Gifter Ngobeni has obtained his Master’s Degree in Performance Art from Tshwane University of Technology. He has a strong background in community development theatre, where he was awarded over 50 accolades for various categories such as, Drama, Music, Poetry and Dance. He is an expert facilitator and dramaturge, and has imparted his expertise in well-known festivals around Gauteng. Mr Ngobeni is an internationally acclaimed performer, having performed in Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Brussels. Mr Ngobeni is not only a theatre performer, he has also been professionally featured in television works, including commercials and has also done radio drama. He is a stunt-man, who specializes in stage combat, clowning, stilts and jumper’s work. He is a festival curator, and has curated for the following festivals, Mothogola Arts Festival, Tembisa Theatre Week and Feast of the Clowns. Mr Ngobeni is the founder of 4Play Theatre Productions and closely works with the TX Theatre.
In his years of practice and experience within the arts sphere, he discovered his niche and passion for teaching. Mr Ngobeni is a former Dramatic Arts and Creative Arts Teacher from Alexandra High School. He then moved to a private institution of higher learning, City Varsity, where he taught major practical and theoretical specialization modules. Mr Ngobeni is currently a professional part-time lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology.

BETTY THEMA
BETTY THEMA is a performer who started her acting career in 2006 with a community group called “Born To be Stars” where she specialised in acting, dance and music. In 2009 she was part of a production called “Rebasadi In Construction” by Gifta Ngobeni and the show played at the Joburg Theatre and the Market Theatre Lab. Her other theatre performances include “Roots In The Sky” by Calvin Ratladi, choreographed by Thabo Rapoo, “EXILE” by Kgaogelo Tshabalala, and “AMEND” by Sibusiso Khwinana. In 2015 she was part of the Protest Arts International Festival in Zimbabwe (Harare) with “She Cold” by Millicent Tintswalo, produced by Ntshieng Mokgoro. Her work also includes Medumo Ya Barwa directed by Mxolisi Masilela, a Standard Bank Gold Ovation winner. In 2019 she was the lead in a two hander called Walls and Pillows by Moetapelo Setlako, another Standard Bank Ovation award production at NAF. Walls and Pillows also participated at the Fiti International Festival in Maputo, Mozambique in 2019. Her current work is a setwork by Kgaugelo Tshabalala titled Kgalagalo tsa Setu staged at the Opera Theatre, State Theatre.

She believes that the Arts is the best tool for shaping the country’s future without violence or hatred. It’s the safest platform to deal with sensitive sociopolitical issues including race, transformation, sexuality and gender. She also believes that the Arts plays a vital role in providing the community with knowledge. The arts have been used as an ice breaker to create common ground but she also believes that they can be taken more seriously than just entertainment. Her future plans are to have an academy within the township that will provide the community with necessary skills to make careers in the Art industry.

MONGEZI Mabunda
A 34 year old Tembisa based performer, started the Performing Arts in 2007 with Rutanang Community Theatre Projects under the mentorship of Johannes Lucky Khafela. Took part in many productions under the above mentioned organisation, namely the Mzansi Fela Festival hosted by The South African State Theatre and performed at the 2013 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown with “Abadala First” directed by Mxolisi Masilela and at the 2014 “Zabalaza Theatre Festival” held in Cape Town at the prestigious Baxter Theatre with a production titled “Thula Thula” directed by Mxolisi Masilela. During November 2009 till July 2010 joined Tswelopele Performing Artists and learnt and excelled in traditional SeTswana dance and music production titled “First people of kalahari” under Artistic director Oupa Malatjie, with which won a number of awards specialising in Traditional Dance and music. In January 2011 joined and is currently part of TX Theatre Productions as a performer and Deputy Chairperson and is the co-founder and Project Manager of the Kuwamba Women’s Theatre Festival. Under TX Theatre Productions performed a supporting lead role in the Naledi Award nominated production “Queen: The Chosen Ones” also Directed by Mxolisi Masilela, and facilitated by Soweto Theatre’s artistic director Miss Warona Seane, and was cast in a lead role in “Insanity” written and directed by Mxolisi Masilela, and “Flames from a Spoja” written by Motshabi “Vice” Monageng and directed by Collen Magongwa. Won the Best Music Director at the 2014 Zabalaza festival in Cape Town for his work on the Aforementioned production “Thula Thula.” Mongezi has starred in a lead role of a production titled Exhibition, written and directed by Mxolisi Masilela.
In 2018 was a lead in “The Quest for Intimacy” Directed by Mxolisi Masilela and in 2020 was cast for a lead role in “The Contour” to which he’s currently in, which also took park in the FITI International Festival in Maputo, Mozambique in 2022.

In 2015 he took an in interest in producing, and together with TX Theatre Productions produced show such as “Two sides of the same Coin,” Uhambo” and Flames from a Spoja” by Themba Mahlangu, Mcebisi Bhayi and Gifter Ngobeni and Mxolisi Masilela respectively.

Masehlabane Ofentse Maila
Languages: English, Sepedi, Setswana
Training: NQF level 4 certificate in Performing arts- Puo Media.
Special skills: Writing/poetry, Directing and Acting
Ofentse Maila, is from a village called Ga-Maila Limpopo but born and raised in Cullinan. She graduated in 2015 at Pretoria High School for Girls where she was part of backstage and makeup crew for the school plays. She completed her 1 year 6months performing arts course in 2019 at Puo media allocated within the South African State Theatre.
Ofentse has starred in various theatre productions: The Crucible directed by Sibusiso Khwinana, Serona ke se ga rona by Mandla Ntlaks and Dance explosion directed by Bafikile Sedibe. She has also been a part of various festivals: Silent directed by Diamond Mokoape at the Vavasati Festival at the State Theatre, Mantlwane directed by Bongani Masango at the Zes’khethu Storytelling Festival and participated at 012 station theatre monologue and duologue festival in 2019. She was part of the TX theatre week in a production called Moleleki directed by Mpho Sewela. Ofentse is a part of a film called Sheba directed by Paul Grootboom.