Bringing township cinema back through sustainability

Discover the lost magic of cinema in South African townships with Ziganekozihle Makheta. She shares how apartheid disrupted a once-thriving film culture and highlights the power of storytelling to unite communities. Learn how reviving township cinemas can preserve African heritage and inspire future generations. Ziganekozihle Makheta is a filmmaker, performer, facilitator and founder of the film production company WANTOW WANTOW.

Her passion for her industry goes beyond being in front of the camera and behind the scenes. For her, it is essential that she contributes towards the sustainability of the film industry by learning how to cohesively dismantle ancient bureaucratic ways of operating. She does this by facilitating acting workshops that provide access to creative education and training while educating actors about their rights.

Ziganekozihle’s idea is about distributing films to marginalised communities in South Africa through our culture of infrastructure sustainability. She believes it is essential that girls from marginalised societies see their experiences through cinema and art, and as a filmmaker, produces authentic stories that are reflective of girls like her.

Through her talk, she wants people to recognise the realities of South Africa; how we can contribute to shaping our world and maintaining our culture. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.