Jessica Mbangeni is South Africa’s only female Imbongi (praise poet) – and is currently making waves with a slate of high-profile live performances that have cemented her global reputation as one of the country’s most gifted creative talents.

That she stands alone in a cultural terrain dominated by men is something that spurs on this Eastern Cape-raised woman. “Young South Africans must go back to our roots and embrace our culture and traditions. We must take ownership of African pride and play a role in instilling positivity among people – and that goes for men and women,” she says.
Her slate of live performances is varied and impressive: already this year Mbangeni has played the International Women’s Conference at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, performed with Victor Ntoni’s Jazz band Heritage at a State Banquet in Cape Town and was an integral part of the celebrations of US Black History at Museum Africa in Johannesburg.

That her home language plays such a central role in Mbangeni’s creative life is no surprise: Whereas several of South Africa’s praise poets work in Zulu, Mbangeni was determined to use her native Xhosa to drive the praise singing that has always been an unstoppable force in her life. “I have always been inspired by Xhosa writers such as A.C.Jordan, S.E.K.Mqhayi, K.S.Bongela and T.K.Tamsanqa. This is the language of my ancestors and so it’s natural that I perform my praise poetry in Xhosa,” the 29-year-old says simply.
“In the end, whether it is my creative endeavours or those of others, I am really living my dream in everything that I do,” Mbangeni says.