Discover a world of possibilities
Siphokazi Jonas is a storyteller whose work transcends the boundaries of genre and performance. As a poet, writer, and theatre-maker, she has created projects that interrogate South Africa’s layered social realities while affirming the resilience and humanity of its people. Her published and produced works—most recent her debut poetry collection Weeping Becomes a River—reflects a deep commitment to using art as both witness and healing, amplifying voices often silenced by history, violence, and systemic inequality.
An Ongoing Archive of Storytelling
Across all her work, Siphokazi Jonas continues to build an evolving archive of modern South African storytelling. Whether on stage, on screen, or on the page, her projects hold space for reflection and transformation.
Her writing speaks to the power of iintsomi, iinganekwane, and ditshomo—the oral traditions that have carried African knowledge systems across generations. Yet she brings these forms into the present, using them to interrogate issues of gender, identity, justice, and belonging in the 21st century.
Weeping Becomes a River
Siphokazi’s debut poetry collection, Weeping Becomes a River, published by Penguin Random House South Africa, marks a new chapter in her evolution as a writer. Written and performed in her own voice, the collection also exists as an audiobook—a format that captures her cadence, emotion, and musicality intimately. With original sound design and musical score by Elvis Sibeko , the audiobook is an invitation to a digital fireside which strengthens connection and imagination for listeners of all ages.
Siphokazi Jonas 