Isitha Sabantu

A fictional tale inspired by real-life South African eco-defenders, Isitha Sabantu follows two grandmothers – one elephant, one human – as they fight to protect their families and land from corruption and extravism. Brought to life by the award-winning company, Empatheatre, and featuring an all-star cast and creative team, the work blends research, poetry, puppetry, music and myth to explore courage, community and our deep connections with the land and our ancestors.
Age Recommendation :13 years and above
Empatheatre’s highly anticipated new work, Isitha Sabantu, is a story of courage, interdependence, and the love that binds humans, ancestors and other beings to the land. Inspired by the lives of real South African eco-defenders, the play follows Nomsa, a grandmother resisting corruption, and an elephant matriarch protecting her herd, as the land they inhabit changes through fences and mining. Their intertwined journeys explore land rights, extractivism, ubuntu and what we sacrifice to protect our homes. Blending puppetry, poetry and music, the play invites audiences to a world where justice is more than a legal ideal - it is a deeply ecological, spiritual, and communal practice.