Durban, South Africa — In a heartwarming moment that captured national pride, veteran South African actress Leleti Khumalo recently shared a serendipitous encounter with President Cyril Ramaphosa as she departed for — and later returned from — the prestigious Golden Nymph Awards in Monaco.
Khumalo, celebrated globally for her iconic role in Sarafina!, had been traveling to attend the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, where her latest short film, Don’t Give Up, earned the coveted Golden Nymph Award for Best Creation (Fiction). Produced by acclaimed filmmaker Anant Singh, the powerful short film tells the moving story of a homeless mother struggling to survive on the streets of Johannesburg with her two young sons.
In a touching Instagram post, Leleti Khumalo reflected on her surprise meeting with President Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport, prior to her departure:
“I had the pleasure of bumping into our President upon our departure to Monaco. We were travelling to different countries, but were scheduled to be on the same flight. We had a great conversation, and he also wished me great luck for the awards and my nomination.”
The story came full circle when Khumalo and the President found themselves on the same flight once again on their return to South Africa — this time, with Leleti carrying her hard-won trophy.
“To my surprise, we bumped into him again on our return to South Africa – on the same flight again – but this time I had the award with me. It was truly an honour to show him the award and how well South Africa had been represented at Monaco,” she added.
President Ramaphosa, returning from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada, later shared his pride on social media platform X (formerly Twitter):
“On my travels to and from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada, I had the good and proud fortune of bumping into our veteran star performer Leleti Khumalo at OR Tambo International Airport. Leleti did have something to declare — she’d returned from the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco, where she and acclaimed film producer Anant Singh had won the prestigious Golden Nymph Award for their work on the short film, Don’t Give Up, which portrays life on the streets of Johannesburg for a begging mother of two.”
“I congratulate Leleti Khumalo and Anant Singh for flying our flag and for spotlighting one of our nation’s socio-economic challenges.”
Don’t Give Up is a searing, emotionally charged short film that unflinchingly shines a light on the daily struggles of Johannesburg’s most vulnerable citizens. Through Khumalo’s gripping performance and Singh’s direction, the story transcended language and borders to earn international acclaim and ignite conversation on the realities of homelessness, poverty, and resilience.
This encounter between the President and one of South Africa’s most revered performers is more than coincidence — it reflects the power of South African storytelling, and the unity between leadership, culture, and society.
As Leleti Khumalo and Anant Singh continue to elevate local narratives onto the global stage, their win is a beacon of inspiration for South African creatives, proving that stories born on the streets of our cities can move the hearts of the world.
