Gcina Mhlophe

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Records

Gcina Mhlophe's achievements are remarkable for their breadth and impact. She has received five honorary doctorates from institutions across South Africa and the UK. Her play Have You Seen Zandile? is prescribed at three universities and has won multiple international awards. She was named to the BBC's 100 Women list in 2016 and has been recognized as a "Mother of the Nation." Her birthday is celebrated as National Storytelling Day in South Africa, a rare honour that speaks to her cultural significance.

AwardsGcina Mhlophe has won numerous awards for her storytelling and acting. She received an OBIE Award for Best Actress in Born in the RSA and a Fringe First Award for Have You Seen Zandile? at the Edinburgh Festival. She also won a Joseph Jefferson Award, a Sony Award for the BBC radio adaptation, and a South African Music Award for her CD Stories of Africa. Her lifetime achievements were recognized with a SAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Honours & Distinctions

Honorary Doctorate

Durban University of Technology·2022

Awarded for her contributions to storytelling and literacy.

Honorary Doctorate

Nelson Mandela University·2018

Recognized for her work in arts and culture.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Fort Hare·2015

Honorary doctorate in literature.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Pretoria·2013

Honorary doctorate for her literary contributions.

Honorary Doctorate

University of KwaZulu-Natal·2010

Honorary doctorate for her work in arts and culture.

Honorary Doctorate

University of London·2008

Honorary doctorate for her contributions to literature.

National Storytelling Day

Government of South Africa·2019

Her birthday, October 24, designated as National Storytelling Day.

Mothers of the Nation

Charlotte Manya-Maxeke Institute·2022

Recognized alongside Nokukhanya Mdima-Dube and Nicky Newton King.

Rankings & Lists

#Listed

BBC 100 Women

BBC·2016

Records & Feats

First South African to have a national day named after her

Cultural Recognition·2019

Her birthday was designated as National Storytelling Day in South Africa in 2019.

Most honorary doctorates for a South African storyteller

Academic Recognition·2022

Received five honorary doctorates from universities in South Africa and the UK.