Simthandile Mtolo

Simthandile is a visual artist and music professional from Durban, South Africa. Her career began as a 16 year old in 2004, when she landed her first role in The Unilever Young Performer's; "Oliver", a theatre musical directed by Themi Venturas at The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. As she gradually grew into full bloom, she embraced the live entertainment industry and explored the various types and styles presented by artists and arts spaces. She fell in love with jazz and made it her primary skill, but wasn't satisfied with the box it kept her in. With that, she started her own arts business, Ebonygypsy, and began creating productions that allowed her to present more than just her talents in performance.

Simthandile is an innovative thinker who knows first hand about all the challenges a practitioner of multiple skills is likely to face in a world that favors pop culture over ground root authenticity. Through Ebonygypsy, Simthandile has staged over 30 self-funded productions, all working with local artists on a contractual basis. She has employed as well as partnered with a great group of artists and enjoys taking art and talent to the people. Some of her most successful productions include A Woman, A Hat, A Bag, And Her Belly which is an ongoing celebration of women through song, poetry, acting, movement, fashion, comedy and art, as well as The Township Jazz Society which books between 4 to 10 jazz bands with each show, visiting spaces in townships and eccentric places.

During the Pandemic Simthandile worked on a solo project that put out some work that featured a new range of art pieces for an exhibition incorporated into her one- hander, It Grows. Her artwork included 8 multi-media images of women's faces and an upright bust which all emitted beauty and bloom, using bright colours to pop the strong Afrocentric features and play on textures. She produced, directed and performed a self written musical revue called, "It Grows", performing her jazz and afro inspired compositions about being an artist in love, in South Africa, happily moving past the challenges. The exhibition was paired with a range of accessories.

She also gave birth to a busking movement through the Buskers Collective which worked and continues to encourage artistic exposure and public art while artists were limited by social distancing and the likes.

Today Simthandile holds an impressive 18 year track record as an active creative practitioner who through her freelancing has worked as a television presenter for SABC 2's Hosanna, a go-getter who has done some commercials for Stylin' Dredz and Romans Pizza having being represented by her former agent Moonyeen Lee and Associates. In addition, Simtha has worked as a radio presenter for a local radio station called Durban Youth Radio. Simtha has recently returned from Ghana having being invited by Emmanuel Amponsah of the Nativ Afrik band. Emmanuel witnessed Simthandile’s impromptu improvisation during the MIAGI Pan African Ensambles during the Intra African Trade Fair last November. She was in Ghanna...