MEET MATHILDA MATSHWI, A 39-YEAR-OLD FROM GA-MATIPANE, MANTSWA

Meet Mathilda Matshwi from Ga-Matipane, Mantswa Village, under the Modjadji Nation (Khetlhakoni) in Greater Tzaneen Municipality.

A 39-year-old filmmaker, producer, director, scriptwriter, field sound operator, offline editor, subtitler, facilitator, mentor, and published poet, Mathilda released her poetry collection Mollo Wa Badimo in 2020. She is the founder and Managing Director of Search Africa Imaginations.

Mathilda says growing up in Ga-Mantswa wasn’t easy as the firstborn daughter of a single mother, but she learned resilience early. “I was bullied because of my skin color, and that taught me how stories can wound or heal,” she says.

She became a filmmaker in 2020 after meeting Mrs. Molatelo Bossman of Bolobathaba Media Group at a workshop in Mokwakwaila. She joined their boot camp, learned about set life, and never looked back. Writing became her safe space and therapy.

In 2021, she was accepted into their learnership program and graduated with an NQF Level 5 qualification in 2022. Mathilda produced the documentary Always and Otherwise, which won Best Documentary at the Maphungubje Film Festival 2024.

“My proudest moments are seeing my name in the credits of Street Snappers on national TV and watching 6 Kings 6 Queens in Ster-Kinekor. Those credits told my younger self: ‘You were right to keep writing,'” says Mathilda.

Mathilda built Search Africa Imaginations because no one could fund her slate. She is still learning, still collaborating, and still pushing. The village gave her stories. Now she is giving the village the screen through her docu-series MY KASI One Village At A Time.

Listen to Perfect Radio live and for more local news, visit www.perfectradio.co.za

Compiled by Rachel Mabapa
#perfectradio