Duma Ndlovu is a poet, journalist, playwright, director, producer, born and raised in Soweto, Johannesburg.
He cut his teeth in professional theater in New York at Roger Furman’s New Heritage Theater, in Harlem, where he staged and produced some of the top plays of the time. He was co-producer of WHEN CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST, which launched the career of Denzel Washington, and also produced WOZA ALBERT and Asinamali, at Roger Furman, giving America, its first glimpses into South African township Theater. He went on to produce WOZA AFRIKA, a Festival of South African plays at the Lincoln Center Theater in 1985, a festival which became the precursor of SARAFINA, the hit Broadway production to which Mr. Ndlovu was associate producer.
He has been credited with the cultural revolution that saw South African theater and music becoming the main aspects of the performance stages in the US in the mid to late 80’s.
He has written a number of plays both in the US and South Africa. SHEILA’S DAY, his maiden play, which paid homage to his mother and domestic workers all over the world, ran off-broadway in the US for almost four years. It had been first produced at Rick Khan’s CROSSROADS theater, in N ew Jersey.
His other theatrical writing/directing credits include; BERGVILLE STORIES, THE GAME, THE RITUAL, THE JOURNEY and MEMEZA, based on the life of Brenda Fassie, which is still a work in progress.
His television credits include the long running successful, soapie/drama MUVHANGO, which he conceived and created, currently in it’s 8th season on SABC - 2
He is also the South African casting director for Disney’s THE LION KING.
He is married and has six children.
In everything he does he always acknowledges his father and Steven Bantu Biko as major influences in his life.