Bongiswa Kotta-Ramushwana
Gauteng
Bongiswa Kotta-Ramushwana was born in the Eastern Cape, she started her career in Storytelling in 2004 at Zanendaba Storytelling Company in Johannesburg. She has participated in different platforms nationally and internationally, performed in schools, libraries, orphanages, old age homes, prisons and attending different storytelling festivals like Nozincwadi, Kwesukela, National book week, Ungasali International Storytelling Festival, in South Africa and abroad in Norway Oslo, Kenya Sigana Storytelling Festival. In India she has held workshops in collaboration with the, The Gaatha Company and Traveling Bards, and performed at Vizag Junior Literature Festival, Bookaroo Festival, Udiapur Tales, Kathai Kalatta Under the Alamaram International Storytelling Festivals and Dubai Expo online 2021, online NSN Festival, online Beyond Borders Duet Festival, Ubuntu Festival, Exhibition Launch with Mrs South Africa and many more. And for the first half in 2020 she hosted her first brainchild Storytelling Festival called KingNdaba through Nantsindaba Storytelling and Motivation Company the festival was aimed at preschools, and it was a success. Her passion is driven by the love of telling stories and she enjoys the company of her audience ensuring, motivation, healing process, enhancing leadership skills, teamwork and boosting their confidence. She does this work through different mediums, Storytelling, Motivations speaking, also an excellent MC and now has tapped into Praise poetry in a way especially with Presidency and Royalties. She also enjoys the company of children audience; where she dances and sings with them. She is also having a two-year diploma in Legal Interpreting from Wits Language School and communicates in six South African Languages and now South African Sign Language. She welcomes all Presidents and Kings visiting Freedom Park Heritage site, just to name a few countries of the Presidents, Uganda, Tanzania, Namibia, Portugal, Cuba , Columbia, Vietnam and His Majesty the King Phillipe and Her Majesty the Queen Mathilde of Belgium just to mention a few. Motivational Speaking skills are unique, she has motivated, in prisons, schools, women events and has worked with NAPTOSA too in this area. too in this area . Her experience in events organising has added value to her career and her work as a storyteller as she has been part of the organising team of the Ungasali International Storytelling Festival for the past seven years now and previously an Events Coordinator for 4 years at Constitution Hill. In January 2023 she participated at Bhufesto Festival in Bhubaneswar, India including international schools, libraries and conducted a teacher’s workshop. She just came back from Hong Kong where she was part of the delegation from South Africa invited by the Consulate General Mojalefa Mogono for Freedom Day Celebrations, which mesmerised the audience.