The stage at the Wits Linder Auditorium belonged to Nova Pioneer’s learners on Saturday, 19 September 2026. At the second edition of Nova Pioneer’s Got Talent, young performers from across the school network’s South African campuses shared their music, dance, poetry and other creative work with families, educators and fellow learners.
The evening celebrated the performances and the work it takes for a young person to reach that stage. Each act represented hours of preparation, a willingness to try something difficult and the courage to share it with an audience.
The primary school winners were Cherry Sparkles from Nova Pioneer Midrand Primary: Hope Majong, Kwande Mgandela, Nkanyezi Mdletshe and Zinathi’ntsikelelo Motla. Miyelani Mdhluli of Nova Pioneer Ruimsig Senior won the senior school category, while Oratile Mateane of Nova Pioneer Ormonde Senior was named runner-up.
At 14, Miyelani chose poetry to address gender-based violence. Her performance described the lengths a girl must go to in order to stay alive. The subject was painful, and her telling of it was clear-eyed. In a country where young people live with the consequences of violence, her poem asked the audience to hear that reality in a young girl’s own words.
Miyelani’s performance showed what can happen when learners are trusted with a platform and the freedom to use it meaningfully. Across the evening, other performers brought joy, humour, energy and imagination to the same stage. Together, they gave the audience a fuller view of the young people growing within the Nova Pioneer community.
A judging panel comprising visual artist and filmmaker Justice Mukheli, singer and songwriter Nanette, and actor, voice artist and educator Lesoko Seabe recognised the learners’ performances. Current Novaneer Ryan Matande and Nova Pioneer alumnus Reabetswe Moleko kept the evening moving as the event’s MCs.
Nova Pioneer’s Got Talent is one of the network’s hallmark programmes. It brings learners from different campuses together and gives them an opportunity to develop their abilities beyond the classroom. Performing before an audience calls on them to practise, collaborate, recover from setbacks and communicate with confidence. Those experiences matter wherever their interests lead them.
For the Nova Pioneer community, the evening offered the privilege of discovering more of who these young people are becoming. Families saw talents that may have been quietly nurtured at home. Fellow learners saw the courage it takes to step into the light. In moments such as Miyelani’s performance, the audience was reminded that listening to young people means making room for the truths they need to tell.
That is the hope behind Nova Pioneer’s Got Talent: that learners leave with the confidence to keep creating and the courage to let their voices be heard. Although the winners took home the honours, every performer left with something of lasting value: the experience of stepping forward, sharing their talent and discovering what they could do.
