A year in to VERVE, it isn’t hard to find the people that make up and curate the cultural scene of the city. One could even say that we’re tapped in.

When we started though, it wasn’t quite as simple. There was a lot of sliding into DMs, a lot of approaching people at events, and even more scrolling on Instagram to fine tune our algorithm.

Pretty Girls Like Events was a little bit of all of those things. I was introduced to GHXST by Themba Hadebe (ever a plug for the culture), and we exchanged numbers. A few months later she invited me to a Pretty Girls pop up at Yours Truly. While I didnt actually make it to that event, the feed had appeared on the timeline and I hadn’t actually known that she was one half of the duo behind it.

As time went on and their second screening came around, I reached out again to learn a bit more about the platform and the intention motivating the event, and now screening, series.

The poster for the upcoming screening at The Pink Room

So tell me how did Pretty Girls Like Events start?

GHXST: “Pretty Girls Like Events started about May/June last year. I had just won the AYEPYEP Cape Town Resident DJ Search. I felt I still had to prove myself in the "scene" - we had been knocking on so many doors prior to the competition but even It was quite difficult to get a foot into a lot of the spaces around the city.”

“The chat was still “We can't book you yet, you’re still an unknown DJ, you need more followers etc.”. There were certain places I couldn’t play at, and those are the places I wanted to be playing at. There are certain places you have to play at to reach a new or bigger market and we were not getting any open doors.”

“Some random day we were chilling at a random Italian restaurant in Melkbosstrand. It was one of them days where we were debriefing from the weekend and the past few months, chats we usually have. But that day it just clicked - lets just throw our own parties. Book ourselves, put ourselves on, put on people we admire and keep it moving. And that’s how Pretty Girls was born.”

“We also realised that you can really only build with the people around you. It's still quite difficult to find people you click with AND can work with.”

Buhle: “- and like especially people engaged in this narrative right, that whatever is already happening, it’s okay that it's happening. Not challenging the status quo. Tapping into people who are in it, but are saying “ah ah, this aint it”. Those are the people we need.”

“Another part of the reason we got into this was the fact that venues around Cape Town, people just do what they know. If you’re an Amapiano spot, that’s all that you are. You and your friends just do that. You’re living in isolation and that’s all that you can appreciate.”

“Why would you do that? It’s like an algorithm, that’s what they’re already doing to us. Why would you box people in even further? So the movement is about unboxing people musically, and culturally. Expanding, to whatever beauty is formed from that, whatever that means.”

The poster for the Pretty Girls Klubhouse Takeover last year

GHXST: “Yeah music is a big part of this thing. It's the core. It brings everything together.”

“Also when I started playing at these venues and those are the places I wanted to be playing at, I would look at the lineup and I couldn't understand why I would be the only girl in a lineup for moooonths. They’re a bit better now, but there are so many talented DJs that don't get the space to do their thing.”

Buhle: “For me coming from the nightlife space for almost 10 years, I’ve experienced a much gentler time when there are mostly women, or femme presenting individuals, involved. So much calmer, less drama. The music is calm, the people are enjoying themselves. That’s what we are trying to accomplish with some of the spaces we're able to curate a vibe for.”

So you guys are behind the movement then? Tell me about yourselves.

Buhle: “I’m just a guy that’s into events. Well cultural stuff - cultural production. Producing things that resonate with bringing certain cultures together harmoniously, using music as a tool. That’s what I’ve been doing for a while.”

“I’m originally from Joburg, I’ve been in Cape Town 2 and a half years now. We met in Joburg, I was playing at some party and the artist that GHXST was managing was playing at the same party.”

GHXST: “I’m from the Eastern Cape. I went to school here, finished matric here in Cape Town then I went to Varsity in Joburg. My consciousness was awakened when I moved there.”

“My entry to creativity was through acting and theatre. That was a childhood dream of mine and now that I was in the City Of Gold, I was going to pursue it. Around my 2nd year varsity I started DJing on virtual DJ. I'd found a home in Jozi's underground music communities.”

“I was always that friend on aux and had started a playlist blog called "MUSICHITSTHEGROOVE" so DJing only made sense. DJing helped connect me with event producers and other artistic rebels in the city. So yeah that's me. DJ, entrepreneur, actor & cultural producer.”

You’ve spoken about community and culture. Would you frame yourselves as cultural curators?

Buhle: “I think that’s the aim right? Because I always believe that with any experience there is a culture that emanates from that. We all bring it, and something new comes from that. I think that’s the goal with every interaction that we have at our events.”

GHXST: “Decorating time, that’s what we’re doing.”

“I’m also coming into this as a fan. I was also the biggest fan of incredible women like Nandi Dlepu, all of that. Beacuse how are you doing such amazing and impactful work? It’s kinda crazy that I’m here now hosting events. Now I’m on the other side of it. I’ve gone from attending spaces to holding spaces.”

What has the movement been like since you guys started? Moving through the spaces and the community?

Buhle: “Moving through this city is of course tough. There are a lot of blockages, from every direction. Be it your exes or people that wanna be your exes, even though I don't have exes or people who don't like you for no reason. So it’s been interesting also to find people that are willing to hear us and give us a chance. Our trajectory has mostly been CBD based though.”

GHXST: “This past year has just been about laying down the foundation. I’m looking at the people that come, and it’s my homies bro. People just come and chill. I was even shocked to see someone that came again for like the third time.”

Buhle: “You might doubt it, but people also want a difference. That difference that you seek, people also are also craving that same thing. I think what we also forget - us having 300 followers, for me that’s a huge thing. When you nurture that and really take care of that, it's way better than getting the plug through other ways.”

GHXST: “I think that’s the thing that’s driving me, I’m also learning how to enjoy myself. Yeah we’re hosting, but we’re also meeting the people, fostering that community.”

Pretty Girls Takeover at Yours Truly, shot by @sowetanbuddy

Okay so tell me then about Pretty Girls Like Film, how did that start?

GHXST: “That’s me, that's my baby. I do have a history in acting, and I’d love to dabble in it again. I’m a lover of stories - it's just that part of me that I can’t let go. So while that isn't a part of me that I can access creatively right now, I figured why don't we screen films, and why don't we screen films by women?”

Buhle: “Celebrating all their efforts - It doesn't matter where they come from, or who is gonna be a part of the panel discussion, but their contribution is what matters.”

GHXST: “A lot of the filmmakers also don't get to screen their films much, so that’s been amazing to see. It’s gonna be cozy vibes. Date night type ting, got some music playing, some conversations, and a new feature this time around will be poetry as well.”

“It’s been interesting for us navigating the film space.”

Buhle: “It’s even a bit overwhelming, because it’s a big space. We’re still only scraping the surface of it.”

“South Africa is the starting point, but African Stories are the main goal. That's what we’re working towards.”

So this is the second Pretty Girls Like Film screening coming up. How did the first one go?

GHXST: “The first one shocked all of us. We filled The Pink Room, people were packed all the way to the back of the space.”

Buhle: “It was something that we didn't cater for at all. We thought we were just gonna do it for just nje.”

GHXST: “We planned that one in a week! So for this one we're a bit nervous, especially on my end. But we cooked, and it's going to be a good one!”

Okay so for the next question, let's talk about the culture. How would you define the word?

Buhle: “I feel like culture is all our life experiences, brought together. We are individually cultural, and then when we bring all of that to a space - it's low-key uBuntu. That's what culture is. Even in the public space, in the entertainment space, in whatever space, we need to to just be that.”

GHXST: “For me, it's weird. I always think of culture like - like there’s life happening right. We go to work, we go to school, bla bla bla. But then there are people who are doing something completely different, selling sneakers, thrifting, sharing music, holding space.”

“Because that’s how it was for me. I was just living life, and next thing I was suddenly a creative and a part of ‘the culture’.”

Buhle: “There is no culture that we’re intending to set. You can’t create culture. You can only create a platform where people can come together with their individual cultures, and that’s where culture is born. Whatever that is, for that moment, for that space.”

For the last question, what is your opinion of the current cultural landscape of the city, and where do you see it going from here?

GHXST: “I think it's a good time to be in Cape Town right now. A very good time.”

Buhle: “A good time to be a disrupter of the culture. People are so bored, we see it every night. People are yawning, they're trying to make themselves happy by drinking an entire bottle of Don Julio, and that isn't going to help.”

“But I feel like we’re seeing more people disrupting the culture, just doing stuff.”

GHXST: “I think it's a good time to be in Cape Town right now. A lot of creatives are outchea doing their thing. You gotta know your people. Find your people, lock in. Coz it can get tricky, very quickly.”

Pretty Girls x O’Ntanga, shot by @vuyopolson

I also manged to chat to Junior from O’Ntanga, who collaborated on the screening, and ask him a few questions about the event:

Who is O’ntanga and how did they come to collaborate with Pretty Girls for the film screening series?

“O'ntanga Productions is a production company focused on youth empowerment within the film industry. The company aims to bridge the gap for less privileged artists into the industry while creating a community of talented disrupters. Our collaboration with Pretty Girls was born out of both entities having a shared interest in putting on and platforming young filmmakers in emerging spaces. GHXST approached us with the idea and from there PrettyGirlsLikeFilm was born”

How do you guys go about selecting the films? GHXST mentioned African Stories by female filmmakers, but are there any other qualifying criteria? I noticed at the last screening there was quite a diverse selection.

“So the main criteria is finding films that are womxn led and are within the African context. We also try to make sure all selections meet a good visual and audio standard. Beyond that we try to just have as wide a range as possible, just to showcase the different stories and forms within film there are to find and be appreciated.”

What are you guys hoping to encourage in the industry by presenting these screenings?

“We would love to create a platform for filmmakers to be recognized and empowered by means of work/employment opportunities and also aiding in creating new networks among up and coming filmmakers, so that they we can all create opportunities and communities for us by us. We also hope to show the industry the plentiful undiscovered talent that's waiting to break into the space”

As a self-proclaimed cinephile, I was in my element at the screening (and not just because it was a VERVE networking hub).

The night opened with poetry, interspersed with vibes curated by Buhle, followed by a selection of four 10-15 minute short films

After each of the short films my rapt attention was on the panel discussion featuring the filmmakers or cast, which enriched the whole experience, and I found myself in more than a few conversations afterwards breaking down the films we had just seen.

Do yourself a favour this Friday and if you are going to step out in the brisk winter weather, head down to The Pink Room at Gorgeous George to experience the curation and community of the PrettyGirls and O’Ntanga.

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