The 2025 Standard Bank
Young Artists are left to right Modise Sekgothe (Poetry), Nyakallo Maleke
(Visual Arts), Siya Charles (Jazz), Asanda Ruda (Dance), Muneyi (Music), seated
- Calvin Ratladi (Theatre). Image supplied
This year’s Standard Bank Young Artists embody experimentation, explosive creative dynamism and a sense of purpose that has driven them to rise above challenges and succeed - and they’ve been noticed. Together with Standard Bank, we are proud to announce the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artists.
Asanda Ruda (Dance)
From the community halls of Soweto to performing
internationally, Ruda's choreography is steeped in history, movement, and
emancipation. Previously a member of the Pina Bausch Foundation touring Europe,
she has captivated audiences with Kemet
(Black Lands), her acclaimed solo work which came out of her residency
programme at Hellarau, a Pan-African cultural event every two years. She is currently participating in the Centre
national de la danse x Cité internationale des arts residency, in Paris.
Siyasanga ‘Siya’
Charles (Jazz)
A magna cum laude Juilliard-graduate trombonist, Siya’s
career is already a global story, shaped by collaborations with luminaries like
Hugh Masekela and Grammy-winning artists. Through her Siya Charles Sextet,
she’s redefining South African jazz, layering the country’s rich musical
traditions with a fresh, fearless sensibility. No stranger to Makhanda, Siya
has been a popular performer on our jazz festival stages.
Muneyi (Music)
Limpopo-born Muneyi’s music pulses with memory, myth, and
meaning. His lyrics, inspired by his Makhulu (grandmother), explore love, loss,
and identity, transcending language while remaining deeply rooted in the
cadences of Tshivenda storytelling. His debut album, Makhulu, spoke of lessons in love, loss, and healing. He draws
inspiration from artists such as Oumou Sangare, Ali Farka Toure, Jonah Sobateh,
Thandiswa and Sade.
Modise Sekgothe
(Poetry)
Sekgothe isn’t just a poet—he’s a shapeshifter of sound,
rhythm, and form. From Washington DC to Gothenburg and Brussels, his words have
reverberated on global stages, bending the boundaries of spoken word into new
realms of performance art. He is only the second artists to receive the
Standard Bank Artist Award for Poetry, the first was Koleka Putuma.
Calvin Ratladi
(Theatre)
Ratladi’s interdisciplinary vision is unapologetically
expansive. A SAFTA-winning artist, he garnered Ovation Awards at the National
Arts Festival and showcased his work at festivals in Germany and Luxembourg,
pushing South African theatre into new, immersive dimensions.
Nyakallo Maleke
(Visual Arts)
Nyakallo’s drawings are journeys in and of themselves—maps
of migration, vulnerability, and spatial memory. With exhibitions across Europe
and a Master’s from Switzerland’s édhéa, her work expands the conversation
around drawing as both medium and metaphor.
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