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In this essential episode of, we sit down with Palesa Segomotso Motsumi, a trailblazing creative social entrepreneur and curator. She is the founder of Sematsatsa Library, a creative consultancy and curatorial agency based in South Africa. 

Palesa's work occupies a space where art, culture and technology meet - she uses dialogue as a tool for change, storytelling as social infrastructure, and uses feminist design thinking to reimagine how creative ecosystems on the African continent function. 

She shares her journey from the corporate grind to the world of art and social change in her hometown of Bloemfotein and major centers like Cape Town and Johannesburg. Through her groundbreaking work with Sematsatsa Library and projects like "Hashtag That's What She Said," a fundraising initiative honoring Black women in art, serve as radical acts of archiving, advocacy and community funding. 

This is a journey through the process of building cultural platforms, designing new futures and how to center equity in African storytelling. It's also a personal narrative that touches on how to balance between the need for financial stability while making a social impact. 

Highlights from our conversation include: 

-What  it takes to build a cultural enterprise outside South Africa's major creative capitals

-The role of dialogue as a form of social and political technology

-African feminist leadership and the art of curating safe, critical spaces

-The power of art and storytelling in funding and healing communities 

LINKS AND MENTIONS

Palesa's Social Media Accounts - Sematsatsa Library and Personal Profile

Lawrence Lemoana
Mary Sibande
Ruth Motau
William Kentridge
Zanele Muholi

Ibrahim Mahama

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