MEET OUR FACILITATORS
The John Kani Performing Arts Academy (JKA) is proud to partner with some of South Africa’s most respected and award winning practitioners in the creative arts. These facilitators are not just instructors – they are artists and leaders whose work has shaped our cultural landscape. Every course at JKA is taught by a specialist with deep expertise and ongoing relevance in the field.
Atandwa Kani
Actor, Writer, Storyteller, Text Interpreter
Atandwa Kani is a Naledi Award-winning South African film, television and theatre actor whose career spans stages and screens locally and internationally.
He made his international stage debut in the Baxter Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Tempest, playing Ariel alongside his father, Dr John Kani, as Caliban and Sir Antony Sher as Prospero. His performance earned him a Fleur du Cap nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Atandwa went on to win the 2013 Naledi Theatre Award for Best Newcomer/Breakthrough Actor for his portrayal of Thabo Mbeki in Rhetorical. His theatre career has since included productions such as The Miser, directed by Sylvaine Strike; Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, directed by Dr John Kani and performed in New York and across South Africa; The Island; A Kid Like Rishi in New York; Othello, directed by Lara Foot; and Faustus in Africa, directed by William Kentridge.
On screen, Atandwa portrayed a young Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, directed by Justin Chadwick, alongside Idris Elba, Naomie Harris and Terry Pheto. His television credits include Life Is Wild, The Book of Negroes, Kowethu, 90 Plein Street, Generations, Muvhango and It’s Complicated.
In 2018, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Black Panther, portraying the young King T’Chaka alongside his father, who played the older T’Chaka.
Atandwa also starred in the film adaptation of Can Themba’s The Suit, which won the 2017 SAFTA for Best Short Film and screened at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and Urbanworld Film Festival in New York.
Beyond performance, Atandwa is a writer and co-wrote and published the play Hayani with Nat Ramabulana. His writing also includes After Tears.
He holds an Honours degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master’s in Performance from New York University. His approach to his craft draws on professional experience and training gained across South Africa, the United States and international stages.
At the heart of Atandwa’s work is a belief that an artist’s learning never ends. He is passionate about creating spaces where performers can play, explore, rediscover and strengthen their craft — from preparation and text work to understanding the different demands of theatre, film and television.
