Siyanda Kobokana Image: Supplied

University of the Western Cape (UWC) PhD candidate Siyanda Kobokana is currently in Paris on a prestigious research-creation residency hosted by IFAS-Research, Fondation Fiminco and EUR ArTeC. His work focuses on developing “ecological listening” as a new method for understanding climate change and its impact on communities in spaces such as Mthatha and KwaZulu-Natal.

Kobokana’s project builds on the sonic and sensory foundations he developed under the supervision of Dr Aidan Erasmus, who guides him in sound history and sensory memory, and Professor Sisanda Nkoala, whose expertise in media rhetoric shapes the communication and media dimensions of his work. Their combined mentorship has anchored his research at the intersection of sound, media, climate justice, and digital humanities. 

As part of his doctoral studies, Kobokana is affiliated with two research chairs at UWC – the Human and Technology Chair at the Centre for Humanities Research and the Media Diversity and Inclusion Chair. This dual affiliation is rare and reflects the multidisciplinary nature of his work. His residency in Paris aligns strongly with UWC’s internationalisation goals as outlined in its Institutional Operational Plan.

During his residency, Kobokana had the opportunity to guest lecture at the University of Paris 8, an institution known for its leftist intellectual heritage. For him, lecturing there felt like a full-circle moment, given UWC’s own tradition of critical, left-leaning scholarship that shaped his early intellectual life. 

His work is also gaining continental recognition. Kobokana recently presented at an international workshop hosted by the Nigerian Academy, and he is the first Anglophone student ever selected for this Paris residency programme. This milestone has opened the door to another historic shift: he will soon host a BarTec session - traditionally offered in French - in English and in isiXhosa for the first time.

Siyanda Kobokana Image: Supplied

His upcoming sound exhibition draws on isiXhosa interpretations of climate change, shaped from township understandings in Zwide and Kwazakhele in Gqeberha, where he was born. By blending isiXhosa with other languages, he brings township knowledge of ecological change into a traditionally Francophone intellectual space, marking a groundbreaking moment for ARTEC and for multilingual African scholarship in Europe.

Kobokana’s academic achievements are deeply tied to his personal journey. He grew up in Kwazakhele, in an environment marked by poverty, crime and limited opportunities. He is also a recovering addict, now more than two and a half years clean, having survived a near-fatal overdose that left him in a coma. Through a 12-step recovery programme and his rebaptism into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he has rebuilt his life with purpose and clarity. 

Today, Kobokana is one of UWC’s emerging young scholars expanding how history and climate knowledge are approached - centering listening, sound, touch and language as tools for understanding the world. His work echoes the calls of a generation shaped by Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall, continuing the push for knowledge that is just, grounded, and responsive to the lived realities of ordinary people. His journey reflects the spirit of UWC: rooted in community, shaped through struggle, and unafraid to imagine new futures.