TWOSDAY: JAZZ AND POETRY OFFERING

 

(Left: Thandiwe Nqanda)

 

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM) presents Twosday: Jazz and Poetry Offering, featuring award-winning South African performance poet and author Thandiwe Nqanda, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 17h30.

 

Nqanda brings her distinctive fusion of poetry, jazz and live storytelling to the stage in an immersive performance exploring memory, loss, love, healing and spiritual reflection. Rooted in personal and collective remembrance, her work gives voice to experiences that are often left unspoken, creating space for audiences to reflect, remember and connect.

The performance forms part of CJPM’s Twosday series, a platform that encourages artistic exchange and collaboration across disciplines. By blending musical styles and disciplines - in this case, poetry and jazz - Twosday encourages cross-genre collaboration and creates innovative performances that push the boundaries of the traditional concert experience.

Nqanda is the author of the debut poetry collection No, Time To Mourn (2023). Her work has featured at major literary and arts platforms including the Open Book Festival, National Arts Festival and Poetry Africa, while her poem the mourners was published in New Contrast in 2024. She also co-wrote the theatrical production Grieve, That Is How You Survive, which premiered at the National Arts Festival in 2023.

Her engagement with jazz includes the musical poetry show IT IS TIME and collaborations with jazz musicians including Kujenga, Vuyo Viwe and the Guftahs.

For this Durban performance, Nqanda will be joined by Makgashule Thothela on piano, Zolile Mgqantsa on bass and Bayanda Msomi on drums, with Thando Fuze appearing as guest poet.

Fuze is a Durban-born poet, performer, writer, curator and cultural activist whose work explores identity, gender, sexuality and contemporary social experience. She is also the founder of SHEfted Minds, a platform supporting and amplifying women artists and creative voices.

Together, the artists will create an intimate evening where poetry and jazz meet in a shared space of rhythm, memory and reflection.

 

EVENT DETAILS

Twosday: Jazz and Poetry Offering by Thandiwe Nqanda

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Doors: 17h00

Music starts: 17h30

Venue: Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, Dennis Shepstone Building, Level 2, Howard College Campus, UKZN

 

Tickets: R130 (R100 pensioners, R70 students)

Cash at the door or via Webtickets https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1599391395

 

Getting there: Please use Gate 3 or Gate 8 off Rick Turner Road.

SOLLY "SOETRY" RAMATSWI CROWNED SOUTH AFRICA'S SLAM CHAMPION

 

(Left: Solly "Soetry" Ramatswi)

 

Limpopo poet Solly "Soetry" Ramatswi crowned South Africa's Slam Champion with Born Free.

Solly Ramatswi, the Limpopo-born poet known as Soetry, has been crowned winner of the Poetry Africa National Slam Jam. He won the final at the Durban Playhouse on Tuesday night with Born Free, an interrogation of freedom, protest and memory three decades into democracy. 

Glen Mokoena was runner-up, and Tsholang Bodibe placed third.

Ramatswi takes home R20,000 and will represent South Africa at the World Poetry Slam Championship in Japan in 2027, carrying the national title onto the international stage.

Ramatswi said: “I am a testimony of what community is. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a lot of people. I may have walked to the stage alone BUT I wouldn’t have made it without a lot of my loved ones. Oh, it feels so fulfilling to love and be loved for doing what you love. I will continue dreaming. I will grow.”

In Born Free, Ramatswi turns the language of the struggle (the chant of "Amandla!", the raised fist, the voting queue) into a reckoning with what freedom has delivered to the generation born after 1994. The poem closes on its central tension:

 

She voted,

I slam.

My trophies are tombstones for all the obituaries I've written as poems.

I open my notebook and find my country's faults.

I open my mouth and slam.

 

Ian Gwag, board member of the World Poetry Slam Organisation and a member of the Slam Jam jury said: "The Slam Jam was a reminder that, beneath the dance of words, poetry remains a conversation between people trying to make sense of the world through their own truths – turning our different realities into something profoundly shared."

Raised in the village of Pollen, Ramatswi writes about black boyhood and masculinity. He is a former Word N Sound Poetry League champion and the founder of Soetry Media and Project Translation, which pioneered the "Sign-In" Slam, combining performance poetry with South African Sign Language.

His win closes the national leg of Poetry Africa's 30th edition. The festival now turns to the 5th World Poetry Slam Championship, which brings 40 poets from 40 countries to Durban and runs until the final on October 9. The week also includes a staged production of Putuma’s Water on October 9.

The full programme can be found on poetryafrica.ukzn.ac.za. Tickets are available on Webtickets.

 

About Poetry Africa

Poetry Africa is an annual international poetry festival curated and presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban.

Running since 1997, the festival brings together spoken-word and published poets from South Africa and around the world for performances, panel discussions, campus and school visits, poetry exchanges, book launches, open mic sessions and slam competitions.

Over 30 years, Poetry Africa has created a platform for poets and audiences to reflect on the role of poetry in society and social change, while also supporting academic scholarship in contemporary poetry at UKZN.

Released by iSupport Creative Business

For more information contact info@isupportdoyou.com or 079 707 7773 or 083 337 2518

 

To link to the Centre for Creative Arts website, click on the advert logo to the right of this article.

 

 

MULTICHOICE PUTS THE SA CREATIVE INDUSTRY FIRST AT DURBAN FILMMART

 

(Left: Willington Ngwepe)

 

With a long history as a major investor in local storytelling, MultiChoice is heading to the 17th Durban FilmMart (October 9 to 12) to build new partnerships that will help turn South African filmmakers’ abundant supply of creative ideas into viable productions and grow businesses, careers and protect intellectual property.

The global production industry is facing sustained headwinds – and the South African creative industry is not immune to those.

 

Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd CEO, says:  “A sustainable local content industry requires both investment and an enabling ecosystem in which producers can build businesses, women can progress into leadership, and where emerging professionals can access mentorship and opportunity. As the custodians of DStv’s content in South Africa, we understand the challenges that creators are facing while constantly listening to our customers to understand what they want to see on their screens – and we want to bring the supply and demand sides closer together with the right funding, training and support to continue to grow the industry we’ve invested in for over three decades”.

Durban FilmMart has a long history of connecting filmmakers and producers with finance, co-production opportunities, industry expertise, international market opportunities and potential partners. Ideas and intellectual property must also be protected, and working with Partners Against Piracy MultiChoice is leading public awareness campaigns to educate consumers about the risk and damage of consuming pirated content, engaging with government authorities to put in place stricter regulation and legislation to protect intellectual content in the digital age, and supporting law enforcement agencies to prosecute pirates in South Africa and beyond the country’s borders.

Willington Ngwepe adds: “Our participation at Durban FilmMart creates opportunities for direct engagement with independent producers, creators, policymakers, distributors, and other industry partners to help build, safeguard and promote our industry.”

 

(Right: Magdalene Reddy)

Magdalene Reddy, Director of the DFM, says: “Having a partner of MultiChoice's stature alongside us is a significant milestone for the Durban FilmMart. MultiChoice has a long-standing commitment to African storytelling, and their involvement strengthens our mission to connect filmmakers with the financing and partnerships they need. For filmmakers, this kind of access is invaluable. It means projects will engage with decision-makers who can help move them from concept to screen.”

MultiChoice representatives will be leading and participating in a series of discussions and events. On October 9, MultiChoice Head of Content Renee Jacobs and key content supplier CANAL+ Africa’s Head of Scripted Content Tebogo Matlawa will headline the discussion topic Support and Funding of Local Content in SA.

Durban FilmMart, in association with MultiChoice, runs from October 9 to 12 at the Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani on the Durban beachfront. Visit www.durbanfilmmart.co.za for more information.

DAMSEL IN DISTRESS: REVIEW

 

(Right: Kiruna-Lind Devar)

 

You would be doing yourself a disservice if Damsel In Distress has performance dates in your area and you miss it, for whatever reason. (artSMart reviewer)

 

There’s one good thing about reaching the biblical age of three score and ten – one has so many memories sitting in hidden recesses of the brain, waiting to be dredged up from our earlier days. Fortunately, I spent my life in the entertainment and arts spheres and was privileged to view and/or be part of many productions in Durban in the “good old days”.

One of the most abiding memories is the stellar performance of a young Brenda Radloff in her ingenue years as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Playhouse Theatre. Her rendition of Everything’s All Right and I Don’t Know How to Love Him were so heartfelt that they truly numbed the mind.

But now it’s the turn of Brenda’s first-born, Kiruna-Lind Devar, to shine in the spotlight in her first one-woman show Damsel In Distress, which premiered recently at Durban’s Rhumbelow Theatre before heading for venues around the country, and boy, does she shine!

Damsel was created by Wela Kapela Productions with a thought-provoking script by Amanda Bothma and inspired direction by the uber-talented Daniel Anderson, who arrived on the Durban cabaret scene with his outstanding shows Vincent and Mad About the Boys some while back.

But back to Kiruna-Lind as Griselda in Damsel in Distress. The character is a librarian who has lived her life vicariously by hiding herself in the books surrounding her in her library, and indeed, hiding herself there, using it as a refuge: a place to live and sleep, trapped in fear of the overwhelming outside world. That is, until the ever-so-charming Edward Pamment arrives on the scene, challenging her belief system.

The 75-minute show explores several themes including courage, survival and even gender-based violence. Kiruna-Lind (ably accompanied by Samantha Riedel on the keyboard) invites us along on an amazing journey, featuring a variety of songs which highlight her vocal dexterity, songs such as I Love Paris, People, Mein Herr, New York New York, La Vie en Rose, Windmills of Your Mind, and even a hysterical Brush Up Your Shakespeare.

You would be doing yourself a disservice if Damsel In Distress has performance dates in your area and you miss it, for whatever reason. Get a bunch of friends together and support the finest in local theatre.

Congratulations, Kiruna-Lind, Amanda, Daniel and Wela Kapela. Here’s to many more stunning productions! Book now.

30TH POETRY AFRICA FESTIVAL & WORLD POETRY SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING CEREMONY: REVIEW

 

(Left to right: Ms Linda Bukhosini; Ms Sphindile Hlongwa; MEC Khawula; Dr Gcina Mhlope; Dr Ismail Mahomed; Professor Hlongwa. Picture credit: Poetry Africa/Centre for Creative Arts UKZN)

 

That the 30th edition of Poetry Africa, along with the 5th World Poetry Slam Championship is ‘a thing’ is itself a triumph. (Review by Shannon Kenny)

The 30th Poetry Africa Festival & World Poetry Slam Championship (October 5-9, 2026):

Opening Ceremony - The Drama Theatre - The Playhouse Company Durban

 

That the 30th edition of Poetry Africa, along with the 5th World Poetry Slam Championship is ‘a thing’ is itself a triumph. It is a triumph for Art and Art-makers in South Africa and abroad, who keep on keeping on, through the winds and hurricanes of national and global change. This year’s theme is, fittingly: Every Word a Street, Every Voice a City.

The audience was welcomed by Dr Ismail Mahomed, Director of the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), UKZN, and led in a rendition of the South African national anthem by Thulile Zama, of the UKZN Centre for Jazz and Popular Music. There is something about our anthem, whether sung in a rugby stadium, school hall or gala event – that stirs and uplifts and unites us in its appeal for divine blessing and its exhortation to strive for a freedom that is the right of us all.

Celebrated artists, poet, and our host for the evening, Lebo Mashile and dancer-choreographer Musa Hlatshwayo took to the stage in a confluence of words and movement that was also a clarion call to action, to the urgency for our times: “These are the hours to reach for what's worth rising for” was a particularly memorable line.

KZN MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Mntomuhle Khawula; Creative Director and CEO of The Playhouse Company, Linda Bukhosini; and Dean and Head of the UKZN School of Arts, Professor Nobuhle Hlongwa delivered messages that not only acknowledged the importance of the Arts but also the important work of the Centre for Creative Arts under its past and current leadership. Most notable was the audience response – an audible, collective gasp – at the announcement of Dr Ismail Mahomed’s retirement at the end of this year. Ismail Mahomed is not only an arts administrator par excellence. His sincere and tireless advocacy and activism and most of all his empathy for artists - and genuine desire to see artists live and thrive in their vocation - is an immeasurable gift.

Poetry Africa curator and senior administrator at the CCA Sphindile Hlongwa, and Ms Mashile both spoke to the work of the poet and their place in society, as they introduced the evening’s line-up.

Zawadi Yamungu thrilled and delighted with her lyrical artistry and endearing stage presence, topping the evening’s performance with a superb rendition of her hit song, Ngimuhle.

South African, Steel the Poet (Nhlakanipho Thabethe) delivered a masterful performance of three of his poems, infusing each with an urgency where one couldn’t help but feel all the feels.

Nanda (Naelle Sandra) of Gabon brought lyricism and a celebration of our individuality and uniqueness through “Imagine” and then, her call to join her in a liturgy in praise of love/ intonda/amour.

Featured poet, Koleka Putuma, delivered a keynote address that placed Voice front and centre. Her observation that a voice that is encouraged to always speak up and be heard is different to the voice that is told to know its place struck a particular chord with the audience.

And finally, Lifetime Achievement awardee, poet, playwright, actor, director, arts activist, author and storyteller, Dr Gcina Mhlope took to the stage. In her inimitable manner she payed homage to the way makers who’ve left us and simultaneously delivered a call to action, to resist “forgetery” and “shoot the arrows of self-love to our children’s children.”

With 38 delegates from 38 countries competing in the 5th World Poetry Slam; a host of panel discussions, performances, mentoring sessions and contests over the course of the festival, Poetry Africa is truly a celebration of Voice and Memory, of Poets and Freedom Fighters, of what has been and is and is to come; of Language and Lyricism; and all of our gorgeous and flawed Humanity!

A massive high five to the teams from the Centre for Creative Arts, UKZN, their funders, partners and every participating poet and panellist at Poetry Africa 2026, for what can only be described as a feast of the spoken word.

Venues: The Loft, Room M1 and Drama Theatre at the Playhouse complex. Open Mic sessions take place at the Belaire Suites Hotel. 

Ticket bookings via Webtickets

Halala! Durban, you are in for a treat! – Shannon Kenny

NB: For more information on the Centre for Creative Arts, click on the logo advert to the right of this article.

 

CITY OF WIDOWS: REVIEW

 

It is in the construction of the plot that the novel encounters problems. (Review by Margaret von Klemperer, Courtesy of The Witness)

 

Nadia Hashimi’s parents emigrated from Afghanistan to the United States where she grew up and later worked as a paediatrician before turning her hand to writing. Afghanistan, and particularly the plight of women in that tragic country, is her subject of choice, with several novels to her name dealing with the rollercoaster experience of the Soviet invasion, Taliban rule, American-backed government and, following the ignominious departure of the Americans, the Taliban again.

Back in 2016, her novel, A House Without Windows, had a launch in Pietermaritzburg and her books have always attracted a big readership.

Here the main character is Marjan and in 2021, she is desperately trying to leave the country because, as we gradually discover, she has served with the Female Tactical Platoon (FTP), a trained military unit of Afghan women who served with the American army as a group who could speak to Afghan women – something male soldiers could not do. Unlike their female American counterparts, members of the FTP spoke the local language. But, as we know, in the US forces’ undignified withdrawal, many people who were going to be at risk simply could not escape, even though the Americans claimed to be trying to help them.

Marjan has a young daughter, Hawa, and a great friend, Soraya who served in the FTP with her. And Soraya has an aunt, Mina, who is a journalist and an anchor on a TV news show – all of them obviously at risk from the advancing Taliban whose attitude to women is well documented. But to escape is never going to be easy.

Hashimi divides the novel into sections. The main thrust of the plot concerns 2021, when the women are struggling to find a way of leaving the country. The title, which Hashimi explains in the author’s note at the end of the book, is where Marjan and Hawa end up hiding while they try to work out how to escape to a different life. But there is also a lot of backstory, mainly concerning Marjan but also explaining her connection with Soraya and Mina.

It is in the construction of the plot that the novel encounters problems. The reader has to go backwards and forwards, from Marjan’s horrible experiences as a child bride, to her escape from an abusive husband, to the reasons that she and Soraya joined the FTP, and to Mina’s career as a journalist. Hashimi seems to feel the need to end each section or chapter on a cliffhanger, and then leave the reader dangling while she goes backwards or forwards to re-connect with wherever she left her characters before.

This becomes an irritant. It interrupts the flow of the story and, to a degree, causes the reader to lose interest. It is a pity, because Hashimi is highlighting the plight of the people of Afghanistan and tackling some very real problems. – Margaret von Klemperer

City of Widows is published by William Morrow: ISBN 978-0-06-349363-6

BANDS UNDER THE STARS CONCERT

 

Come, join up for the highly-anticipated, picnic-style, Bands Under the Stars Concert on Friday, October 16, 2026, in Pietermaritzburg.

This free concert will showcase the talents of the St Charles College Junior School and High School Bands, bringing the 2026 Bands season to a memorable close. Gather your family and friends, pack a picnic, blankets, and chairs, and enjoy an evening of music under the night sky.

 

Date: Friday, October 16, 2026

Venue: Grass area below the SP Quad

Time: 18h00-19h30

Entrance free

Bring your picnic, blankets, and chairs

 

The St Charles College Music Department. The College is located at Harwin Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg.

MITH PROGRAMME: OCTOBER 7

 

MiTH brings another evening of live music to The Knoll Historic Guest Farm on October 7 where the Midlands comes together for a proper night out.

For just R50, you can catch a hand-picked mix of local and national musicians and performers, with genres, styles and surprises changing from fortnight to fortnight. Grab something good to eat, order a drink, find a spot and settle in.

MiTH isn’t a concert where everyone listens and then goes home. It’s a night of discovering new music, bumping into old friends, meeting new ones and enjoying the wonderfully-unpredictable business of live performance. 

Come curious. Come hungry. Come thirsty. Most of all, come listen!

Venue: The Knoll Historic Guest Farm

Entrance: R50.00 (cash or Zapper at the door)

Info: 082 331 7271

 

20h30 – Imagine Peace

In what is becoming something of an annual tradition, Clive Willows has curated a new programme, this time around the theme of imagining peace. He has once again pulled in his friends, Brian Bedingfield, Ilan Lax, and for the first time on the MiTH stage, Cal Bray. In this world of conflict and division, they invite you to imagine peace through the words of Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, John Lennon, Bill Withers, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, Sting and more.

 

19h30 – Rhiannon & Vince

Rhiannon and Vince are a father-daughter duo from Howick, KZN. They have been performing at MiTH for many years, starting when Rhiannon was a teenager, and they continue to share a tradition of familial connection through their music. Known for putting a unique spin on both old and new tunes, they have recently added a few original songs to their repertoire.

Expect originals and covers in the traditional Celtic theme - Donoughmore by Rose Cousins, Out on the Mira and Maid of Culmore (traditional) and others that didn’t quite make it into their Black Velvet Band show. Rhiannon wows on lead vocals and plays guitar, while Vince impresses on piano, harmonica, cajón, and penny whistle.

 

19h00 – Cormac Slattery

Part-time coffee shop owner, part-time musician, full-time husband and dad, Cormac Slattery is happiest with a guitar in his hands, a good song to sing and absolutely no obligation to stick to one particular genre. Based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and running Mac’s Café in the Central Drakensberg, Cormac’s musical tastes wander happily all over the place.

His acoustic set might move from the anthemic sounds of Imagine Dragons and Coldplay to the unmistakable songs of The Cranberries and Radiohead, with a little Tracy Chapman thrown in - and perhaps even a nod to his Irish roots with The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. There may be some Tina Turner, too, because sometimes a great song is simply a great song. He’s looking forward to dusting off the guitar, stepping away from the coffee machine for an evening, and sharing a handful of favourites at MiTH.

 

ABOUT MiTH

Food and cash bar available on site. The KZN Midlands’ favourite live music venue, MiTH is a platform for beginners, professionals and music lovers to celebrate the joy of live performance. Hosted every second Wednesday at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm, Hilton.

 

DIRECTIONS TO MiTH

Take the N3 to Hilton. Turn into Hilton Village and drive 5.2 km along Hilton Avenue, which becomes Dennis Shepstone Drive. Look for Knoll Drive on your right – the entrance to MiTH is the second left into The Knoll Historic Guest Farm. Info: 082 331 7271, www.mith.co.za or mithbookings@gmail.com

 

 

DEAN’S CONCERT PRESENTS TOP PERFORMERS

Baritone Professor Federico Freschi, pianist Christopher Duigan and international guest soprano Angela Gilbert perform with the UJ Choir, conducted by Sizwe Mondlane.

An evening of compelling voices, expressive piano and rich choral sound awaits audiences at the annual Dean’s Concert on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 17h30 at the UJ Arts Centre.

Presented by UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), the concert raises funds for academically-deserving FADA students facing financial challenges.

Accomplished baritone Professor Federico Freschi, Executive Dean of FADA, joins acclaimed KZN-based pianist Christopher Duigan and international guest soprano Angela Gilbert to lead the musical programme.

Performing alongside them is the UJ Choir, under the direction of Sizwe Mondlane. Together, they bring the intimacy of solo performance and the power of collective voices to an evening with a lasting purpose. 

First presented in 2016, the Dean’s Concert supports the bursary fund established by Professor Freschi to help students with limited financial resources pursue their education.

South African-born soprano Angela Gilbert brings an extensive international career to the UJ stage. An alumna of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, she has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, San Diego Opera and Cape Town Opera, among others. Her signature roles include the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, and she represented South Africa at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2003.

Duigan’s longstanding association with the Dean’s Concert adds a familiar musical presence to this collaboration. Duigan, Freschi and Gilbert have all studied and worked together over many years, and it is fitting that in celebrating a decade of student support, this concert also celebrates the incredible possibilities of creative collaboration that go beyond personal friendship and professional partnerships. 

Duigan says: “Audiences can look forward to the intimacy of a solo voice, the dialogue between singer and pianist, and the thrilling sound of a choir. Bringing Angela, Federico and the UJ Choir together gives us wonderful scope for contrast and collaboration. We want audiences to experience the warmth, energy and emotion that make live music so rewarding.” That shared musical experience also brings artists, audiences, alumni and donors together to expand opportunities through creative education.

Professor Freschi adds: “Our students are the future artists, designers and architects who will shape how we live, think and see the world. The future of work will demand greater creativity: the ability to imagine new possibilities, respond to complex challenges and reshape our world. Supporting creative education is an investment in that future. I invite our alumni, friends and business partners to join us for an evening of wonderful music and help these young people realise their potential.”

Donors, businesses and friends of the University are warmly invited to attend and make a donation on the evening. Each contribution helps academically-deserving FADA students continue their studies and develop the skills to shape our creative future. Qualifying donations are eligible for a tax benefit.

 

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026

Arrival: 17h30

The concert commences at 18h00. Book at Quicket

Ticket includes a light refreshment. A cash bar will be available.

 

Location: UJ Arts Centre, Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre

Auckland Park Kingsway Campus

 

BUILD THE AUDIENCE AT DURBAN FILMMART

 

(Artist's rendition of a WiC Cinema, Deepixels' community-scale exhibition environment designed to connect African screen content with audiences through technology-enabled physical cinema infrastructure. WiC Cinema will be launched this Friday (October 9) at the Durban FilmMart)

 

WiC aims at African cinema’s missing link, audiences.

Deepixels launches WiC, a new audience infrastructure initiative for African screen content, at Durban FilmMart 2026

African cinema has spent decades building filmmakers, films, festivals, markets and production capacity. Yet one fundamental challenge remains: how d­­o African films consistently find, grow and sustain paying African audiences?

At Durban FilmMart 2026 (October 9-12), Deepixels will introduce WiC, Watch in Community, an audience infrastructure initiative designed to help build new audience markets for African screen content.

The launch forms part of a broader proposition Deepixels is bringing to the industry, that every film is made for someone, and the challenge is to find them.

WiC is being developed in response to the persistent gap between the creation of African screen content and the systems required to connect that content with audiences over time.

(Right: Toni Monty)

Toni Monty, Co-Founder of Deepixels says: “Across African film, we have invested substantially in creative development, production capacity and market access. The missing discipline has been sustained audience development. WiC is designed to help address that gap by building practical routes between content, audiences, transactions and exhibition, so that more African stories can find viable markets over time.”

WiC connects digital discovery and ticket acquisition with physical exhibition, enabling screen content to reach audiences through a network of programmable venues and community-based cinema environments. The model brings together content discovery, programming, ticketing, exhibition and audience intelligence, creating a system through which audience relationships can be developed over time rather than ending with an individual screening or release.

Ross Joughin, Co-Founder of Deepixels, says: “WiC is not simply a screening initiative or a streaming product. It is a connected technology system that brings content discovery, ticket acquisition, programming, venue operations, payments and audience intelligence into one operating environment. That integration is what enables the model to be tested, measured and refined as it grows.”

WiC does not position itself as a replacement for existing cinemas, festivals, broadcasters, streaming platforms or distributors. It is intended to create additional audience pathways and exhibition opportunities within the wider screen ecosystem.

WiC will be introduced to the film industry during a session at the 2026 Durban FilmMart titled: Build The Audience: WiC takes aim at African cinema’s missing link: audiences, on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 11h15 to 12h00 at the Elangeni Hotel, Durban.

The session will explore the gap between content creation and sustained audience access, and introduce Deepixels’ approach to connecting content, communities, exhibition spaces, transactions and audience data within a new distribution and exhibition ecosystem.

The presentation will be led by Ross Joughin, with fellow Deepixels co-founders Toni Monty and Molise Ramaili and Content Partners Helen Kuun, Indigenous Film Distribution and Paul Robinson, NEFTI Films, joining the session for discussion and audience Q&A.

Delegates will also be able to experience WiC through a pop-up WiC Cinema, a dedicated screening venue presenting a curated programme of African screen content, and at the Deepixels / WiC exhibition stand, where they can engage with the platform and the wider audience-infrastructure model.

The WiC Cinema programme will bring together selected films submitted directly to WiC with titles presented in collaboration with WiC content partners Indigenous Film Distribution and NEFTI Films. NEFTI will contribute a curated short-film showcase, while Indigenous Film Distribution will bring selected titles from its catalogue into the programme, alongside a broader selection of African screen content. The full WiC Cinema programme, including screening times and participating titles, will be announced separately.

 

Building beyond Durban FilmMart

Durban FilmMart marks WiC’s public introduction and an important stage in its pilot development.

Molise Ramaili, Co-Founder of Deepixels, says: “WiC is also an industrial-development proposition. It creates a framework through which local venues, operators, content owners and partners can participate in a new entertainment economy. The opportunity is to develop commercially viable community exhibition infrastructure, mobilise investment around it and build an enterprise model capable of expanding across markets.”

Following DFM, Deepixels plans to continue testing the model through a South African pilot rollout, working with content partners, audiences, venue operators and other industry stakeholders to refine its commercial, operational and technical model. The longer-term ambition is to build scalable audience infrastructure capable of connecting more African stories with audiences across multiple markets.

“Deepixels is therefore using the DFM launch not simply to introduce a product, but to invite the industry into a larger conversation: if we want sustainable African cinema, we have to build sustainable African audiences,” concludes Ramaili.

 

For more information about WiC go to www.wicstream.com

For more information about the Durban FilmMart go to: https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/

MAHOTELLA QUEENS – BUYELEKHAYA TOUR

 

A vibrant celebration of South Africa’s living musical heritage, bringing together two generations of traditional music on one stage.

After more than six decades of carrying the sound and spirit of South African music across generations and borders, the legendary Mahotella Queens bring their timeless mbaqanga sound to Durban.

Joining them as a special guest is one of KwaZulu-Natal’s finest Maskandi artists, Limit Nala creating a powerful meeting point between the past, present and future of South African music.

 

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Time: 19h00

Venue: The Playhouse Company, Durban

Booking is through Webtickets

REALS PRESENT GET BACK 3

 

The Reals - Barry Thomson, Dawn Selby, Mali Sewell, Robz Millar and Guest Guitarist Colin Peddie will present Get Back 3 at Rhumbelow Theatre in Umbilo and Northlands Bowling Club.

 

Durban:

Saturday: October 10, 2026. Show starts at 19h30

Sunday: October 11, 2026. Show starts at 14h00 - SOLD OUT

 

Northlands:

Saturday, October 17, 2026. Show starts at 19h30

 

(Venue opens 90 minutes before show for snacks/drinks)

 

In the short seven-year life span of the Fab Four, better known as ‘The Beatles’, they achieved phenomenal success, holding the record of having the most number-one hit songs (20). They hold the record for most number-one albums on (19) and the most singles sold in the UK, 21.1 million. By 1985, they were the best-selling band in history, with estimated total sales of over 1 billion records worldwide.

In the 60s, their songs helped popular music to become the soundtrack for political, social and cultural upheaval, particularly in the US. From made-to-measure suits and mop tops, to psychedelic suits, nowhere is the importance of image and visual styling more apparent than in their development. They also pioneered new recording techniques and ideas, forgoing live tours and performances to develop a new, more sophisticated studio sound. The Beatles began transforming our culture, dress, and music and their impact is still felt today.

Join Barry Thomson & The Reals in Get Back 3 as they pay an authentic tribute to Liverpool’s most famous pop group of all time, featuring frontman Barry Thomson (guitar/vocals), Dawn Selby (keyboards/vocals), Mali Sewell (drums/vocals), Robz Millar (bass guitar/vocals) and guest Colin Peddie (guitar/vocals).

Tickets R220 (R200 Pensioners, R180 under-13 and Northlands Bowling Club Members)

Bring food picnic baskets (Northlands & Durban) or buy at the venue (Northlands & Durban). Bar available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises)

Limited secure parking available.

Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or WEBTICKETS or http://events.durbantheatre.com/

For more information contact 0824998636.

 

RHUMBELOW THEATRE

42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road, Durban

&

Northlands Bowling Club, 50 Margaret Maytom Avenue, Durban North