YOUTH MONTH
This Youth Month, we're celebrating students who are driving positive change on campus, in their communities and beyond. Through their leadership, compassion and commitment, they are helping to build a better future for South Africa. These profiles highlight the impact and energy of a new generation of changemakers at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU).
Likhona Tokota, a music performance master's student at SU, is making waves in the music world as a gifted tubist. But he also embodies the spirit of paying it forward. After benefiting from the generosity of individuals who supported his training as a young musician, Tokota is now using his talent to serve others. He teaches brass instruments to learners in underserved communities, helping to build confidence, connection and creativity through music.
Born in Gugulethu, Cape Town, to Philiswa and Luvuyo Tokota – with roots in Cofimvaba and Tsholomnqa in the Eastern Cape – he was shaped by his mother's early words: “Education is freedom, and music is part of our identity."
Melanie Fryer, his mother's employer at the time, facilitated Tokota's enrolment at the Beau Soleil Music Centre, aged eight, where he started with mastering the cornet. Shy and withdrawn, he struggled with confidence and commitment. But when a tuba was needed, everything changed. “I was a plump kid and liked the size of the tuba," he laughs. “Then I heard the sound – it resonated with me, physically and emotionally."
Finding his voice through music
Carrying the bulky instrument on public taxis was tough, but Tokota persevered. Under the mentorship of his first tuba teacher, Shaun Moir, he excelled, becoming Beau Soleil's lead tuba player and earning the Matric Prize for Most Promising Music Student in his Grade 12 year.
Tokota's talent was noticed by the brass lecturer at the Music Department, Pamela Kierman, who recommended him for a bursary from the Wheatfield Trust. The Trust was managed by Stemray Lesch, husband of Felicia Lesch, coordinator of the Certificate Programme (CP) of SU's Music Department. This allowed Tokota to complete his schooling in Cape Town and continue his CP studies in Stellenbosch, where he was taught by the late Sean Kierman, legendary South African brass educator.
“Sean was a mentor beyond the tuba," Tokota says. “He taught me discipline, critical thinking, and to see music as a lifelong journey." In March 2024, Kierman facilitated the donation of a tuba from a former student, Tobie van Heerden, once principal tuba of the now-defunct National Symphony Orchestra. This overcame a major financial hurdle for Tokota, as the tuba is prohibitively expensive in South Africa.
During his CP studies, Tokota was awarded the Albert Engel Prize, named after the late Albert Engel, SU's first full-time brass lecturer. The prize honours students who embody Engel's spirit of excellence and community service – qualities Tokota exemplifies both in his studies and in his teaching of others. In 2023 Tokota also received a Rector's Awards for Excellent Achievement in the category for Academic Excellence Achievement in Arts and Social Sciences.
Bringing music to new ears
Today, Tokota carries this legacy forward by teaching tuba, euphonium and trombone at the Ronnie and Eileen Music Project in Kuils River every Saturday morning, as well as at Durbanville High School and the South African College High School, where he nurtures the next generation of brass talent.
Music has the unique ability to bring people together, Tokota believes. “Whether it's singing in a choir or playing instruments in ensembles or socially sharing music, these shared experiences create bonds and foster a sense of belonging."
As a musician, he strives to break down barriers and build community. “I try to use my teaching and outreach work to make brass more accessible and to encourage people from all walks of life to get involved. Whether it's through workshops, mentoring or just being present in different spaces, I want to help make the brass community more inclusive and connected."
In 2024, he was selected by the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival to job-shadow Prof Mark Hampson (from the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf), leading to a trip to Germany and Switzerland in April 2025 for lessons and ensemble work with Hampson, Hugues Spielmann, and Anne Jelle Visser.
As an ad hoc tubist, Tokota has performed with the Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic and Free State Symphony orchestras. As soloist, he has played with the SU and Johannesburg Philharmonic orchestras and at the recent Classics for All Festival in Greyton, he received a standing ovation for his performance of “Fnugg" with the WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
He credits his journey to his mother's determination, his teachers' dedication and his own hard work. While others socialise, Tokota spends long hours practising. “You don't need to have everything," he says. “Just one or two people to believe in you – and the will to believe in yourself."
His message to aspiring musicians is that your background should not determine your future. “The music world needs your voice," he says.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
GRAPHIC: Geola Bergman
?
