORY Channel Africa, Anita Gardini, says: “The HISTORY channel is renowned the world over for sharing stories that matter, stories that tell of major turning points in history or that have evolved us as a society and as individuals. Through this project, we’re honoured to share these deeply personal local stories that tell of our incredible resilience, that will resonate with many South Africans.”
As part of the moving series, the 4-5-minute ‘episodes’ will be broadcast on-air on DStv 186 and shared across the HISTORY® Channel Africa’s social media platforms and YouTube channel in the coming weeks. The pieces were produced by Schultz Creative.
Some of the well-known South Africans who will be sharing their moments – from groundbreaking events to personal triumphs - include global business speaker Vusi Thembekwayo, economist Dawie Roodt, broadcasters, John Robbie and Malcom Gooding and singer and songwriter, Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Of the My History Moments project, Chaka Chaka says: “Sometimes we shy away from our history; we don’t talk about it and it’s important that we tell our stories. We tell the stories so that the next generation knows who we are, where we come from and the importance of our history. But for me, the most important thing that should come from telling our stories is social cohesion.”
She adds, “It wasn’t very easy to choose My History Moment. Getting Bishop Tutu, Madiba and Bill Clinton on stage to come and do bum jives – that was making history, too. But I decided to choose something personal and that made me feel part of South Africa.”
Longtime broadcaster, David O’ Sullivan says being a journalist has meant that he’s been at the forefront of numerous historically-significant moments. He explains, “I find that the things that I was involved in are now in the actual history books. But at the time when something significant happened, I always realised that it was a big day, or a big moment and those moments stayed with me. If we are going to tell people about the past, we have to tell it in the form of stories like these. We need actual stories that invigorate people, that they can be passionate about and that evoke an emotion in them.”
Another contributor, poet and artist, Professor Pitika Ntuli, says: “I’ve always been very interested in history. Having a historical memory prevents us from collapsing into chaos, war or plunging into unsustainable situations. History is, in a sense, a GPS that helps guide our own thoughts, so that we know what we should not be doing and what we should be doing better.”
Regional Manager Naz Khan concludes: “Within each My History Moment lies a treasure trove of personal-lived experiences and life stories. It's not just about recounting events; it is important for us to honour that experience. There is profound value in preserving these unique narratives. By protecting them, we ensure that the rich tapestry of human experience and the lessons they teach endure for generations to come.”
The HISTORY Channel Africa invites you to share your #MyHistoryMoment with us. Whether it is a heart-warming memory, a funny anecdote, a significant life event, or your experience of a pivotal moment in history – we want to hear your story.
To share your moment, simply use the hashtag #MyHistoryMoment and tag the History Channel Africa when posting to social media.
Join the HISTORY Channel Africa (DStv 186) in journeying through South Africa's transformative years with My History Moments.
To watch all the My History Moments visit – https://www.historytv.africa/momen
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