Live from Makhanda: Phemelo in Conversation with 2025 Standard Bank Young Artists

Phemelo is live from the National Arts Festival in Makhanda as she sits down with two rising stars of South African creativity — Nyakallo Maleke (2025 Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art) and Siya Charles (2025 Young Artist for Jazz). In this inspiring conversation, they dive into their artistic journeys, the passion that fuels their work, and what it means to be recognised with one of South Africa’s most prestigious awards. As part of the dynamic 2025 cohort, Maleke and Charles are among six exceptional creatives debuting new work at the festival from 26 June to 6 July, marking 40 years of Standard Bank’s iconic partnership with the National Arts Festival.