Ntombentle Shezi

Ntombenhle Shezi is a writer, researcher, documentary filmmaker, and organiser whose work explores the  intersection of art, creative methodologies, and transformative justice. She is also a brand and  communications strategist with a unique ability to connect people, networks, and ideas to drive  meaningful change. Currently, she leads advocacy and communications at the Tutu Legacy Foundation,  where she serves as creative director and programmer of the annual Desmond Tutu International Peace  Lecture. She also convenes, organises and facilitates workshops, creating spaces where diverse voices  come together to address pressing issues like gender-based violence, migration, and democracy on the  margins and more. Her resent work has included the Solidarity Series, the most recent iteration, Let’s  Talk About Sudan, has brought South African and Sudanese justice advocates into dialogue to raise  awareness of the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

Prior to this, Ntombenhle worked with the Wits School of Arts’ Art History Department and the Open  Society University Network (OSUN) on the development and coordination of a course centred on artistic  practices and migration. This course connected students from Wits University (Johannesburg), Bard  College (Berlin), and the University of the Andes (Bogotá), exploring the transformative power of art in  addressing urgent global challenges related to migration and displacement. The course culminated in the  exhibition Rendered Passages, which provided a platform for diverse perspectives on migration and its  complexities.

Ntombenhle’s dynamic career encompasses roles at cultural institutions such as the British Council and  the French Institute of South Africa, as well as an impactful tenure at Kaya FM, where she spearheaded  strategic communications for the award-winning radio station. As a journalist, she served as Assistant  Editor for both ELLE and ELLE Decoration South Africa, crafting compelling pan-African and global  narratives while covering prestigious events like New York Fashion Week and the Cannes Film Festival.  Her bylines have appeared in a variety of prominent local and international publications, including  the Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times, Business Day WANTED, Marie Claire, Glamour, City Press,  and Lindsay(Australia), among others. In addition, she has created content for numerous leading global  brands, further showcasing her versatility and creative expertise.

Her academic pursuits complement her creative work, holding an Honours degree in African Literature  from the University of the Witwatersrand and currently completing a Master’s in Art History at the same  institution. Her research is focused on the contributions of Black women photographers, and their lens  as a tool of refusal during apartheid, a topic she has presented at the When Rain Clouds Gather

Symposium at the Norval Foundation in 2022. Beyond media and research, Ntombenhle is the director  and co-producer of Reimagine Freedom, an upcoming documentary series addressing the intersection of  race, gender, queer identity and the complex nature of “borders” thirty year’s post democracy. Her  achievements include recognition as one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans (2018) and  the Gauteng Premier's Youth Excellence Service Award (2019), affirming her contributions to South  Africa’s cultural and justice-driven landscape.