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Sunday, April 13, 2025

STANDARD BANK YOUNG ARTISTS 2025

 


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.