Palesa Buyeye

For Palesa Buyeye, 28, storytelling is more than a passion — it’s a tool for healing and social change. Palesa always knew she wanted to act, write, direct and own the stories that reflect her community. Today, she is the founder of ABOW Productions, a PR and production house that champions African stories with global appeal. From client relations and concept development to directing, budgeting and shooting, Palesa’s hands-on approach reflects her commitment to building an independent creative legacy. In 2024, her short film Nokuthula Is Missing — tackling gender-based violence — earned the prestigious JCS International Young Creatives Award from the International Emmys. The achievement reinforced her belief that “the world is looking to Africa for stories — and now is our time”. Her written work has also left its mark: her monologue Blame,  exploring similar social themes, was published in Between The Pillar and The Post, the Market Theatre’s first-ever anthology. Through projects like The People and Mental Health and Siyagowa But We Come Back,  Palesa continues using her voice to spotlight women’s empowerment, mental health and healing.

• Studied up to part of second year towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Law at the University of Makhanda (formerly Rhodes University) before transitioning to the arts.
• Advanced Actors Course – completed six-month programme at Indigo View Advanced Actors’ Academy.
• Acting and Writing Workshops – participated in multiple industry workshops to develop performance and writing skills.
• Industry Experience – gained substantial education and skills through hands-on work in journalism, PR and the film industry, including writing for Sunday Times, Okay Africa, Sowetan, SMag and Marie Claire.
• PR intern for the Africa Rising International Film Festival.

• Winning the 2024 JCS International Young Creatives Award, presented by the International Emmys for the short film Nokuthula Is Missing, was a career-defining moment. Being recognised by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences so early in a career was beyond a dream coming true. This reinforced the importance of African stories and the fact that the world is watching Africa. It proved that there is creative excellence on the continent and that now is the time to tell African stories on a global stage.
• Being published in the Market Theatre’s first-ever anthology series, Between the Pillar and the Post, for the monologue Blame, which became an officially recommended piece for theatre and performance auditions at Wits University, was another milestone. Both projects explore themes of gender-based violence, aiming to start conversations about the epidemic, give voice to the voiceless and foster healing. These successes demonstrated the multidisciplinary nature of storytelling and its ability to entertain, educate and create impact simultaneously.

My mother is an icon of a single mother and a hustler of note. She gave me a life like no other and is my biggest supporter. I grew up seeing her start businesses, build communities, fall but always get back up. She has always, and continues to, inspire me to reach for the stars. She taught me that everything is possible. I am inspired by black women storytellers such as Michaela Coel, Issa Rae and Oprah, to name but a few. They are black women who have carved a lane for themselves even when the world told them they could not. Locally, I have recently been inspired by Anele Mdoda, founder of Rose and Oaks and executive producer of the Academy Award-nominated The Last Ranger. She reminded me that being a global filmmaker and storyteller is something possible in our time.