From MAD Scholar to Township Changemaker: Vezokuhle Builds a Creative Hub in Langa
At 26, MAD alum Vezokuhle Mntungwa is proving exactly what a scholarship can unlock. Once a MAD bursary recipient supported from high school through university, he is now the founder of iNtwana Yase Kasi Recordings – a township-based creative engine changing how young people in Cape Town access opportunity.
In many South African townships, support and resources are reserved for those on a traditional academic path. Those with passions in music, film, design, fashion and other creative industries are often overlooked. The consequences are visible – high student drop-out rates, youth crime and drug abuse, often among young people whose potential lies outside the formal education system.
Vezokuhle saw this gap first-hand and refused to accept that township creatives should remain under-resourced and unseen. Instead, he chose to build a bridge.
From a shack in an informal settlement, Vezokuhle launched iNtwana Yase Kasi Recordings as both a company and an NPO. The organisation:
- Helps practicing creatives access better production resources, marketing and funding
- Runs workshops, bootcamps and skills-based training tailored to aspiring creatives
- Is led by a team all born in the township and under 30, designing solutions from inside the community
What began as one alum wearing “many hats” – founder, advisor, curator, financier – soon became a growing ecosystem. When the workload threatened to overwhelm him, Vezokuhle made a key leadership decision: train others to become experts in their own fields and take ownership of roles across the organisation. That shift built a culture of knowledge-sharing and independent leadership that now supports even more young people.
In just two years, iNtwana Yase Kasi has:
- Worked with over 200 creative entrepreneurs across music, visual arts, fashion and events.
- Achieved 100% of the goals jointly set with each creative – from company registrations to completed projects.
- Partnered with a Netherlands-based organisation to raise almost R700 000, without corporate backing, and build the first multimedia creative hub using refurbished containers.
Over the next 2–3 years, the team aims to:
- Train 200–300 young creatives
- See at least 60% move into paid work or start their own ventures
- Generate over R2 million in cumulative income through creative work produced via the hub
- Release more than 50 projects and drive at least 10+ international collaborations featuring township talent
Vezokuhle has already taken this story global. In 2025, Vezokuhle spent two months in Europe, visiting five countries to share the iNtwana Yase Kasi model through talks and events, attracting new partners interested in how much has been achieved with so little.
Vezokuhle is clear that MAD’s support laid the foundation for his journey. He is now intentional about building pathways back into the MAD ecosystem by:
- Co-designing programmes that link creative industries, education and sport in township spaces
- Creating referral pathways so township youth can access MAD’s academic and leadership opportunities
- Serving as a mentor, facilitator and programme partner within the MAD network
In his own words:
Ultimately, my role is to act as a bridge – connecting MAD and township communities into a single ecosystem where young people can access education, sport, creativity, and global opportunity in a structured and sustained way.
Vezokuhle’s story is the full arc of the MAD scholarship model in action:
- A high-potential learner is supported through school and university
- That learner becomes a values-driven leader
- That leader builds a self-sustaining engine of opportunity for hundreds of others
From a shack to a fully-fledged creative multimedia hub in Langa, Vezokuhle is proof that an investment in one MAD scholar can ripple out to transform an entire community.
This is the impact your support makes possible – one scholar at a time.
Support a MAD Future Leader – R67 or R670 per month helps expand access to education and opportunity. 👉 Donation link