Phoebe Mgxaji: Curro alumni takes centre stage

30 April 2025

 

Curro Somerset West alumna Phoebe Mgxaji is fast becoming a name to remember. She recently won the Elizabeth Connell Competition for Best Vocalist and performed in Vrouestemme: Voices of Power alongside South African icons such as Corlea Botha and Edith Plaatjies.

Her journey, however, started long before the spotlight found her.

 

Finding her voice at Curro

Phoebe joined Curro in Grade 9 through a Ruta Sechaba Foundation scholarship awarded for academic performance. Soon after, she became involved in Curro Create – the acclaimed national platform that supports young creatives across Curro schools.

‘Curro saw something in me long before I saw it in myself,’ says Phoebe. ‘Through the Ruta Sechaba Foundation and Curro Create, I was given the space to dream, to fail, to rise, and to become who I am today.’

In Grade 10 she was selected to perform in KrypCon, a Curro Create showcase. It was her first time singing in front of an audience. In 2020 she starred in From Broadway to Bird Street, a Curro Create production aired on DStv over two years, performing alongside Timothy Moloi, Corlea Botha, and Lynelle Kenned.

Phoebe’s leadership skills also stood out. As Head Girl of Curro Somerset West in 2021, she led the school’s Spotlight production, which earned recognition in the Curro Create National Youth Theatre Festival.

 

 

Strength on stage and screen

Phoebe earned Best Actress in the One Act Play Festival and was named runner-up in the #Straight2Camera Monologue Festival. These achievements built her reputation as a rising actor in South Africa.

She also found success in music. Her win at the Elizabeth Connell Competition affirmed her place as one of the country’s standout vocalists. Performing in Vrouestemme allowed her to share the stage with some of South Africa’s most celebrated artists.

 

 

Beyond the arts

The prodigiously talented Phoebe also won silver in Biomedical Science at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair and went on to represent South Africa at the 39th Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. Her academic and creative strengths continue to open doors.

She is currently pursuing a BA in Music at Wits University and is showing what is possible when learners are given the platform to grow.

To explore more about how Curro Create supports young creatives, visit Curro Create.

 

Watch Phoebe's debut performance: