The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Nyoloha Scholarship Programme (NSP) is entering its final stage, and anticipation is building for its 2 signature events: the Visual Arts Exhibition on Thursday, 9 October 2025 at the MTN Head Office in Fairland, Johannesburg; and the Performing Arts Gala Showcase on Friday, 10 October 2025 at The Market Lab in Johannesburg.
This year, ACT is proud to announce a dynamic new creative team leading these landmark events. Award-winning theatre innovator Mongezi Ntukwana will helm the Performing Arts Gala as Artistic Director, while visionary curator Zanele Mashumi will curate the Visual Arts Exhibition. Together, they bring fresh artistic leadership that promises to elevate the 2025 showcase and spotlight the brilliance of South Africa’s emerging creative voices.
Mongezi Ntukwana
Young theatre maker and director Mongezi Ntukwana is known for bold storytelling and producing award-winning theatre that engages with urgent social issues. He is an honours graduate in theatre and performance from Wits University, and the creator of the Naledi Award-winning Yangthola! and the daring production IZINYOKA! − which tackled South Africa’s electricity crisis. Ntukwana’s production The Hyena’s Tuckshop earned Best Script and Best Director at the 2025 National Children’s Theatre Young Directors Festival. He is also the founder of Aziye Productions and has participated in the prestigious Centre for the Less Good Idea incubator programme. His appointment as Artistic Director of the Performing Arts Gala promises a fearless, electrifying celebration of young performers.
Zanele Mashumi
Acclaimed curator Zanele Mashumi, founder of Mashumi Art Projects (MAP), will lead the curation of the Visual Arts Exhibition. Based in Johannesburg and Pretoria, Mashumi is known for bridging emerging artists with collectors and galleries, making art accessible and sustainable for young practitioners. With her focus on authentic African narratives, she ensures that artists documenting today’s culture and lived experiences are seen, collected and remembered. Under her guidance, the 2025 exhibition will be a vibrant tapestry of contemporary African expression, highlighting the vision and talent of South Africa’s rising visual artists.
Jessica Denyschen, CEO of ACT, commented: ‘At ACT, we are constantly inspired by the opportunity to collaborate with young talent whose creativity signals the future of the arts. This year, we are particularly excited to work alongside artists and leaders like Mongezi and Zanele; phenomenal choices who embody a forward-thinking, innovative spirit. Their vision reflects the very essence of the Nyoloha Scholarship Programme: to shape the next generation of South African creativity.’
Despair
In 2015, Ran Neu-Ner and Gil Oved sold their business, The Creative Counsel for an estimated R1 billion. The Creative Counsel is the largest advertising agency in South Africa employing more than a thousand permanent staff and tens of thousands of temporary staff every year. The Creative Counsel launched an incubator to support transformation within the industry. Start-ups in media, marketing, digital and mobile industries will receive support and mentorship from the agency\’s management team. In 2017, Ran Neu-Ner pledged R50 million to assist young entrepreneurs develop and grow their businesses. Gil Oved went on to become one of the \”dragons\’ on the South African edition of Dragons\’ Den, as well as one of the \”sharks\’ on M-Net\’s Shark Tank. In 2016, Both entrepreneurs won the EY Southern Africa World Entrepreneur Award for 2016 in the Exceptional category.