Lebogang Matseke

Lebogang Neo Matseke is a Johannesburg-based author, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Her creative work is rooted in African cosmologies, ancestral storytelling, and reflections on identity, grief, and redemption. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film from Syracuse University in the United States, a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from India, and a BA in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Her debut speculative novel, Death Rattle (Mirari Press, 2026), tells the story of Kgosi Morabe — the cursed daughter of Death — who traverses the Afterlife to confront a legacy of betrayal, silence, and spiritual duty. Merging Yoruba and Setswana mythologies with post-apartheid South African settings, the novel explores what it means to carry generational wounds and the healing power of truth.

Lebogang is also the author of the novella Queen B.E.E., and her short film work, including Dear Whoever, Love Lebo and The Rain Queen’s Wife, has been recognised at international festivals for its emotional and cultural depth.

She believes that stories are spirit-work — a way to give voice to what history forgets, and to honour the echoes that still walk with us.