Masindi Netshakhuma experienced great pride when she brought the Forty under 40 Africa Award home. The 26-year-old award-winning author, cultural practitioner and filmmaker from Itsani, in Thohoyandou, won the Authorship and Creative Writing category at this year's Forty under 40 Africa Awards, held at the Leonardo Hotel in Sandton on Saturday, 25 March.
The Forty under 40 Africa Awards identify, honour and celebrate a cross-section of the continent's most influential and accomplished young business leaders under the age of 40. This year, more than 3 000 applications were received, with nominations from 24 countries in the 40 different categories. The international awards were officiated by the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Masindi said she had had a good feeling that she was going to win this award. "I just knew I was going to come back home with this one. I am very happy and thankful to have been selected out of so many other nominees for this award. I cannot thank my parents enough for the education privilege that they have given me. Without that, it would never have been possible for me to reach such heights and stand in front of such skilled and well-qualified people," she said.
Masindi became part of the Lampstand Book Club in 2017 and released her first English poetry anthology, titled Vision and Legacy, in 2018. Later that year, she co-authored several books, including Tshanduko with Nndanduleni Jeffrey Manthakha. In 2019, her poem Lushie won the AVBOB Poetry Competition. In 2020, she ventured into the film industry, wrote her first script, and received an award for the development of her first film by the National Film and Video Foundation. She completed her bachelor of education degree at the University of Limpopo in 2021.
Although she is ecstatic about winning this esteemed award, Masindi said getting votes from home had been very difficult. "It is unfortunate that Venda people seldom support each other. I got more votes and support from outside countries, like Kenya. They supported me because I am part of the Kenya-SA Chamber of Business. The journey was not easy at all, but thankfully I have the best mentor and family. They made sure I never lost it on the way," she said.