Kedibone 2020

Kedibone Manemala, Natasha Thahane, a young woman from Orlando East, Soweto, has just finished secondary school and dreams of pursuing university in the city. Her plan is suddenly challenged when she discovers that her aunt Maguata, with whom she lives, would rather have her working at a supermarket than attending an expensive university. Maguata has sunk the money saved for Kedibone’s tuition into a Ponzi scheme called Hope of Glory, and she encourages Kedibone to join her at the Checkers store where she herself works. With only a few days left before the new academic year begins, Kedibone must urgently chart an alternative path to fund her studies and avoid losing her chance entirely.

Her longtime boyfriend, Mrembula, steps in with a drastic measure to help. He sells a vintage BMW he inherited from his late father for 25,000 ZAR, hoping to cover Kedibone’s tuition and keep their future within reach. Kedibone also lends 5,000 ZAR to her best friend Gheminah, who is pregnant but eager to start university alongside Kedibone, adding another layer of risk to their already fragile plans.

When Kedibone arrives at university, she and Gheminah struggle to adjust to a new environment far from home. On-campus housing proves elusive, and they are eventually offered a dilapidated room by an eccentric acting professor, a stark departure from the life they envisioned. Inside the halls of the college, they encounter Tanya, a popular and influential student who notices Kedibone’s striking hairstyle and begins to show an interest, marking the beginning of a new social dynamic.

As Kedibone navigates this unfamiliar urban landscape, she becomes captivated by a sense of independence, glamour, and sophistication that seems out of reach in Soweto. She clings to a personal vow to remain abstinent until marriage, but the pull of a city’s temptations grows stronger. In a bid for financial independence, she takes on a variety of jobs, and one lead ushers her into a party scene where drug use appears. This exposure sets off a chain of reckless choices, each one pulling her further from the values she once held dear. Meanwhile, Mrembula remains behind in Soweto, working twice as hard for their future, largely unaware of the double life Kedibone is leading—though he can feel the slightest, uncertain benefits from the choices she makes away from home.

Gheminah’s sense of unease deepens as Tanya’s wealthy father begins courting her with expensive gifts and cash, a dynamic that unsettles the young woman who still longs for stability and a chance to pursue education. Kedibone’s new circumstances also draw attention from Tanya’s father, and the young woman finds herself facing morally ambiguous relationships that challenge her resolve. The tension thickens when Msithi, Mrembula’s best friend, uncovers Kedibone’s secret involvement with Tanya’s father—referred to by some as “the pimp daddy”—but chooses not to reveal what he knows to Mrembula, preserving a fragile balance in the couple’s history and loyalty.

Throughout this journey, the story threads together themes of ambition and responsibility, loyalty and deception, and the seductive lure of money and status against a backdrop of an evolving urban landscape. It is a portrait of a young woman on the brink, caught between the expectations of family and the pull of a city that promises everything and demands a price.

The film features a strong ensemble that grounds Kedibone’s experience in a tangible community. The cast includes Kenneth Nkosi, Busisiwe Mtshali, Thabo Malema, Thami Mngqolo, Wright Ngubeni, Matli Mohapeloa, Kwezi Ndlovu, Tessa Twala, and Melvinah Eheli. Each brings depth to a story that refuses to shy away from hard choices or the complicated realities of pursuing a dream in a world where opportunity and danger often walk hand in hand.