Pietermaritzburg-born director and producer Lindani Mbense has brought the legacy of Mbongeni Ngema to life in a powerful documentary, “Dr Mbongeni Ngema: This Is My Story”, which was recently screened at the Joburg Film Festival (JFF) 2026 edition.
The award-winning film forms part of Mbense’s ongoing documentary series, “This Is My Story”, a deeply personal project that seeks to capture the untold narratives of South African icons before time, memory, or circumstance erases them.
Mbongeni Ngema’s Impact on South African Theatre
Mbense, speaking to journalists, unpacked the concept of iconic South Africans telling their own stories as they reflect on their illustrious careers. “Dr Mbongeni Ngema: This Is My Story” embeds a lot of South African history within the theatre space, within the artistic space, within the sports, art, and culture.
As stated on the Wikipedia page of Mbongeni Ngema, he was a renowned playwright and director, best known for his work on the musical Sarafina. Mbense began working on the documentary in 2020 and was fortunate enough to have filmed Ngema telling his story before he died in 2023.
The Documentary’s Features and Accolades
The documentary features some of the most precious archives, from interviews with John Kani, Whoopi Goldberg, and behind-the-scenes footage from “Sarafina”. It has won several awards, including Best Documentary Feature Film at the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards, and at the Umlazi International Film, and was selected to be shown in Ghana.
Some of the key aspects of the documentary include:
- Exclusive interviews with Mbongeni Ngema and other South African icons
- Behind-the-scenes footage from Sarafina and other notable productions
- A deep dive into Mbongeni Ngema’s life and career, including his challenges and successes
Mbense reflected that, from an audience point of view, we were very lucky that Ngema left them with his story. “From a South African point of view, from an international point of view, we were very lucky that he did leave us with the story now. We’ve got a full story that he tells about; how it all happened, how it all began, the trials and tribulations of it, the challenges, the successes, the great people that he got to touch and work with along the way.”
