Tseliso Monaheng

Tseliso Monaheng is a South African-based film composer, filmmaker, writer, and photographer originally from Maseru, Lesotho. He is known for his multidisciplinary work across documentary film, music, and cultural journalism, with a strong focus on Southern African identity and creative expression.

Born and raised in Maseru, Monaheng developed an early interest in visual and sonic storytelling. He later relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he built a career in multimedia journalism, contributing photography and written features to local and international publications including Rolling Stone South Africa, City Press, The Fader, and The Guardian (UK).

Monaheng is best known as the co-director of the documentary A Gentle Magic (2017), which examines the skin-bleaching phenomenon in South Africa through personal stories and cultural analysis. The film has been widely screened and discussed for its sensitive and probing approach to beauty, identity, and history.

Alongside his film work, Monaheng works as a film composer and creative collaborator, contributing music and sound to visual projects and working with musicians and artists across Southern Africa. His broader cultural writing documents music scenes, dance cultures, and grassroots creative movements, with features published by platforms such as Music In Africa and OkayAfrica.

Through his cross-disciplinary practice, Tseliso Monaheng is regarded as part of a new generation of Southern African storytellers using film, music, and journalism to expand contemporary African narratives.