Poet and Cultural Activist Akhona Mafani Champions isiXhosa Heritage Through New Academy
Tuesday, 30th September 2025
In a celebration of cultural pride, language, and the enduring power of poetry, local artist and cultural activist Akhona “Bhodl’Ingqaka” Mafani hosted a heritage fundraiser at Makhanda’s historic City Hall on 27 September. The event, held in the spirit of Heritage and Tourism Month, drew a diverse audience and featured a powerful lineup of poets, musicians, and traditional performers — all united by a shared love for isiXhosa culture and the broader traditions of the Eastern Cape.
Far more than a performance showcase, the heritage event marked the official launch of the Ingqaka Poetry Academy — Mafani’s long-envisioned initiative to preserve, promote, and revitalise indigenous language and literary expression.
“The academy is an unconventional literary agency,” Mafani explains, “a three-legged pot bridging the past and present to create a sustainable future through the lens of poetry — from S.E.K. Mqhayi to modern voices like Siphelo 'Nqontsonqa' Dyongman.”
Hosting Change: Art as Social Transformation
The heritage fundraiser also marked a milestone for Ingqaka Communications, the broader organisation founded by Mafani. This dynamic platform facilitates social dialogues, empowerment workshops, poetry readings, and soul sessions, using the power of art and language as tools for transformation, decolonisation, and social change.
“Our aim is to reach not only poets but all youth in disadvantaged communities,” says Mafani. “Through poetry and indigenous storytelling, we can rebuild identity, inspire confidence, and connect generations.”
The academy signals Mafani’s commitment to building infrastructure for creativity, where young people are given the tools and mentorship needed to develop their voices and engage in cultural activism.
Reviving isiXhosa Through Poetry, Song, and Dance
At the core of Mafani’s mission is a deep commitment to isiXhosa — not only as a language but as a vessel of identity, pride, and ancestral wisdom. The Ingqaka Poetry Academy seeks to engage youth in meaningful dialogue with their heritage by using poetry, music, and storytelling as living tools of decolonisation and self-expression.
“Indigenous languages are not dying,” Mafani insists, “they are being neglected. We must raise our voices through art — loudly and proudly — because this is who we are. The youth need to carry the baton from those who came before us.”
The heritage fundraiser did exactly that — bringing together seasoned performers and emerging young artists from Makhanda, Gqeberha, and East London. The programme was filled with praise poetry, traditional music, storytelling, and dance — all carefully curated to reflect Intlalo yakaNtu (African ways of being), weaving between past and present with pride and purpose.
The event featured a line-up that includes Ntomb’OmXhosa and Inako Mateza, both South African Traditional Music Achievement award nominees, along with performing artists Positive Minds and Dongadala Bemdiliza from Qebherha, Ilifa Lamaqabambola from East London, plus Dlakuthi, Solanga and Ingqaka Poetry Academy’s Young Artists.
The day’s cultural custodians were Inkciyo and heritage activist Onguye Ukumkani, Mr & Miss Indoni Cultural (Xhosa King & Queen, Indoni 2024/25), and Makana councillor Ramie Xonxa. Programme directors and hosts were Mcqiwa the Comedian and Vovo the Influencer. Honoured artists of Cultural Mosaic included Elements Himself, Joza Raw and the Makhanda Hip-Hop Pioneers.
A Grassroots Vision Facing Funding Hurdles
Despite the resounding success of the launch, Mafani remains transparent about the challenges.
“Financial constraints kill thousands of ideas,” he says. “We still need more support to grow the academy into what it’s meant to be.”
All artists who performed at the Cultural Mosaic did so voluntarily, in full support of the academy’s vision. The event demonstrated what can be achieved through community collaboration, but for the academy to scale and reach more young poets in rural and township areas, sustainable funding is needed.
Mafani is now calling on cultural organisations, donors, and the broader international arts community to help nurture the next generation of praise poets, storytellers, and writers who will carry the legacy forward.
A Personal Journey Rooted in Makhanda
Born and raised in the dusty streets of Vukani township, Mafani began writing poetry in 2011, inspired by local spoken word artists like Nqontsonqa, who ignited his passion as a young boy watching performances at the National Arts Festival.
His name, Bhodl’Ingqaka, meaning “he who speaks fluently,” was bestowed by his community — a sign of the respect he has earned as an imbongi, or praise poet. Over the years, Mafani has performed in honour of literary giants such as P.T. Mtuze, James Matthews, and Saba Mbixane, and even collaborated with renowned storyteller and heritage activist Dr. Gcina Mhlophe, an experience he describes as a spiritual milestone in his journey.
“That Joburg gig changed everything,” Mafani recalls. “It opened doors and affirmed my purpose. I’m forever grateful to uQamatha weminyanya [the ancestral spirit] for the gift of life.”
The Legacy of Ingqaka Poetry Academy
Looking ahead, Mafani envisions the academy as more than a school — a sanctuary where young people can reconnect with their roots and emerge empowered, expressive, and emotionally awakened.
“We want people to walk out of our events spiritually and emotionally revived,” he says. “We aim to create a space of Ubuntu, where the community sings, dances, ululates, and finds healing in art.”
As the academy gains momentum, one thing is clear: Akhona “Bhodl’Ingqaka” Mafani is not just preserving heritage — he is cultivating it, amplifying it, and inviting the world to listen.
To support the Ingqaka Poetry Academy or for more information, follow Ingqaka Communications online or contact: bhodli.loza@gmail.com
