Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho, the head project manager at the Louis Trichardt-based Vhakololo Press, was honoured with the Outstanding Publisher Award during the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's National Arts and Culture Awards.
The prestigious ceremony took place at the Sun City Resort in North West over the past weekend.
Mukwevho, overwhelmed with joy and excitement, expressed his gratitude to the entire Vhakololo Press team, including authors, editors, manuscript evaluators, book designers, and everyone involved in producing their esteemed literary publications.
"I lack words to express my joy and excitement," he said.
Since starting Vhakololo Press in 2015, Mukwevho has published more than 155 authors and 230 titles across different genres. His authors have won seven literary awards at national level.
Mukwevho paid tribute to the many small, independent publishers who paved the way for a new generation of indie publishers. He cites publishers such as Vonani Bila (Timbila Poetry Project), the late Gus Ferguson (Snailpress), Allan Kolski Horwitz (Botsotso), and Robert Berold (Deep South) as inspiration. "These road-pavers are publishers who all allowed us to sip motivation from their cups," he said.
The journey of publishing books, according to Mukwevho, is "only for the strong ones. Ones with greater willpower." Despite numerous challenges, his love of literature drives him forward. His success serves as an inspiration to emerging writers, authors, and publishers in the province.
"I would like to extend my gratitude to the National Arts Council, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors' Association of South Africa (ANFASA) for their continued support, which enabled me to publish some of our sterling publications," said Mukwevho.