At the latest Joburg Film Festival, celebrated women storytellers like Connie Ferguson were in the spotlight as some of the drivers behind ‘the golden era of African storytelling’. A snippet of their wisdom:
Johannesburg, South Africa (26 March 2025) — The Joburg Film Festival (JFF) recently enjoyed its 7th run as it united filmmakers, actors, creatives and storytellers. Of the latter, women storytellers took the spotlight this year, with Netflix joining the festival (for the first time) to celebrate them.
Under the theme ‘The Golden Thread’, the film festival explored the emotions and truths that connect people across cultures. A tribute to how storytelling binds people, South African women storytellers came together under the spotlight of a powerhouse panel. Here, they shared nuggets of wisdom and insightful notions to do with how women are shaping the future of storytelling beautifully!
The panel hosted some of South Africa’s most influential women in film, including Connie Ferguson, Gail Mabalane, Dawn Thandeka King and Nina Swart under the banner topic ‘Redefining Roles for Women on Screen’.
Here’s a snippet of the discourse!
The Power of Perception
Reflecting on the importance of female representation in media and how pivotal moments in television have influenced perceptions and opportunities for women, Connie Ferguson (who boasts a fantastic career that’s taken her from ‘Generations’ to ‘Kings of Joburg’) had the following to say:
“My mind goes to Generations, purely because of the time when the show was launched and what we were used to seeing and how women were represented at that time. When the show was launched and started to develop, they saw the need to evolve the role of female characters as well,” Ferguson said.
“What stands out for me is when Karabo went into the advertising industry. Suddenly women saw that there is an opportunity for women in advertising, marketing and the corporate world. They started to see themselves differently. A lot of women who went into marketing thanked Karabo for opening that door and making them see themselves in a different light.”
Representation Matters
Gail Mabalane (who delivered an unforgettable performance in Unseen and is known internationally for her role in Blood & Water) shared her thoughts on representation and its evolving trajectory for women:
“Being on a show like Unseen has been an incredible eye opener because it made me realize that women have something to contribute and to give,” shared Mabalane.
“Growing up as a child, those are the characters that one would have desired to see women standing up and women rising. Overtime we’ve seen the growth where women are starting to take on those kinds of roles. Beyond appearance and being a wife, which is great, but there’s more to us than that. It’s great to see more stories being told where women are celebrated as valuable contributors to the world and to the industry.”
Women Uplifting Women
Award-winning Dawn Thandeka King, known for Miseducation and Blood Legacy, took the time to consider her place as a cultural custodian and how women in her life served as her support system:
“What motivated me to be part of the industry was growing up in the rural area where there were not a lot of opportunities growing up. I was lucky enough to have women around me that taught me the importance of loving the culture and nurturing the culture of performing and being true to being a performer. I had a support system from women and falling in love with performing was through that.”
African Women’s Stories Deserve Their Place in History
Reflecting on her role in Shaka iLembe and the importance of centering African narratives, King emphasized the need to tell stories from a woman’s perspective.
“I want to make a reference to my character, Mkabayi because that can be a story of a woman, a very powerful woman, told on its own,” she said.
“Until Shaka iLembe was on our screens, we did not know her role. We knew she was ruthless and killed Shaka but that’s all we knew. She was the kingmaker, the Zulu kingdom is what it is today because of her. We’ve got a lot of stories about powerful women in South Africa that have not been told properly, that have not been told by women, from a woman’s perspective. We need to tell our stories ourselves, so that they go into the archives, as correct stories that our great grandchildren can learn about.”
Making Room for More Greatness
Actress, presenter and one of South Africa’s most acclaimed directors, Nina Swart, knows a thing or two about redefining storytelling and empowering other African filmmakers and women in the process.
Looking at the industry in terms of what it is and what it could become, Swart touched on the need for growth and opportunities when it comes to women storytellers, both behind the scenes and on screens.
“There needs to be exponential growth and opportunities for women both in front of and behind the camera, as well as the option to choose,” she shared.
“Sometimes, it feels like there’s no limit to the growth that is demanded—but there should be bigger, more jobs so that people can pursue what they truly want. However, not everyone can do everything, because if the industry is too open-ended, it risks losing quality, growth, and the drive for excellence.”
All of the incredible shows and movies spoken about during this panel can be found on the streaming platform where the booming “local and lekker” content is growing in popularity. To support these inspiring storytellers, add their shows to your watchlist!
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