Nqanawe Shangase

Filmmaker, writer director, critic, and cultural advocate Nqanawe Shangase works across films, series, and commercials focused on South African cinema and pop culture. Actively setting new standards for local cinema through his work, he fosters appreciation for SA cinema online by positively reshaping associated discourse. He drives culture forward by striving toward massive cultural shift making South African cinema essential,

Nqanawe’s 4th short film ‘UBANI LORE?’ is on track to being one of 2026’s biggest cultural phenoma after premiering at ARIFF to a standing ovation and has since been named as one of Actor Spaces’ “2025 Final Top Picks: TV Shows & Films”, alongside some of this country’s biggest productions.

Nqanawe uses his work to create the specific South Africa he wants to make films in and for, proving local storytelling can transform how society values and supports its own creative voices and narratives.