“Before 1994, many South Africans used theater as a voice of protest against the government. But with the end of apartheid, like the artists who watched the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe, theater had to find new voices and search for new issues.”

South African actor and playwright

John Kani is a South African actor and playwright. Born Bonisile John Kani, he is known for his screen roles in films such as Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, The Lion King, and Murder Mystery, and for his work in theatre during the apartheid era. He co-wrote Sizwe Banzi Is Dead in 1975 with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona, and also performed in it. His career spans stage and film, with work that has connected him to both anti-apartheid theatre and major popular screen productions.