TRAILBLAZING FILMMAKER NCEBA MQOLOMBA INSPIRES AT EASTERN CAPE FILM EXPO
- ECDC - Eastern Cape Development Corporation
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
His extraordinary love and passion for the artistry of storytelling through visual and moving images has defined a trailblazing filmmaking career for independent producer and director Nceba Mqolomba.
Speaking on Day 1 of the Eastern Cape Film Expo at Joza Township’s Youth Centre in Makhanda, Kariega’s Mqolomba shared with a captivated audience the ins and outs of the film sector, his life experiences and what it took for him to stand out in a fiercely competitive industry.
Of course, few are better placed to speak authoritatively on the industry than Mqolomba whose career is itself a showcase of an enviable list of critically acclaimed and successful film projects.
His incredible career includes stage managing household shows such as the Joy of Jazz, Arts Alive, Jazz on the Lake and Africa Day.
As if that were not impressive enough, he has produced immensely popular shows of the early 2000s such as reality show All You Need is Love and Khumbulekhaya both screened on SABC. He has also produced eTV breakfast show, the Toasty Show and the 13-episode Total Soccer on the same station as a build up to the 2006 Soccer World Cup held in Germany.
He has also produced music videos for South African music icons such as Ringo Madlingozi, Watershed, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, kwaito star Kabelo Mabalane’s video which won at the South African Film and Television Awards, Afro Soul singer and song writer Zonke, and for the late TK among other projects.
He’s worked with top international production companies on films such as the Last King of Scotland, The Amazing Race, and on international French and Canadian production called Dr Lucille Teasdale.
In 2022, at the Zanzibar International Film Festival, he did a South Africa Day where he screened six South African films, three from the Eastern Cape, and four which were produced by women. This led him to being invited to the 28th edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival in 2025 for a panel discussion on a Pan African film business model for Africans.
His latest work is EC Skills 10 which is a selection of 10 short films, one of which, Zania, was screened at the Eastern Cape Film Expo. EC Skills 10 is funded by the presidential employment stimulus package through the NFVF and the ECDC. A total of 320 people were employed for EC Skills 10 with 250 being up and coming filmmakers who were upskilled and trained.
