Nokugcina Elsie Mhlophe (born 24 October 1958), known as Gcina Mhlophe, is a South African storyteller, writer, playwright, and actress. In 2016 she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women. She tells her stories in four of South Africa's languages: English,

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

, Zulu and

Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people See als ...

, and also helps to motivate children to read.

Her childhood

Nokugcina Elsie Mhlophe was born on 24 October 1958 in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

, to a

mother and a Zulu father. She started her working life as a

domestic worker A domestic worker or domestic servant is a person who works within the scope of a residence. The term "domestic service" applies to the equivalent occupational category. In traditional English contexts, such a person was said to be "in service ...

, and did not visit a library until she was 20.

Career

Mhlope worked as a newsreader at the Press Trust and

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

, then as a writer for ''

Learn and Teach Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals, and some machines; there is also evidence for some kind of learni ...

'', a magazine for newly-literate people. She began to get a sense of the demand for stories while in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1988. She performed at a library in a mostly-

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

neighbourhood, where an ever-growing audience kept inviting her back. Still, Mhlophe only began to think of storytelling as a career after meeting an

Imbongi An imbongi (plural ''iimbongi''), or a Xhosa Praise Poet, is a member of the Xhosa community who performs ceremonial activities at important events. An imbongi is traditionally a male who recites emotive poetry, sings, explains family relationsh ...

, one of the legendary poets of African folklore, and after encouragement by Mannie Manim, the then-director of the Market Theatre,

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

. From 1989 to 1990, she was resident director at the Market Theatre. Mhlophe has appeared in theatres from

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and much of her work has been translated into

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, French, Italian, Swahili, and Japanese. She has travelled extensively in Africa and other parts of the world giving storytelling workshops. Mhlophe's stories meld

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, information, current affairs, song, and

idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, ...

. Storytelling is a deeply traditional activity in South Africa, and Mhlophe is one of the few woman storytellers in a country dominated by males. She does her work through charismatic performances, working to preserve storytelling as a means of keeping history alive and encouraging South African children to read. She tells her stories in four of South Africa's languages: English,

, Zulu and

Other activities

Mhlophe mentors young people, developing young talent to carry forward the work of storytelling through the Zanendaba ("Bring me a story") Initiative. This initiative, established in 2002, is a collaboration with the Market Theatre and

READ Read Read may refer to: * Reading, human cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning * Read (automobile), an American car manufactured from 1913 to 1915 * Read (biology), an inferred sequence of base pairs of ...

, a national literacy organisation. She currently serves as the patron of the

ASSITEJ ASSITEJ, the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, (french: Association Internationale du Théâtre de l’Enfance et la Jeunesse) was established in 1965 as an international alliance of professionals involved in theat ...

South Africa, the International Association for Theatre for Children and Young People. She runs a performance space called "The Storytelling Tree" in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

. She also works as a

motivational speaker A motivational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep talk. Motivational speakers ca ...

Recognition and awards

From 2019, Mhlophe's birthday, 24 October, is recognised as National Storytelling Day in South Africa. she has been awarded

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

s from seven universities across the world. These include: * 1999:

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

, UK * 1999:

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

* 2014:

Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public university, public research university located in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, ...

Other recognition of her work includes: * 1987:

Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress The Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress was first presented in 1956. The award has no nominees and there is no set number of winners per year. Each performance listed by year below was given an award and they are listed in no pa ...

(

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

) for ''Born in the RSA'' * 1988:

Joseph Jefferson Award The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater sta ...

for Best Actress (

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

) for ''Have you seen Zandile?'' * 198?: Sony Award for Radio Drama from BBC Radio Africa for ''Have you seen Zandile?'' * 1990: Fringe First Award (Edinburgh) for ''Have you seen Zandile?'' * 1991: Nominee,

Noma Award The Noma Prizes were established by Shoichi Noma, or in his honor. More than one award is conventionally identified as the ''Noma Prize''. Noma was the former head of Kodansha, the Japanese publishing and bookselling company. Kodansha is Japan' ...

, for ''Queen of the Tortoises'' * 1991, Ashoka Fellowship (social entrepreneurship innovator) * 1994: Book Chat Award for ''Molo Zoleka'' * 2016: Named as one of BBC's 100 Women"BBC 100 Women 2016: Who is on the list?"
BBC News, 21 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016. *2018: Inaugural USIBA Cultural Legend Award, from the Minister of Arts and Culture * SAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Selected performances

* 1983, lead role in ''Umongikazi: The Nurse'', by Maishe Maponya * 1984, in ''Black Dog: Inj'emnyama'' * 1986, '' Place of Weeping'' (film) * 1986, ''Have You Seen Zandile?'' (autobiographical play, at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg, Mhlophe as Zandile) * 1987, ''Born in the RSA'' (New York) * 1989, storytelling festival at the Market Theatre * 1989, performed a poem in honour of

Albert Luthuli Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli ( – 21 July 1967) was a South African anti-apartheid activist, traditional leader, and politician who served as the President-General of the African National Congress from 1952 until his death in 1967. Luthuli wa ...

, 1960 Nobel Peace Prize winner * 1990, performed ''Have You Seen Zandile?'' at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...

tour through Europe and the USA * 1997,

Poetry Africa Poetry Africa is an international poetry festival held annually in Durban, South Africa. More than twenty poets, predominantly from South Africa and elsewhere on the African continent, participate in the 7- to 10-day Poetry Africa, an international ...

, presenting poet * 1999, guest speaker at the

Perth Writers Festival Perth Festival, named Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) between 2000 and 2017, and sometimes referred to as the Festival of Perth, is Australia's longest-running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia. The program features ...

* 2000, performed in ''Peter und der Wolf'' at the

Komische Oper The Komische Oper Berlin is a German opera company based in Berlin. The company produces opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal tra ...

(Berlin) * 2002, ''The Bones of Memory'' (performance, history-telling from the old and new South Africa) * 2003, lectured on storytelling at the ''Eye of the Beholder'' seminar * 2003, ''Mata Mata'' (performance, family musical) * 2006,

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...

South African handover ceremony, Germany * 2016, ''

Kalushi ''Kalushi'' is a 2016 South African film about Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu, a nineteen-year-old hawker from the streets of Mamelodi, a township outside Pretoria in South Africa. He was born in Pretoria on 10 July in 1956, the second son of Martha ...

'' (film) * 2017, '' Liyana'', a multimedia film by

Aaron Kopp Aaron Kopp is a US-based cinematographer and film director who grew up in Eswatini. Life Kopp shot and co-produced '' Saving Face'' (2012), the Oscar-winning documentary about acid attacks in Pakistan. He and his partner Amanda Kopp shot for ''T ...

Documentary appearances

* Acted and narrated in '' Travelling Songs'' * 1990, performed poetry in '' Songololo: Voices of Change'' (how aspects of culture in South Africa have become part of the anti-apartheid struggle)Phil Johnson, "Songololo: the sound of freedom". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', November 3, 1990. * 1993, ''The Travelling Song'' (the contemporary process of story gathering) * Appeared in ''Literacy Alive'' * Appeared in ''Art Works''

Recordings

Mhlophe wrote music for her

SABC The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's state ...

TV series ''Gcina & Friends'' * 1993, ''Music for Little People'' (CD) * 1993, reader voice ''Not so fast, Songololo'' (videorecording), Weston Woods, Weston CT, Scholastic * 1994, ''The Gift of the Tortoise'' (contributed to the

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland'', and have won m ...

album) * 2002, ''Fudukazi's Magic'' screened in

at the African Union Film Festival

Collaborations

Pops Mohamed Pops Mohamed (born Ismail Mohamed-Jan) is a South African multi-instrumentalist, jazz musician and producer. Born in Benoni, Gauteng, Pops Mohamed had a career in music that was the logical outcome of an early exposure at Dorkay House to the l ...

, musician and tribal music preservationist *

, choir group, ''The Gift of the Tortoise'' (CD), 1994 and ''Music for Little People in America'' (CD), 1993 * Anant Singh, video producer, ''Fudukazi's Magic'' (CD and video for German audiences)

Bibliography

* Mhlophe, Gcina. ''The Toilet'' 1987 (Short Story) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Molo Zoleka'' New Africa Education, 1994. (Children's book) * ''MaZanendaba'' (Children's book) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''The Snake with Seven Heads''. Johannesburg, Skotaville Publishers, 1989. (Children's book, translated into five African languages, the English edition is required in all South African school libraries) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Have you seen Zandile?''. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1990. (Play, based on her childhood, required in South African university libraries) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Queen of the Tortoises''. Johannesburg: Skotaville, 1990. (Children's book) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''The Singing Dog''. Illustrated by Erica Maritz and Andries Maritz. Johannesburg: Skotaville, 1992. (Children's book) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Nalohima, the Deaf Tortoise''. Gamsbek, 1999. * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Fudukazi's Magic''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. (CD – lyrics and music, performance) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Fudukazi's Magic''. Cambridge University Press, 2000 (CD – lyrics and music, performance, for German audiences) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Nozincwadi, Mother of Books''. Maskew Miller Longman, 2001. (CD and book, South African roadshow to rural schools) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''African Mother of Christmas''. Maskew Miller Longman, 2002. (CD and book) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Love Child''. Durban: University of Natal Press, 2002. (Memoir, collection of stories) * Margaret Daymond et al. (eds). ''Women Writing Africa: the southern region''. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press, 2002. * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Stories of Africa''. University of Natal Press, 2003. (Children's book) * Mhlophe, Gcina. ''Queen of Imbira''. Maskew Miller Longman. (Children's book) * Mhlophe, Gcina ''Songs & stories of Africa'' – South African Music Awards Winner 2010 for Best English Kids Album – African Cream Music

References

External links

*
Badilisha Poetry Exchange
Profile and podcast {{DEFAULTSORT:Mhlophe, Gcina 1958 births Living people South African women poets Women storytellers South African dramatists and playwrights South African women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century South African poets 20th-century women writers South African actresses