The most powerful thing that we have is our story. I couldn’t wait to transcribe my conversation with Elelwani Netshifhire and have her story here on Gophari.com.
This African story of a bubbly girl who grew up in Venda and is now an international filmmaker had to be told.
We had met up for her to profile Gophari. I was honoured and filled every gap with an inquisitive question about her life. This was followed by us setting time aside for me to interview her.
I learnt that her father named her Elelwani which means “to remember.” How fitting for a woman that is capturing stories around the world that will be looked back on for many years to come?
Her career has taken her to countries including the USA, the UAE and Namibia. Read on to hear more about her journey from Limpopo to the world.
Elelwani Netshifhire travels the world though filmmaking
Elelwani Netshifhire is a filmmaker with her main focus on writing and directing. She has the technical skill set to do it all.
Thase Media is her visuals home specializing in Film, Photography and Digital Media.
I smile when I think back to our chat and the way that Elelwani’s responses were enthusiastically embellished with a, “yaaaas,” here and there. Her energy is electric and her mission is clear.
Let’s begin with an understanding of Elelwani’s heritage…
What is your heritage and where did you grow up?
“My heritage is Venda. I was born and bred in Venda, Limpopo which is up north in South Africa – very close to Zimbabwe. I’m a village girl and I love it. I love Venda so much.
For some reason I feel so connected to Zimbabweans. I think it’s because of where Venda is located and where my people come from.
I left Venda when I was 17 and went straight to the University of Cape Town (UCT). This was crazy because the culture was foreign. I had family in Pretoria and Johannesburg though who I would visit during the holidays.”
“One of the most important people in my life studied in Stellenbosch, Western Cape – my late brother. He said to me, “You have to go to UCT.” It’s been quite a while since we lost him. It was sudden in a car accident and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
What influenced your choice of career?
“My brother believed that if you are in Africa and you do anything that does not have math or science then you are going to struggle financially. But I decided I was going to do what I love.”
“When I was in high school, I loved performing and I enjoyed media and communications.
I also saw myself as a news reader. So there has always been a storyteller in me.”
“I wanted to focus on my passions and tell stories about people who are from where I am from”
“There was of course the aspect of needing money and having to do something that’s going to bring me a lot of money. My brother was an electronic engineer and I was truly inspired by him and him being a top student.
When he passed on, that’s when my real storytelling journey began. I wanted to tell his story so badly, focus on my passions and tell stories about people who are from where I am from.”
Which type of work excites you most?
Listen to Elelwani’s response via audio or read her response below 🙂
“I’m really passionate about storytelling, young people and empowering people from my own community.
At some point in life, there is going to be a Thase art centre in Venda. It’s going to happen! I’m working towards it.
I really am attracted to unique stories – stories about women, stories by women for women. We are at a time where we can trail blaze and tell our stories the way we want to. That is my mission in life right now.
I’m on that road where I just want to focus on things that are meaningful to me.”
“Africa to the world. That’s my mandate”
“I also believe in simple stories about happy black girls, falling in love, being the best that we can be and just killing it!
What really excites me is meeting people like you along the way. People who are so passionate about what they do and so invested in their fields. I’m really excited about that.
I’m excited about sharing about where we come from and our heritage to the world. Africa to the world – that is my mandate”
How have you navigated your career to get to where you are today?
“The thing about this industry is that your journey is going to be different from the next person’ s journey. I feel like I am so lucky because most people that I was in class with for Film & Media aren’t practicing in the field anymore.
What happened was, I got an internship and I started working at Cape Town TV right after graduating. While I was working there, they were offering opportunities for young South Africans to go on Hollywood films. I ended up being one of them. I was placed on a film set for Dominion – that was huge!
It was on MNET and everywhere in the US. Working for Dominion showed me how movies are actually made.”
“From that internship to being on the film set for Dominion I was able to enter the industry. The industry is very closed and hard to tap into. From working on Dominion, I met so many people and doors just opened and it was project after project.
When I look back I’m like, “wow you were there. this happened. So much has happened in your life and you’ve been part of amazing things.””
In what way has film making allowed you to travel more?
“When you think about storytelling, film or television making, unless it’s in studio, you deal with locations. For me, even just being in South Africa, working in the film industry, I’ve had to travel a lot.
You can not speak of film making without thinking location.
Think about the movie Mad Max for example and the way it highlights Namibia and the dunes. Almost every film that you know takes you to a different location.
“We shot a lot in KwaZulu Natal, Wild Coast, Mzamba River Valley and places that I never knew existed. The location scouts know where these locations and hidden spaces are that no one frequents so we can go there and film in peace.”
“I’ve gotten to see places that I think most people haven’t.”
Though I’ve always loved exploring the provinces on my own, through film making and being a crew member on various production sets, I’ve gotten to see places that I think most people haven’t.
I was a script supervisor on international productions such as Dominion, The Whale Caller and ROOTS Night 1. When you’re working on time pieces (period films or series) you end up being in the most beautiful locations.
“I went to the USA chasing the dream and trying to be a non-fiction filmmaker in LA.That has shaped the person I am today. I know that I want to be in Africa, making stories in Africa and highlighting locations in Africa.
I’ve been all around the world with Royal Caribbean, with short term projects and with projects that just came when I least expected it.
I don’t limit myself by saying that filmmaking will take me there. It’s anything within what I am interested in. It’s writing, it’s photography, it’s video.”
What's your favourite memory from traveling in Africa?
“I really really really really like Kasane in Botswana. It’s a place I visited while I was not on any assignment so I got to experience it fully.
I learnt about where Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe meet. There were elephants everywhere. That was such an amazing experience.
An image that has stuck in my mind is seeing the African animals being kissed by the sunset at the end of an endless horizon. That remains the most beautiful experience. I’m in love with nature so that for me is one of my favourite African destinations.
I haven’t explored Africa so much. I’ve been to all of South Africa’s neighbouring countries though. I want to go to Senegal and Mali! I have a feeling that they are likely to be my favourite destinations”
What is your hope for young African creatives?
“My hope for all of us is for us to remain authentic and to always ALWAYS have a business mind. That’s how we are going to grow our industries and not create certain stereotypes associated with them when we want to take them up as careers.
I want all of us to know that we can be creatives in any field that we are in.
Never stop creating. Be willing to do what you want to do. Set your heart on fire and be free! There is so much joy in being free and doing what you love.
I hope that we get to uplift our continent, put Africa at the forefront and take over globally.”
Dear Elelwani, you are fascinating and you are doing important work. Thank you for your enthusiasm and openness throughout this interview.
Your words radiate with African pride. Your visions are encouraging, inspiring and beautiful.
To close with your words, it’s great to see African black girls killing it in their fields.
Keep in touch with Elelwani
Stay connected with Elelwani and get in touch with her by following her on social media, subscribing to her YouTube channel and visiting her website: thase.co.za.