‘A dream’: Botlhale Boikanyo reflects on her Soweto Derby performance [Video]
The 2026 Soweto Derby was held at FNB Stadium in Nasrec on Saturday, 31 October.
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Actress and poet Botlhale Boikanyo shared her excitement after taking her poetry to the Soweto Derby on Saturday.
Boikanyo shared a video from the event on social media, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to showcase her work at one of South Africa’s biggest sporting events.
Botlhale Boikanyo on her Soweto Derby performance
The TV star also shared that she had the honour of introducing French football legend Thierry Henry as he made his way onto the pitch.
“A dream! Yesterday, I got to take my poetry to the Soweto Derby,” she wrote, captioning the video.
Boikanyo said she travelled to the 2026 FIFA World Cup earlier this year “to champion the voices of women and girls in sport”.
She said performing at the Soweto Derby after the trip to the tournament felt like a full-circle moment.
“To now find myself on a stage of this magnitude, using my own voice to contribute to a moment in our sporting history, feels incredibly full circle,” she wrote.
She also highlighted the importance of creating space for poetry at major sporting events.
“I’m reminded that our voices can take us to places we never imagined, and that poetry belongs in every space where stories are being told and history is being made,” she wrote.
“Forever grateful for the work, the opportunities, and every stage that allows me to do what I love,” she added.
The 2026 Soweto Derby was held at FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg. Orlando Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1, with Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepang Moremi scoring for the Buccaneers. Pule Mmodi scored Chiefs’ only goal.
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About this article
- Length
- 279 words · 1 min read
- Published
- November 1, 2026
- Byline
- Lineo Lesemane
- Source
- The Citizen