Igama lami nguSiya Masuku. Ngikhulele eSoweto, ilokishi eliziqhenya ngokuhluka kwezilimi, eNingizimu-Ntshonalanga neGoli, eNingizimu Afrika. Ngikhule ngesikhathi lapho ezweni lethu isiNgisi sasiphakanyiswa kakhulu. Thina abebafunda ezikoleni zasemadolobheni sasingavunyelwa ukukhuluma izilimi zethu zendabuko. Ngakuvumela lokhu kucindezelwa kolimi lwami lokuzalwa, ngifaka isandla ekucindezelweni kolimi lwami lwasekhaya, isiZulu. Akumina ngedwa owenze leli phutha. Ubuningi babantu engikhule nabo benza okufanayo ngezilimi zabo.
Ngikubona kubalulekile ukwenza imali ngokuthengiswa kwezindaba, kodwa akulula. Ubuningi bamaZulu nabanye abasikhulumayo isiZulu badlula amamiliyoni ayisishiyagalolunye. Kodwa ngithola kulula ukubadiyisela izincwadi ezibhalwe ngolimi lwesiNgisi. Ukukhathazeka kwami, njengoba ngingumalume ongumubhali, umdwebi, umshicileli kanye nomthengisi wezindaba zolimi lwendabuko, ukuthi uma lolu bandlululo luqhubeka, ngizozisola ngokungawudlulisi umlando wabantu bakithi kubashana bami.
Abekho osomabhizinisi abazimisele ngokuxhasa izindaba zezingane ezibhalwe ngezilimi zemvelo eNingizimu Afrika. Ngasungula iSiyafunda Online ngo-2016 ukuze mina nabanye sikhone ukwabelana ngezindaba ezibhalwe ngezilimi zendabuko ngaphandle kobandlululo. Njengoba sekusondele umkhankaso we-UNESCO wokugubha Iminyaka Eyishumi Yezilimi Zomdabu: Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 – 2032), umkhankaso ozimisele ngokuqhuba amalungelo abantu bendabuko nezilimi zabo, ngikholwa ukuthi sisesimeni esihle sokuba nomthelela emphakathini kanye nomhlaba wonke jikelele. Sinayo imakethe ezweni lethu kodwa sengathi akekho umuntu onendaba nayo.
Kusukela ngo-2015 ngingumbhali wezindaba ezivela emiphakathini yethu, ngikuqaphelile ukushintsha kwezokushicelela emkhakheni wethu. Lezi zindlela ezivamile zokwabelana izindaba zibalulekile kuSiyafunda Online nakumalunga ethu. Ukuze iphupho lethu lifezeke, singasizakala uma singasebenzisana nalabo abakulungele ukutshala imali kithi.
Kungumsebenzi weSiyafunda Online ukubeka ezingeni izilimi zomdabu zaseNingizimu Afrika ngemibhalo yezindaba zezingane. Sishicelela izincwadi zenzingane, siphinde siziphendule lezi zincwadi sizenze amafilimi abancane nabadala. Ukubaluleka kokwenza izindaba ngezindlela eziningi ezahlukene, ukwenzela abalaleli abehlukahlukene, kuyinzuzo yokuncintiselana yeSiyafunda.
Sizisebenzisa kanjani iziteshi zokusabalalisa ezikhona?
Inhloso yami ukubona intsha ikhula iziqhenya ngobuntu bayo. Ngisebenzisa izincwadi ukuze ngifinyelele ezinhlizweni zayo intsha. Ngale ndlela ngidweba imifanekiso yabantu abansundu abanezenzo ezimangalisayo, nezindaba ezivusa usikisiki, nezisembulela ulwazi ngezilimi zebele. Lapho sehluleka ukuzibamba izingane ekufundeni izincwadi, ngabona kufanele ngibheke nezinye izindlela zokubenza bathande ukufunda. Ngathola indlela yokuthi ngithathe indaba ebhalwe encwadini ngiyenze ibe ifilimu. Ngenkathi iSiyafunda Online isebenzisana neDipopaai Studios ukwethula ifilimu KwaNhliziyo-Ngise, indaba ebhalwe yimina eyashicilelwa njengenoveli yezithombe, sathokoza ukubona indlela izincwadi ezadiyiswa ngayo ngalelo langa.
Lezi ziteshi zokusabalalisa zibalulekile kithi. Ngakhoke asikho isidingo sokuthi sizidube. Kubuye kungifikele ukuthi ingaba khona enye indlela yokusabalalisa izindaba zethu kulezi nsuku zamanje. Mhlawumbe kumele sike sibheke lolu hlelo olusha olubizwa ngeBlockchain Technology. I-Blockchain uhlelo lokusabalalisa idatha ngendlela eyenza kube nzima ukuyishintsha noma ukuyintshontsha. Kulapho kutholakala khona lokho okuthiwa kuyi-Non-fungible Token (NFT). I-NFT kuwuhlobo lwedatha oluyidijithali olwehlukile futhi olungeke lushintsheke. I-NFT iyona engasisiza ukuthi sidayise izindaba zethu ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene emhlabeni wonke jikelele. Lezi zindlela zilungele ababhali nocwepheshe babadwebi ukuthi bashicilele ngokukhulu ukukhululeka.
Ekugcineni, kungenxa yomphakathi esisebenzisana nawo oyosenza singalilahli ithemba. ISiyafunda Online iyaqhubeka nokusebenzisana nabanye abathanda ukubona intsha ifunda izindaba ezibhalwe ngolimi lwendabuko.
INingizimu Afrika inamasiko ahlukahlukene anomlando onothile. Sinezilimi zendabuko ezingaphezulu kwamamashumi amathathu nanhlanu – eziyishumi zazo zisemthethweni. Sinabo-ke nababhali nabadwebi abanekhono elimangalisayo. Yingakho nginenkolo yokuthi usemningi umsebenzi okumele siwenze ukuze silondoloze izilimi zendabuko nabantu bazo. Ngiyajabula uma ngibona abanye ababhali nabadwebi abaphambili nosomabhizinisi bethatha izinyathelo zokuqala ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izindaba zabantu bethu zithola ukumelwa okufanele. Ngikhuluma ngemisebenzi yabalandelayo:
Mpumie Njobe
Mpumie is the founder and CEO of Learn EzeeZulu. She is qualified and holds years of experience in teaching, and more specifically – the teaching of isiZulu.
Apart from teaching isiZulu at Wits University, Mpumie also trained other teachers how to professionally guide isiZulu learners using a communicative methodology.
Experienced, patient and extremely friendly and likable – Mpumie is always keen on welcoming new students in order to continue on her quest to unify our country by breaking through the barriers of culture and language.
- Has been involved in teaching at Wits University since 2011
- Developed the isiZulu learning and teaching material at Wits
- BA Honors Degree in Translation
Sonwabo Valashiya
Sonwabo Valashiya is a creative based in Johannesburg but originally from the Eastern Cape in a small town called Sterkspruit. He is a Graphic Designer by profession and an illustrator by passion. His work captures the life of African aesthetics and celebrates the diversity of our cultures and identities as Africans. The art highlights the pride of our people and documenting our history and heritage to preserve our way of being and where we come from. In 2018 he was part of Design Indaba Emerging Creative class. He had his first solo exhibition “Imbeleko” in 2018, in this collection of art he was exploring his cultural background as a Xhosa young man and highlighting the importance of African spirituality as a black person.
He has worked with brands such Red Bull Music Academy, Fak’ugesi Festival, German Info Centre Africa, Sanlam and Digital Lab Africa. In collaboration with Jewel City, a newly developed precinct in Johannesburg, Sonwabo designed one of the largest murals in the inner city. The highlight of his career is exhibiting in Paris at NewImages Festival which is a Global Extended Reality Festival. He is continuing to inspire and evoke others online through his African inspired artworks, curated for instagram (@blackvillagekid).
Ndumiso Nyoni
Ndumiso is an award-winning illustrator and an avid motion designer, originally from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. His work is a combination of traditional, African themes fused with contemporary youth culture and trends. His work is inspired by Africa and her people. He feels that for a long time, Africa’s story has been told by others and not necessarily by Africans. Being an artist is not only an opportunity for him to create beauty in images, he feels it is also an opportunity to tell a beautiful story about our continent, our people, our cultures and our resilience.
SpaceSalad Studios
Established in 2020 SpaceSalad Studios is the new wave of forward-thinking, out of this world content creators, combining multiple skills, disciplines & ideas to birth games, apps and animation that tackle social issues through African identity & narratives that resonate globally.
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SpaceSalad Studios Animation_Showreel
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Games produced
Dipopaai Studios
Founded in 2014 by Sthembiso Mpehle. Dipopaai’s have grown from the good old days of pen and paper sketching to quality animated videos that have been enjoyed throughout the African continent. We make animated video content using local nuances to connect urban youth. Kronikles of hip hop has been our most successful franchise to date. Drawing in over 1 million organic views on YouTube and gaining the attention of MTV Base, Soweto TV, Trace TV, Hype magazine and the South African Hip Hop awards.
There’s a magic in South African stories and we’re on a mission to showcase it. That’s why we created our studio – to give a platform to what we refer to as “mzansi mnandi” (locally flavoured) animation. With more than 10 000 hours of sketching, 5000 illustrations, 600 animatic videos, 3 EP’s, 2 successful pitches to NFVF and 1 great adventure to Annecy (France), under our belts – we’re on track to achieving our mission.
Zinhle Zulu
Zhi Zulu is an illustrator and visual story-teller from Johannesburg.
Zulu studied her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Visual Communication at the Open Window Institute. She has since won a Gold-craft Loerie award for illustration and was part of Design Indaba’s creative class of 2019.
Zulu has participated in numerous exhibitions, including the Turbine Art Fair (2019, 2020 and 2021), David Krut Gallery, No End Contemporary Art Space, NOW gallery, the ABSA experience Gallery, The Semerang International Illustration festival and The Joburg Art Fair.
Zhi Zulu runs an illustration studio called Zuluvisual through which she collaborates with various clients such as Absolut Vodka, Levis and Constitution Hill on freelance work. She has also established herself in textile design for clothing and shoes, published illustrated picture books and created illustrated merchandise for Wanderland Collective and E-Coffee Cup. She recently completed a mural at the newly constructed Jewel City precinct in Maboneng.
Zulu is currently studying her Masters of Art in Design and she is a lecturer in illustration at The Open Window Institute. Oh and she still illustrates and stuff.
Rams Comics
A self-taught animator and one of Limpopo’s most celebrated creatives, Jonas Lekganyane is the creator of the much loved award winning animated series of “The adventures of Noko Mashaba”
Lekganyane is also the founder and director of Rams Comics, an animation studio based in Johannesburg.
The young entrepreneur has taken pride in using authentic South African languages to tell our stories.
With a team comprising of animators and voice over artists, Rams Comics has worked with major corporations and entities to tell raw South African stories using humour and wit.
Despite having dropped out of university, it is because of his dedication and work ethic in the animation field that landed Rams Comics its first SAFTA award recently”
https://youtu.be/RCpYeUZ5KiA – Lockdown shandis recently won Rams Comics its first SAFTA.
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A recipient of the David Koloane Arts Writing Award (2017), Siya has written reviews on arts and has authored and self-published graphic novels, uNjabulo: emkhathini (2018), uLanga (2019) and KwaNhliziyo-Ngise (2019).