Meet the Standard Bank Young Artists 2025

The 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist award winners were unveiled last night in an event that marked the 40th anniversary of the awards. It’s an incredible feat that shows Standard Bank’s authentic commitment to supporting and nurturing the arts — a sector that is often neglected and unsupported. Therefore, awards such as these are a “lifeline to artists” as host Lebo Mashile said.

The National Arts Festival established the Young Artist Awards in 1981 to acknowledge emerging young SA artists who demonstrated outstanding artistic talent, with Standard Bank taking over sponsorship in 1984. These prestigious awards are presented annually to deserving artists in different disciplines — dance, jazz, music, theatre, visual art, performance art and film — affording them national exposure and acclaim.

Adding to a constellation of talent that includes William Kentridge, Andrew Buckland, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Mbongeni Ngema​, and Nduduzo Makhathini, the six new artists are reshaping the world with their exceptional work.

These are the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artists:

Asanda Ruda (dance)

From the community halls of Soweto to performing internationally, Ruda’s choreography is steeped in history, movement and myth. A member of the Pina Bausch Foundation, she has captivated audiences with Kemet (Black Lands), her acclaimed solo work that earned her the 2025 Choreographers Research Residency Award in Paris.

Siyasanga “Siya” Charles (jazz)

A magna cum laude Juilliard-graduate trombonist, Charles’s career is already a global story, shaped by collaborations with luminaries such as Hugh Masekela and Grammy-winning artists. Through her Siya Charles Sextet, she’s redefining SA jazz, layering the country’s rich musical traditions with a fresh, fearless sensibility.

Muneyi (music)

Limpopo-born Muneyi’s music pulses with memory, myth and meaning. His lyrics, inspired by his grandmother, explore love, loss and identity, transcending language while remaining deeply rooted in the cadences of Tshivenda storytelling.

Modise Sekgothe (poetry)

Sekgothe isn’t just a poet — he’s a shapeshifter of sound, rhythm and form. From Washington DC to Gothenburg and Brussels, his words have reverberated on global stages, bending the boundaries of spoken word into new realms of performance art.

Calvin Ratladi (theatre)

Ratladi’s interdisciplinary vision is unapologetically expansive. A Safta-winning artist, he achieved Ovation Awards at the National Arts Festival and showcased his work at festivals in Germany and Luxembourg, pushing SA theatre into new, immersive dimensions.

Nyakallo Maleke (visual arts)

Maleke’s drawings are journeys in and of themselves — maps of migration, vulnerability, and spatial memory. With exhibitions across Europe and a master’s degree from Switzerland’s EDHEA, her work expands the conversation around drawing as both medium and metaphor.

Each winner receives financial support, mentorship and the chance to showcase their work at the National Arts Festival, ensuring that their creative journey continues to evolve and flourish.