Marlon Khoza

Marlon Khoza is a South African author, playwright, producer, film maker and poet

Biography

Born on 17 July 1979 in The Oaks Village near Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, he later moved to Namakgale Township, Phalaborwa, where he completed his schooling at Lepato M High School.

Currently enrolled in creative writing courses at UNISA, Marlon's passion for theatre emerged during high school, where he participated in school plays. This passion led him to join a community theatre group called The Scattered Voices of the North under the directorship of Vusi Nkosi.

His professional breakthrough came with his role in Get Down, a renowned production by the late Paul Rapetsoa, which refined his acting skills and deepened his understanding of theatre.

Building on this foundation, Marlon transitioned into writing and directing his own plays. His craft was further nurtured through mentorship and support from the prestigious Market Theatre Laboratory, where he honed his storytelling voice and developed a deeper understanding of theatrical production. In addition, he also received training from the Kwasukasukela Storytelling Academy.

A pivotal figure in Marlon’s theatrical journey was the late Mncendisi Shabangu, whose mentorship profoundly shaped his development as a theatremaker. Shabangu’s influence extended beyond technical skills, inspiring Marlon to adopt a narrative style deeply rooted in physical theatre.

Besides his theatre and performance work, Marlon’s other published literary works include Slanted Justice, an anthology of poetry exploring themes of inequality, hope, and human resilience, and Goodbye Blantyre, a collection of short stories offering empathetic and insightful portrayals of personal and societal struggles.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Theatrical productions include Beitbridge: A Journey Away From Home, Mshegu Is Burning, Ngwanaka, Phalaborwa, Sekwatlapa (winner of two prestigious theatre awards — the Market Theatre Zwakala Festival Award and the Naledi Theatre Award, respectively), Teacher, Marabastad: The Musical and Mohoholo.

His radio work includes two Xitsonga radio drama series, Hi Ta Kolwa and Ku Fikela Rani?, for Munghana Lonene FM.

Besides his own work, he is also the founder and artistic director of Khwerha Ye Afrika Projects, which offers a platform for promoting the arts, particularly theatre, poetry, and music, fostering cultural exchange and engaging communities through transformative dialogue.

Under the auspices of this company he has also worked in film production. Among his films have been two short films, The Last Afternoon and Car Wash (both adapted from his anthology of short stories, Goodbye Blantyre), and a documentary film called Graved (and dealing with gender-based violence in South Africa) for the Foundation for Human Rights, .

Sources

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

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