Who Writes Our Stories – We Do

Reflections from the A! Writers Hub

As we remember Authors Day, I often think of the many authors who inspired us to take up the written word – whether as a form of protest, healing, rethinking narratives, or documenting our times. These are the people who paved the way for us to hone and pursue our own writing journeys.

I reflect on my own beginnings – reading Wilfred D. Best’s Students’ Companion, a well-worn book passed down to me by my parents from the 1970s, which threads together the English language through antonyms, proverbs, and degrees of comparison. It sparked my curiosity for words, from Roald Dahl in primary school to writers who later reflected our shared history and lived experiences, such as Mam Sindiwe Magona, Steve Biko, Dr. Motsoko Pheko, and many others.

It was only later that I discovered writing as a tool – for healing, exhaling, outlining, communicating, and fighting. For the longest time, I viewed writing as a passive form of activism. Many activists stood at the frontlines of struggle, while I was the folded-armed critic, calling writers “armchair revolutionaries.” Until I became one myself.

In serving our communities, we fill multiple roles – organisers, campaigners, listeners – each role woven into stories. We witness the journeys of those before us through what they archived, their thoughts and interpretations of lived experiences.

Documentation became central to my activism. I remember seeing a book titled Fees Must Fall at a Van Schaik bookstore in 2016, while our campus was shut down. As I wrote in my first blog post in 2017, I marvelled at that cover – not out of envy or awe, but out of fear and wonder. I looked at the author and thought, “Who writes our stories?” I have never put the pen down since.

Today, as I document communal joys and struggles, I do so amid the tide of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with AI urging the exchange of authenticity for data. Despite adapting, I cling to the voices of our people -those often reduced to data points but never truly seen in history.

I stand in the gap of the voiceless, through the gift and responsibility of writing. I choose to be the output of many people’s thoughts and silent utterances – a vessel carrying the journey of our lifetime. It isn’t perfect, but it is archived. And that means it will be remembered.

As we remember the scribes and storytellers, we honour the platforms, people, and spaces that continue to nurture and amplify our voices.

And so, in this continuum of memory and imagination, I turned to others who centre this gift as a call to serve remembrance – writers who understand that storytelling is both an expression and a duty. Members of the Activate! Change Drivers Writers Hub – each carrying their own archive of struggle, tenderness, and writing as a tool of resistance.

I asked them to reflect on their journeys, the intersections of their writing and activism, and what it truly means to archive our generation’s heartbeat.

Ntsiki Khunju – Writer, Child Protection Advocate, Women’s Rights Activist

Looking back, I’ve come to realise that storytelling has always been at the heart of my activism, long before I even identified as a writer. My defining moments were born out of witnessing and experiencing social injustices that demanded to be named and challenged. Writing became my way of documenting pain, resilience, and transformation. It was through words that I learned how to channel emotion into purpose and reflection into action.

As I grew as an activist, I began to understand the power of narrative, how stories could move people to care, to listen, and to act. Storytelling gave my advocacy both depth and humanity. It allowed me to shape my voice not just as a protester against inequality, but as a creator of hope, context, and understanding. Through my writing, I’ve learned that social change begins with the courage to tell the truth and to tell it beautifully.

Being part of the Activate! Writers Hub has been an extraordinary gift. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have my writing skills fuelled and sharpened through this remarkable program. What makes this journey even more meaningful is that I never anticipated the level of exposure my work would receive simply through being affiliated with such a respected and vibrant network.

My advocacy through writing has reached heights I never imagined. The Hub has amplified my voice, broadened my audience, and positioned my work within national conversations about social ills and affairs. It has also strengthened my credibility as a social justice advocate, helping me secure opportunities that now weigh heavily and proudly on my professional profile.

One of the most significant milestones made possible through this network has been the opportunity to enrol in a Citizen Journalism Course with the University of the Witwatersrand, an accredited and highly respected academic institution. That experience deepened my understanding of responsible reporting, narrative ethics, and the power of informed storytelling in advocacy.

Beyond professional development, the Hub has enriched my network and my spirit. The collaborations, conversations, and relationships I’ve built with like-minded changemakers have reaffirmed the beauty of collective purpose. I am truly grateful to belong to a space where growth, creativity, and justice coexist in such a powerful way.

To me, archiving our generation’s heartbeat means preserving the truth of who we are and what we are fighting for. It’s about ensuring that our stories, our struggles, triumphs, movements, and moments are not erased or misrepresented by others. Archiving our heartbeat is a declaration that we were here, that we spoke up, and that our words carried both memory and momentum.

After Ntsiki’s words, I am reminded that every writer carries a different instrument. Thato’s is steady – forged by community, by the sound of meetings, gravel roads, and laughter that insists on hope. Through his writing, memory takes on muscle.

Thatoyaone Moepetsane – Creative, Community Leader, Filmmaker

My journey as a writer and activist seems to have been inspired by my experiences as a community leader and my desire to make a positive impact. My involvement in student movements, such as the Congress of South African Students, and my role as a Director of Thato Digital Solutions, have likely shaped my voice and approach to advocacy. My writing often highlights social issues, like the pothole-ridden road between Wolmaransstad and Schweizer-Reneke, demonstrating my commitment to using storytelling for social change.

Being part of the Activate! Change Drivers Writing Hub has likely had a significant impact on my activism and personal growth. As a member of the 2018 cohort, I have been part of a community that empowers young people to drive change through storytelling and activism. This experience has honed my writing skills, broadened my perspectives, and connected me with like-minded individuals who share my passion for social change.

To archive our generation’s heartbeat means documenting the stories, struggles, and triumphs of our time. It involves capturing the essence of our experiences, hopes, and fears, and preserving them for future generations. As a writer and activist, my work embodies this concept, as I use my writing to tell the stories of my community and bring attention to social issues that need to be addressed. By doing so, I contribute to the archive of our generation’s heartbeat, ensuring that our stories and struggles are not forgotten.

Then comes Thabisile – her words arrive like a drumbeat. Radiant in conviction, robust in intellect, and radical in their insistence that justice must be seen, not just spoken. Her writing reminds us that storytelling is not merely reflection – it is rebellion in motion.

Thabisile Miya – Writer, Governance & Public Policy Researcher, Activist

As someone who works at the intersection of digital media and advocacy, I’ve often felt frustrated by the barriers that prevent ordinary citizens from fully participating in policymaking, particularly on issues that affect their daily lives. Whether at the local or parliamentary level, policymaking has become disconnected from people on the ground. This has led to skewed processes where some voices have been hollowed out or are entirely absent. South Africa boasts a history of civic engagement and involvement, whether through protest or imbizos. This culture, however, has diminished, and young people, especially, are growing deeply apathetic and disillusioned with issues that closely affect them.

Therefore, writing for me is about bridging this gap, centring the issues of those who are never part of the conversations. This means writing on the struggles of volunteer food handlers in precarious work conditions who earn less than minimum wage yet are doing the important work of caring for and feeding children in schools, or the farm workers whose health is threatened by exposure to pesticides as a result of back-breaking work in vineyards and farms. When policies such as not banning the use of pesticides are made, we hardly connect the resulting consequences and their impact on these communities. Or earlier this year, when the VAT hike was proposed, we often do not connect the dots on how regressive tax policies impact low-income communities.

In that sense, I have realised that policymaking and advocacy can be merged through storytelling that paints the picture of the human condition. My writing is grounded in that principle.

I have been able to find confidence in both my voice and style of thought leadership. I work at the nexus of complex social justice issues, and it’s so easy to feel despair when social change is not achieved through active campaigning and advocacy. Writing has been able to ground me and serve as an outlet to voice my community’s frustrations in a manner that is informative but also compels readers to act.

This means being at the centre of telling stories that move young people. Often, our stories get told on our behalf, and the media hub plays a central part in giving young people back their voices and securing resources for us to tell our stories from our own perspectives.

In closing, we write – even when our voices tremble. To write is to resist forgetting. It is to declare that our people, our language, our truths are not disposable. In a world that too often misnames us, we have chosen the pen as our act of resistance – our proof of life.

Who writes our stories?

We do.

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About the Author:

I’m Aphelele Mtwecu, a proud member of the Activate Change Drivers Network and a 2016 Activator. I am a 33-year-old ambivert who works as a content writer, activist, and creative. My true passion lies in youth development, transformation, and making a meaningful impact. Every day, I encounter the world seeking healing, innovative solutions, and fresh methods to drive social change on my personal journey. My work and advocacy reflect my unwavering commitment to fostering positive change.