Cultural Renaissance Warrior: The Inspiring Journey of Audrey Kozwane Skhosana

Audrey Kozwane Skhosana is a South African Culture Preservationist, Musical Artist, Fashion Designer/Stylist, and Youth Empowerment Activist. She is a multi-talented individual who has dedicated her life to preserving and promoting the traditional heritage of her culture. In this article, we will delve into Audrey’s journey, challenges, initiatives, and advice to those interested in pursuing a career in cultural preservation.

Audrey’s journey started with her desire to preserve her roots and pass on the raw knowledge of her culture to her children and grandchildren. She began researching her roots and practicing praise poetry. This led her to embrace her culture by wearing her significant attire, which initially faced criticism from social media critics. However, Audrey’s strength is in not allowing criticism to shake her, and she continued to do what her heart and her Gods desire.

To promote the use of artistic talents through poetry, Audrey established the AK Poetry Sessions platform that focuses on IsiNdebele poetry and music performances. It is an opportunity to provide grand employment opportunities to the enthusiastic artists in the craft, especially the youth, women, and people living with disabilities. The AK poetry session hosts live poetry evening experience events once a month, but due to lack of funds, it now hosts three times a year, including special tributes such as “Tribute to Women edition” in August and “Heritage Tribute edition” in September. The goal is to preserve the IsiNdebele language and empower all genders equally while decreasing the high unemployment rate.

Audrey’s hunger for language preservation and not being afraid to explore her capabilities is what inspired her to become a musical artist. She started getting feature proposals to do poetry and praise poetry on musical instruments when she ended up having interest in writing and recording music. This led to the creation of her iconic hit, GanuGanu.

Audrey’s participation in the Miss Indoni Cultural SA 17/18 competition was motivated by her desire to learn more about the cultural aspects and what it means to be iNdebele. She learned that authenticity acknowledges that you will be for some people, not enough or too much for others, but none of that should have any bearing on how you express and live in your truth.

Audrey believes that digital marketing and the use of social media can help to preserve and promote cultural heritage. Almost everything is rotating through social media; therefore, transporting the ancient truths of our collective past and birthing them into our future digitally is how we should celebrate and preserve our indigenous heritage.

Audrey is also a fashion enthusiast who incorporates her traditional designs into the sense of style that she has. She balances her various creative pursuits through consistency in every task that she implements.

Audrey’s advice to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in cultural preservation and promoting traditional heritage is to never be afraid to explore their capabilities and run their race. They should understand that they are their own competition and focus on their lane. They should run at their own pace, and intervals are necessary but should never allow spectators to distract them because the victory is theirs.

In the near future, Audrey is implementing a Youth Development through Culture and Creative Arts sector called SIYARHAYA. It is a project that entails what she aspires to be in the next few months. Audrey will be diving deep into the arts and entertainment industry this year and starting a new small business venture for a balance. Audrey Kozwane Skhosana is a true inspiration to many who aspire to preserve and promote their cultural heritage. She has faced challenges, but her strength, consistency, and determination have propelled her to greater heights. Her initiatives, such as the AK Poetry Sessions and SIYARHAYA, provide opportunities for youth empowerment and cultural preservation