She beams with excitement and confidence as she shows off a sparkling copy of a DVD that contains her work.

Meet Akhonamandla Ndlovu, a Grade 12 pupil at JZ High School outside Beit Bridge. She is only 17 and somehow managed to succeed where many aspirant filmmakers in the cut-throat filmmaking industry have failed.

Akhona, as she is affectionately known among her peers, has managed to blend her writing skills with her acting skills to come up with a 120-minute film on HIV and Aids. The film, which was recorded at Forsure Productions in Beit Bridge, is expected to be on the market sometime this month.

Akhona said that she started working on the script in January this year, with the help of her friend, Heither Ncube, leading to the shooting of the film in March. In the movie, entitled Or we die, Akhona plays the lead role as Andisiwe.

“It is my intention to teach everyone, especially youths, about HIV and Aids through the film. The disease has sadly become part of our daily lives. It doesn’t matter where you live, whether it is in Zimbabwe or South Africa; the disease knows no international boundaries.

“This film is therefore an attempt to trace how the spread of HIV and Aids is affecting and infecting everyone in our respective communities,” she said.

Akhona, who is a natural communicator, says she was inspired by her sister, Ayanda Ndlovu, a local gospel musician. “This short film will go a long way in educating people on the global effects of HIV and Aids, particularly the youths who engage in promiscuous activities. Everyone these days is talking about the deadly scourge, hence the need to educate people on the subject,” Akhona said.

The cast of the film is made up of pupils from JZ Moyo High School.

“I came up with this idea as a way of making social comment, and I am very happy for all those people who supported me throughout the production stage of this film. I have also started working on another film that will also centre mainly on HIV- and Aids-related issues, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases,” she revealed.

The project was funded by Akhona’s parents, who are based in Thohoyandou. Born on 29 October 1993, Akhona is the youngest in a family of four children.