Gcina Mhlophe

Durban based Gcina is South Africa’s best known storyteller. Storytelling has become a popular business media at conferences and seminars and Gcina is a master at creating stories to complement business and conference themes. She enjoys international recognition as a poet, playwright, actress, short story writer and storyteller. Her published books include ‘A Mother’s Search for Stories’ (1995) and ‘Molo Zoleka’ (1994), for which she won the Book Chat Award. After ‘Stories of Africa’ (2003) another illustrated volume of fairy tales was published entitled ‘Our Story Magic’ (2006).

The author is still first and foremost active as a perfomer. She tells stories, dances, appears in numerous international music programmes and can also often be seen in films and television broadcasts, as well as heard on radio programmes.  Her musical partners include Francis and Patric Bebey, Sam Shabalala and she has also worked with the Ladysmith Black Mambazo choir and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  She was given an honorary doctorate by both London University and Natal University for her work.

Storytelling has taken Gcina to all corners of the World and she is a favourite choice for visiting overseas conference delegates. From the beginning of time man has used the art of storytelling to share information and now it has become one of the hottest mediums for getting a message across to an audience.

Gcina maintains storytelling is the information technology of yesteryear.  ‘For as long as there have been people in the world, there have been stories – long before all the great respectable sciences were known to us. Stories pass on wisdom gathered through the ages ‘ truths that stand their ground, enrich our lives and give us guidance.’

The valuable advantage about stories is that they teach in a manner that is non-threatening, low key and is accessible to everyone.

After a business brief, Gcina then creates her stories around the company’s needs. The stories message can vary from teamwork and commitment to dealing with complacency and negativity.