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Stuff from Johannesburg

True Talent on Show at Born to Perform 2025

Advertorial:
True Talent on Show at Born to Perform 2025:

Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage showcases South Africa’s future on stage, celebrating youth, creativity and unstoppable spirit – all important facets of making what is to come so much better. This year’s production will fill the stage at the Teatro at Montecasino, turning the space into a jamboree of joy on 27 September at 13:30 and 18:00 and 28 September at 12:00 and 17:00. Tickets cost R200 – R345 and are available from webtickets.co.za.

This is only the latest chapter from the Born to Perform platform, which exploded onto the stage in 2019 with a show featuring more than 450 talented youngsters from different schools. And Stageworx Performing Arts School, which hosts the production, has played a key role in developing, training and equipping students who have gone on to succeed and inspire in the South African entertainment industry. Three of their exciting alumni will play important roles in Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage: Yahto Kraft, John Tsenoli and Zinah Rose.

Yahto Kraft is a respected singer and actor who came to prominence after placing sixth in the third season of The Voice South Africa. He has also toured the world as a vocalist in the Whitney Houson tribute show The Greatest Love Of All; excelled in the title role of Stageworx School of the Performing Arts/The Cirk, Naledi Theatre Award-nominated co-production Meat Loaf: The Rebel Ride and played Uncle Fester in the Mother city production of The Addams Family: The Musical, for which he received a Fleur de Cap Award nomination. He has also released original music.

Kraft is outspoken about the positive impact of the Stageworx experience. “I battle with severe anxiety and depression, and creation is truly my antidepressant, so to be part of a community that celebrates creativity and art, without judgment or shame, is invaluable,” he says. “Through Stageworx, I gained confidence, self-assuredness and community, all while perfecting my craft and training to be the best performer I could be, without the added pressure of being judged for my appearance or personality.”

Afrobeat singer and songwriter John Tsenoli, from Lesotho, is another success story, with the Born to Perform platform specifically playing a central role in his career. “After the first instalment of Born to Perform, I was offered varies opportunities to continue exploring the arts – opportunities such as being a part of the cast of the Night With The Stars Show as well as the Bidvest Spirit Of Revolution. That first Born To Perform show really opened my eyes and gave me a chance to realise just how far I can take my talent.”

Actor singer and dancer ZInah Rose, who will serve as co-MC alongside Graeme Watkins for this year’s show, also credits Stageworx with creating the foundation from which she is able to operate today. “When I chose to become a performer, I knew my first step was training — in vocals, acting, and dance,” she recalls. “It wasn’t just about learning the craft. Stageworx gave me real industry experience from a young age, which set me apart. That allowed me to start releasing my own music and to eventually sign with a label. The lessons Stageworx and training in the arts instilled in me — integrity, punctuality, relentless hard work and the courage to stand out — have carried me through.”

All three of these Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage stars credit Gemma Marinus, founder and principal of Stageworx School of Performing Arts, with having a vision that ceaselessly supported their growth and talent. Marinus is a leader in creative education, with over 25 years of experience transforming young lives through the performing arts. She began her journey on global stages in productions like Mamma Mia, Hairspray and Jesus Christ Superstar, but today she is in the spotlight from the impact she makes as a mentor, educator and advocate for creative youth, which is set to grow given her recent the completion of an MBA in Educational Leadership. With a passion to inspire creative youth, build sustainable careers and reimagine education for the future, she has partnered with the South African government on inclusive projects such as Shine Digital and looks forward to continuing to uplift youth through Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage at the Teatro.

Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage features Matthew Counihan as Creative Director and Dillonne Pashovski as Assistant Director and Choreographer. Stageworx alumni including Bo Molefe, Bulelo Landman, Evanca Moolman, Brendan Moorcroft, Yahto Kraft and Jordyn Shaefer are also involved in various production roles. Stageworx Media Head Matthew Marinus has also produced innovative digital elements. Howard Events are on board as collaborators and co-producers, helping to elevate youth entertainment to new heights, with the production designed to be a remarkable fusion of traditional and contemporary performing arts; a blend of sound, movement and emotion reflecting South Africa’s rich cultural heritage. Each performer brings a unique story, an individual journey and a personal dream to create a masterpiece of unity and excellence.

The Born to Perform: Shine 2019 show included students from St. Vincent School for the Deaf as part of a fully inclusive initiative that actively involved children with disabilities. For Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage, Adcock Ingram OTC Sponsors of Brave is teaming up with the talented artists from St. Vincent’s for a captivating showcase in the Teatro foyer on September 27th and 28th, 2025. The students’ remarkable artwork can be explored by ticketholders coming to the show, with doors opening 90 minutesbefore each show for an exclusive art gallery viewing. Vote for your favourite piece – the learners with the most votes in the final show will be awarded art supply prizes worth R10,000.

“Our educational philosophy is all about combining innovative learning design with emotional intelligence, curiosity, and structure to nurture the whole child,” says Gemma Marinus, “and Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage will help us to show that to new audiences.”

Born to Perform 2025: The Future Takes the Stage will be on stage at the Teatro at Montecasino on 27 September at 13:30 and 18:00 and 28 September at 12:00 and 17:00. Special group booking discounts and school packages are available. Tickets on sale at webtickets.co.za

– MyZA

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The FNB Stadium: Football

The 2010 World Cup turned the FNB Stadium into a global icon. It hosted both the opening match and the final, where Spain defeated the Netherlands to claim the trophy. Perhaps most poignantly, it was the site of the “nearly” moment for African football when Ghana’s Black Stars came within a crossbar’s width of reaching the semi-finals. For Johannesburgers, the stadium is more than a soccer pitch; it is the home of the Soweto Derby, the fierce rivalry between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates that can see nearly 100,000 fans descend on the precinct in a sea of gold and black.

As of 2026, the FNB Stadium continues to be a versatile giant. It has hosted some of the world’s biggest musical acts, from U2 to Justin Bieber, and remains a primary venue for national celebrations and political rallies. It stands as a landmark of “New South Africa” architecture—rejecting the cold, European brutalism of the city’s past in favor of a design that feels earthy, indigenous, and undeniably grand. It is the one place in Johannesburg where the entire city, from the mansions of Sandton to the matchbox houses of Soweto, comes together to breathe as one.