Siwe’s story bears testimony to what happens when organisations build legacies for the future from their talent pool. Having joined The Market Theatre for casual gigs in 1995, Siwe quickly proved she was for keeps, and in 1997 became a permanent Box Office Administrator. For a solid 31 years, there has never been anyone else at the Box Office, proof that true quality appreciates with time.

Although the journey hasn’t been without challenges, she says her love for people, coupled with an uninterrupted decades-long run, give her the edge not many in customer care have. “Any organisation has its ups and downs,” she admits. “I work with a lot of different people, patrons. And everyone has his or her own character, which is where I master how to deal with them differently and positively.”

These personalities vary from staff members to international superstars, local artists, politicians, journalists, learners and many others who come to the theatre for a culturally rich experience. She recalls meeting the iconic Harry Belafonte, who left her with words that changed how she viewed her role in the bigger vision of the institution.

“He asked me what was my job title. I told him I am working at the Box Office and he said, ‘Please don’t take your job light because that’s where we make money’. And he hugged me.”

In moments of heightened frustration, such as when tickets are sold out, her track record of excelling under immense pressure comes out to play, as different customers try their tricks to get inside the theatre.

“They will always try to put me under pressure and with the experience that I have, I know how to handle the situation with my colleagues whom I’d be working with at that time.”

What keeps Siwe humble is understanding the weight of brand representation and the power of strategic touchpoints, a lesson she credits The Market Theatre Foundation for: the ability to “stay calm all the time so that I can be able to resolve whatever situation I come across to present myself and the Market Theatre’s image and as I am the face of the company”.

For someone who joined the institution in its 20^th anniversary when she too was in her early 20s, the 50^th year of The Market Theatre is understandably a great accomplishment personally and professionally. “I never thought I would be here this time,” she reveals, adding that she’s forever grateful to still be standing despite the harsh realities facing the cultural sector.

And Siwe Hashe would know, having been a prominent player across the Newtown cultural precinct—witnessing with her naked eyes incubated talent at The Market Theatre Laboratory now blossoming on the professional stages of The Market Theatre, and budding jazz bands hitting high notes at some of the country’s big festivals.

“The key is to never give up, especially with the work and love that you give for the company you work for. I am super happy to be here and be one of the people to tell the story,” she concludes.