A glorious past is nothing without an exciting future – and the key to that African future, I believe, was and is storytelling, writes Monde Twala.

Heritage celebrations and cultural milestones may come and go. Still, it is worth remembering the important significance of what present-day culture tells us about who we are while giving us a glimpse of who we can become.

Post these celebrations each year, most of us probably give even less thought to the various elements therein, those we have harnessed of our different cultures – from our clothing to our music and food – all are intrinsic to our heritage. 

These, as well as our language, our folktales, our rituals, our values and belief systems, are part and parcel of who we are; and, as such, hold a mirror to our past. But, at the same time, they reflect who we are right now and give hints as to who we are becoming.

That is what makes South Africa – and, indeed, the entire African continent – so exciting right now. We have a heritage and history that is incredibly rich and diverse; we are, after all, the birthplace of humankind. From the first discovery of an adult fossil, Mrs Ples, in Sterkfontein, to Miriam Makeba as the first female South African in history to win a Grammy, to now – you cannot write history without writing about Africa’s role in shaping it.

That is because…