​Four decades after being bitten by the theatre bug, drama, dance, and the arts continue to run through the veins of Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema, who is in her ninth year as Joburg City Theatres CEO. She quickly realised in her formative years that she should much rather focus on putting together a show rather than being on stage.​

“I was part of the arts since I was eight years old. But my dream of being centre stage ended when I froze in one of my community plays. It was then that I took a step back and decided to learn more about the other areas of production.”

Since stepping into her position in 2013, Xoliswa’s fire for the industry still burns bright and she can proudly say that she has been a part of delivering an integrated management of world-class African theatres with high-quality, innovative and inclusive programmes that serve the diverse communities in the City of Johannesburg.

“There was a time when our theatres catered to a specific audience and excluded others. The stage was also only graced by certain performances that did not represent the diversity of our country,” says Xoliswa.

To address this challenge, she was tasked with transforming the content of the Joburg City Theatres, which include Soweto, Roodepoort and Joburg Theatre, with a special focus on opening up the Nelson Mandela stage to a wider range of productions and audiences.

“We are not just about clean audits and beautiful facilities, the content is really critical to the success of Joburg City Theatres,” she highlights.

One of the first efforts was the renovation and renewing of Joburg Theatre’s backstage equipment and machinery to produce high-quality​ and solid productions. Xoliswa further pushed for social cohesion by changing the types of productions on stage, as well as establishing a more racially diverse staff complement.

“The use of our facilities have changed tremendously. We now attract old and young, black and white, who enjoy the programmes on offer. We have international artists who visit our theatres. We have been lucky enough to open our doors to international producers as well who bring their shows to life in our theatres.”

Xoliswa says some of the most-loved showstoppers at the Joburg Theatre is the Whitney Houston show done by our very own South African performer Belinda Davids. The theatre also wholeheartedly supports the National School of the Arts annual Fame Festival to give future stars the exposure and experience of theatre work.

The team also initiated the ‘All-night New Year’s music and dance party at the Soweto and Roodepoort theatres and brought live set works directly to the region’s schools using the theatre truck.

Before joining the City, she was the CEO of the Pretoria State Theatre and is well known for her tour managing skills for the musical Sarafina in the 1980s.

In her downtime, Xoliswa enjoys watching historical movies, gardening and spending quality time outside. She has written her own story in a book titled Heart of a Strong Woman.

“I am an overcomer and I have faced many trials throughout my life. My book takes readers on a journey of how I came from an abusive marriage, went into hiding and how I can proudly say I have found my calling,” she explains.

“My career, my life and whatever comes next on my journey should inspire others to keep pushing for better and keep pushing for change.”