Xoliswa Sithole is a South African actress and filmmaker who has made work that highlights some of the most pressing issues that affect Southern African nations. Her films often focus on issues of human rights, women, children and social issues. Her vision as a filmmaker has seen her earn some of the prestigious accolades in her industry while leaving an indelible impression in African the area of film.

Born in apartheid South Africa, Sithole was raised in Zimbabwe from the 1970 and she went on to earn a Bachelors’ degree in English from the University of Zimbabwe. As an credits as an actress include the film ‘Cry Freedom’ (starring Denzel Washington as Steve Biko), ‘Fools’, ‘Chikin Biznis’ and the HBO film ‘Mandela’ (she played Mandela’s daughter Zindzi Mandela). She later transitioned into producing and directing. She produced 2004 ‘The Orphans of Nkandla’ which documents the lives of AIDS orphans in Nkandla, South Africa. This documentary won her the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Documentary.

In 2010 Sithole would once again display her craftsmanship this time is the director and narrator of the film ‘Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children’ which aired on BBC Four and was awarded a Peabody Award in 2010. The documentary chronicles the lives of Obert, Esther and Grace, three minors who struggle to survive in a fast collapsing Zimbabwe. It is reported that they initially set out to make a documentary about Sithole’s coming of age in a thriving Zimbabwe however, after further research and learning of the plight of many Zimbabwean youth they shifted their attention highlighting the daily strife of children growing up in Zimbabwe.

Apart from her work both in front and behind the camera, Sithole also runs the Yanaya Gender Film and Dialogue Festival who’s main mandate is to have female filmmakers showcase their work while contributing to the greater conversation on women’s plight in the world. Sithole has shown herself to be a creative of great insight and awareness of the issues around her. Her sensitivity to the societal issues that plague our world has made her work not only rich but also eternal.