“My biggest obsession is to show Africans and the world who the people of Africa really are, and this Festival remains a great showcase of our traditional and modern musical talents. It’s always a great party!” - Hugh Masekela

Like one of her heroes, Bheki Mseleku, whose album Home at Last, reflects a celebration of returning, Thandi feels a great eagerness to reconnect with her long-standing collaborators; bringing all her “becomings” and musically sharing a conversation on what’s new as she says: “I just wanna play!”

Using indigenous poetic forms such as izibongo, izisho, amahubo and chants, the wanderer turns to the source for a way forward. To celebrate the going back to the source theme of Umkhondo, Sabelo Soko is joined by two exciting wordsmiths from his hometown eMkhondo, Kazii_M and CooleGun.

Disassembling Mutle Mothibe is a heart-warming self-reflective, sensitive, finely crafted biographic mixture of poetry accompanied by sound and visuals to tell the tale of Mutle Mothibe. A unique journey about adolescence, love, loss, grief, memory, and identity which unfold through the use of music and visuals to tell a personal narrative about relationships and the lessons that come from it.

"We see the film festival as a critical catalyst for social cohesion, showcasing a special collection of films that celebrate Africa’s beauty, people, creativity and reflect the continent’s bold spirit and talent,” says Mangwedi.