Draft:Twin Mosia

Twin Mawela Mosia (born 17 July 1984) is a South African museum curator and Mosotho cultural activist from Mamafubedu in the Free State. His grassroots work focuses on historical preservation, heritage tourism and knowledge dissemination.

Twin Mosia
Twin Mosia (right) with a Wikimedian at the Wikimania 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa
Born	Twin Mawela Mosia (1984-07-17) July 17, 1984 Mamafubedu, Petrus Steyn, Free State, South Africa
Nationality	South African
Education	Isizwe Setjhaba High School
Occupation(s)	Museum curator, cultural activist
Years active	2010s–present
Organization	Rhino Heritage Park
Known for	Founding the Elandskop Museum Reenactment of the Anglo-Boer War Reenactment of the Free State-Basotho Wars
Notable work	Elandskop Museum, Rhino Heritage community park development
Awards	National Heritage Council Golden Shield (2016) Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans (2017) South Africa National Kudu Award (2017) Heritage Association of South Africa (2016) News 24 100 Young Mandela (2018)

Mosia made headlines in 2014 for his participation in reenactments of the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) and the Free State–Basotho Wars (1858–1868), notably becoming the first black South African to take part in such reenactments, challenging the traditional racial exclusions from these historical narratives. He began participating in the war reenactments in 2013 after he met Dr. Van Zyl at the Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein, who encouraged him to pursue his passion for history and heritage, and he became known as the first black South African to portray roles in these kinds of reenactments.

Early life and background

Despite facing harsh socio-economic challenges, including living in a shack, Mosia has become a local hero Petrus Steyn for his work in reenacting South African historical wars, founding a virtual museum, and launching conservation and arts projects to uplift his community.

Born and raised in Mamafubedu, Mosia developed a deep interest in South African history and culture from an early age, and his passion for heritage and storytelling would later develop into the prominent role of preserving historical and cultural heritage of his Basotho community.

Career

He first worked as a gardener in Vereeniging before becoming a miner at Anglo Platinum in Mokopane. He then moved to Kolomela Mine at Postmasburg before quitting in 2015 to focus in heritage and museums.

Through reenactments, educational programs, and digital exhibitions, Mosia has brought awareness to underrepresented narratives in South African history, particularly the role played by Black South Africans.

Museum and heritage work

Mosia is the founder of the Elandskop Museum, a heritage initiative based in a vandalised Transnet train station that he aims to transform into a national heritage site.

He first gained recognition through his participation in reenactments of the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) and Basotho Wars (1858–1868) — becoming one of the first Black South Africans to portray these significant historical events. His work highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Black people during these conflicts.

Twin Mosia with Wikimania 2018 participants in Cape Town.

In 2013, Mosia met Dr. Van Zyl at the Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein and from there realized his dreams as a heritage preserver. In 2015 Mosia was invited to give a lecture at Sol Plaatje University and recruited the students to feature in a documentary shot at the Magersfontein battlefield. He has since been featured in two documentaries in the Netherlands Op zoek naar Goede Hoop:From Cape Town to Johannesburg: the young creatives defining their post-Apartheid South Africa (2017) which was shown at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Mosia is an alumni of the 2018 Global Cultural Leadership Programme held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2018 and in Brussels, Belgium in 2019. Organised by Goethe-Institut in partnership with the Cultural Diplomacy, European Union, British Council, BORAZ Centre for Fine Arts Brussels, EUNIC Global, European Cultural Foundation, and Institut Francais, the Global Cultural Leadership Programme brought 40 world young cultural leaders in arts, heritage, culture, museums, environment, films, theater, and music together to discuss pressing global issues and possible solutions through networking, partnerships, and meaningful collaborations.

He is also an American Express Academy for Emerging Innovators 2019 alumnus held in Nairobi,Kenya and lastly the Independent Curators International - Curatorial Intensive 2019 held in Cape Town.

Community impact

Through his NPO, Rhino Heritage Park, Mosia is also developing a 12-hectare community park on neglected land near a local dam, once used as an illegal dumpsite. The park aims to conserve local wildlife, flora, and bird species while also serving as a creative and economic hub for locals.

In 2024 Mosia was appointed to serve on the Free State Provincial Heritage Resources Authority council and to advise the MEC of Free State Sports ,Arts,Culture and Recreation.

Awards and achievements

• National Heritage Council Golden Shield Award 2016.
• Heritage Association of South Africa Gold Medal 2016.
• South African National Parks Kudu Award 2017.
• Mail and Guardian 200 Top Young South Africans 2017.
• News 24 100 Young Mandelas 2018.
• Presidential Award 2018.
• The Young Independents SADC Top 100 of 2018: Trailblazer.
• Eco Logic Award 2018.
• Inside Education 100 Shining Stars 2020.