The Moth podcast Live from Johannesburg out now
By CityLife Arts Writer
The Moth: Live from Johannesburg is now out on the globally acclaimed Moth Podcast which has tens of millions of downloads annually.
On 16 March 2024, The Moth’s first Mainstage show in Johannesburg in seven years took place in front of a sold-out audience at The University of Johannesburg’s Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre. On stage, accomplished advocates shared humorous and heartbreaking true stories centred round the theme Power and Possibility. Each storyteller is also a graduate of The Moth’s Global storytelling workshops, where they crafted personal stories to use in raising awareness around critical global issues of our time.
This special episode of The Moth Podcast, out today – Tuesday, January 7 – is a one-hour selection recorded live from this event in Johannesburg, South Africa, with stories of unexpected connections, scads of visitors, and putting bread on the table – literally.
Hosted by Johannesburg based Lebogang Mashile, with storytellers NsovoMayimele from South Africa, Webster Isheanopa Makombe from Zimbabwe, and Matilda Matabwa from Malawi, the event was curated and directed by Sarah Austin Jenness and Jodi Powell, and the podcast episode was produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. The Moth Podcast can be heard on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Sarah Austin Jenness, The Moth’s Executive Producer, said, “The Moth in Johannesburg was a stand-out event in our season last year. The audience and the storytellers were electric. The show sold out so fast, we’re thrilled that now millions of listeners around the world can also experience this special night.” The Moth is planning a return of The Mainstage to Johannesburg in early 2026.
In the hour-long episode, you’ll hear stories of eight year old Webster Isheanopa Makombe’s mother sending him on his first solo mission to get bread, a chance encounter rekindling NsovoMayimele’s passion for her career, and Matilda Matabwe and her husband taking a chance on an unconventional new business.
Launched in 1997 in the United States, The Moth is now a global phenomenon, having presented over 60,000 stories all over The World. As a nonprofit organization, The Moth harnesses the power of sharing and listening to extraordinary, true, personal stories to build connections and cultivate empathy among people from every corner of life.
Held around the world, The Moth Mainstage events take storytelling to new heights. They are live, candid, note-free, and deeply immersive in the way they connect people by highlighting both the diversity and commonality of human experience.
At Moth Mainstage shows, five storytellers and a host take the stage to share a 10-12 minute personal story. Each story is true as remembered by the storyteller and crafted with the help of a Moth story Director.
Since its inception, has shared more than 60,000 personal stories to audiences around the world through platforms such as their live storytelling events, books, The Moth Podcast, and with storytelling workshops where advocates craft personal stories to use in raising awareness around critical global issues of our time.
If you’re looking for more ways to connect with The Moth, log onto www.themoth.org, find The Moth Podcast wherever you listen or pitch your story.
Everyone has a story, and The Moth wants to hear yours! They receive hundreds of pitches each month, and they listen to all of them. If they like what they hear, they might air the pitch itself on The Moth Radio Hour, or call you back to develop the story further for a future Moth Mainstage in South Africa or elsewhere in the world. Submit at https://themoth.org/share-your-story/pitchline
About The Moth
The Moth is a globally acclaimed nonprofit organization that celebrates the commonality and diversity of human experience through the art and craft of true, personal storytelling. Through live storytelling events, The Moth Podcast and storytelling workshops, The Moth aims to create a more empathetic world by connecting people from every background through the sharing of true stories. Learn more at www.themoth.org
The story behind The Moth’s name goes that it comes from the writer George Dawes Greens’s memories of his time spent in St. Simons Island, Georgia, “where neighbours would gather late at night on a friend’s porch to tell stories and drink bourbon as moths flew in through the broken screens and circled the porch light”.
At the heart of the initiative is the desire to connect people from different backgrounds and walks of life by sharing what it means to be human and empathetic, by showcasing extraordinary personal stories from everyday people. Watch The Moth here:
The Moth’s Global Community Program works to develop and elevate true, personal stories from extraordinary individuals around the world. By honoring a broad range of experiences, we believe we can challenge dominant narratives, deepen connections, and help to foster productive dialogue. To date, nearly 800 advocates from over 50 countries have graduated from Moth Global workshops. These graduates continue to use personal storytelling to build community and drive change.
About the storytellers
NsovoMayimele (Johannesburg/South African): NsovoMayimele is a pharmacist and lecturer. She qualified with degrees including a Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy, Master of Science in International Development and Doctor of Philosophy. Nsovo worked for corporate, government and academic institutions and has vast volunteer experience. She has contributed to and influenced national and international policies around health, pharmaceuticals and gender. Her work in Healthcare has won her multiple awards, including the Mail & Guardian Influential Young South Africans in 2016 and a National Ubuntu Award from the Minister of International Relations and Corporation of South Africa in 2023. Nsovo serves the community as a member of the District Health Council in the capital City of Tshwane, South Africa amongst other roles. She is passionate about teaching and cultivating a safe and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Her best moments are those shared with her family.
Webster Makombe (Zimbabwe):
Webster Isheanopa Makombe is a food systems activist and nutrition advocate. He is a core group member of the Act4Food campaign, spearheading “valuing local and indigenous food knowledge and strengthening local food systems”. He is also a youth leader with the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN). Professionally, Webster is a pro bono lawyer at Justice for Children, a local NGO Zimbabwe that provides legal aid for children whose rights have been infringed and children in conflict with the law. A reader turned writer, Webster enjoys artistic expression in the form of literature and music when carrying out his advocacy work. He is also the curator of a mini-food festival under Act4Food in Zimbabwe called NhapiTapi Food Festival. The word ‘nhapitapi ‘is in his native language chiShona and loosely translates to “finger-licking good” in English.
Matilda Matabwa (Malawi): Dr. Matilda Matabwa is a Gender Specialist and Theologian and the first female Secretary General in World Assemblies of God. Over her multi-year career she is the Chairperson of the Malawi Roads Authority, and an executive and facilitator with the African Women Network, the Evangelical Association of Malawi, and World Religions for Peace, among other organizations. She lives in Malawi with her family.
ABOUT THE HOST
Lebo Mashile: An award-winning writer, performer, producer, actress and activist, Lebo Mashile is a South African household name who is most recognizable for her lyrical and gutsy poetry which has captivated audiences in 38 countries worldwide. Mashile is a sought after social and political commentator, speaker, and master of ceremonies whose infectious enthusiasm is infused into every platform she has touched for more than two decades. Mashile has graced South African television screens for two decades as a presenter of shows such as L’atitude (SABC1), Drawing The Line (SABC2), and Great Expectations (Etv). To date, the poet has authored two books. Her poetry collection In A Ribbon of Rhythm won the NOMA Award for Publishing in Africa. Mashile’s second collection is Flying Above the Sky. In 2017, Mashile released her second studio album titled, Moya, in collaboration with singer/songwriter Majola. Her first studio album, Lebo Mashile Live!, was produced in 2006. Mashile is an actress who has appeared in the Academy Award nominated film Hotel Rwanda as well as several stage productions. Her theatre acting credits include the stage adaptations ofK. Sello Duiker’s The Quiet Violence of Dreams and Pamela Nomvete’sNgiyadansa, as well as Threads, a fusion of poetry and contemporary dance. She currently appears in the drama series Classified on Netflix.She is a commissioned writer who regularly creates work for a wide ranging list of clients including fellow artists, public institutions and corporates alike. The poet has also written, produced, and co-starred in an original theatrical piece on the life of Saartjie Baartman, the Venus Hottentot, titled Venus vs. Modernity which was staged inJohannesburg at the Market Theatre and in Amsterdam, Holland. The production was nominated 5 Naledi Awards, South Africa’s premier theatre awards. Ann Masina, who played Venus, walked away with the Naledi Award for Best Newcomer for her role. The film has been turned into a film in partnership with Ake Festival, Nigeria’s premier literature and arts festival. Mashile is a mother of two and in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg where she is presently developing a play based on South African high school poetry set works in partnership with UJ Arts & Culture.
About the directors
Sarah Austin Jenness is the longtime executive producer of The Moth, where she’s worked with thousands of people to craft and hone their unique personal stories. She is a Peabody Award-winning director, is one of the longstanding hosts of The Moth Radio Hour, oversees The Moth podcast, and is co-author of the bestselling book, How to Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth. In 2014, Sarah launched The Moth’s Global Community Program, leading storytelling workshops and directing special events where advocates and activists use their personal stories to inspire conversation around gender equality and human rights. Moth stories Sarah has directed in the past fifteen-plus years have been told all over the world: on the floor of the United Nations, at the Sundance Film Festival, on rickshaws and buses, on first dates – and in Dharamsala, India, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama — but she is probably best known for her loud and distinct laugh, which can be heard on Moth story recordings for the past 20 years.
Jodi Powell: For Jodi Powell, stories are a common fabric of humanity. She connects to her story of Mama’s home cooking, the bumpy country roads of her Jamaican childhood and the glories of elementary rubber band dealing through tales told by others.
About The Moth
The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. For over 27 years, The Moth has presented over 60,000 stories, told live and without notes to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. The Moth conducts eight ongoing programs: The Moth Mainstage, which tours internationally, has featured stories by Elizabeth Gilbert, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kathleen Turner, Malcolm Gladwell, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, John Turturro, Molly Ringwald, Boots Riley, Krista Tippett, Damon Young, Rosanne Cash, Danyel Smith and Tig Notaro, as well as an astronaut, a former pickpocket, a hotdog eating champion and thousands more; The Moth StorySLAM program, which conducts open mic storytelling competitions in 27 cities: 25 in the US plus Melbourne, AU and London, UK; The Moth Community Program, which offers storytelling workshops and performance opportunities to adults who are too often overlooked by the mainstream media; The Moth Education Program, which brings the thrill of personal storytelling to high schools and colleges in New York, and educators around the world; The Moth Global Community Program, which develops and elevates true, personal stories from extraordinary individuals in the global south; The Moth Podcast—the 2020 Webby People’s Voice Award Winner for Best Podcast Series—which is downloaded tens of millions of times annually; MothWorks, which uses the essential elements of Moth storytelling as an empathetic communication tool; and the Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour which, produced by Jay Allison at Atlantic Public Media and presented by PRX, The Public Radio Exchange, airs weekly on over 560 public radio stations nationwide. To date, The Moth has published five critically acclaimed books: The New York Times Best Seller The Moth: 50 True Stories (Hachette Books, September 2013); All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown (Crown Archetype, March 2017) — described as “wonderful” by NYT’s Michiko Kakutani; New York Times Best Sellers Occasional Magic: True Stories of Defying the Impossible (Crown Archetype, March 2019); How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth (Crown Archetype, April 2022); and A Point of Beauty (Crown Archetype, March 2024). The Moth has released its first card deck, A Game or Storytelling (Clarkson-Potter), and the Moth’s second podcast, Grown, is out now on all major streaming platforms. Learn more at themoth.org