His business is to inspire young authors
MDANTSANE pastor and published author Sebenzile Zinganto is on a mission to inspire the youth to tell their stories through books.
Zinganto, who runs his own publishing company, Searchlight Press, said writing had always been his passion and when he could not find a publisher for his first book in 2008, he decided to start his own business.
“I grew up writing, it has always been my passion.
“It was late 2008 that I realised that it’s a calling and I started working on my first book, titled He Lifted Me Up.
“The book documented all the things I went through in my life, and it was because of God’s grace that I came out alive,” he said.
After struggling to find a publisher, Zinganto finally managed to get a publisher based in the United States to publish his work.
The birth of his first book saw Zinganto work hard to ensure he did not have to look for another publisher.
“The first book came out in 2010 and I made a vow that the next one would come out under my own publishing company,” he said. Last year, Zinganto released The Great Revival through his own publishing company, which has helped the likes of Malibongwe Gcwabe, Mthunzi Nziweni and Bungcwele Tshwete publish their work.
With the support of the KwaZulu-Natal department of arts and culture, Zinganto is able to make the dreams of many aspiring writers come true.
His books are currently available in libraries around KZN and various bookstores in the province.
“It’s a shame that our own provincial government cannot support this initiative. We need to inspire the youth to write their own stories and not wait for other people to tell our stories.
“There are many stories that need to be told and I hope I will be able to unearth new talent and tell the stories of our people,” he said.
This month, Zinganto said he would be releasing two books – one is a motivational piece, while the other is a collection of poetry.
“Technology has taken over the minds of our young people and one of its disadvantages is that it has taken away the importance of books and reading. A book will keep a person’s legacy.” —