Actress Khabonina Qubeka empowers students through movement and dance
She is Khabonina with the cuteness and a body that's tightness.
Known for her dance moves, flexible body and an impressive acting portfolio, she is no stranger to the spotlight.
She joined season two of the highly-rated Shaka iLembe Mzansi Magic show, playing the complex role of matriarch, Queen Ntombazi - a mother, queen, and the voice of the Ndwandwe family.
Before this massive role, actress, choreographer, and philanthropist Khabonina Qubekha (44) was focusing on fitness, health and motherhood.
But the one that has been most dear to her heart is running the Khabonina Foundation.
Full of energy, motivated, and high-spirited, Khabonina has been dancing since she was a teen and shared stages with the likes of Lebo Mathosa and Somizi Mhlongo.
She still doesn't miss a beat, instead, she has taken her energy and put it behind helping young children at schools through her foundation.
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Her very first project was with Tshepong Stimulation Centre in Katlehong – a centre for children with profound intellectual disabilities. Khabonina and her team supported the caregivers and helped raise funds for a much-needed new classroom.
'It was such a humbling and powerful start,'she says.
Earlier this year, she visited Eqinisweni Secondary School in Ivory Park, Midrand, with the 'Best of Me' confidence-building programme.
'We met these incredibly talented Grade 12 learners whose performances brought tears to our eyes. They had such powerful stories and used theatre to express their hopes and struggles. Moments like those remind us of exactly why we do this work. So far, we've touched the lives of over 5,000 learners in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.'
She started studying Dance Movement and Teacher Training more than a decade ago, which covered everything from child psychology to African dance, anatomy, and even arts management. That knowledge led her to create EduDance, which is about using dance, music, and rhythm to teach kids academic concepts and social values.
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'I'd create lesson plans and visit schools twice a week, seeing firsthand how much children blossomed through embodied learning. But over time, I noticed a big problem: many schools, especially those in our townships and rural areas, were cutting physical education and even guidance classes because of budget cuts.'
That's when she wanted to become a bridge for learners who had no one to talk to.
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'Whether it was their parents or teachers, I'd be there. By 2020, it was clear this needed to be more formal, more organised. And that's how the Khabonina Foundation was born.'
She has never received formal funding; however, she keeps going despite many challenges.
'I've funded most of our work from my own pockets. But the passion, the sheer will, has kept us going.'
She plans to launch an EduDance Early Childhood Development programme in Thornhill, Eastern Cape.
'This will also include teacher wellness and teen mentorship programmes. Our goal is to support not just the school but the wider community around it. Followed by the launch of our Kouga programme, where we have several big community building projects planned.'
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