A call to leadership

In the Nguni and Sotho cultures, praise singers have held pride of place for their colourful use of poetry, song and talk. Called imbongi, in Zulu and Xhosa, this name can literally be translated to praise singer, or the one who gives thanks.

In the past, Kings and Queens, important visitors and guests to the palace or royal grounds would be announced by the imbongi, who would speak of the guest’s ancestry, their clan names and their personal achievements. The element of poetry would be pronounced through the comparison of the guests to nature and significant cultural objects.

To this day imbongi are considered valuable additions to presidential events, ceremonies and cultural happenings. Dr Jessica Mbangeni, is one such imbongi who was invited to share her praises at special events such as the GLG conference. Dr Mbangeni’s opening welcome looked at MTN’s role in Africa, comparing it to ‘regional and global gold’ which has made a priceless contribution to the lives of many.

Dr Mbangeni goes on to praise Group CEO and

President Ralph Mupita and MTN South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi while appreciating the 19 markets that make up the group’s Opcos.

It may come as no surprise to those who know a thing or two about African folklore, or for that matter, to those who have witnessed an animated Jessica Mbangeni in full flight as she recites her poetry to awestruck audiences. Running through the veins of this multi-talented imbongi is nothing short of spirituality.

To her, it is a calling, a way of life beyond the stage or court performance. She is the embodiment of spirituality as she shares experiences with people she engages with, both personally, at theatres or through her social media interactions.

In a very real sense, she is a modern griot with her roots firmly stuck in the rich, dark African soil, yet with branches and leaves flowing all over the Diaspora and the universe. This, taking into account her travels not only in South Africa and the Mother Continent, makes her a fascinating addition to the arts scene.

For her, humans can play a more active role in changing society by moving away from the mentality of being oppressed and seek to be their own liberators.

“We need to come together as humanity and embrace our diversity. Strangely, it is incidences such as COVID-19 that bring people together.’’

However, in her many crafts, she is immediately recognisable as the thundering praise-singer who stands equally to men if not taller in a genre they generally regard as belonging to the man-folk. Under the wing of her grandmother, she learnt the art of being an imbongi and stood out among many similar artists in the South African society.