Koko Khoza

Born and bred in a small town in KZN, Empangeni; Kholeka “Koko” Khoza always knew she wanted to entertain the world given her bubbly and out of sorts character that was visibly clear that she is different from her very Zulu Christian family.

Koko did not immediately start in the film and television industry; her parents refused her then dream to be an actor and she went to the University of Johannesburg where she studied BCom Marketing for 6 months then dropped out without telling her parents. She moved back to KZN to take a gap year and returned to Johannesburg to do 3 short courses at City Varsity Braamfontein: TV presenting, Acting for Camera and Scriptwriting. Koko loved scriptwriting more than being in front of the camera and decided to enrol at City Varsity the following year to study a degree in film and television techniques. Koko went on to graduate in 2019 majoring in Directing, Producing and Scriptwriting with distinction.

Koko got her first job on set during her second year of varsity, doing continuity for It’s Okay, We’re Family (Endemol Productions) and Guilt (Coal Stove Pictures). In her final year of varsity, she juggled: writing and directing her final year grad film, school and working on set for Coal Stove Pictures on a more permanent position between being a second AD and production assistant for the first ever Ndebele series titled: Ikani. She also assisted on the award-winning film; Letters of Hope (Trial By Media); which was written and produced by her Scriptwriting lecturer.

After graduating at City Varsity Koko went on to work at Urban Brew Studios for Makoti S1 and then left to work at Bloom & Stone, both companies as a production assistant. This is until he got the call to join the MultiChoice Talent Factory South Africa internship (MTFZA), where she worked on a number of local productions and live shows such as: The Queen, Miss SA 2019, DMVCAs, Silwerskermfees, SWIFT: #ThatsNotOkay Campaign.

During her time in the academy, Koko also got the opportunity to Art Direct two films (Lerato Lethola Wena & Kuyafiwa Ezulwini) that aired on Mzansi Magic. The greatest and proudest moment for Koko was being able to direct and write her very first film; Ngeculo; which also aired on Mzansi Magic and is still the highest rated Mzansi film as it gained an audience of 1 million viewers.

After graduating in the MTFZA academy, within the thick of the pandemic she got a job to work on Legacy S1 (Tshedza Pictures) as a third assistant director. Koko earned her stripes and worked her way up from third assistant director to second assistant director and first assistant director on split units. The second season of Legacy was different for Koko as she went back as second assistant director and got the opportunity to be a director trainee and directed on the telenovela.

Koko has worked on a number of other productions after Legacy, such as: SAFTAS15, SAFTAS16, DMVCAs, Giyani, Real Housewives Of Johannesburg S3, Unstoppable Thabooty S1 & S2, Family & Rugby, Kings of Joburg S3, Umcelo, The Gram Ekhaya, Disney 100, Lion King30.

Koko has started her own company named; Handwritten Stories. As a storyteller and a creative, she wants to portray life through art; by telling original African stories. As a director she wants to achieve this goal through the lens that makes an audience part of the story and as a writer; tell stories that interrupt.

Koko does not call herself a filmmaker but rather a fool with a few stories.