Every great award night has a story. Few are as inspiring as Yamkela Tywakadi’s. She is a writer, editor, and visionary whose children’s book Sanda Makes Some Money captured the nation’s heart and earned her top honours at the 2025 National Arts and Culture Awards.

Her victory was more than applause and recognition. It celebrated a woman determined to transform the landscape of children’s literature. She crafts stories that delight, empower, and leave a lasting imprint on young minds.

A Win with Meaning

Sanda Makes Some Money is not just a charming tale , it is a story that teaches while it entertains. Through its characters, children learn lessons about financial literacy: how to save, how to spend wisely, and how to dream responsibly. Tywakadi’s book plants seeds of possibility, giving children the tools to imagine, create, and navigate the world with confidence.

By honouring this work, the National Arts and Culture Awards shone a spotlight on a vital truth: children’s literature matters, and women like Tywakadi are leading the charge to ensure it receives the recognition it deserves. For Tywakadi, the award was more than a personal milestone — it was a mission realised.

With warmth and passion, she shared: “I’m so excited for this award because people usually don’t focus enough on children’s books. We need to give this category a lifeline, to make sure the stories we tell our children are celebrated and cherished. Reading to our little ones is one of the greatest gifts we can give them , it opens their minds, sparks their imagination, and teaches them about the world in ways nothing else can.”

“Every child deserves to see themselves in books and to dream beyond what they think is possible. This award is not just mine, it belongs to every child whose imagination we can ignite, every parent who reads along, and every storyteller daring to make a difference.”

In her words, she becomes more than an award-winning author, she is a guardian of imagination, a superhero for children’s minds, and an advocate for the transformative power of reading.

Beyond the Page

Tywakadi’s impact extends far beyond this single book. A multilingual writer working in English, isiXhosa, and isiZulu, she has created a catalogue of stories that centre African children and their experiences. Her debut novel, Andingombala Ndingumntu, has been adopted into Grade 9 classrooms, while her Sanda Money Series, published through her imprint Lulo Africa, continues to redefine what children’s literature can achieve. She also serves as a senior commissioning editor at Sifiso Publishers and founded Blank Page Edu, which develops mobile apps and board games to make learning interactive and fun. Recognised as one of Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans, Tywakadi is part storyteller, part entrepreneur, and part cultural changemaker.

On awards night, her presence on stage was electric. This win was not just about a book or a prize; it symbolised the space she has carved for women in a genre too often overlooked. Her victory spoke to every young reader discovering themselves in stories, to every aspiring writer dreaming of being heard, and to every community that believes creativity and culture can shape the future.

Tywakadi’s win is more than recognition , it is affirmation. The National Arts and Culture Awards have crowned more than an author; they have honoured a woman whose words are opening doors, shaping young imaginations, and proving that children’s literature is a force capable of inspiring a nation.

Yamkela Tywakadi is not just writing books, she is writing futures, building bridges between imagination and empowerment, and reminding us all that the smallest readers can inspire the biggest change.