Young Author Thandeka Makhubu Shares How the Youth Can Rewrite The Current Narrative Surrounding Them

Young Author Thandeka Makhubu Shares How the Youth Can Rewrite The Current Narrative Surrounding Them

To be part of the youth in South Africa means being stuck at a crossroads of unemployment and an uncertain future. Some either follow the road that leads them nowhere, while others make a way for themselves.

Auckland Park-bred author Thandeka Makhubu is one of those who have gone against the grain. Having matriculated in 2021, she has already published her debut novel, Where We Belong (2022), which dissects the tragedies of toxic masculinity and the lost stories of boy children.

“I wanted to write from the perspective of a boy because it was more authentic. I realised that more about the male experience could be explained and shown by a male speaking and taking the narrative lead than by a female. This is because if it were a female, they’d be a separate entity from the guy and be able to observe, at most, only the things the guy shows externally and says out loud. What about the parts that he controls and does not tell anyone about?” she said about her first book.

Thandeka Makhubu Speaks About Her Book

Having caught acclaim from media personality Somizi and Dudu Busani-Dube, author of the best-selling Hlomu series, the book proves to be more than just about the untold stories of young boys. It is about being a voice for the voiceless.

Even though the focus of her novel is the brokenness of masculinity (or its lack thereof), her way of thought goes beyond, with her admitting that the youth as a whole aren’t properly catered for and there aren’t a lot of authentic stories that truly represent the young people.

“I think a lot of things I see in mainstream media are American products, and I wish that more South African youth would put effort into writing about their experiences and the things they see around them. Getting together to support more of our authors, podcasts, filmmakers and designers. As South Africans, we need to start researching our version of pop culture. We need to tell the world about ourselves and not just create opinions about other people’s ways.” she said.

Thandeka Makhubu | SUPPLIED

Making something out of nothing is an uphill struggle for the youth, who battle an ever-increasing unemployment rate. As much as Makhubu admitted that support is critical so that the youth can get a morale and creativity boost, she conceded that a mindset shift is just as important, in particular, going from being consumers to being actual producers.

“I think we could try to calibrate ourselves to be producers instead of consumers, and we should use platforms like Instagram as windows to the world. Everyone is trying to do something. Supporting each other and making sure to consume from and circulate money with people around is important and a good start.” she said, reiterating that to be a dynamic youth takes overcoming the influence of consumerism culture.

Apart from her writing exploits, the writing prodigy is also hard at work pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Johannesburg. When asked what words kept her motivated, words to share with other youth out there, she answered: “Don’t stop working hard on something just because of hiccups. Wait till you find the answers and continue.”


Connect With Thandeka:

Instagram: @thandeka_writes
Email: thandekam_writes@outlook.com