In Conversation with MoAfrika wa Mokgathi

Poetry, comedy, and storytelling have always been part
of South Africa’s cultural DNA. They’ve carried our
history, challenged politics, and built community. But for
too long, these art forms have been underfunded,
overlooked, and disconnected from national creative
planning. That’s about to change. The Poetry, Comedy
& Storytelling Council (PoeComSto) has officially
launched under the Department of Sport, Arts and
Culture’s drive to reorganise the creative sector. As one
of 17 new Sector Cluster Councils born from the August
2024 bosberaad, PoeComSto is designed to give artists
behind the mic and the pen real influence in policy,
funding, and infrastructure decisions.
And steering this new ship is MoAfrika wa Mokgathi. A
Mamelodi-born poet, performer, cultural activist, and
award-winning broadcaster whose career has taken her
from local township stages to international festivals in
New York, Sweden, and Colombia. Known for her fierce
advocacy for indigenous languages, her co-founding of
Hear My Voice, and her leadership in the South African
Poets Guild, MoAfrika brings both lived experience and
global perspective to the role of PoeComSto
chairperson.