Johannesburg Circus Programme Opens Paid Work Pathways for Young Performers

A circus programme in Johannesburg is helping performers from under-resourced communities develop professional skills and find paid opportunities in the performing arts.

The initiative involves Jozi Circus School and The Cirk, which provide training and support to artists from communities including Alexandra township. Participants can later work as instructors or secure paid roles with production companies and The Cirk.

From township talent to professional work

Performers recently staged an animal-free circus show in Johannesburg featuring choreography and acrobatics on silks and hoops. Brian Ngobese, a 29-year-old performer who grew up in Alexandra, appeared as a little star travelling through oceans, fantastical lands and fiery fortresses.

Ngobese said the circus had given him a stage, a livelihood and a way to turn his talent into work. “We just want to show people that we can make it out of the township,” he said.

His development was supported through Jozi Circus School’s youth programme, which provided training and transportation assistance. In 2019, after auditioning as a dancer for a Joburg Theatre production, Ngobese was invited by The Cirk to stay and train.

He recalled his first encounter with circus performers as an unexpected turning point. “Cirk was like an adventure,” Ngobese said. After seeing performers flying, he asked, “Is this what they’re doing here?” He later decided: “Okay, this is life. I’m like, ‘Let’s go for it.’”

Building skills for sustainable careers

Professional circus work requires years of preparation to develop strength, flexibility and discipline. The programme is intended to sustain itself through training, performances and other circus work rather than depending entirely on outside funding.

Some participants move into teaching, while others take paid assignments with production companies or The Cirk. Ngobese and Zenzele Letsoela, a 38-year-old dancer and aerial performer from Alexandra, combined dance with circus skills and began attracting attention beyond the school.

Letsoela trained in ballet and pantsula, a fast-paced South African township dance style. During the show, he performed as a magical tree while being hoisted about two metres above the stage, despite his fear of heights.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve learned to overcome my fear of heights, but I’ve learned to work around it,” Letsoela said. “People don’t see that I’m actually nervous going into the air. I look very comfortable.”

He added: “And I’m like, if only you guys knew, I am dying inside.”

Opportunity amid high unemployment

Alexandra is one of Johannesburg’s most densely populated townships and is described as facing high poverty and unemployment despite its proximity to Sandton, a major financial district known as the “richest square mile in Africa.”

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has said many young South Africans remain unemployed rather than moving into informal work. Statistics South Africa recorded unemployment of about 45% among South Africans aged 18 to 34 in 2025.

For Ngobese, the opportunity offered by circus extends beyond performance. “What you want to accomplish, you can actually make it,” he said.

He also credited The Cirk with helping him form a close bond with Letsoela, describing his fellow performer as “another brother I didn’t know I actually needed in my life.”