The 15th annual Zabalaza Theatre Festival is back this March and promises to take audiences on a journey of artistic flair while reflecting on the past decade.

Under the theme, Make Your Mark, the festival has renewed its commitment to the development of artists, theatre-makers and communities.

For the past 15 years, the festival has had a tangible impact on the South African theatre landscape and cultural community. Numerous productions and artists have had the opportunity to share, develop and further present their work as a result of participating in this vital event, while audience members have had the chance to experience theatre for the first time.

Something fresh

This is the first time The Baxter has curated the festival, commissioning 15 productions in honour of the celebration and partnering with highly respected theatre makers as mentors to the artists.

The festival includes captivating performances that engage and entertain, with drama, children’s shows, comedy, poetry and Jazz in the garden on Sunday.

“The Zabalaza Festival has a legacy of showcasing the finest emerging artists in South Africa,” said Zabalaza artistic director and curator, Mdu Kweyama. “It’s a vibrant week-long celebration of South African stories and storytellers, transforming the entire Baxter Theatre Centre into a hub of creativity and connection with performances in every venue and conversations in every corner.”

As a platform for new voices and dynamic stories, the Zabalaza Festival has over the years presented a vibrant line-up of productions that explore identity, community and resilience through inspiring theatre, dynamic storytelling and creativity.

“Additionally, the 2025 festival will honour its founder members – the late Zoleka Helesi, Thami Mbongo, and Bongile Mantsai as it pays tribute to the collective efforts of everyone involved in making the festival a huge success over the years,” said Bulelani Mabutyana, coordinator and co-curator. “Be part of its future – come witness the outstanding talent and captivating stories.”

The Challenge

“I would like to urge everyone to take up our Zabalaza Challenge. Purchase tickets at only R40, which The Baxter then distributes to learners, students and groups who cannot afford to purchase tickets themselves. The door takings from each show also go straight back to the groups or artists, investing in the future of our sector,” explained Mabutyana.

This year, the 15 theatre creators took part in developmental workshops and were paired with the mentors to refine their productions. The selected artists are grouped according to three themes: Past, Present and Future. Past - a tribute to previous festival participants; Present - includes artists who have been involved with the festival over the past eight years, while the Future category features individuals selected based on ongoing observations of the local theatre scene, with attention paid to productions, festivals, reviews and public commentary.

Previous festival participants' views:

“Zabalaza propelled my success by giving me a platform to showcase my abilities on stage. It’s led me to even more life changing opportunities and treasured networks.” -Siyamthanda Bangani

“I am learning about artistry each day. It has been such an exhilarating and humbling experience. I am growing and I must thank the Zabalaza Festival for that.” -Buhle Sam

“I’m very proud to say that Zabalaza has developed my skill along the way, meeting great mentors who taught me about theatre developing my directing skills.” -Mava Silumko

The Zabalaza Festival takes place at The Baxter from 14 to 22 March.

Tickets which range between R40 and R50, can be bought via Webtickets.

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