Experience the moving theatre play that has been captivating audiences around South Africa, The Last Country, at The Market Theatre this May.
For eight years, the play has been performed to sold-out venues in Durban, including theatres, hostels, schools, universities, churches, taxi ranks, and community halls. It even played at the 2024 National Arts Festival. The play has now made its way to Johannesburg.
It draws attention to the difficulties faced by migrant women after they reach the city, giving us a peek of the realities of how they are often mistreated - a reality we often choose to turn a blind eye to.
It is based on the lives of four women: Ofrah from the DRC, MaThwala from Ndwedwe in KwaZulu-Natal, Aamiina from Somalia, and Aneni from Zimbabwe. Mpume Mthombeni, Faniswa Yisa, Andile Vilakazi and Nompilo Maphumulo play these characters.
The women share their painful experiences that forced them to leave their homes, including poverty, war, and injustice.
Coming to Durban to seek a better life, the women face the realities of living in a foreign land which has its own struggles.
They are often victims of xenophobia and are often forced to embrace injustice. They also deal with the complexity of language barriers, find themselves living in unimaginable conditions, and fight for crumbs while trying to make the best of whatever situation they find themselves in.
The play even shows the struggles that women from rural areas within South Africa face when they migrate to the cities to make a living.
With many migrants living in the different cities within South Africa, the play plays a vital role in shaping attitudes toward them. It offers clues into what everyone can do to make a positive change and how our cities can be friendlier.
The play's opening took place on Friday, 16 May at The Market Theatre’s Mannie Manim.
The room was packed to capacity as people of different races came together to watch the play that moved the audience, with some even crying during the play.
The heartwarming and captivating play raises the importance of ubuntu, kindness and justice, and is worth watching.
Catch it at The Market Theatre from 15 May until 1 June 2025.
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