Mbali Mbatha
Four years after the last edition of the HerStory International Theatre Festival at the Soweto Theatre, internationally acclaimed playwright and cultural activist Napo Masheane is relocating the event to its new permanent home, QwaQwa.
While 2026 being the 50th anniversary of the Student Uprisings has been on everyone’s lips since last year, Masheane couldn’t help noticing the silence around this year also being the 70th of the iconic women’s march to the Union Buildings.
“It’s the 70th anniversary of the march. We are less than three weeks away from Women’s Day and it’s quiet. Even with June 16 itself, most of the time when women are mentioned in the uprisings discussion, it’s not even about their own stories; it’s usually because her brother was one of the students who got shot,” Masheane observed.
Delving into the nurturing nature of African women, she points out how the involvement of Winnie Mandela and the other mothers who tended to the victims on 16 June 1976 seldom make news headlines.
“Nothing has changed. Women are still fighting to be recognised.” The four-year break wasn’t by choice, as Masheane shares the heartbreaking story of the financial constraints being so serious that still today she owes some of the artists who worked with her in 2022.
This resulted in a decline in her mental health, but Masheane is ready to start afresh even if doors are being slammed in her face. Masheane reflects on her own experiences with marginalisation, saying since 2025 she has sent more than 40 proposals for the festival, with the 70th anniversary of the 1956 women’s march as a selling point.
However, this iconic memory in African history was met with rejection, serving as a reminder that artists should create their own platforms and prompting her to curate the festival independently.
“If HerStory doesn’t happen, there’s essentially no women-specific festival. I used to curate a women’s festival in one of SA’s biggest theatres. It still exists, but it’s no longer a pro-women initiative that is championed by women, for women.”
HerStory is a multi-disciplinary festival that marries international cultural exchange with theatre, music, poetry and other spheres of creativity. This was inspired by Masheane’s observation of African theatre history carrying all the elements of art.
When someone recites a poem, for example, this is accompanied by ululation which is a form of creative expression. When someone starts a song, it prompts dance and movement, and when a drummer starts playing, they conjure up various responses such as whistling and prose.
The celebration weaves together her own Sotho lineage with that of Lesotho-born AfroSoul artist Maleh (Malehloka Hlalele), Tamara Dey’s cross-cultural appeal and Wanda Baloyi’s multi-cultural musicality.
From 7–10 August 2026, Masheane and her “sisters in creativity” will amplify women’s stifled voices against the backdrop of the equally marginalised stories of the Basotho people in partnership with various national heritage sites under SANPARKS, including the Basotho Cultural Village, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Joe’s Lifestyle and the Phuthaditjhaba Auditorium.
She’s not oblivious to the current anti-immigration protests in SA that are currently making global headlines, and the line-up speaks to that. Not only is Maleh born and raised in Lesotho, but Johannesburg born and bred Baloyi brings her parents’ Mozambican flair to the festival, and while Dey is South African, her ancestral lineage interweaves Greek, Portuguese and other identities.
“Artistic migration is nothing new. Art has always brought various cultures together, and has always mirrored the reality that happens in our societies.” “The women in the line-up are not celebrities; they are my sisters, we grew up together in this industry. When Tamara and Wanda were busy with underground music, we were busy with poetry and theatre.”
Some of her international friends will also be presenting work in their own languages, including Italian and Portuguese, as she feels it’s important for younger artists to understand that language advocacy is not just an African conversation but a global one.
Various South African actors, including the recently departed Seputla Sebogodi, have been vocal about the dominance of isiZulu on the small screen, lamenting the apparent disenfranchisement of other cultural identities.
The partnerships with heritage sites therefore, present the opportunity to find alternative platforms where various cultures can be amplified.
“Instead of fighting broadcasters, creatives need to remember that there is space to make this work in our own villages and the communities that raised us,” she asserts.
Whether one is coming from Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town or Lesotho, it’s still central. She says its beautiful landscape and references to Basotho culture deserve to be celebrated, especially since the town is not as clustered as the big cities.
This is personal for the cultural activist whose childhood memories are emblazoned with QwaQwa recollections. For her, coming home is also about reconnecting with her spiritual guides and immersing herself in familial bonds.
Summary
- While 2026 being the 50th anniversary of the Student Uprisings has been on everyone’s lips since last year, Masheane couldn’t help noticing the silence around this year also being the 70th of the iconic women’s march to the Union Buildings.
- From 7–10 August 2026, Masheane and her “sisters in creativity” will amplify women’s stifled voices against the backdrop of the equally marginalised stories of the Basotho people in partnership with various national heritage sites under SANPARKS, including the Basotho Cultural Village, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Joe’s Lifestyle and the Phuthaditjhaba Auditorium.
- Some of her international friends will also be presenting work in their own languages, including Italian and Portuguese, as she feels it’s important for younger artists to understand that language advocacy is not just an African conversation but a global one.
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