Makhanda at NAF: The Black Power Station
By Thubelihle Mathonsi and Ndalo Mbombo
The Black Power Station (TBPS), located just eight minutes outside town, is gearing up for a vibrant festival, evident from the 2025 artist lineup. The space is about to come alive, especially with the promise of a larger crowd drawn to the National Arts Festival.
In celebration of its 11 years (neatly coinciding with the 11 days of Festival), The Black Power Station has named its theme “11 years of revolutionary art”. The programme captures the diversity of this art space which will be filled with live music in jazz, hip hop, and rap, as well as cultural dialogues and engaging discussions on reading and the business of arts.
Xolile Madinda, one of the organisers, said that this year’s programme has some familiar names like The Muffinz, Mxo, Mzi SA and Dr Nqevu. He added that, while they are grateful to be joined by the “great artists coming into the space”, he hopes audiences would engage in conversations like the one facilitated by Dr Nqevu about the role of culture in the exhibition titled Ubuhlanti. Another, titled Intyatyambo, will feature conversations among women, about women and strictly for women. A third, Tuning into Creativity: The Interplay of Radio and The Arts, with Unathi Koboka, RMR station manager, will explore how these mediums shape culture, amplify voices, and create new frequencies of creative and economic expression.
Madinda said he is particularly proud of the “thousands of hours” invested in creating a hub for art and culture. The tale of The Black Power Station is one of commitment, resilience and perseverance; it testifies to the potential of local art spaces to pioneer collective discussions about culture and all things art. The Festival presents an opportune time for people to celebrate local artists and artists from around the globe while engaging in meaningful conversations about culture. The words that can be used to capture what the audience will experience would be “Unchutu lwe art” (the beauty of art), explained Madinda.
As an artist hub with little to no funding, “We depend on the artists and their grace to say they will accept payments from ticket sales.” Madinda acknowledges that TBPS has made it this far through the willingness of artists to collaborate and with support from notable organisations like the National Arts Festival, the district office of the Department of Arts and Culture, Makana Municipality, University of Virginia and other organisations. Beyond the Festival, the hope is that local artists will gain support and engagement long after the performance lights go down. So there will also be conversations on creating sustainable opportunities for artists, inspired by the Black Power Station’s annual calendar of events.
For more information, consult the NAF programme: https://tickets.nationalartsfestival.co.za/en and https://tickets.nationalartsfestival.co.za/en/venues/64/the-black-power-station
