Music, NOT Medals: Akani Mboweni Earns Gold on the World Stage

Music, NOT Medals: Akani Mboweni Earns Gold on the World Stage

Turn up the volume and get ready to cheer! Our luminary vocal sensation, Akani Mboweni in Grade 11, has taken the world by storm, and she is not stopping anytime soon.

Following a sensational winning streak at the South African Championships of Performing Arts (SACOPA), Akani earned her coveted spot on Team SA 2026. During the gruelling month of July, she traded Pretoria for the neon glow and bright lights of Las Vegas to compete against the globe’s finest at the renowned World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA). Flying the South African flag high, Akani delivered a series of breathtaking, showstopping performances, advanced to the finals, and brought home WCOPA Gold!

Her international momentum has only continued to surge. Riding high on global acclaim, Akani unlocked another massive milestone: qualifying for the elite Global Performing Arts Tournament (G-PAT) at Emperors Palace. Beyond the competition arena, she was invited to grace the stage as an exclusive guest entertainer at the G-PAT Investor & National Directors launch dinner, followed swiftly by a guest appearance at the South African Revue Championships.

We sat down with our vocal dynamo to reflect on her gold-medal run, her time under the Vegas spotlights, and the grounding philosophy behind her craft. What follows is Akani’s rich reflection:

The Foundation of an Artist: Years in the Making

“The national team list for the World Championships of Performing Arts was released in November 2025, giving me just under 9 months to prepare for this prestigious competition. Despite having only a few months until the actual competition, my preparation to compete on such a large scale started years prior, through my cultural endeavours. The opportunity to sing with other learners in St Mary’s Singers, conducted by the phenomenal Mrs Lhente-Mari Pitout, as well as being a member of the University of Pretoria Youth Choir have shaped my love for choral music. Learning from my talented vocal coach, Ms Nanette Ras has developed my musicality and created opportunities for me to participate in various solo vocal competitions, which built the confidence I needed to participate at WCOPA. During the St Mary’s DSG major production, The Bloom, being the lead role, I worked closely with Mrs Spies and Mrs Purchase to perfect my stage presence and delivery for any kind of performance.  Since the team announcement, the most important aspect of my preparation was prioritising my mental and physical wellbeing while being intentional about not putting any unnecessary pressure on myself. To work through the nerves that come with such a remarkable opportunity, I focussed on building healthy habits which make me happy and keep me grounded. Going on walks with my siblings, prioritising my spiritual wellbeing, as well as spending time with family and friends, are a few of many ways I avoided feeling burnt out. The unwavering support from my parents and mentors played a key role in helping me deliver my absolute best performances. I am blessed to have enjoyed every step of this journey by being reminded to make the most of this experience, regardless of what the outcome might have been. Learning to take control of the thoughts that shape my perspective was one of the biggest reasons I was able to make it this far. To keep this experience enjoyable for myself, every day I would remind myself that competitions are a way for me to share my gift with others because I love music—not medals.

On the first day of the competition, the opening ceremony included large parades of all the participants and supporters. Seeing a cultural overlap between over 50 different countries at once was so surreal and undoubtedly the most beautiful event I’ve ever been part of. That moment was one of many throughout the competition that left me in awe as I realised that, despite these thousands of contestants being national representatives of so many countries, WCOPA is truly about bringing together people from all over the world to celebrate our shared love of the performing arts on one stage.

Being exposed to people from different walks of life, who have different cultural perspectives, and even some people who I hardly understood due to language barriers, reminded me just what a blessing it is to have music. Music is a universal language that we all understand, not always through words but through its impact on our feelings. This experience helped me grow in so many ways. From learning how to write and produce original works, to working with Grammy Award-winning vocal coaches, and even simply observing other performers, there was always an opportunity to learn something new. This experience highlighted what a privilege it is to have access to the resources that keep the performing arts alive. Having the honour of competing at world level made me all the more grateful for the St Mary’s culture department and South Africa’s investment in the arts.

I encourage every student to take more risks. Putting your talent out into the world, waiting to be judged, may seem intimidating, but I cannot stress how life-changing these experiences are. Being recognised at the highest levels for the time and effort poured into your passion is a feeling far too rewarding to convey in words. Investing in the arts and exploring your creative passion will open the most unexpected doors and create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for you. While the road to your personal definition of success may seem long and daunting at times, your mentality is what will make or break you as a performer/artist. One must be patient in understanding that obstacles are an unfortunate yet unavoidable part of life in general. Investing in this journey will not only take your creativity to the next level but also shape your character and strengthen your relationships with others. Over time, resilience is built by learning to take rejection as redirection. A growth mindset is developed by seeing each failure as an opportunity to grow. Last, and most importantly, every step of the way brings you closer to finding yourself and defining your role in society as a creative individual. Remember that no dream is too big to achieve through God and sincere, hard work.”

Thank you for your candid report, Akani. Your entire school community is bursting with pride. We celebrated your selection for Team SA, cheered your world championship gold in Las Vegas, and continue to applaud you as you captivate audiences on South Africa's most prestigious stages. With your powerhouse vocals, signature artistry, and remarkable humility, you truly embody the spirit of St Mary’s. Keep shining, keep soaring, and bring the house down!