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RISING ABOVE MENTAL CHALLENGES
BY NATHAN ADAMS
A24-year-old student has beaten the odds to cross the stage at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) autumn graduation.
Leigh-Vern Lamberts is an Industrial Psychology honours graduand who has bipolar mood disorder, borderline personality disorder and social anxiety. Although it has been difficult, she has refused to allow her mental health to get the better of her. “I feel like I have been living two lives for the past nine years,” she explained.
Lamberts obtained her SA netball and athletics colours in high school and was a top achiever in her class.
Despite coming across as a driven extrovert, she made several attempts to take her own life. But she considers herself “one of the lucky ones”.
She has continued to thrive at UWC and is enrolled as a master’s student with the ambition of pursuing her PhD. Lamberts wants to dispel the notion that people battling mental disorders cannot succeed academically.
I feel like I have been living two lives for the past nine years.
WOMEN’S WELLNESS GETS A BOOST
BY CARMEL ROBERTS
Period poverty is rife around the world and also exists at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), where desperate students resort to using socks when menstruating because they cannot afford sanitary pads or tampons.
A new initiative to elevate student wellness at UWC began on March 8, International Women’s Day, and its first act was the provision of sanitary pads to students. The initiative is a collaboration between the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Department of Institutional Advancement.
The sanitary pad project was part of a broader campaign under the umbrella of the #UdubsCares wellness initiative for students. More than 200 units of toothpaste were also distributed. The university already has a food security programme and assists students through its Access to Success campaign for student tuition, its Wysa app for student wellness and its Centre for Student Support Services.
Research by the Household Affordability Index, which tracks food price data, has revealed a steep year-on-year increase in the cost of a household food basket. Data from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in the country’s biggest cities shows that year-on-year, the cost of the basket in Cape Town increased by almost R170. Items listed exclude hygiene or cleaning products.
Escalating living expenses affect everyone. #UdubsCares aims to alleviate some of this burden for students, particularly in the areas of hygiene and wellness products. After many female students approached
the SRC office on main campus asking for sanitary pads, Institutional Advancement agreed to assist.
Inathi Gogela, the SRC gender and security officer, said many students become so desperate that they use cloths or socks as an alternative. “They don’t have access to sanitary pads and often they also don’t have money to purchase them. As an SRC member, I have a duty to increase the accessibility to sanitary pads around campus because some students travel from far to the university and have to wait until they are on campus before they can request help,” she said.
Gogela’s sentiments are shared by SRC deputy secretary-general Marcfalda Mogola. “As a female SRC member, I have my own sanitary pad bag and often I take my own sanitary pads if a student is in need. Some students can’t go to class because they are menstruating and don’t have the necessary hygiene and health products,” said Mogola.
An alumnus of the university, Nigel Ogle of The Barn, donated 2,000 pads. “As a former UWC student, it was really important for me to get involved. What is even more important is that I am the father of two daughters who, fortunately, will have access to sanitary pads of their choice without concern. I truly felt the need to help female students who don’t have the same option due to accessibility and financial constraints,” said Ogle.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support, Professor Matete Madiba, welcomed the initiative. “In honour of International Women’s Day, I am delighted to announce a collaborative initiative aimed at providing female students in our institution with access to sanitary products. We cannot ignore the fact that some of our students struggle to acquire menstrual hygiene products, which can have an adverse effect on their health, academic success and overall well-being, and undermine their dignity,” she said.
I encourage everyone in the UWC community to support our female students. Together, we can make a significant impact on their lives.
“To ensure that every student in our community has access to menstrual hygiene products, regardless of their financial status, the Division of Student Development and Support has teamed up with our student leaders and the Department of Institutional Advancement. I encourage everyone in the UWC community to support our female students. Together, we can make a significant impact on their lives.”
In just a few months, what began as a simple idea for a sneakercleaning business among four fi nancially-strapped University of the Western Cape (UWC) students, backed by a modest R250 investment, has blossomed into a thriving business that stretches beyond the campus boundaries.
The Sneaker Cleaning Rehab Club has expanded its footprint to areas such as Belhar, the University of Cape Town (UCT), the city centre, and even as far as Pretoria.
The man behind the club is finalyear law student Sakhile Ngobe, who brought in classmates Bafana Kane, Bayden Pedro and Sibusiso Quse as business partners. When he started the business, Ngobe had just learnt that he had been defunded by the institution which paid for his tuition.
Quse injected the initial R250, which covered basic necessities. As the business grew, Ngobe and Kane tapped into their emergency savings and funds from their partial international scholarship (Canon Collins Trust) to source premium sneaker-cleaning chemicals from Gauteng.
“We started with a guy who was initially doing marketing and he invested R250 into the business because we were broke at the time. That covered the
SAKHILE CLEANS UP WITH SNEAKER BUSINESS
BY CARMEL ROBERTS
brushes and the basic supplies. From there we got a logo for free because my best friend, Zayn Matsombe, is a graphic designer,” said Ngobe.
A few days after launching the business in June, news spread like wild fire on campus and surrounds, forcing Ngobe and friends to hit the ground running.
“The discussion to of fi cially launch started around June 4 but on June 8 we were already washing sneakers. We already had about 10 pairs.
What began as a simple idea has blossomed into a thriving business that stretches beyond the campus boundaries.
“The business is doing well and the support that we are receiving from students is overwhelming. We anticipated only three pairs of sneakers a week but well over 40 pairs have been washed since inception.”
The business has since expanded to other universities, stretching as far as Pretoria as a result of further investment by a friend studying at UCT. Ngobe, 23, recently received an award for innovation from UWC’s Centre for Student Support Services and believes this is only the beginning of his business ventures. Ngobe was always
business-minded. “A few years ago I was on Facebook, browsing through content, and an entrepreneur (Thabang Moloto) provided advice on the food delivery business. I then bought a motorbike with the help of my brother and found a driver after placing an advertisement on Gumtree.”
After a few good months, however, Ngobe ran into problems with the driver, who wasn’t paying his share for the use of the motorbike. He decided to sell the vehicle and started consulting and helping students from other universities to become acquainted with the fooddelivery business. He has assisted several students to acquire bikes and says his biggest achievement was seeing a friend buy three bikes within a year.
Ngobe credits his entrepreneurial success to his mentor and friend Tokelo Hlagala, of Afro Centric Media House in Pretoria, who introduced him to the right people, and now he plans to release a book telling the stories of 14 student entrepreneurs across South Africa.
“What drives my hunger for business is being defunded from that institution. I believe students who find themselves in similar positions need to be cognisant that as much as we are entrepreneurs, we are students first.”
LIFE AFTER THE PAGEANT
BY NIVASHNI NAIR SUKDHEV
Homba Mazaleni is simply happy. As a Biokinetics Honours degree student at the University of Western Cape, her life outlook has transformed signi ficantly since she strutted on the Miss South Africa stage last year.
This journey has fostered a deeper self-awareness within her and has shifted her mindset, prompting her to reflect on the thoughts that often cloud our decisions. Questions like, "What will people think if I share this photo?" or, "What if I pursue my master’s degree?" have become less daunting for her.
Mazaleni has come to a liberating realisation: the opinions of others hold less weight than we often believe. This newfound perspective has empowered her to embrace her true self and pursue her ambitions without hesitation.
“I started to realise that, as jarring as this may seem, no one really cares that much except yourself. My new perspective has been armour to get over myself, to do the things that I know I can do and I am simply happy. I realised that if you can be good to yourself, you can impart goodness onto others,” she said.
My new perspective has been armour to get over myself, to do the things that I know I can do and I am simply happy.
Having reached the Top 5 in the pageant, Mazaleni is now focused on her academic goals, particularly her aspiration to research, through a master’s degree, the intersection of happiness and neuroscience in relation
to exercise. She envisions a future where she might establish a happiness consultancy, helping others find joy in their lives.
Currently, her primary focus is on completing her Honours degree so she can embark on her next endeavours.
“My master’s degree will be my life’s work, so I had to sit myself down to remind myself why it’s worthwhile and the importance of the results,” she said.
In addition to her studies, Mazaleni is preparing for an outreach programme in Lesotho next month. With her background in sports science and her current studies in Biokinetics, she plans to dedicate her time to this initiative.
Although she may not have the financial means to contribute, she feels rich in time and is eager to share her knowledge about wellness and the benefits of exercise as a simple yet effective solution to many health challenges. “I just think there is something majestic about Lesotho, and I want to experience it all.”
On campus, Mazaleni continues to be celebrated for her remarkable achievement as a Miss South Africa 2023 contestant.
However, her presence is increasingly recognised for her engaging TikTok videos. Her social media focus shifted after she found her Instagram account overwhelming. Balancing a demanding academic schedule, she experienced rising anxiety. She turned to TikTok, where she could share her daily experiences. This platform allowed her to connect with others who appreciate the beauty found in everyday moments..
“I moved to TikTok solely for that sense of being anonymous. I posted what I got up to, and I gained followers because there are people out there who also find joy in small, mundane things,” Mazaleni explained.
TIKTOK MAESTRO THE
BY NIVASHNI NAIR SUKDHEV
The expressions on the faces of University of Western Cape (UWC) students when their new tutor walked into the lecture hall said it all. They recognised him immediately – Larnelle Lewies, the TikTok sensation.
THE MASTER’S STUDENT THE TIKTOK SENSATION
They soon discovered that he is more than just the creator of animated food reviews, shopping hauls, skits, cooking tutorials and laugh-outloud comedy videos. The 26-yearold with more than half a million followers is a linguistics master’s student at UWC.
“Even my followers were surprised when I casually mentioned my academic journey in a video. When I posted a video to say I started tutoring, my followers commented that they were confused. But there are many layers to content creators and you get to see what I show you. Like all content creators, there is another side of me that many do not see,” he says.
Lewies is a determined individual who returned to UWC twice to continue his studies. He enrolled in 2016 but decided to take a gap year and returned in 2017. “I obtained my bachelor of arts degree, then my honours, and I started my master’s. In 2020, my following grew exponentially because during lockdown when everyone was at home, I posted more content. I took a break from my master’s, made more videos and my following continued to grow, but then I decided I am coming back while juggling content.”
He says he is an “unintentional” influencer. “I never intended to become a content creator. Initially, I simply shared my passion for fashion and art on Instagram, as I
never had the opportunity to study fashion. But it was through these posts that the first brand reached out to me.”
It was food that won over followers when his green pepper and cream cheese taste test video went viral. “It was a time when everyone was doing challenges but people just seemed to love my content. Today, my following love my cooking videos. I am not professionally trained but I do know how to cook and I share family recipes. They love it because it’s real.”
I realise that these were opportunities that were given to me and I must always be thankful for them and be true to myself.
His followers say Lewies’s appeal is that he is authentic, his positivity puts a smile on their faces and he “keeps it real”. It’s the same upbeat attitude he exudes at UWC, where he enrolled in 2016 because it was “literally around the corner” from his home in Belhar. However, the convenience of walking to campus was not the only perk that enticed him back.
“I love the sense of community at the university and how everything is within reach. There are a lot of resources and a lot of help from lecturers and tutors. In my first year, I was selected to be part of accelerated excellence programmes so I worked with the deputy vice-chancellor: academic
and they gave us so much support and access – they encouraged us to always strive and I received the dean’s merit award.”
“Academics, tutoring and content creation are a lot to juggle. It’s crazy! But I think the support helped me decide to come back to complete my master’s.” Lewies’s thesis will delve into content creation with a focus on coloured identity.
His followers often ask what his job is. “They don’t realise that content creation is my job.” Although his fans recognise him in public and his neighbours are always joking about him being famous, Lewies said he tries to remain grounded. “I realise that these were opportunities that were given to me and I must always be thankful for them and be true to myself.”
FREMAKING THE REBELLIOUS BLACK WOMAN
BY NATHAN ADAMS
orget Beyoncé. South Africa has a packed runway of “slay queens” who embraced the notion of rebellion and paved the way for female cultural icons to take centre stage. They changed and in fluenced pop culture, music, art and design, but were often viewed as problems because they failed to conform.
University of the Western Cape (UWC) PhD graduate Mbali Mazibuko has completed her study that explores rebellious black femininities articulated through popular culture. From apartheid South Africa in the 1980s to today, the focus shifts from Brenda Fassie’s impact to Boom Shaka and Lebo Mathosa then contemporary women like Khanyi Mbau and the Slay Queen.
Mazibuko’s work was summed up by the UWC Department of Women’s and Gender Studies as “articulating the biographies of rebellious femininities that destabilise hegemonic gendered, sexual and intersecting social constructions. The study shows how they do not simply oppose notions of ‘respectable’ or ‘traditional’ femininities, but strategically resist dominant norms while surviving, recreating and co-constructing within heterosexist contexts.” The work is partly biographical but also a critical feminist discourse about rebellion and black women’s agency.
Mazibuko grew up in a creative space where her parents encouraged her to read. She attended high school at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, where she trained in drama and theatre, but she was more interested in the theory of the arts than
the practice of it. She went on to do a BA in sociology, political sciences and international relations. She did her honours and master’s in sociology but her focus and the core of her academic work was on gender, particularly the representation of black women.
Her work builds on established literature and theories. “There’s a tendency to think about the histories of marginalised people, particularly black women, as if they end somewhere. I like to think about people’s stories and the past, or this notion of the past and history, as continuous. And (that) means I need to look at where I am and what I’m trying to make sense of in my own life.”
We should think about rebellious women as working collaboratively together … as creating and recreating alongside one another, while also subverting the dominant forms of power.
Mazibuko says more should be done to explore the issue of rebellious women because it is perceived as negative.
“It’s supposed to tell you how not to be. (But) we should think about rebellious women as working collaboratively together … as creating and recreating alongside one another, while also subverting the dominant forms of power. I think then we might be able to have a more productive conversation of what it means to be a rebellious black woman.”
How do we exist in spaces in ways that are not normative but that truly express who we are and what we want to see? Mazibuko says she looked at Fassie, Boom Shaka and Mathosa to answer this question. “Beyond them being rebellious, there are messages in their music, aesthetic and politics about how we can be the black woman that we want to be, as opposed to the black woman that our families and our societies are telling us we should be.”
BRIGHTEST
UWC WELCOMES ITS YOUNG THINGS
BY CARMEL ROBERTS
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) acknowledged top-achieving fi rst-year applicants when the Student Enrolment Management Unit (SEMU) hosted an event to welcome them and their parents. A total of 21 students – the top three from each of UWC’s seven faculties –were recognised at the inaugural function in February.
For 18-year-old Tatum Titus from George, a student in the Faculty of Education, choosing UWC was not a difficult decision. “I heard a lot of good things about UWC and that motivated my decision. I really enjoy it here, especially the people, who are so social and friendly. I really want my stay at UWC to broaden my outlook on life and my studies,” she said. Tatum is following in the footsteps of her aunt and guardian, Claudette Stanley, a UWC alumna who attended the event. “I was
a graduate here in 2009 and it’s been a long time, but we are glad she chose UWC and whatever she does we will support her. There is so much she can learn here,” said Stanley.
For dentistry first-year student Geriant Segelaar, being accepted by his firstchoice university was a proud moment. “I am enjoying it. The course itself is not too challenging at the moment but it’s still early days. I am very happy to be here,” he said. Segelaar’s father, Reginald Greef, was pleased with his son’s choice because he also studied at UWC. “It’s been an amazing journey for us as parents and it gives us great joy to see our son attending my alma mater,” he said.
UWC’s rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, applauded the group for their achievements and for choosing the university as their academic home for the next few years.
21
STUDENTS
THE TOP THREE FROM EACH FACULTY WERE RECOGNISED.
“You have been selected from 170,000 prospective students that applied to us. That tells you how special you are. I commend you on your outstanding achievements and you have proven yourselves as the brightest minds among your peers,” he said.
This is the start of your journey with UWC but not the start of your life journey. I want to encourage you that you are as much a part of this institution as anybody else.
The director of SEMU, Laurence Corner, closed the event with words of motivation. “This is the start of your journey with UWC but not the start of your life journey. I want to encourage you that you are as much a part of this institution as anybody else. Take part in everything that UWC has to offer. In three years’ time, we hope that as you walk across the stage at graduation we hear the joyful sounds of parents, guardians, friends and family celebrating you.”
The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa says the country has one of the lowest savings rates, a trend that has persisted for several years. And StatsSA says household saving rates dropped to 0% by the end of 2022.
But a University of the Western Cape (UWC) law graduate, master’s student and graduate tutor coordinator, Ivyn Sambo, is looking to change this culture on campus. Known as the “student investor guy”, Sambo’s passion for financial literacy has made him an influencer in the space, on and off campus. He has one of the highestrated podcasts in the country.
His inherent love for investment, budgeting and money matters dates back to his high school years when he lived in Mpumalanga with his grandmother. She worked as a messenger and driver for the Human
SIMPLIFY FINANCE
WITH THE ‘STUDENT INVESTOR GUY’
BY CARMEL ROBERTS
Settlements Department. “She was strict. I wasn’t allowed to play with the children in the street. She often brought home a lot of financial pamphlets from workshops and roadshows her department conducted and told me to read them,” says Sambo.
As his hunger for financial knowledge grew, so did his desire to improve financial literacy. Now described as a financial content creator, scholar and thought leader, he has 200,000 TikTok followers, 170,000 YouTube followers and a weekly podcast that secured him an invitation to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Africa Members Convention in Johannesburg last December.
The convention brings together about 1,000 leaders in finance from the public and private sectors and Sambo says: “It was eye-opening to network with Africa’s greatest accountants and learn how they utilise their profession to ensure growth and stability in government across Africa.”
Sambo’s most recent passion project is his wealth calendar. The 100-page document, which helps students, working professionals and even retirees, is a financial planning template aimed at keeping people accountable for their finances.
“I always did my own template on financial matters, and during a TikTok live I was asked to
explain more. This led me to creating a wealth calendar on how to track your investment, debt, credit score, budgets and spending in the form of a book which has all those templates.”
Sambo says that while it’s not the first of its kind, his version has a simpler format that’s easier to understand. “My calendar is free to download and is simple to follow. It’s important that this calendar is user-friendly for high school learners, students, working professionals and even retirees. The feedback has been amazing. There have been about 12,000 downloads and the feedback on social media has been exceptionally positive. One of the things that I am proud about is that this template provides people with ways to budget for a trip and understand what costs to expect when they want to travel.
“The calendar can also be used as a reflection, containing a journal where people can review their finances on a monthly basis and write a letter to themselves about what they want to achieve, and also to reflect the positive and the negative. This is important because your finances can evoke a lot of emotions. If you journal about your finances and you see what you may have achieved, you will feel validated.
“I really want to simplify financial matters. That’s the whole aim of my YouTube channel. When you simplify financial matters, you create a bridge for people to understand their finances.”
THE BARN
A TIMELESS HUB OF COMMUNITY AND CAMARADERIE
BY NIVASHNI NAIR SUKDHEV
In 1997, a tender was issued to establish a bar on the University of Western Cape campus. Eric Ogle was awarded the contract, and his life has never been the same.
What sets The Barn apart – which Ogle opened in September 1997 – is not just its history, but the sense of fellowship that it fosters among students. The establishment was born out of a need for a safe and controlled environment on campus, as students often found themselves frequenting local taverns and shebeens. Ogle recognised the importance of providing a space on campus that would not only serve drinks but also promote a sense of security and camaraderie among the student body.
Operating with a strict, yet welcoming approach, The Barn has garnered a reputation for excellent service and a friendly atmosphere, making it a beloved second home for many. Ogle takes pride in the lasting relationships he has built over the years, noting that former students often return to share their successes and express gratitude for the support they received during their time at university.
“The highlight for me is when I see some of the students, whom I have helped, in good positions out there, come back to thank me for the assistance,” Ogle said.
The Barn will continue to uphold its reputation as a cherished spot where memories are made, and friendships are forged for years to come.
His commitment to the community extends beyond the bar's walls. He actively participates in outreach initiatives, exemplified by The Barn's recent donation of 2,000 sanitary pads to a project organised by the Student Representative Council and the Department of Institutional Advancement.
“I feel that one should be involved in outreach programmes as we are not all in a fortunate position to be able to have everything in life. I was not born wealthy. I worked very hard to reach where I am today,” said Ogle.
Ogle believes in the importance of giving back. His own journey has been one of hard work and perseverance, having come from humble beginnings.
One of Ogle's most cherished memories at The Barn is celebrating South Africa's victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The atmosphere was electric as patrons filled the bar, united in song as they celebrated the historic moment when former President Thabo Mbeki presented the trophy to Captain John Smit.
“Everyone sang the national anthem in one voice. It was electrifying. I will never forget that moment.” The Barn is a family affair, with Ogle, his children and his wife running the bar. Notably, his two sons are also UWC alumni.
“I have always believed in education, and therefore, I pushed my sons to have at least one degree to their name, and I am so proud of their achievements,” said Ogle.
He believes that The Barn will continue to uphold its reputation as a cherished spot where memories are made, and friendships are forged for years to come.
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Let's continue to shape the future together as we drive towards our goal of R1 billion by 2060. Celebrate the first anniversary of the UWC Legacy Fund.
