Social media is still pushing the narrative of quick, easy, excessive wealth and while many count this as aspirational, it’s not always realistic or attainable, especially in a country like South ah! So before you risk it all and skip school to become the next TikTok sensation, there’s plenty of info people have put together…
In an exchange that felt more like a salubrious meeting of minds, Dr. Portia Malatjie, the accomplished Head Curator for the South African Pavilion at the 60th Edition of the Venice Biennale, shared insights into her curatorial approach and explained her take on the prestigious global event’s theme “Stranieri Uvunque” (Foreigners Everywhere). Malatjie elaborated on…
Growing up in South Africa, we knew what cheerleaders, marching bands and American football were, but our own school customs were decisively shunned by mainstream media. Recently, likely due to the increasing popularity of the Springboks after their 2023 World Cup win and viral videos like Die Hard Rugby’s The Most Feared Rugby Team in…
The scene was set. It was early afternoon and the Joburg sun was uncannily serene. At the far end of the UJ Art Gallery, Dr. Thembinkosi Goniwe sat next to Mme Mmapula Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi under the watchful eye of Dr. Kholeka Shange. A group of keen students sat in a semi-circle around the pair,…
“That’s white boy music” and, oh let’s not forget “Why are you trying to be white” are words every person of colour has heard a multitude of times when other people find out that they listen to rock. Sad because it places people in a box that they are unable to escape as they fear…
I had the overwhelming honour of meeting Thandiswa Mazwai at her impeccable Simmonds Street studio in downtown Johannesburg, where we discussed her latest album release Sankofa. As the afternoon sun poured in through her large industrial windows, we sat comfortably at the far end of the space in the kind of close communion that can…
Sanele Matsolo’s innovative approach to his photographic practice illuminates the often shrouded world of traditional healing and spirituality in South Africa. We asked him some questions about the driving force behind his work, which offers a fresh perspective on ancestral work and challenges conventional narratives. Sanele Matsolo, the self-taught filmmaker and photographer, opened up about…
There was a time when African worldviews were dismissed as primitive but as scientific understanding progresses, many previously accepted truths are challenged. True scientists now recognise that some issues transcend conventional logic. Enter African modes of thought, long marginalized and overlooked. Though mainstream discourse still hesitates to acknowledge Africa’s intellectual heritage, the shift from Classical…
The persistent impact of colonialism’s “Divide and Conquer” strategy on the relationship between Africa and her Diaspora, necessitates the addressing of entrenched power imbalances and confrontation of shared struggles against economic exploitation and systemic oppression. While acknowledging the historical scars of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade, this article challenges the notion of an overly…
Even if just for a moment, sometimes a DJ saves your life. Sometimes it’s more than a moment—a day or two. Sometimes it’s not just a DJ, but a performer, or an event. Set within the historic walls of Constitution Hill, aptly by the Women’s Jail, between the 24th and the 25th of February, Queertopia,…
The land is black, and a farmer stands tall in the centre, watching over the women, cows and harvest. She finds root in the earth while her cow horns (shaped like a new crescent moon) point to the sky. A mother just initiated a child into the world, the cast at the foot of the…
Out of pure fandom, I interviewed Zoliswa Mbadu, aka @Zolfreckles—a model, content creator, influencer and the founder and designer of the fashion line, Evolving Revolver. With her characteristic features, make-up tutorials, cute Procreate self-portrait illustrations and sophisticated sense of style, she has amassed a substantial following on her well-curated and motivational social media pages. But…
