Poetry flows from Ntsako’s veins

Those are the sentiments of Ntsako Baloyi from Ga-Maphalle village in Bolobedu.
‘Ntsako the Poet’, as he is affectionately known, has a huge compilation of poetry which he has written and performed since 2015.
He told the Herald that he was inspired to do poetry by other popular poets such as Ntombi ya Mutsonga.
“Although I started by doing English poems, I later also wrote in Sepedi.

“My hope is that I can give hope to others through my work.
“At first it was hard to do poetry in a deep rural village where there are no successful poets.
“I had to be focused and to never allow people’s opinions deter me from following my dreams,” he said.
He is currently a third-year student at Tshwane University of Technology, where he is doing a Bachelor of Education.

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He says after completing his studies, he would like to publish his poetry in a book.
His advice to other aspiring poets is to understand that the journey is not easy, but to face your fears head-on.
“I remember when I didn’t win my first poetry competition, I was heartbroken and discouraged, I felt I wasn’t good enough.
“However hard work built my confidence and has brought me to where I am today,” he added.

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His mother, Minkateko Baloyi, says he has always been a disciplined and well-mannered young man.
“We only started realising that there was more to this after he won several competitions.
“As his mother, I would like to wish him well on this journey,” she concluded.