ALTERNATE MONTHLY Issue 23, 2011 www.afropolitan.co.za
ROSE
THE
FRANCIS
EVOLUTION
OF WOMEN
THE BELLE OF SA LITERATURE
AMINA OF ZARIA INDIRA GANDHI JOHNSON-SIRLEAF
WOULD THE WOMEN’S LEAGUE PLEASE SPEAK UP!
HIGH ON LIFE JOBURG’S R25 MILLION PENTHOUSE SUITES
“Walter Married Politics Long Before He Met You”
SOWETO’S
PRIMA
BALLERINA MEET DADA MASILO
THE LIFE & TIMES OF ALBERTINA SISULU
Women’s Issue PLUS
• Kenya - The Jewel Of East Africa • Diamonds • Marinade!
k o o l e h t t o g s ’ rVe satile It iving r y l i D m a F F r a o ri e t n i s l hionable u f i ut a e B City Safety S Sdr porty soo hont,ow, Room to fit Bang iving in on trend
4D 60414/E
It makealsl meday waanntd woto rkdrivalel night Safe
Tis dheis lish
Nkhensani N a e v i r d I and XC60 kosi I’m
so me
it al
Stylish
Volvo
Showing you what’s possible
with a Volvo.
Volvo style and design is individualist, moving and beautiful yet functional. That’s why we’ve challenged three top fashion designers to create accessories inspired by their Volvos. Visit www.volvopossible.co.za to follow their stories. The Volvo XC60 Range: D3, D5, T5, T6. The Volvo C30 Range: 1.6, 2.0, D2, T5. The Volvo S60 Range: T3, T4, T5, T6, D3, D5. www.facebook.com/volvocarsouthafrica
http://twitter.com/VolvoCar_SA
Show off your taste
Sa exy, fab nd glam
fun Youthfu l Oh-so-customisable Urban The best Comfortable ride Sa tylise and ccesorise
sound system
I’m
Gert-JCoetohanzee
Superb handling
Selikxey, me
Stunning design
Fa&ntasftuicnctfioonrm
and I drive a
Volvo C30
yD namic
Sooophisticated
T d i v a D and Iladlreive a I’m
Volvo S60
Instant acceleration PDedeesttericatinon
Gthe rripoad
Sd porty riving My pasFiaosnh?ion!
Linhiboistieonsyour Naughty, a lot like me
l e t t e r s
in this issue
14 12
6
editor’s note
When Women Speak Truth To Power
REGULARS
8 Mailbox 10 Poetry 12 Dr. Magaugau’s Corner
20
29
Main feature
AFRO ARTS
14 20
The Evolution Of Women QUEEN OF DANCE
TRIBUTE 22
22
Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu
28 tsotsi in the boardroom 32 MAMELANG MEMELA FINANCE 35
Women And Finance
reviews 40 42 43 44 45 46
Restaurant Review Fillet Signature Cut Book Reviews DVD Reviews Movie Reviews CD Reviews Culinary Culture
Fashion
48
48
The Beauty Of Diamonds
beauty & Grooming
56
56
Winter Wonderland! & Gym-Bag Basics
Gadgets 58
Gadgets For Girls
AFRO decor
65
Let There Be Light!
FEATURE 68
Kelli Givens
72
AFRO WHEELS property 74
Forty On Oak
travel 58
76 Kenya The Jewel Of East Africa 79 AfroPROFILES
kaburu 88
2
The End Of The World
www.afropolitan.co.za
C r e d i t s
the team editor Sam Mathe
lifestyle editor
Tel: +27(0) 11 789 6339 Fax: +27(0) 11 789 7097 email: pressman@contactmedia.co.za web: www.contactmedia.co.za
managing director and publisher
Elka Schaimberg
contributors
Sean Press
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Charles Ash Steven Bacher Jahn Beukes Sandile Memela Angus McEwan Denise Mhlanga Damian Murphy Stacey Vee Vincent Verrydt
Bruce Macdonald Theresa Combrinck
art director Quinten Tolken
subbing & proofing Joey Kok
head of production & PICTURE EDITOR
Donna Verrydt
finance and operations DIRECTOR
Venesia Fourie
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Lesley Fox
sales manager
Gwen Sebogodi
it and web manager
Bokang Seritsane
publishing house Contact Media & Communications Block F, The Palms Office Park 391 Main Avenue, Randburg
sales Chioma Didi Okoro Damian Murphy Jaime-Lee van Sittert Refilwe Makenna Chenesai Madzvamuse
Charles Ash
repro and printing Creda Communications
distribution Ezweni Mags Distribution Pty (Ltd)
Copyright © 2010 Contact Media & Communications. The Afropolitan is published by Contact Media & Communications. All material is strictly copyright with all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the express written permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, the publisher does not give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in The Afropolitan are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Kaya FM or contributors.
Premier Lounge
Durban International Airport
While waiting for your flight, relax in comfort and avoid the crowds • Enjoy light meals, snacks and drinks • Freshen up with a shower • Utilise business facilities • Smoking rooms available
Premier Lounges Available in OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Port Elizabeth, East London and George airports.
All are welcome
Cape Town International Airport East London International Airport
www.comfortguaranteed.co.za Terms and conditions apply
OR Thambo International Airport
Breakaway 2011 No driving, no traffic...just pure indulgence from the moment your step on board the ‘world’s most lavish train”... ...to being pampered at Zimbali Resort’s Willow Stream Spa.
It’s time for a supreme pampering experience at Fairmont Zimbali Lodge . Let the Blue Train take you there. Your package includes the following • Two-nights return journey on The Blue Train (inclusive of all meals and drinks: alcoholic & non-alcoholic) and a gift. Excluding French champagne, caviar, purchases from boutique shop and external telephone calls. Please note that there are no parking facilities available at Pretoria station. Kindly make transfer arrangements. • Two night’s accommodation at Fairmont Zimbali lodge, including bed and breakfast and meal voucher of R550-00 per person to use at the Fairmont Zimbali restaurants. • Transfers from the station to the lodge (and vice versa). • Spa voucher of R500-00 to use at Willow Stream Spa at Zimbali Resort. Packages dates: Rate from:
08-12 September 2011 17-21 November 2011 R9 890-00 per person sharing
Rates for children are available on request.
For enquiries or bookings in these packages, please contact The Blue Train Reservation Offices on: Tel: + 27 (0) 12 334-8459 / +27 (0) 21 449-2672 • Email: info@bluetrain.co.za www.bluetrain.co.za
e d i t O r ' s
n O t e
when woMen speAk truth to power
O
n Wednesday, May 25, in an impassioned address to students at the Wits Law School, her alma mater, Advocate Thulisile Madonsela told her audience that as future legal practitioners, it was important that they strive for academic excellence in their legal studies as her office of Public Protector was committed to the defence of the country’s constitutional democracy and the upholding of the rule of law. “When the Public Protector sheds light on the dark places where some do not want to see light, this office may find itself under attack,” she said. “Your legal excellence, as tomorrow’s leaders, in the areas of constitutionalism and the rule of law, will be among the factors that see the office continue to speak truth to power (my italics) without fear or favour”. On Wednesday, July 6, the Public Protector, having found herself under attack following reports of her imminent arrest, dismissed allegations of fraud and corruption against her and reiterated her commitment to speak truth to power. “I will not stop speaking truth to power and not stop operating under the auspices of truth and impartiality,” she told a press briefing. This bold speech reminded me of one Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, ex-deputy Minister of Health, who was sacked on the eve of National Women’s Day by President Mbeki following a long-running discord with her principal, the late Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, over HIV/AIDS issues. Her crime was that she was candid enough to criticise her own government policy on HIV/AIDS and remarked that there was “denial of HIV/AIDS in high places”. This space is dedicated to courageous and fearless female leaders like her. They include Corazon Aquino [19332009], former Philippines president; Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese human rights campaigner and for many years Burma’s prisoner of conscience with a record fifteen years under house arrest;
6
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of Liberia and Africa’s first woman head of state; and Kenyan, Professor Wangari Maathai; the Mother Continent’s only female Nobel Peace laureate. These conscientious objectors looked tyranny in the face and came out triumphant. Aquino was a political widow whose activist husband was assassinated. But she took up the cudgels and led a popular revolution that toppled the tyrannical regime of President Marcos and swept her into power. While in office she proved that she was a true people’s leader by introducing far-reaching political reforms anchored on human rights and democratic principles. She voluntarily served one term and chose to attend her successor’s inauguration in an ordinary white Toyota sedan instead of the luxury German machine she was offered for the occasion. Aquino’s inspirational revolutionary leadership is reflected in Johnson-Sirleaf’s exemplary presidency that is also driven by a human rights ethos, corrupt-free and ethical governance informed by the desire to improve the lot of ordinary civilians. As the case of Nobel Peace laureates Suu Kyi and Maathai indicates, their choice of non-violent means to challenge oppressive regimes indicates their belief that indeed humanity deserves a peaceful world. For many years Maathai suffered the indignity of bans, arrests and prison under the brutal Moi administration in her native Kenya. She was vilified as ‘that cheeky woman’ by authorities but she remained unbowed. Back home the names of defiant and indomitable leaders – Lillian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu et al – who took on apartheid authorities in historic anti-pass campaigns, will continue to inspire successive generations who believe in speaking truth to power. This, dear reader, is, my last piece. I would like to thank the publishers, staff and readers for the opportunity. It has been an interesting experience and I wish my successor all the best.
www.afropolitan.co.za
BLV1r-1
BLV1o-1
BLV1VE-1
BLV1aZ-1
BLV1P-1
BLV1NE-1
BLV1ro-1
60cm rETro DIShwaShEr Available in a kaleidoscope of colours, the retro BLV1 is a freestanding work of art. With 10 programs, including an automatic grime-sensing program, delay-start and half-load functions for either top or bottom baskets, the choice of hot or cold water connection, a massive 14 place settings and a range of other incredible features, like residual hot-air drying. The BLV1 is in a class of its own.
3 yEar warraNTy SMEG:
Head Office, 24 Thora Crescent, Wynberg, Sandton, Gauteng Tel: (011) 444 6988 (011) 448 1566
www.smeg.co.za ShowrooM:
31 Solistice Road, Umhlanga Ridge, Newtown Centre, Kwa-Zulu Natal Tel: (031) 566 2770
ShowrooM:
Northgate Island Unit D2A, Section Street, Milnerton, Cape Town Tel (021) 510 0390
l e t t e r s
X O B L MAI So is it therefore not true that “he who pays the piper calls the tune”? I’ve known (Mr) Boyi Molefe, an artist from KwaMashu, eThekwini, for some time Dear Editor now. He is currently based in Cape The issue raised by Sandile Memela is Town and runs an art studio at a craft very important (Afropolitan, Issue 22). market. His clients are mostly foreign Indeed, do we want to relate the story tourists as well as affluent local white of Africa through the eyes of men from people, and in most cases they ask him far afield? Is art in general not a soulful, to paint specific works. In this case cultural medium where artists portray the law of supply and demand dictates their thoughts and feelings about that he satisfies the needs of the clients everything that is affecting them and using his talent and skills. that is happening in their society? Or So in this case how does one is it a business enterprise to eke out a keep his style intact without being living? It goes without saying that most compromised by Western consumerist artists rely on their artistic works to demands? There are bills to be paid. make ends meet. How does one keep his style truly African while most Africans are not into visual arts consumption, unless it concerns some exotic branded fashion? The bottom line is, as long as Africans are not economically well off, they can hardly afford to buy visual arts and therefore satisfy their aesthetic and psychological needs. Thus it is true then, that “he who owns gold rules.” The main consumers/ audience of African visual COMPETITION arts must be Africans themselves. But given the the winning MAIL will win multi-layered socio-economic a BISQUIT hamper.
BILLS vs ART
8
What is happening in your world? This is the platform to share your views and experiences. What do you think of Afropolitan’s brand of journalism? We cherish your feedback and contributions – and look forward to your comments.
Please email us at afroletters@contactmedia.co.za You can also fax your contributions to (011) 789 7097
ills that keep them in bondage, it might be some time still.
Sithembiso Malusi Mahlaba Marianhill, KWAZULU-NATAL
NOTEWORTHY NOTE Dear Editor I want to sincerely compliment you on your Editor’s Note in the current issue of Afropolitan (Issue 22). Osama Bin Laden was indeed a CIA-trained agent that helped the US chase the Russians out of Afghanistan. I have been told something else by a friend in the Middle East, but which I cannot verify, which is that the US stabbed Bin Laden in the back after he helped them in Afghanistan. Then in the 1980s some of his family died in a suspicious plane crash in the US on September 11 – hence his desire for retribution and his choice of the 9/11 date. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but what you have shown is that things are never quite as simple as the news will have them seem, certainly not when the US is involved! Thanks for an excellent read.
Keri Harvey Cape Town, WESTERN CAPE
www.afropolitan.co.za
BRANDSMITH/OM RANGE 001
34°08`27.72``S 19°01`14.97``E Discovery is everything.
The longer the journey, the more rewarding the discovery. This one’s been a century in the making. The Oude Molen range of limited edition, hand-crafted brandies is a tribute to pioneer and innovator René Santhagens, the father of South African brandy and the founder of Oude Molen in 1908 - true to his traditions, loyal to his standards and faithful to his philosophy of striving for perfection.
RE G U L A RS
Madam, please
POETRY
Written by Sophie Thoko Mgcina*
Madam, please before you shout about your broken plate, ask about the meal my family ate. Madam, please before you laugh at the watchman’s English, try to answer in his Zulu language. Madam, please before you say that driver stinks, come! – take a bath in a Soweto sink. Madam, please before you ask me if your children are fine, ask me when – ask me when I last saw mine. Madam, please before you call today’s funeral a lie, ask me why my people die. Ask me why my people die.
Cherry
Super Women
Written by Leona Lebo Selokela ***
Procrastination is the thief of time And that’s what the women who marched To the Union Buildings believed The dignity and bravery they displayed was spellbinding That is why today’s mothers, sisters and girls have Found freedom Today’s women leaders are walking on their footsteps Because of the voices they raised Because of the lives they risked Because of the sacrifices they made They are the hand that rocks the cradle And that is why they rule the world Because they carry life for nine months And still survive to see the sun Despite the hardships they face They soldier on Because they are SUPER WOMEN!
Written by Myesha Jenkins**
It’s not enough that you say you love me When you are not here when I need you When I can’t call to hear your voice When you fit me into your busy schedule When you shake my hand in public When I can never meet your friends When we can never have a holiday When you only come in the cover of darkness When we meet in the privacy of hotel rooms When you rush home to her When you wash off every trace of me When we share everything but our lives When I wait and wait and wait and wait When I am a cherished but shameful secret It’s not enough that you say you love me It’s just not enough
10
*Sophie Thoko Mgcina [1938-2005] was a South African-born torch singer, music teacher and stage actress. Her evocative five-star performance of this telling protest poem was immortalised in the awardwinning Amandla! – A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony (Artisan Films, 2002), a documentary film that highlights the role of music in the anti-apartheid struggle – as featuring Miriam Makeba, Dolly Rathebe, Sibongile Khumalo and Thandi Modise. **US-born Myesha Jenkins [b.1948], is a co-founder of Feela Sistah – a Johannesburg-based spoken word collective whose other members include Lebo Mashile, Napo Masheane and Ntsiki Mazwai. She is the author of anthologies, Breaking the Surface (Timbila Poetry Project, 2005) and We Are (Penguin, 2009) ***Leona Lebogang Selokela is a 13-year old Grade 8 pupil from Good Shepherd Middle School in Marble Hall, Mpumalanga. Her other poems include Think About The Children, Life and Heroes of our Land.
www.afropolitan.co.za
MICHELANGELO TOWERS MALL . +27 . 11 . 245 4000 . OFF NELSON MANDELA SQUARE . SANDTON . BYBLOS + 2711 884 4056
BY SAM MATHE
d r
m agaugau ’ s
C O r n e r
WOMEN:
12
OUTSPOKEN ACTIVISTS OR PASSIVE SPECTATORS OF THEIR OPPRESSION?
www.afropolitan.co.za
www.afropolitan.co.za
And where was ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete when Malema insulted womenfolk? Mbete has commended the young firebrand for his apology. She was quoted as saying, “I think it is a good thing because what it is illustrating is a young man who has grappled with the issue, who has processed it and has come to a position, which I think is commendable and we should congratulate him for that.”
“Women in this country need a strong anti-rape, anti-violence lobby that will speak unequivocally in one loud voice against injustices that they are subjected to daily.” Such fawning and opportunistic remarks don’t advance the cause of women’s rights and dignity. Instead of being congratulated, he should have been chastised immediately after airing his comments. Are we perhaps witnessing a selective morality on the part of the Women’s League and leaders such as Baleka Mbete? After all, the Women’s League was quick to condemn self-styled tycoon Kenny Kunene’s sushi parties. “We are appalled by this derogatory act of serving sushi on bodies of halfnaked women,” the Women’s League said in a statement. “We cannot allow such insulting acts or anyone to associate it with the ANC. We view this practice as an attack on the bodily integrity and dignity of all women.” At the risk of sounding cynical, one wonders whether the Women’s League’s decision to release a statement condemning Kunene’s sushi parties was motivated by its leadership’s wish to distance the ruling party’s name from
the sushi king’s nightclub after Malema referred to it as the “ANC club” instead of genuine concern for women’s rights. Otherwise, why would the Women’s League pick on a seemingly innocuous issue that involves eating raw fish from bodies of consenting adults? I mean, violence against women in this country has reached crisis proportions. Spousal violence in the form of wife battering, the rape of women and children and the murder of female partners – all these are common hate crimes that happen daily in the privacy of our households and even on our streets. They are a newspaper staple. Yet one always feels there is lack of public moral outrage against these crimes. Yes, we occasionally witness placard-wielding women on court premises during rape trials. But even then, women seldom speak in one voice on these issues. Women in this country need a strong anti-rape, anti-violence lobby that will speak unequivocally in one loud voice against injustices that they are subjected to daily. One cannot help but notice that too often when there is a topic involving women on radio talk shows, there are more male than female callers and contributors. Sometimes the silence of women during these talk shows is simply deafening. The same applies to opinion makers in our newspapers. Granted, women have made great strides in crucial fields that were previously the domain of men. But there is still a need for them to be more visible and vocal in public and media spaces on issues that affect them directly. Gender activists such as Mbuyiselo Botha should be applauded for their efforts in fighting for an equal society by sensitising men to the plight of their women. But it is women themselves who must play an active role in the fight against their abuse. As a nation we have made significant strides in the fight for freedom and human rights. But organisations, such as the ANC Women’s League, that fought so passionately in the past for these freedoms should be more vigilant by giving voice to the struggle for women’s rights.
13
image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK
W
here is the voice of the majority of South African women in the country’s political and social discourse? In particular, where is the voice of the fairer sex within the so-called broad church that is the ruling party? It is a truism that the leadership of the tripartite alliance – Cosatu and the SACP in particular – is always vocal on various political issues. It is also a well-known fact the ANC Youth League’s outspokenness on these issues is legendary. But seldom does one hear a voice – let alone of dissent – from the ANC Women’s League. A classic example of the ANC Women’s League’s silence when it was expected to be vocal on the issue was when Julius Malema expressed flagrantly sexist statements at President Zuma’s rape accuser – in effect insulting all women when he said all those demeaning words about breakfast and taxi money. In an address at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology last year, he told students, “When a woman didn’t enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money.” Despite the fact that the Youth League president’s speech clearly constituted harassment, hate speech and discrimination, there was no outcry or outrage from women’s organisations. Ironically, it took a man, Mbuyiselo Botha, to take up the cudgels on behalf of women. Under the auspices of a men’s organisation, the Sonke Gender Justice Network, Botha took the offending party to the Equality Court and won. It was baffling that during Malema’s court appearances, there was a sizeable number of women expressing solidarity with Malema! Such types are willing participants in the degradation and oppression of their own gender. Now that Malema has apologised to all women for his sexist remarks, where are those women who were toyi-toying outside court in his support? Do they feel Malema’s apology is genuine, or do they think they have been taken for a ride?
BY Brendah Nyakudya
M A IN
s t o r y
The Evolution of Women
14
www.afropolitan.co.za
T
here are certain future dates that society has engraved into the calendars of our social development. You hear these dates interwoven into songs, narratives and social dialogue – “one day we will have a united Africa”, “one day Mugabe will die”, “Jesus will return…” and many other such predictions. One of these predictions is the inevitable emancipation of women. Society speaks expectantly and awaits the complete evolution of women in the political sphere and other such sectors of leadership, with baited breath. It is with this same anticipation that women themselves look to a day when their rise to influence will be realised in the dark, musty yet heady corridors of power. This, it is suggested, will be the true expression of freedom, when women enjoy active participation in key positions of political influence. This school of thought alludes to the fact that society has been —and still is — in a time where women are not yet equipped to be politically involved in the day-to-day masterminding of the future of their countries. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
African women leaders through the ages Flip through the pages of history in Africa and the rest of the world. It’s clear that women have always been capable and have in fact played major roles
www.afropolitan.co.za
in the politics of their respective regions. It was only society’s (women included) perception of the roles of women that hindered the acceptance of women into political leadership. But while society lags, women themselves are waiting in the wings, ready to govern. As far back as 1623, Queen Nzinga M’Bandi of N’Dongo and Matamba (now commonly known as Angola and the Congo) was a political force, ensuring women had a place and a say in government and military issues. Empress Candace of Ethiopia was renowned worldwide for her prowess as a military tactician and field commander. Her legend was such that Alexander the Great of Macedonia halted the invasion of Ethiopia at its borders in 322 BC lest a woman defeat him. In North Africa, Queen Kahina was a woman who believed in the concept of Africa for Africans and fought gallantly to save her territory from Arab invasion from 693 to 698 AD. The “queen who was king” came in the form of Queen Hatshepsut of Ancient Egypt, who reigned from 1479 to 1458 BC and was well versed in the expansion of all foreign import and export, international diplomatic relations and military intelligence. In more recent times, we have come across female firebrands who made strides in proving themselves as political powerhouses. The late Indira Gandhi of India was the first ever woman to be elected to lead a democracy. Hers was not only a victory for democracy but also one for women, and in her time she made great advances in science and space exploration. Other significant women who led the charge include Margaret Thatcher, who was initially shunted into the “statutory woman’s place” in the Cabinet as education minister (no offence intended, Angie Motshekga) and eventually went on to lead the great nation of Britain. An even more pertinent, and amazing, example of significant women is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current president of Liberia and the first-ever elected female head of state in Africa.
15
image courtesy of GETTY IMAGES
Barbra Bush once said, “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President’s spouse. I wish him well!” This may bring a smile to our faces, but women in power should not be a joking matter. Brendah Nyakudya looks at the facts…
m A i n
s t O r y
These examples of fearless females are countless and prove beyond a doubt that women, as a gender, are and always have been “evolved” when it comes to power and influence and, when given a chance by society, will prove to be worthy candidates for any leadership position. Which then begs the question: why is society, women and men alike, still waiting for an evolution? Why ignore the fact that the evolution has in fact already occurred? And with that said, what is the reason for the slow incorporation of women into political circles in recent years? It appears as if as the world became more progressive, through some unseen hand, society delegated women to less influential and more domesticated positions. As women began to be recognised as a prominent sector of society, they were also given a lowered, non-threatening rank. As Erica Jong puts it, “Women are the only exploited group in history to have been idealized into powerlessness.” Women were afforded certain privileges under the guise of social etiquette but were denied real recognition beyond the expectations, or rather stipulations, of what a “lady” should be. This naturally progressed to a society that no longer considered women as contenders for positions of power and governance. It became the exception, and not the norm, that a woman would be in office. It was more accepted that women stay home, pregnant and, for some weird Neanderthal reason, be barefoot in the kitchen. We can bring it closer to home. Eventhough they fought on the front line of the liberation struggle and showed more than exceptional leadership skills alongside their husbands, even though they also faced incarceration and exile, the likes of Winnie Mandela, Adelaide Tambo and Albertina Sisulu were missing from the ranks of comrades who would lead the nation into a new democratic future. These women couldn’t possibly be considered for the post of presidency. Instead, they were pushed aside in favour of their men and were relegated to being “mothers of the nation” with non-descript
"the LAte indirA GAndhi of indiA wAs the first ever woMAn to Be eLeCted to LeAd A deMoCrACy."
indirA gAndhi
www.afropolitan.co.za
17
iMAge coUrteSY oF gettY iMAgeS
WAiTiNG FOR AN EVOLUTiON?
M A IN
s t o r y
posts in Cabinet, if posted at all. This had nothing to do with struggle credentials. It had nothing to do with the strength required to lead. Neither did it have anything to do with ability or popular perception of these women. It just had to do with their gender. They were women and therefore not fit to govern. This perception further manifests itself in women being humoured by government and designated, with mock pomp and ceremony, to portfolios that keep women dealing with women issues rather than with society at large. Case in point is the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities (DWCPD), which is no more demeaning than having the special interests/native groups that were so prevalent during the apartheid era. It’s a principle identical to the Department of Native Affairs, where a “special interest” grouping is identified, supposedly for altruistic reasons, but is then used to demean and underplay the role of that grouping in greater society. Never mind the puzzling logic that groups children’s affairs, people with disabilities’ affairs with those of healthy, adult and ablebodied women. If a child and a person with disabilities are disadvantaged and inhibited by their physical or mental ability, as a result of their youth or their impediment, what is it that merits a woman’s condition of being female to be considered a disadvantage? The existence of the DWCPD suggests that by virtue of being a woman, individuals such as Thuli Madonsela, Baleka Mbete and Gill Marcus have the same challenges and therefore need the same attention as a person with a disability or a child. This ministry has kept women busy with activities that – while important — in essence have no significant bearing on the way the country is run. The real issue here is not that women are not yet evolved enough to take on the positions that can determine the course of a country. The reality is that society is not ready to accept a woman’s ability to lead and govern. Yet, past accounts show they are more than capable. Women
"Margaret Thatcher, was initially shunted into the “statutory woman’s place” in the Cabinet as education minister"
18
Margaret Thatcher
www.afropolitan.co.za
M A IN
s t o r y
have nothing more to prove. It is no surprise or secret that women have been developing politically since the beginning of time and at the same time as men. But it’s a sad fact that only a few make it into the political arena. Only a few get handed a legitimate pass past the velvet curtain that leads into the inner sanctum of the “political boys’ club”. That we can add up the number of our women presidents without a calculator is a sure sign that there is still space for major improvement.
"A pertinent, and amazing, example of A significant womAn is Ellen JohnsonSirleaf, the current president of Liberia"
Even when they show themselves worthy, women will always be compared to men. 16thcentury Amina of Zaria (Nigeria) brought to her province great wealth and military prowess. Through her fearless leadership, she expanded her region southward all the way to the River Niger, which included areas such as Idah and Nupeland all up to the Kano on the north. Realising the need to be a fortified area, Amina strategically erected great walled camps and has been given credit for erecting the building of the famous Zaria wall. So much was her legend that she is remembered as “Amina, Yar Bakwa ta san rana” meaning “Amina, daughter of Nikatu, a woman as capable as a man.” Men will always be the “preferred and obvious” option and benchmark when it comes to matters of importance because through the ages society has given preference and stature to the physically strongest. In early society, it was often the case that the one who could overpower the competition was the one who became chief, and history has shown the country with the most influence is the one with the greatest aggression and the best weapons. Today, the best artillery is not wielded through strength but through intellect. In a world of missiles and satellites, it’s the most strategic thinker that wins. And intellect is the great equaliser and not based on gender. So there is need for evolution… evolution of our society! There is need for change in people’s mindsets where all people are created equal, regardless of their gender. It’s a wasted exercise to look for the day when women will be evolved enough to rule. That day has come and gone!
www.afropolitan.co.za
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
19
imageS courtesy of GETTY IMAGES
Measured in male terms
BY SAM MATHE
m u s i c
p r o f i l e
DADA MASILO
QUEEN OF DANCE
T
he international classical and contemporary dance scene is literally at Dada Masilo’s magic feet. The extraordinarily gifted dancer and choreographer recently performed The Bitter End of Rosemary, in Düsseldorf, Germany, to critical acclaim. Purists of classical disciplines such as ballet have often been critical of her unique and refreshing interpretations of traditional pieces such as Swan Lake, Carmen and Romeo and Juliet – accusing her of breaking the rules.
20
www.afropolitan.co.za
www.afropolitan.co.za
and distinct style is motivated by a passion to push herself. “I like to challenge myself,” she explains. “Many choreographers get into the pattern of using the same steps to different music. I think that is lazy choreography. It should change all the time.” Growing up in Soweto, Masilo was already a member of a dance troupe at the age of 11. She says she knew there and then that dance was her destiny. The Meadowlands-based all-girl troupe entertained onlookers by performing Michael Jackson moves. In 1996 they got their first break when they performed at the Arts Alive festival at the Dance Factory in Newtown, Johannesburg. Suzette le Seuer, Masilo’s mentor and executive director of the Dance Factory, a school of dance that unearths and nurtures young talent, was particularly impressed with her mentee’s natural abilities on the dance floor. She invited her group the following year. She started taking formal lessons at the Dance Factory in 1997. “The first thing that impressed me about her was her incredible focus,” recalls Le Seuer. “I was watching her while she was watching a dance performance. She obviously loved what she was watching but did so with extraordinary focus and concentration. On stage she commands an amazing sense of theatre. It is a world with which she is completely at home”. Classical ballet is a challenging discipline that demands rigorous practice and total commitment from its pupils. So how did she manage to impress strict mentors such as Le Seuer and David Matamela, who became an international sensation when the musical African Footprint toured five continents in the early 2000s? “She is a hardworking individual who has always pushed herself,” explains Le Seuer. Her discipline, work ethic and
passion for dance saw her showcasing her talents on international stages in front of royalty such as Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands – even before reaching the age of 18. Another highlight worth mentioning was when she performed fellow countryman Gregory Maqoma’s production in New York to critical acclaim and lavish praise by the American media, including CNN. At 19 she was already teaching dance at the Dance Factory – an institution where she literally grew up and that has since become her artistic and intellectual home. After matriculating at Braamfontein’s National School of the Arts in 2002, she spent a year in Cape Town’s Jazzart Dance Theatre where she gained valuable experience and exposure as both a dancer and teacher. In 2004 she performed at the London School of Contemporary Dance. Other opportunities beckoned when in 2005 she won a place in one of Europe’s premier dance academies, PART, in Brussels, Belgium, to teach children. Back home the authorities recognised her talents and achievements when she received the Gauteng Arts and Culture MEC Award for the Most Promising Female Dancer in a Contemporary Style in 2006. When she was bestowed with the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance in 2008, she was quoted as saying: “I’m truly grateful to Standard Bank for this prestigious award. I can’t imagine anything that I would covet more than this and the chance to have my own show at the National Arts Festival.” She continues to put her best foot forward in the glamorous but demanding world of dance. She is currently Dance Factory’s artist-inresidence where she runs a youth training programme that aims to produce professional dancers who, hopefully, would one day have the world at their feet.
21
imageS courtesy of DANCE FACTORY
But the 26-year-old Soweto-born artist with a lithe body that moves with the grace of a serpent has been known from her formative years as a spunky dancing girl who often pushes the staid, restrictive boundaries of classical dance creations in her choreography. Her unconventional and iconoclastic approach is clearly pronounced in The Bitter End of Rosemary, which is based on Ophelia, the tragic heroine figure in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The 2008 Standard Bank Young Artist winner certainly pushed boundaries of oldworld modesty when she performed this dance in her birthday suit. She explains that it was a decision that was not taken lightly, but she saw it as an authentic way of giving artistic expression to the madness of Shakespeare’s tragic heroine while poignantly revealing the character’s extreme vulnerability in light of her troubled mental state. For Masilo dance is much more than an aesthetic physical expression to entertain the rich and privileged patrons of theatre houses but a silent though effective language she uses to reflect the abusive state of women in a patriarchal world. Shocking and captivating at the same time, Masilo has a unique way of challenging prejudice by turning race, class and gender stereotypes on their heads as her modern interpretations of classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Carmen and Swan Lake attest. She usually fuses ballet and contemporary dance. “My approach is to show that contemporary African dance and ballet can co-exist,” she explains. “It is about finding an innovative way of fusing the two. I believe that we need to collapse barriers that exist between them because they are restrictions. And as dancers we don’t need restrictions.” But at the same time, dance, like other performing arts, is about the artist testing his or her artistic potential. Masilo says her out-of-the-box but fluid
BY SAM MATHE
TRI B U TE
ALBERTINA NONTSIKELELO SISULU [1918 – 2011]
image courtesy of GETTY IMAGES
TIMELINE IN ALBERTINA SISULU’S JOURNEY
1918
1936
1943
Born Nontsikelelo Thethiwe in the village of Camama, Eastern Cape on 21 October.
Enrols at Mariazell College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, for her high school education.
The ANC accepts women as members at the Congress’s 1943 conference.
1940
1944
1939
Starts working as a trainee nurse at the Johannesburg General Hospital.
Obtains her junior certificate.
22
1945
The couple’s first child, Maxwell Sisulu, is born.
1946
Weds Walter Sisulu, secretary general of the Starts working as a ANC Youth League, in midwife. July this year.
1948
The ANC Women’s League is formed with Ida Mntwana as its first president. The couple’s second son, Mlungisi, is born.
1950
Third son, Zwelakhe, is born.
1952
Albertina Sisulu and thousands of other women play a leading role in organising and participating in the historic Defiance Campaign of Unjust Laws.
www.afropolitan.co.za
TRI B U TE IN HER OWN WORDS:
The story of Albertina Sisulu is that of courageous struggle against injustice, brave determination to overcome political tyranny and selfless service and sacrifice in the face of suffering. But it is also one of the 20th century’s greatest stories of love and romance.
“Until then I had no political ideas. I was devout until I League, a forerunner of met Walter” (On her political involvement before she met today’s ANC Women’s League her husband) and a forum they used to “Women are the people who are going to relieve us from launch civil disobedience all this oppression and depression. The rent boycott that is campaigns – especially happening in Soweto now is alive because of the women. It is the women who are on the street committees educating against the hated pass laws. the people to stand up and protect each other.” (On the role The first president of the of women in the liberation struggle, said in 1987 at the Bantu Women’s League height of the anti-apartheid struggle) was Charlotte Maxeke, a “Walter, what do I do without you? It was for you who I woke US-educated trailblazer up in the morning. It was for you who I lived...You were and political activist. She taken away by the evils of the past the first time, but I knew was the first black South you would come back to me. Now the cold hand of death has taken you and left a void in my heart.” (On the death of African woman graduate in her husband) 1905 when she received a “Education is the one weapon that will uplift the nation.” Bachelor of Science degree (During the opening of the Alexandra Teachers’ Centre from Wilberforce University in 1991) in Ohio, America. She was “Although politics have given me a rough life, there is also the first president of absolutely nothing I regret about what I have done and what the National Council of has happened to me and my family throughout all these African Women. Despite her years. Instead I have been strengthened and feel more of a n 1918 when Albertina Sisulu was pioneering activism, the woman than I would otherwise.” (On the sacrifices she has born, black women in South Africa made over the years) ANC only started accepting were classified by law as minors – women into the organisation even compared to their own sons. in 1943, five years before the The age gap between mothers and formation of the ANC Women’s League. long before he met you.” But she was sons was also immaterial to the country’s In 1948 Albertina was already a already committed and was unfazed by lawmakers and bureaucrats. Married married mother of two, practising as Lembede’s statements. When the young women relied on the permission and a midwife and sole breadwinner after and handsome estate agent proposed signatures of their husbands to fill her husband, a political firebrand to her, she shocked him when she out important official documents. who had started his career as an estate “revealed” that she was already a mother Widowed mothers suffered the indignity agent, started working full time for the of two kids. and humiliation of having their sons ANC. But she was instrumental in the He was initially dismayed, but it was speaking and acting on their behalf. formation of the Women’s League, and her way of saying to him that she was Ironically, while the law was white, four years earlier (1944) she was the educated and politically enlightened responsible for the upbringing of her only woman who attended the political black men also denied their womenfolk gathering that marked the founding of equal status. In 1918 women were denied the ANC Youth League. membership of the African National It was in 1944 that she married Congress (ANC). But women, who were Walter Sisulu, the league’s first general already playing activist roles by 1914 secretary. At the wedding ceremony, when they demonstrated against pass Anton Lembede, the league’s founding president, summed up her destiny when laws, were not prepared to take these he said, “Albertina, you have married a insults and discrimination lying down. In 1918 they formed the Bantu Women’s married man; Walter married politics
I
“Although politics have given me a rough life, there is absolutely nothing I regret"
1954
She becomes a member of the executive of the Federation of South African Women, which she helped to launch this year. Lindiwe Sisulu, a daughter, is born.
1955
Albertina Sisulu and other women activists play a pivotal role in organising the Congress of the People in Kliptown where the Freedom Charter was adopted.
www.afropolitan.co.za
1956
On 9 August Albertina Sisulu is among women who lead an anti-pass march to the prime minister’s office in the Union Buildings.
1956-61
Some of the leaders of the Women’s March, including Lillian Ngoyi and Helen Joseph, are arrested and charged with treason alongside Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and 152 others during the historic Treason Trial.
1958
The Sisulus’ fifth child, Nonkululeko, is born. Albertina leads a group of women to the old Market Street pass office where they destroy their passbooks.
1960
The government opens fire on unarmed antipass demonstrators in Sharpeville, killing 69. The ANC and PAC are banned.
1963
Walter Sisulu goes underground, leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves. Albertina is arrested in June and becomes the first woman to be detained for 90 days without trial.
1964
She is served with a five-year banning order.
1976
Her daughter Lindiwe is arrested and tortured by the police. She goes into exile.
1979
Albertina is banned for two years.
23
TRI B U TE
“Albertina, you have married a married man; Walter married politics long before he met you.” siblings, and even in marriage, she was determined to continue with that role. Orphaned from an early age, she was determined to lead an independent life, responsible for others. Since then this feisty woman who became a political leader and formidable activist in her own right demonstrated that she was responsible for the welfare of all children. As a trained midwife she helped to bring scores of children into the world. In her household she raised seven children – two were adopted – under very trying circumstances. Her husband spent 26 years in jail while over the years she had to endure long spells in detention – not to mention endless bans because of her unwavering political activities for a just and free South Africa. During these difficult years, her political persecution was made even more challenging by the fact that her children were also banned, detained and exiled. But through it all she bore her cross with exceptional fortitude and extraordinary stoicism. Despite her tribulations, she remained a nurturing and inspirational presence to hundreds of young activists who sought her counsel and succour when authorities wanted them behind the
bars. As a professional nurse, she attended to their bullet wounds during township uprisings such as happened on 16 June 1976. She was also instrumental in arranging hide-outs and exile for young activists – a true mother of the nation. It was a role she played with dignity, grace, humility and selflessness and with a fearless determination to overcome apartheid rule. “The struggle continues,” she told a political gathering in 1985 during Human Rights Day. “We will not stop until freedom is won. It is high time that we tell this government what we want. And, even if we are jailed again, it is not going to scare our people. We are used to it. This is the beginning of the end, and unless our country is given back to us, we will never rest. We will not stop until the authentic leaders of the people of South Africa are taken out of jail to lead their people.” She was indeed a giant of the antiapartheid struggle but she was also a symbol of its moral values – a reminder of what she and her generation stood for as opposed to what is becoming a culture of self-entitlement, corruption and greed within the ruling party. True to her Germanic name, which means “noble, bright, famous”, she leaves behind a legacy of moral uprightness, selfless sacrifice and a flawless model of motherhood – a bright lodestar that illuminated a dark world. And although she was born during a time when women were still regarded as minors, through her exemplary leadership qualities, she demonstrated that women are indeed the flowers of the nation and equals of their male counterparts.
WHAT THEY SAID: “The amazing thing about this mother who carries so many burdens is that her face is always very peaceful, relaxed. You need to see her to believe it. How she manages this is indeed a great mystery to me.” (The late Ellen Khuzwayo in Call Me Woman, 1985) “Mama Albertina Sisulu was indeed a mother of our nation. She has unquestionably earned that title. She was a veteran and heroine of many epic battles of our struggle against apartheid and oppression.” (ANC Veterans’ League) “A mother selflessly dedicates herself to her children, and that is what she did, not only for her own children, but also for the entire nation. Her leadership was special because it was defined by selfless service and humility over many decades despite all the suffering and challenges of the struggle against apartheid.” (ANC) “Mama Albertina understood that our struggle was first and foremost about improving the lives of our people. She, like many others, was willing to sacrifice her own comfort, her own family and her own life, so that all our people could be free and live a better life.” (South African Communist Party)
“We will not stop until freedom is won. It is high time that we tell this government what we want. And, even if we are jailed again, it is not going to scare our people. We are used to it."
TIMELINE IN ALBERTINA SISULU’S JOURNEY
1984
She plays a key role in the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and is elected as one of the three founding presidents of this anti-apartheid movement.
1989
Albertina travels abroad for the first time and at a meeting with US president George Bush senior and British premier Margaret Thatcher, she calls for the strengthening of sanctions against apartheid South Africa. She is reunited with her husband after 26 years when Walter Sisulu and other Rivonia Triallists are released.
24
1991
Albertina and Walter jointly receive the Catherine A. Dunfey Award from the New England Circle in Boston, Massachusetts, for their “outstanding contribution to the struggle for liberation in South Africa and for justice and human dignity the world over”.
1994
She becomes a member of parliament until her retirement in 1999
1997
2010
2003
She is conferred with the Family Value Award by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for “exemplifying motherly values in her own family”.
She testifies before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is accused by Judge Ntsebeza of shielding Winnie MadikizelaMandela.
The South African Women for Women presents her with the Woman of Distinction Award for “her courageous lifelong struggle for human rights and dignity”.
1996
Walter Sisulu, her husband of 60 years, dies in her arms.
2003
She is honoured at the annual dinner of the Medical Education for South African Blacks in Washington, DC.
2004
She is voted 57th in the list of Great South Africans.
2011
She dies at her Linden, Johannesburg, home on June 2 while watching TV with her grandchildren.
www.afropolitan.co.za
R19’999*
R8’999*
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
BISQ/DIST004173/E
Time is what you make it.
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
BY Denise Mhlanga
tsotsi
in
the
boa r d r oo m
ROSE FRANCIS THE BELLE OF SOUTH AFRICAN LITERATURE
A
frica’s jewels and treasures are often hidden in the most ordinary things. Its people, history and music continue to fascinate and encourage story telling through various media. Rose Francis, managing director of African Perspectives Publishing, loves the simplicity and authenticity that is found in Africa. Her company creates a platform for African literature and African writers with a perspective on African matters. She publishes and distributes literature with a focus on history, knowledge and politics. “There is no greater subject than history in my opinion as it underpins every aspect of existence,” she says. She carefully explains that the articulation of a people’s history – defined by a body of text where the critical points of knowledge include substantive findings that are either theoretical or methodological – is engaging and intellectual. This, she says, enhances the narrative experience and excavates the contextual nuances of text.The writing of Edward Said, Lewis Nkosi, Es’kia Mphahlele and Can Themba comes to mind. “African writers, it has been said, are too immersed in political experience. I hardly find that surprising for a nation that is still finding itself,” says Francis. Francis knows all too well that even a narrative on, say, football, told through the socio-political landscape of our time is obsessed with politics. Born in Durban in 1960, Francis now lives in Johannesburg. Growing up, she first wanted to be a police officer, then a nurse. Her first job was as a reader in a press-cutting agency in Durban. Back in the 1980s, she tried her luck in the modelling world. She and the likes of Nakedi Ribane were grounded black women in apartheid South Africa who viewed make-up and hairpieces with suspicion. Despite their success in the
world of modelling, they always stayed humble. “We were having a great time but never thought we were any better than anybody else,” she recalls. She says they were aware of the privilege of representing a nation silenced by apartheid. From this experience, she has learnt that a person is all that they are and they ever will be. She believes it is important to make the best of oneself in whatever it is one chooses to do. It was also during this period that she published a liquor-industry magazine called Spiritz. She later sold this publication and went on to establish the company African Perspectives. African Perspectives’ predecessor, Rose Francis Communications, was cited in Enterprise Magazine as one of the black communication consultancies to watch.
“Publishing is part of that communication space, and through her company Rose has the freedom to fully exploit the African perspective of the human narrative.” When asked about her journey as a media personality, Francis says she is not a gushing celebrity looking to be acknowledged. “I have invested in myself as a person and therefore require no further acknowledgement,” she says. She does what she is doing because someone has to do it, she says. Her job requires of
her to constantly interact with people, and these interactions generally attract the right kind of publicity. Furthermore, this networking has lead to a strong database of contacts. “I know that I have a huge circle of people I can access should I need to,” she says. “I am confident about who I am.” Francis has more than 20 years of professional experience as a communications strategist. Publishing is part of that communication space, and through her company she has the freedom to fully exploit the African perspective of the human narrative. Being black, she identifies with the majority of South Africans whose history is and has been distorted and in most cases swept under the carpet in the interests of portraying the rainbow nation. “I represent interpretations of a socio-historical experience that is essential to understand if we are to take our rightful place in the family of humanity,” she explains. Through her company, Francis hosts school programmes that encourage reading and writing. Her vision through these programmes is that children will be able to interpret the various themes of each of the books they read. As with many publishers in South Africa, she finds that the price of paper is extremely high and constantly has to face the allure of having one’s books printed overseas, where paper is cheaper; of course printing internationally is to the detriment of the local industry. Another thing is remaining competitive in a field where the margins are low and the commissions for shelf or retail listing are high. She says publishing in this country remains largely in the hands of the same people who owned it before 1994. She was awarded the 2010 Workers World Media Award for Best Creative Publication for Nostalgic Waves from Soweto: Poetic Memories of June 16, a poetry anthology by Sol Rachilo. She published The State of South African
Time is what you make it. Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
Rose Francis in brief • Has worked in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo. • Loves South Africa, Tanzania and Zanzibar. • Enjoys deep sea diving and snorkelling. Favourite spots include Mozambique’s Bazaruto islands, the Seychelles and Mtwara and Mikindani in southern Tanzania. • Favourite genre of literature is non-fiction. • The last painting she did was called Separation, an abstract piece using oil and sand on canvas. • Currently listening to audio books ahead of African Perspectives’ first audio book launch in September. • Hardly leaves her home without her All Stars. • Is grateful for her children and life experiences she has encountered.
BISQ/DIST004184/E
• Skydiving changed her perspective on life.
image COURTESY OF Victor Dlamini
• Is single with two daughters, Mika and Zara Julius.
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
in
Marginalised Publishing in South Africa, which was presented in Algeria in February 2011 by Professor Brigitte Ouvry Vial. In 2009 she was a panellist at Khanya College during a discussion entitled “I Write What I Like: Publishing South Africa”. In 2010, she was a panellist during a discussion on reading at the Jozi Book Fair, where African Perspectives also had a stand. She says the fair was an excellent opportunity to engage with existing and potential readers. While contact with readers happens at occasions such as the Jozi Book Fair, she is in constant contact with the African Perspective authors, who live and work in different parts of the country. She’s very much under the impression of her responsibilities as a business owner. “Like any other business in a developing society, publishing is a social commitment too,” she explains. In 2000, she was awarded the American Biographical Institute’s Millennium Medal of Honour for Entrepreneurial Development. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Black Business Council also nominated African Perspectives as one of South Africa’s top 300 empowerment companies. Flattered by the accolades, she insists that good fortune played a part as much as hard work. “I was at the right place at the right time,” she says. “At the same time, I was at the genesis of the empowerment wave as I was already in business for 14 years by the time the big changes happened in the country.” She believes that radio is a powerful medium in popularising literature. She says the creative process starts with the word. The audience that listens to radio, especially talk radio, is an engaged audience, and it is relatively easy to convert them to books. “I was raised on radio. We listened to Jet Jungle, Squad Cars and Mark Saxon. Radio sparked my imagination,” she says. A voracious reader, she read everything from comics and picture books through self-help books and biographies to fiction and nonfiction. At 19, she met Alex Haley, author of Roots, in New York. At the same time she also met Joseph Okpaku of Third Press, the company that published Henry Kissinger and Angela Davies’ biographies. She was later introduced to the first 30
the
boa r d r oo m
African Nobel Peace Prize winner, Albert Luthuli. This launched her search for the African voice, she says. African Perspectives distributes Letepe Maisela’s The Empowered Native, a fictional account of the 16 June 1976 student uprising. The work was recently aired on SAfm. African Perspectives is also making available Don Mattera’s classic autobiography, Memory is the Weapon, on audio in September this year. This is the company’s first audio-book launch, and Mattera himself read an extract from the book on SAfm in February this year for the 56th anniversary of the Sophiatown forced removals. Francis loves travel. Her interest in history provides her with constant curiosity, even when others do not see anything spectacular about a destination. When she is not working, she reads, cooks, listens to new music and engages with her daughters. Her message to the younger generation: “If you don’t know who you are, there are enough people who will be more than willing to tell you.”
“I have invested in myself as a person and therefore require no further acknowledgement.”
image COURTESY OF ROSE FRAMCIS
tsotsi
www.afropolitan.co.za
BY SANDILE MEMELA
M A MEL A N G
MEMEL A
WOMEN IN THE ARTS A STEREOTYPED LOT? “In a patriarchal society, it is very common to question the competence of women who are in leadership positions”
Unlike male musicians, female musicians’ success often depends on their physical appeal, and this prejudice also influences their family planning. When a female musician takes a break from her career to have babies, it’s not uncommon for her to disappear entirely pare a moment of silence for gifted female artists. Not only from the music scene, do they receive negative press thanks in part to her coverage, but it would seem that absence but also to her rarely do they know peace, joy, changing body. Life happiness and, above all, love in their as a touring musician relationships with partners, managers, is also not easy with co-musicians or even bosses. Female young children, so musicians face multiple problems. many female musicians In fact, in my view they are especially forfeit their careers to oppressed. It is worse if they are black raise their children in a because they already face oppression. stable environment. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist Leadership positions or sangoma to understand this. There in unions in the is a host of African-American singers – music sector are also including Tina Turner, Whitney Houston monopolised and and even Rihanna – who are perfect dominated by males, examples of issues affecting female and few women artists as they were not only subjected are elected as shop to abuse, they also endured a lot of stewards or work hardship because of being women. leaders. The same can Many black female South African be said for corporate positions within musicians have also not had easy lives. Thandi Klaasen carries scars on her face, the record industry. In a patriarchal society, it is very common to question arms and body, from a brutal attack the competence of women who are in and the late Brenda Fassie faced many leadership positions. demons as we know so well thanks to Since women share the same extensive coverage in the press. Female challenges, they seek counsel with each artists – and black ones in particular other and sometimes even form lobby – face serious challenges that include groups that have direct access to union abuse, exploitation and oppression. power or management. Unfortunately, Women in the music industry often these lobby groups generally make very end up as back-up singers rather than little difference. taking centre stage, and their salary Female artists should be supported expectations are also often lower than in their endeavours to become truly those of their male colleagues. This liberated. But it will always be women situation plunges them into a trying themselves who must lead their struggle. situation where they become easy prey They can begin by demanding to occupy for sexual predators who harass them. at least 50 percent of all positions in It's been said that these predators tend to be their male co-workers, managers or the sector. After all, women are in the majority. other bosses.
S
32
Female artists should be supported in their endeavours to become truly liberated. But it will always be women themselves who must lead their struggle. www.afropolitan.co.za
image COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK
We all know what women have done for the music industry you only have to consider Dolly Rathebe, Miriam Makeba, Busi Mhlongo, Sibongile Khumalo, Letta Mbulu to see their value.
SOCIAL FRANCHISING - EVERYONE WINS! Give our youth a sporting chance to help make South Africa successful Sport For All, South Africa’s first registered Development) and Code 700 (Sociosocial franchise, utilises sport as a vehicle Economic Development) B-BBEE for development and social change. It requirements. In other words, it is verifiable provides an entrepreneur (owner/operator) and measured, so a supporting enterprise with a rewarding business; offers youth can stimulate business at grassroots level employment opportunities and whilst doing social good with gives children - who are inactive meaning and real results and or who have limited access to rewards. Get your company quality sport coaching - a involved and chance to participate in over 15 Sport For All CEO Kelli Givens different sport codes and life create social change gives an insight into the quid skills training. pro quo benefits of this social that’s good for franchise: “Everyone wins! This is NOT a charity project, it Companies utilise their BEE business too! is a sustainable business model Codes of Good Prac tice that uses structured curricula to provision to get up to 20 points deliver developmental sports training on their BEE scorecard, the franchisee gets programmes and the latest smartcard the seed funding necessary to set up and technology to track cash flows and monitor kids who can’t otherwise afford to the progress and participation of the participate get the opportunity to be a part children. As such, Sport For All is the of Sport For All. The community benefits by ‘beautiful solution’ for companies who having better-rounded youth growing up would like to fulfill Code 600 (Enterprise and becoming active citizens”
Over 500 SA corporations invested BEE funds to enable entrepreneurs to own and operate 8 businesses, employ more than 75 youth and train over 100,000 sports and lifeskills sessions to more than 1500 children daily.
Social Franchising - The Beautiful Solution • • • • •
Uses the structures and management approaches of commercial franchising to achieve social goals Makes profit to plough back into the business to ‘make a difference’ Focuses on sustainability through entrepreneur development, business incubation and youth employment Turnkey Operation includes smartcard technology, storage container, coaching curriculum, kits and sports equipment Hands-on classroom sessions and continuous on-field training for franchisee and coaches
Companies can earn valuable points: 15 (Code 600) Enterprise Development + 5 (Code 700) Socio-Economic Development = 20 POINTS on their BEE scorecard!
DRAFTFCB CAPE TOWN MOME000886/E/2
With expert financial planning, it’s easy to make the perfect choice
When it comes to planning your future, it helps to have options. Momentum’s range of award-winning investment, insurance, retirement and health products – coupled with expert advice from our financial planners – will help you make a decision that will have positive financial outcomes. Take a step towards achieving your goals and email finplan@momentum.co.za or SMS ‘success’ to 31522 and one of our financial planners will contact you.
FIN A N C E BY STEVEN BACHER
T
his year, 2011, marks 100 years since International Women’s Day was first observed. It was on 8 March 1911 that the day was first observed, with women from all corners of the globe demanding equal rights, the right to vote and better working conditions. The fight gathered momentum in the 1960s with the formation of a political party known as the Women’s Liberation Movement and the formation of the National Organisation of Women and the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States. In 2009 South Africa witnessed the formation of a new government ministry – the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities. From an economic perspective, the promulgation of the broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) codes has resulted in many companies putting an emphasis on the hiring of women. Companies earn more points under
Women and finance: same objectives, different approach!
the various elements of the BBBEE scorecard for having female employees, female shareholders and female managers and for doing business with female-owned enterprises. This has been a big driver of wealth amongst females, primarily black females, in South Africa. However, while females have experienced an increased share of the salary bill over the past few years, too few women seem to be taking their finances as seriously. “While we are dealing with more and more female clients, we are still largely doing family financial planning with men only,” explains Kagisho Mahura, head of financial planning at Gradidge-Mahura Investments (GMI). www.afropolitan.co.za
35
imageS courtesy OF SHUTTERSTOCK
“According to the World Health Organization, women live longer than men in rich and poor countries."
FIN A N C E
“We often encourage spouses to have joint consultations, as it is never good for just one spouse, be they male or female, to handle the financial affairs.” Although the situation has improved over the past few years, with more and more women coming in with their husbands, there remains a lot of scope for improvement. “At GMI we call this the ‘knight-in-shining-armour’ syndrome, where the man is still seen as the financial manager in the house and the rescuer of his damsel in distress,” says Mahura. “We often encourage spouses to have joint consultations, as it is never good for just one spouse, be they male or female, to handle the financial affairs.” Financial planning, such as the setting of financial goals and objectives, is the same for everyone, regardless of gender, says Mahura. “Both men and women want to create wealth, manage financial risk and ensure succession of wealth to the next generation,” she says. However, there are a few nuances that they consider when doing financial planning for their female clients: • Women bear children. • South Africa has a very high rate of divorce. • Women live longer. • Trends in the workplace are changing.
Women bear children The responsibility of bearing children is one that cannot be outsourced, meaning that this is one factor that will never change. The impact on finances can be significant. A woman who has three children can expect to go at least a full year with lower earnings as a result of maternity-leave conditions. This disruption can have a significant impact on overall financial planning over time. In many instances women opt to take additional time out in order to spend more time with their children during their developmental years. While this is encouraged, it is important to understand the financial impacts and manage them.
South Africa has a high divorce rate According to the Family and Marriage Association of South Africa, one in two marriages in South Africa ends in divorce. The impact of divorce on finances can be significant and hugely disruptive. In cases where women have
36
left the financial planning to their spouses, divorce can often be a death blow to the financial well-being of the woman. Even though the husband usually has to pay maintenance, the spouse should ideally also be financially stable in case those payments are not forthcoming. “The bottom line is that women need to be more involved in the family’s finances, even though the marriage may stand the test of time,” Mahura says. If a woman is involved in the family’s financial planning from the start, the risk of her becoming financially disempowered once the marriage breaks down is lowered. Recent amendments to retirementfund legislation that saw the introduction of the “clean-break” principle have had a major impact on the financial consequences of divorce. Couples going through a divorce should seek the help of an experienced financial adviser in this matter.
but as a result of longevity, they need their incomes to provide for a longer retirement. This has an impact on investment strategies and tax planning. The other important financial aspect to consider is that of medical aid. We tend to use medical aid more as we get older. In the past employers assisted with the provision of medical aid cover post-retirement. That situation has changed largely with individuals being saddled with this financial burden. Retired women will generally require higher medical cover, which is often more expensive and therefore needs to be catered for in retirement planning.
Changing workplace trends A recent Women24.com survey showed that women are delaying starting families, and a large proportion (42 percent) of professional women are largely unmarried single parents. For more and more women, marriage is no longer a financial decision. Similarly, more than 40 percent of births in the US in 2007 were to unmarried mothers. In Canada, the US and Australia there are already more women in the workplace than there are men. Numerous studies have shown that there has been an increased strain on women’s overall wellbeing as a result
“The responsibility of bearing children is one that cannot be outsourced, meaning that this is one factor that will never change. The impact of child bearing on finances can be significant” Women live longer According to the World Health Organization women live longer than men in rich and poor countries. Wealthy women live longer than wealthy men, and women have longer life expectancies once they reach retirement age. In Gauteng the life expectancy of women is 69 compared to 60 for Gauteng men. There are many reasons for this. Men generally exhibit riskier behaviour and they have lifestyles that lead to various ailments and disease. Women are generally more responsible and more cautious by nature. Given their longer life expectancy, women need to ensure that their retirement planning, in particular, is sound. As a result of child birth, they experience disruptions to their incomes,
of higher workloads. The increase in testosterone in women as a result of work has had side effects on women’s health as well, with increased incidence of dreaded disease amongst working women. “When putting together a financial plan, we tend to prioritise dreaded disease cover for working women, and disability cover for men,” Mahura says. Financial objectives remain the same for men and women. It is the subtle differences between them that impacts on the plan needed to achieve these common goals. As the demographics of the country continue to change, and workplace trends continue to shape the behaviours of men and women differently, financial planners need to recognise the nuances and their impact on financial planning.
www.afropolitan.co.za
Experience Authentic Tuscany In The Heart Of Bryanston A 4 star luxury boutique hotel, boasts 43 elegantly decorated, en-suite rooms. Spread over 3 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens we have 2 pools, the Tuscan restaurant and a sensational bar & lounge area where our guests can unwind and indulge. Little Tuscany has been designed for total comfort, convenience and security for both the needs of leisure guests and business executives alike.
Register now on our website and you could win a 2 night stay for 2, in the Tuscan Suite which includes dinner and breakfast valued at R7500*.
www.littletuscany.co.za
48 Queens Road, Bryanston, Johannesburg * Terms & Conditions apply.
BY Medupi Lamola
FIN A N C E
B Y
M O MENT U M
FINANCIAL PLANNING It’s not about timing the market; it is about time in the market One of the most important aspects of financial planning is to have a suitable exit strategy for your investment. If you are planning to consume the proceeds of your investments in the foreseeable future, you must ensure that the volatility of the assets underlying the investment is appropriate to anticipated consumption. We spoke to TSHEPO MATSEBA, head of marketing at Momentum’s financial planning division. Q: What has the recession meant for people in their… 60s, 50s, 40s, 30s and 20s? A: Obviously the economic downturn and global recession have, to a lesser or greater extent, affected investment returns. Many older people in the wealth-preservation group (people in their 50s and 60s) have found that their investments showed virtually no growth. This was severely felt by people approaching retirement who will probably not be able to retire when they had planned to or will have to lower their living standards during retirement. The alternative is to delay retirement until the markets have had an opportunity to recover. 38
www.afropolitan.co.za
to offer extraordinary returns tend to become more attractive, and people will invest in them out of desperation – and greed. One must really resist taking such risks! Where does it leave you? Quite critical is to get some kind of professional advice and to devise an investment strategy to understand the possible returns from your investments. Also to adjust your needs and requirements according to what your investments can realistically deliver. One of the important things to understand is that based on life expectancy, retirement is lengthy these days. If you look at investment strategies over time and take into account inflationary risks from an investmentstrategy point of view, investors need to guard against eroding the real value of the investment through inflation. After you have been burnt by a For the wealth-creation people (those in their 20s and 30s), the greatest impact negative experience like this, the tendency is to take your money out of was probably the tightening up of the granting of credit, which, to some extent, the asset classes that you understand and that have the ability to counteract was fuelled by the National Credit Act, inflationary risk, such as equities, and but also because of the global recession put it in a conservative fixed-interest banks themselves were under pressure. investment with a really low rate of In fact, access to finance for the wealthinterest. While you then sit back and creation sector to buy homes or for wait, your investment itself doesn’t have other bigger projects generally remains much potential to deliver any kind of tight, and that is probably where they real returns for the investor. Panicking experience the impact of the recession and saying “I’ve been burnt by equities” most severely. and subsequently investing in something Fortunately, the longer the time you anticipate consuming your investments, that’s safe but erodes real value is almost the worst thing you can do. the better the opportunity for the The secret probably lies in coming up market to recover and to revert to a with a strategy based on solid research level of performance in line with what and some kind of diversification in one would expect from the various terms of asset classes and then just really asset classes. From a pure investment point of view, waiting it out. Currently commentators are if you’ve got a long way to go before predicting that the world will take much you’ll actually need the money you’ve longer to recover from the most recent put away, you’ll probably find it will recession, and there is obviously concern have a relatively small impact in the about the future in terms of the way bigger scheme of things. Unfortunately, some of the banks dealt with the crisis. older people don’t have the benefit So what you need in your strategy is the of time. ability to stick to the basic principle and Another factor that needs to be understand what’s tried and tested and considered is whether the world has changed permanently and whether some then build in a mechanism to allow you to be a little bit more patient than you kind of normality will return at some otherwise would have been. stage. Your investment strategy should be adapted accordingly.
Q: What should people do if their retirement investments took a knock? And where should they invest their savings? A: The only thing that one can really do is not to panic and do anything silly. Often in situations like these, some of the investment schemes that seem
www.afropolitan.co.za
Q: What should investors focus on in the next 10 years? What should people in different age groups do in terms of their exposure to risk given the selected asset classes? A: Younger investors looking at truly long-term returns with retirement as an objective need to realise that the
downturn is one of the things that will happen during their careers. They need to stick to a well-planned strategy. But not every younger investor’s objective is retirement, so not all young investors have a 30- to 35-year time horizon. They might be saving to buy something in five to 10 years, so in those circumstances those investors would, like the older investor, also probably have to revisit their strategy. It’s just that by virtue of their age, younger investors usually have more options available to them than to older investors, who probably find it difficult to continue working and are forced to rely on what they have accumulated.
Q: If you have some money to invest, what are the best possible options? A: I would probably still invest in equities as they still have a reasonable possibility of returns. Having said that, the market is not necessarily cheap at the moment, and I would probably adjust my return expectations. Maybe through some kind of process there may be an opportunity to select particular shares in that market that offer greater potential than others. However, one must never forget the importance of investment diversification! Finally, you just need to be realistic about expectations – if I look at the market and listen to forecasts, recovery is going to be a little bit slower than what we would’ve liked, so it obviously will affect returns. It is important to remember that there is no substitute for professional financial advice. Investing is not about timing the market; it is about time in the market. A professional financial planner can help you make the right decisions in line with your comprehensive financial needs analysis.
“For the wealthcreation people, the greatest impact of the recession was probably the tightening up of the granting of credit"
image courtesy of MOMENTUM FINANCE
“People need to realise that recovery is going to take longer, so what you need in your strategy is the ability to stick to the basic principle and understand what’s tried and tested.”
39
BY ANGUS McEWAN
A FR O
F O O D
FILLET SIGNATURE CUT THE HOUSE OF MEDITERRANEAN FILLETS
I
t must be said there are more onerous tasks that can befall a person than to seek out, unearth and report back to one’s people the dining gems that exist amongst us in the urban jungle. The nature of this research requires an open mind, a hearty appetite, a willing research assistant and, for this researcher at least, a healthy dose of gratitude. Equipped with these in some measure, we found ourselves at the door of Fillet Signature Cut, located in Douglasdale (near Montecasino and Fourways), upon which we cast the Afropolitan looking glass. The proprietors of Fillet Signature Cut bring to bear their Mediterranean heritage, a mix of Portugal and Lebanon, on the menu, but as the name of the restaurant states, a variety
“The variety of offerings on the Fillet Signature Cut menu amount to an ode to thE most celebrated cut of beef, the fillet” of offerings amounting to an ode to the most celebrated cut of beef, the fillet. The space is open and uncluttered, with a split level providing a raised area in one corner. The two levels are separated by a wall, and a gas “coal” fire runs along one section providing much-needed cosiness in winter. Sliding glass doors open on to
40
www.afropolitan.co.za
in a creamy, spicy garlic sauce and presented with rice”. We also couldn’t resist ordering the fillet nayeh, a firsttime experience for us both. The basis of this dish is raw filleted chopped lamb infused with fresh mint, onion and Middle Eastern spices, lightly dressed with olive oil and served with unleavened bread. Raw lamb may be unfamiliar to the South African palate, but let me tell you, this dish did not disappoint. I ate mine wrap-style by rolling the meat in the bread, and it was delicious. First you taste the mint – fresh and distinct – and then the combination of raw onion and the Middle Eastern spices become apparent. The mint softens the onion but doesn’t mask it, and the overall effect is refreshing. We
www.afropolitan.co.za
“The design takes full advantage of our summer months so that the perimeter glass doors slide open, giving access on one side to a raised patio area for patrons to enjoy some outdoor dining” experimented, creating combinations with chopped chilli, balsamic vinegar and ground pepper. Each was unique, the mint slightly softening the sting of the chilli and the tang of the vinegar but always complementing the other flavours – nice! Glistening in their creamy, spicy garlic sauce, the prawns encircle the
41
images by FILLET SIGNATURE CUT & TASH PHOTOGRAPHY
a patio where al fresco dining can be enjoyed during summer. For the first course, there are some familiar-sounding choices ranging from oysters and prawns, Parma ham and melon to fillet carpaccio and beef trinchado. There are also less common choices such as fillet nayeh and steak tartare. My willing research assistant Maria and I selected the garlic prawns; the menu promises them “drenched
rice, which rests castle-like in the centre of the plate. As with the fillet, the first mouthful delivered a distinct flavour with the spicy element of the sauce leading the way, enough to say “howzit!” but well mannered enough not to numb one’s taste buds and spoil following servings. The sauce was smooth and wrapped itself wonderfully around the prawn meat, the texture of which was crisp yet tender. We were ready for our mains. The menu offers a traditional 200g fillet steak for R48, which is great value for money, but we focused on the “fillet speciality” section of the menu, offering eight unusual variations. We chose fillet zorba mignon and fillet fromage. The mignons are seasoned with black pepper and oregano, pan-fried in olive oil with mushrooms and olives and topped with feta and a squeeze of lemon. We requested it mediumrare, and the chef was spot-on. It was succulent and sensual in texture and bursting with flavour. I’d order it again in an instant. The fillet fromage is stuffed with Dutch Gouda and fontina cheese, wrapped with imported Italian pancetta and finished off in their wood-burning oven. It was again perfectly cooked to our mediumrare specifications. The first mouthful was taken without any accompaniments, and the simple flavour brought on by the wood-burning oven was enough by itself. However, we had ordered side order sauces of balsamic reduction with fresh rocket and creamy peri-peri, both of which lent themselves wonderfully to this dish. A selection of grilled vegetables, creamed spinach, crumbed mushrooms, chips and roast potatoes were also served. The creamed spinach needs a special mention – one could quite easily eat this dish on its own with a spoon. Rest assured, there is adequate choice for those not caring for fillet. Look out for melanzana parmigiana – layers of brinjal, spinach, mozzarella and napolitana sauce, baked in their woodburning oven – on the starter menu. Or the strawberry and blue-cheese salad, which includes avocado, toasted almonds and garlic croutons on a bed of rocket, dressed with sweet chilli and balsamic reduction. With our research complete and all data processed, we seem to have unearthed another Afropolitan gem!
BY SAM MAthe
B O O k
r e v i e W s
WOrd On WOrds THiS CHiLD WiLL BE GREAT – Memoirs of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President AUTHOR: ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEAF PUBLiSHER: HARPER PERENNIAL Africa’s first female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was sworn in as Liberia’s head of state in 2006. In a country that has become a byword for everything that is wrong with governance in Africa – notably coups, blood diamonds and civil conflicts – her ascent to the tiny but turbulent West African state’s seat of power has been nothing short of phenomenal. It marked a turning point in the troubled history of sub-Saharan Africa’s first independent country – once a vassal state of the USA and created as a home of the descendants of slaves who were shipped back to Africa in the 19th century. But since the year of independence – 1847 – Liberia has never known peace. Yet after 160 years of military coups, brutal assassinations and tyrannical regimes, it took Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s feminine but firm leadership to put Liberia on the
road to political and economic recovery. JohnsonSirleaf’s gripping memoir puts a face to Liberia’s troubled history. It is the face of courage that has overcome a difficult upbringing, an abusive marriage and political persecution involving exile and imprisonment under the dreaded Samuel Doe regime. Her story of resilience, fearlessness and persistence in her commitment to a building a better Liberia is an inspiring tale for women (and men) everywhere who aspire to high office not for the sake of power but to create a better world for all.
MMAKGABO MMAPULA MMANKGATO HELEN SEBiDi AUTHOR: JULIETTE LEEB-DU TOIT PUBLiSHER: DAVID KRUT PUBLISHING One wonders whether all these names appear in Sebidi’s identity documents, but the fact that her book is titled in this way is a clear indication that she attaches enormous importance to her identity as a black woman and how this identity has shaped her world view as an artist. Sebidi’s main influence was her grandmother, a gifted decorator of walls in the traditional Tswana style. She raised young Makgabo to cherish traditional African value systems as opposed to what she regarded as the “selfish values of city life”. Sebidi’s early works are exuberant paintings that explore this traditional world; her rural scenes often show 42
women completing their daily chores. Her art has since evolved into complex works characterised by fantastical and mythological images that tend to fuse opposites – the urban and the rural, men and women, and so on. Sebidi brings together these contrasting realities in what the author describes as “works of great visionary and prophetic power”. This is an informative portrait of one of the country’s foremost female painters.
NORiA MABASA AUTHOR: KAREN PRESS (EDITOR) PUBLiSHER: DAVID KRUT PUBLISHING Born in a traditional Venda community in what is now Limpopo, world-renowned sculptor Noria Mabasa defied tradition when she switched from clay to wood, the latter medium being traditionally an exclusive male preserve. The first phase of her artistic expression is clearly rooted in the Venda women’s art and craft tradition of using mud and clay to mould household items such as cooking pots and water vessels that are also used to store traditional beverages such as sorghum beer. But crafting kitchen utensils was not her destiny. Rather, she used clay as a medium of artistic expression – to carve colourful doll-like figurines inspired by dreams – images of rural women in traditional wear and men in Western attire to reflect their city experiences. In between these gender stereotypes she added to her colourful iconography another type: the Western woman – nurses, prostitutes, white females – who stands independent from tradition. But Mabasa demonstrated her resourcefulness and sense of independence when she broke with tradition and took on wood. This was the second phase in her artistic journey, and, remarkably, unlike the small, ordinary-looking clay statues, her wood pieces are sizeable, complex and expressive masterpieces inspired by history, mythology and current affairs rather than dreams. This book is an authoritative account on the life and art of one of South Africa’s leading female sculptor.
www.afropolitan.co.za
r e v i e W s
COUCh pOtAtO LiMitLess
DiRECTOR: NEiL BURGER STARRiNG: : BRADLEy COOPER, ABBiE CORNiSH, ROBERT DE NiRO
An engaging plot that revolves around a black-market pill that unlocks the full potential of the human brain, giving the average Joe an all-conquering “super-brain”! It’s this wonder drug that transforms Eddie (Bradley Cooper) from a deadbeat novelist into a genius – writer, musician, politician, socialite and stockbroker. Almost overnight, the pharmaceutical allows Eddie access to 100 percent of his brain. He gets back together with his ex-girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) and hooks up a life-changing meeting with energy mogul Carl (Robert
de Niro), who brings him on board to mastermind a huge corporate merger. But as with all good drugs he soon realises the higher the climb, the harder the fall. Director Neil Burger shows great stylistic flair using impressive camera tricks and editing effects that allow the audience to see it all from Eddie’s druginduced perspective. The plot takes a few decidedly silly and unexplored turns, but Limitless is certainly a mainstream movie that succeeds in offering viewers an original concept worth getting excited about.
the iLLusionist
DiRECTOR: SyLVAiN CHOMET STARRiNG: SyLVAiN CHOMET AND JACQUES TATi
Nominated for Best Animated Film Oscar, The Illusionist is totally different to most animated films of today. It’s not in 3D, nor does it brag the high-tech graphics of this era – it is all hand drawn with almost no dialogue and tells the most wonderful story about a French magician who falls on tough times when he finds that his craft isn’t so popular anymore. His passion for his trade takes him through Europe to perform in any place he can find – from small pubs to garden parties. It’s while performing in a country tavern in Scotland that he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl who’s completely blown away by his show.
eXit throuGh the Gift shop British-born graffiti artist Banksy has acquired a global reputation for his work. His unique works have adorned walls in countless of the world’s most famous cities, from post-hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the West Bank. This groundbreaking film documentary unfolds from the unlikely friendship between Banksy and one of his biggest fans, eccentric LA-based Frenchman Thierry Guetta. Obsessed with videotaping every moment of his own life, Thierry starts documenting the exhilarating behindwww.afropolitan.co.za
The awestruck Alice believes his tricks are real magic, and the two lonely strangers quickly bond. The Illusionist is a simple yet memorable tale that will leave you longing for the simple wonders life offers.
DiRECTOR: BANKSy STARRiNG: BANKSy, THiERRy GUETTA AND SPACE iNVADER
the-scenes world of street art, and this endeavour leads him to Banksy and his crew. Banksy’s face and voice are obscured throughout the film, as he fiercely guards his identity to avoid prosecution. There has been much debate over whether Exit Through the Gift Shop is a genuine documentary or a mockumentary. Either way, it’s greatly entertaining and offers viewers an up-closeand-personal look into some of the most infamous graffiti artists at work. The film is also a thought-
iMAgeS coUrteSY oF Ster-KineKor & nUMetro
BY eLKA SchAiMBerg
d v d
provoking exploration of what really constitutes art and how mass consumerism strongly influences our creative freedom. 43
BY eLKA SchAiMBerg
m O v i e
r e v i e W s
BiOsCOpe pAGe one: inside the new york tiMes DiRECTOR: GABRiEL RANGE STARRiNG: DAViD CARR, BRiAN STELTER, BRUCE HEADLAM AND BiLL KELLER
It’s no secret that the hard-copy newspaper has become an endangered specie, and this documentary provides a fantastic portrayal of how the digital age has transformed the role of one of the most respected newspapers in America. page one gives an eyewitness analysis of the day-to-day challenges faced in the new York Times newsroom. Getting the opinion of everyone from the editors and reporters to media analysts
and representatives of the new York Times’ competitors, the film presents all the important debates of the age of new media. Director Andrew Rossi followed journalists and ace staffers at the new York Times – such as David Carr, Brian Stelter, Bruce Headlam and Bill Keller – around for a year, gaining access to the inner workings of the newspaper in the process. Viewers get an up-close look at
the vibrant cross-cubicle debates and collaborations and the competitive pageone pitching that still brings the new York Times to life every day.
BeGinners DiRECTOR: MiKE MiLLS STARRiNG: EWAN MCGREGOR, CHRiSTOPHER PLUMMER AND MÉLANiE LAURENT
iMAgeS coUrteSY oF Ster-KineKor & nUMetro
This smart and emotionally mature screenplay is about adults that are beginners at love. Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is the sad yet likeable lead character who invites viewers to go on a tender, confusing and hilarious journey with him as he unravels the years that have led him to a strangely cathartic mid-life crisis. Oliver meets the unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent) only months after his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), passes away. His new love inspires a flood of memories of his father who came out of the closet at age 75 and following 44 years of marriage to his mother. Oliver remembers Hal’s honesty and
one dAy This is a beautifully woven tale about an extraordinary relationship. Ever since their meeting in 1989, Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) never stop thinking about each other. Emma grows into a working-class girl with a deep moral consciousness, out to save the world, and Dex becomes a wealthy charmer who sees the world as his playground. Regardless of their different paths in life, they stick to their commitment to each other to meet once a year, on the anniversary of their 44
the renewed spirit for life he felt after he came out and realises that the whole experience brought the two of them closer together. Following the death of his father, Oliver now endeavours to love Anna with the bravery, humour and hope that his father taught him. As he grapples with the meaning of life and love, his late father’s “talking” dog becomes a confidante. The dog’s funny subtitled responses to Oliver’s ramblings add sparkle to the story. This oddly charming comedy looks at the anatomy of love. It will make you laugh and cry and ultimately walk away feeling like you’ve learnt something.
DiRECTOR: LONE SCHERFiG STARRiNG: ANNE HATHAWAy, JiM STURGESS
first encounter, to see where they are in their respective lives. As they explore their separate journeys through life, they continue to share a deeply connected friendship that somehow outweighs all the loss, tears and turmoil of life with love, laughter and real understanding. The story is adapted from the bestselling novel by David Nicholls, who also wrote the screenplay. one Day takes viewers on an emotional journey that thankfully stays away from a predictable ending. www.afropolitan.co.za
r e v i e W s
BeAt BOx liZ OGUmBO
KEN SOUL [ GALLO ]
Songstress Liz Ogumbo is a child of both traditional and modern Kenya. Raised on the ethnic music of the Luo – one of Kenya’s major tribal groups that counts President Barack Obama amongst their famous affiliates — she was also fascinated by the Swahili culture of her neighbours. As a music-crazy teenager growing up in Kenya, she combined her love for the soukous classics of Congolese superstars Franco and Mbilia Bel with the timeless music of Bob Marley, Miriam Makeba and Stevie Wonder.
4/5
This 13-track album is an exhilarating sonic expression of the young Kenyan’s ethnic origins and eclectic influences. She tackles a variety of contemporary themes and concerns, including her experiences as a black model in a white-dominated industry. Playfully but passionately, she takes the listener on a soulful journey that is rooted in her rich Luo musical heritage and branches out to coastal Swahili traditions. She continues this exploratory sonic journey through R&B avenues, jazzy
kB
With her sixth album, singer and actress Keabetswe Motsilanyane, known simply as KB to her legions of fans, reconfirms her status as award-winning songbird.
jUdith sephUmA When Judith Sephuma released her 2001 debut – a Cry, a Smile, a Dance – she became one of Afro-jazz’s most revered vocal powerhouses. A work of class and sophistication, its instant success prompted observers to wonder whether the fabulously talented songbird and songwriter’s successive releases will manage to equal or surpass the popular appeal and sophistication of her highly acclaimed debut. Then, four years later, she returned with new Beginnings. Like its predecessor, new Beginnings, produced by Lawrence Matshiza, earned her a coveted SAMA statuette in the highly contested Best Female Artist category and two more honours – proof www.afropolitan.co.za
lanes and ragga routes – all riding smoothly on laid-back spoken word, lush instrumentals and smoky vocals delivered in Luo, Swahili, English and French. Guest artists such as MXO, RJ Benjamin and Zubz add vocal power and sophistication to outstanding tracks such as Searching, Give Them hope and Maro pa More.
RUN FREE: THE EVOLUTiON [ GALLO ]
Her fusion of Afro-pop, R&B, Latino, house and jazz elements has become a winning formula that has seen previous albums el Musica, Beautiful Vibrations and My Rhythm become iconic titles and multi-platinum sellers. Her inventive ability to fuse seemingly disparate idioms into highly entertaining music that is both suitable for partying up a storm and tranquil listening is one of her secrets for success. This album features dynamic music that exudes both raw and sophisticated energy. She performs with unparalleled passion and unrivalled vocal artistry.
What also elevates this album to the class of an award-winner is the exciting manner in which she has tapped into the captivating Tswana rap made famous by her homeboys from the North West; these include Stoan Seate, Hip Hop Pantsula and Tuks Senganga. She features the latter on the opening track, My way – a dynamic dance song that sets the overall tone for an album that is destined to capture the hearts of KB fans in particular and lovers of dance music in general.
i AM A LiViNG TESTiMONy [ SONy MUSiC ]
of its great power and artistry. But it lacked the magic and enduring majesty of a Cry, a Smile, a Dance. As if to try and recapture the magic of her first album, Sephuma again teamed up with ex-husband Selaelo Selota, who produced her third album, Change is here (2008). With the exception of one or two radio favourites, it didn’t change popular opinion that her debut is the favourite. Now, after ten years as the undisputed queen of Afro-jazz, Sephuma has returned with a new offering to celebrate what is otherwise an exceptionally successful decade in a challenging genre. i am a living Testimony is a ten-track
4/5
3/5
iMAgeS Are coUrteSY oF MAnUFActUrerS And diStriBUtorS.
BY SAM MAthe
C d
album that highlights her decade as a recording artist. Like its predecessors, it is also characterised by outstanding songs and glorious music. But the popular appeal of her debut is absent. 45
BY VINCENT VERRYDT
cu l i n a r y
cu l t u r e
All You Need Is Marinade! Marinade Made in Mexico The Mexican marinade can be used on all meats and will add a delicious coriander and lemony flavour to your meat without being over-powering: Total Time Needed: 20 minutes
How Much? • Makes two full cups of marinade
Ingredients:
imageS courtesy of george forman & Shutterstock
H
ollywood funny man Steve Martin once said, “I would do anything to lose weight. Except eat healthy and exercise!” While this prompted a few laughs, to former heavyweight boxing champion of the world George Foreman, there’s nothing funny about healthy eating. It is a wellknown fact that Foreman started boxing simply to stay out of fast food joints. “If I don’t fight I’ll eat this planet!” he once said. Foreman’s obsession with healthy eating not only saw him become the “oldest man” to ever win a heavyweight title, it also paid him major dividends after his final jab. Foreman’s search for a product that would allow him to cook his favourite foods without compromising his health saw Russell Hobbs (formerly known as Salton) take notice. Foreman landed a super-lucrative endorsement deal with the home-appliance giant for his endorsement of the Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine. And so Foreman and grilling became the latest trend in cooking. Today, it’s obvious that grilling is a less fattening way to cook as no oil is used in the cooking process, but while this is good for your waistline, there is a danger of food coming into contact with intense heat and flames, which
46
of course poses other problems. While the Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine doesn’t experience flare-ups (and so this danger is less pertinent), when it comes to grilling or braaiing it’s best to use meat that is lower in fat, such as chicken and beef. Fat, like that on pork and especially lamb, does cause flare-ups, and when meat comes into direct contact with flames, a chemical reaction occurs and cancer-causing agents are formed. Now just a second… before you pour water over your beloved braai, there are many ways to combat this — the most delicious being marinade. Not only does marinade tenderise your meat and add flavour, but it drastically reduces chemical reactions too. Marinades containing olive oil and citrus juices can reduce the formation of these chemicals by as much as 99 percent, and according to the Food Safety Consortium project at Kansas State University, herbs of the Lamiaceae family – that is basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage – offer antioxidants that reduce free radicals. So, as if you need an excuse to grill with flavour, enjoy my healthy grillingmarinade of the month.
• Juice of 1 lemon • 5 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed • 1 tablespoon dried oregano • 2 tablespoons cumin • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/3 cup olive oil • 1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander • 1/3 cup cider vinegar • 1/3 cup white vinegar • Chillis (optional)
Easy Preparation: Marinades work best if made in advance. Place your meat in a large Ziplock bag, combine all ingredients and then pour the mixture over your meat in the bag. Refridgerate. Marinate beef, lamb and pork for six hours, chicken for three hours and fish for an hour.
The UltraHealthy Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine
Interesting fact: Since its launch in 1996, more than 100 million Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine units have been sold worldwide. Sales have earned George Foreman an estimated R1.4 billion from the endorsement – much, much more than he ever made as a boxer.
COMPETITION www.theculinary.co.za
Our friends at GEORGE FOREMAN are giving away THREE Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machines to Afropolitan readers. go to www.afropolitan.co.za to enter.
www.afropolitan.co.za
Discover why more companies are using us to communicate bright ideas Ayanda Mbanga Communications is the fastest growing, Black-owned agency of its kind in South Africa. Based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and East London, our full-service offices deliver award-winning employer brand advertising and best-in-breed recruitment solutions, ensuring we turn every idea into a bright one. visit www.ayandambanga.co.za and get switched on!
communications
THE BEAUTY OF DIAMONDS
imageS courtesy of DE BEERS (PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARETH JACOBS)
F A SHI O N
48
www.afropolitan.co.za
imageS courtesy of DE BEERS (PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARETH JACOBS)
F A SHI O N
www.afropolitan.co.za
49
imageS courtesy of DE BEERS (PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARETH JACOBS)
F A SHI O N
50
www.afropolitan.co.za
imageS courtesy of DE BEERS (PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARETH JACOBS)
F A SHI O N
www.afropolitan.co.za
51
imageS courtesy of DE BEERS (PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARETH JACOBS)
F A SHI O N
52
www.afropolitan.co.za
IMAGES COURTESY OF GALLO IMAGES imageS courtesy of DE BEERS (PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARETH JACOBS)
F A SHI O N
www.afropolitan.co.za
53
F A SHI O N FASHION PROFILE
PHOTOGRAPHER
54
amazing experience. To be accepted as a professional, but more so as an artist, spearheading the photographic side of the campaign was a supreme honour I feel very lucky to have had! Thoko used words like ‘high-caliber’, ‘extraordinary’ and ‘remarkable’ throughout the campaign and subsequent tour when describing my work and the results… coming from her, that was worth it’s weight in precious stones and gold.” Word has gotten around the publishing industry and in various corporate circles, and Gareth has been brought in on a myriad of exciting projects, also aligning himself with a few powerhouses in the luxury brands world. “Sometimes I have these surreal moments of clarity, when I get international phone calls for requests to display my work or I see a billboard for
the first and seventeenth time… ‘WOW’ is an all consuming feeling!” With a sleek website just having launched, a name slowly yet steadily illuminating in bright lights, and an excellent support structure in the family he surrounds himself with, expect electric exciting things from this young visual artist. “My Mom and Dad have always believed in me as a free-spirit. I never got the doctor/lawyer speech, and for that I’m completely grateful. I get to do what I love with passion and intensity, and they’re always proud of me! My muse is perhaps the reason I strive for success in this craft… she makes me want to do more, be better… I feel blessed every day for the richness in love and talent in my life!” www.garethjacobs.com www.afropolitan.co.za
imageS courtesy of GARETH JACOBS
C
ape Town born - Jozi raised, Gareth Jacobs has walked a long distance from being barefoot on the Flats to the size 11 sneakers he wears in studio now. Having chosen to relocate with his parents as a teenager to ‘big bad Johannesburg’, he spent the next years solidifying family life with very few friends, all the while working menial jobs to save for studying. He has had a relatively short yet roller-coasterish career as a professional. Starting out with an apprenticeship at a major Publishing house in Gauteng, the certificate in his pocket was stamped as “Graphic Designer”. Paying long hard dues in the field for years, a chance opportunity saw him pick up a camera and claim he could shoot when he really couldn’t. He attributes the experience under his belt now to determination to succeed, a dedication to excellence in art, and a good sense of humour for those moments of surprise and conjecture, “Not to take away from any of the photographers out there who are learned and certified in their field, but I bullshitted my way into this industry, and sweated bullets without tutelage to master my Canon and understand the technical side of the art form!” He has to date photographed the likes of international supermodel Alek Wek, local celbrities Liezl van der Westhuizen, Proverb, Bonang, Jena Dover and Danny K to name a few, controversial personalities like Lolly Jackson and Julius Malema, and global icons like Mr. Maurice Hennessy himself and Oprah’s style guru Debbie Travis. “I consider myself a Portraitist first and foremost. I think it’s important to niche yourself, do it well, and maybe then diversify your portfolio.” Motivation from the right people is a key aspect of any professional’s journey to aspire to great things. “I’ve been blessed enough to have amazing mentors in my life and career. Kym Argo, Editor of Get It magazine, Josef Talotta, Editor of Sandton magazine, and Thoko Modisakeng, Marketing Director for De Beers SA, have all played pivotal roles in me establishing myself as a photographer… I wish I was able to show them gratitude as I truly want to!” The Shining Light Awards campaign for De Beers has been his biggest project to date. Gareth was given a blank canvas and a list of parameters and objectives, and along with a specialized team, conceptualized the look and mood for the catalogue’s visual drive. “It was an
PHILIPS LAUNCHES * Global Usage and Attitudes studies 2010 (US, France, Germany and UK)
A NEW RANGE OF WET AND DRY SHAVERS INTRODUCING THE AQUATOUCH Most men in their 20s and 30s are unaware that electric shaving can be used wet. They also don’t know that wet electric shaving has great benefits for the skin. Philips aims to redress this balance with the introduction of AquaTouch, the affordable electric shaver that is fully waterproof, meaning it can be used wet with foam or gel for a smoother, more comfortable shave and greater skin protection. Philips research* has shown that there is a growing group of men that now use an electric shaver as well as blade to achieve their desired look. But when shaving with a blade, they at times experience skin damage issues such as nicks and cuts, visible redness and ‘razor burn’, which
undermines their look. With the introduction of Philips AquaTouch, not only will they benefit from the convenience of the electric dry shave, but they will also benefit from the skin benefits of using an electric shaver wet. AquaTouch features an inbuilt seal, Aquatec, which means that the shaver is fully waterproof and optimized for use with shaving gel or foam for enhanced skin comfort and minimizing skin irritation. Philips AquaTouch also has caps covering the cutters to prevent the rotary blades from damaging skin as well as a Super Lift & Cut feature that helps to lift hairs away from the skin before cutting them to guarantee a close shave. From initial user research, blade users highly appreciate wet electric shaving and indi-
AT890
cate that they would incorporate AquaTouch into their shaving routine. By introducing AquaTouch into their wet shaving routing, we hope men will experience even more skin comfort, control and convenience than before. The Philips AquaTouch range consists of two models: AquaTouch (AT750) and AquaTouch Plus (AT890). The high end model has DualPrecision cutting, a shower hanging pouch for easy storage and a trimmer. Available from [Septmeber], Philips AquaTouch Plus retails at [RSP R699].
AT750
BY STACEY VEE
B E A U TY
Winter Wonderland! It may still be cold outside, but the cosmetics aisle is blooming! Essence Gel Eyeliner
R34.95
Bobbi Brown
Python & Peony eye palette
R690.00
Clinique Chubby Stick
R175.00
Essie
Smokin Hot, Going Incognito and Hot Cocoa
R99.95
MAC My Paradise Cheek powder
R710.00
DMK
Cosmetics foundation
R375.00
Yardley
Beyond Juicy treatment gloss
R62.95
Hannon
Day to Night eye shadow
R160.00
Rimmel
Volume Flash Max Bold Curves Mascara
R89.95
Smashbox
Limitless Eye Liner Golden Ivy
R190.00 Click-click beauty buys One of the country’s first online stores to sell women’s beauty products exclusively has just gone live. Thebeautystore.co.za was founded by Chris Cox and Chase Richards, two young South Africans based in Notting Hill in London. Cox and Richards want to introduce the United
56
Kingdom’s online-shopping culture to our local market. Now you can buy your favourite beauty products while at your desk or on the move, and the selection is fantastic, with plenty of worldclass brands including Nina Ricci, Anna Sui, Shiseido and NARS.
www.afropolitan.co.za
G R O O MIN G
Gym-bag basics Make sure your toiletry bag is stocked with these essentials when you hit the showers at the gym! Gillette Fusion Cool White Razor R89.99
Get better razor glide and reduce friction with an antifriction coating on the blades and soothing micro pulses.
Decleor For Men Smooth Shaving Foam R250.00
A rich foam that is fragrance-, alcohol- and colourantfree and has clove, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils that limit excess sebum and energise the skin.
Crabtree & Evelyn Nomad Hair & Body Wash R170.00
A lathering gel that’s perfect for travel, this wash has woody notes of exotic ginger, citron and green bamboo.
Danne Montague-King Deep Pore Cleanser
Thalgo Men Intensive Hydrating Cream R539.00
This non-oily cream gel contains a cocktail of energising ingredients. It’s the perfect all-day moisturiser.
Dermalogica Body Therapy Skin Kit R630.00
An all-in-one kit that contains Conditioning Body Wash, Body Hydrating Cream, Exfoliating Body Scrub and Climate Control Lip Treatment. Comes in a neat travel bag.
Being Spring confident starts with smooth legs For Spring confidence and the ultimate convenience in female grooming, have the choice to epilate or shave with the new Philips SatinPerfect HP6572. With an extra wide head and textured ceramic discs, the SatinPerfect removes more hair in each stroke, giving you smooth gorgeous legs in less time. Together with a shaving head, for shaving
www.afropolitan.co.za
and trimming sensitive areas, the SatinPerfect is a total body solution for smoothness. Even the finest hair can be spotted and removed with the Opti-light, and a washable epilation head ensures optimal hygiene is kept. With the Philips SatinPerfect HP6572 you’ll be smooth in minutes, and it will last for weeks!
57
Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of shutterstock, manufacturers and distributors.
R280.50
This water-based foaming cleanser contains white oak bark extract to increase foam, herbal extracts to tighten and refine pores and orange and lemon oils to brighten the complexion.
GADGETS FOR GIRLS Anne Taintor hip flasks R375 to R720 www.annetaintor.com
Usually you wouldn’t be able to get your mitts on these sexy hip flasks from the retro humour Anne Taintor label, but thanks to www.wantitall.co.za that brings all things Amazon into the country, you can giggle into your gin and tonic in style. These stainless-steel flasks fit into your pocket or purse and feature wrap-around designs with captions such as “Why do dishes when you can do daiquiris?” and “What’s a nice girl like me doing without a drink in her hand?” Very 50s housewife, darlings!
SMEG Colour Strip Refrigerator R24 999
www.smeg.co.za This 50s retro-style refrigerator isn’t just cute, it’s quality! SMEG appliances are high on the trendsetter list, and this colour-stripe fridge (model number FAB28RCS) adds a women’s touch to the kitchen. It has a 220 litre fresh-food section with three adjustable glass shelves, a fruit and vegetable container, a covered storage box and a chrome wine rack. It also has an automatic defrost function and a climate-selector switch. The ice box has a capacity of 28 litres and comes with ice trays. Available in both right-hand and left-hand hinge styles.
Golla Bags R149 to R899 www.golla.com
Gammatek is importing the fantastic Golla range of protective casings and bags for all your digital accessories. This G-bag with adjustable shoulder strap is big enough for your iPad and has a padded body and a magnetic flap. The zip pockets on the front and back are perfect for any extras you’d like to tuck away, and there are inner zip pockets and slots for business cards and credit cards. The new Golla bags are available at all major retail, photo and luggage stores nationwide.
58
www.afropolitan.co.za
Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.
BY STACEY VEE
G A D G ETS
G A D G ETS
Hello Kitty iPod docking speaker R999.95
www.tevo.co.za If you’re a Hello Kitty fan, then this is the gadget for you! Made especially for iPods and iPhones, this dock contains two high-performance speakers and a quality subwoofer and touch-sensitive volume control. It also comes with an infra-red remote control. It will also charge your iPod while it’s playing. The auxiliary input allows you to connect your Hello Kitty iPod docking speaker to other brands of phones, MP3 players and laptops. Available from leading retailers or directly from Tevo.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini R2 499
www.sonyericsson.com
Nikon Coolpix S1100pj R3 999
The new Xperia Mini is small enough to fit neatly into your bag but still has all the functionality you want in a smartphone and more. It runs on Android 2.3 and has Sony’s reality display with a Mobile Bravia Engine and HD video recording. You can place up to 16 apps in the corners of your home screen – yes, all your favourites including the new “Facebook inside Xperia” that makes Facebook immediately accessible through your picture gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar. Plus there are plenty more to choose from with more than 150 000 apps available on the Android Market.
So much more than an easy-to-use compact camera, the innovative Coolpix S1100pj also doubles as a projector! It has a large touch screen, 14.1 megapixels, a Nikkor wide-angle 5x zoom lens and five special anti-blur technologies that give you crisp, clear images when projected. Now you can share your happy snaps on the big screen with your friends, using one device! What a clever idea.
Wireblooms R70
www.bigblue.co.za There are few things that’ll make your rooms more unsightly than ugly cables tracking along the walls. Now you can incorporate these eyesores into your decor by adding these beautiful Wireblooms from Monkey Business. Each pack contains 12 green leaves and one bright-red bird attached to nail-in cable clips. Available locally from Big Blue outlets.
60
www.afropolitan.co.za
Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.
www.nikon.co.za
Logitech M325 wireless mouse TBA
www.logitech.co.za Take a sneak peek at Logitech’s new Creativity Collection range, which will be out a little later this year. The M325 wireless mouse comes in a selection of funky designs that pair beautifully with your laptop or netbook. It has microprecise scrolling for browsing through web pages, and the contoured shape with textured rubber grips make for comfortable navigating. Plus the battery is long-lasting. The nano receiver is tiny and plugs directly into the USB slot for 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. Watch this space!
Skullcandy Uprock headphones R349
www.skullcandy.com
Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.
This black-and-pink set of headphones from Skullcandy’s new Uprock line has twin 40mm drivers, tangle-proof flat cables and are made of durable, long-lasting materials – perfect for heavy-duty music-lovers. Despite the sturdy design, they’re still extremely comfortable for your ears, with ergonomic styling, a soft-touch finish and plush ear pillows. The Uprocks come in a huge variety of colour combos and are available at Look & Listen.
We Dare R299
www.nintendo.co.za
This racy new title available on the Wii gaming platform (also on PS3) is a fun twist on the game of “truth or dare”. Made by developers Ubisoft, it features 40 fun and flirtatious games, and you can select the mood of your party: enchanting, persuasive, naughty, adventurous or brainy. Make no mistake, this is for adults and not for little ones, as you bump and gyrate to classics such as I’ve Had The Time Of My Life and the timeless Sex Bomb.
www.afropolitan.co.za
61
DE C O R
AFRO DECOR
www.afropolitan.co.za
65
LET THERE BE LIGHT! The lighting design of your home is essential in determining its overall atmosphere and appeal. Every room has its own needs when it comes to lighting – from determining the mood to enhancing the functionality of an area, complementing the decor or enlarging the space. Get switched on to a world of illuminating options from leading lighting suppliers The Lighting Warehouse.
Living in the Spotlight One of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to create atmosphere in your living area is to plan your lighting around the use of spotlights. Multi-directional globes can be angled to highlight artwork, plants
or architectural features. Washing the walls by using cleverly placed spotlights can also make a room appear larger than it is. Wire lighting systems have emerged as a contemporary design favourite
due to their sleek, unobtrusive styling and functionality. They can also be installed in some of the most challenging spaces and can be mounted vertically for a funky, modern look.
Bathroom Brilliance Of all the rooms in the house, the bathroom requires the most flexible lighting scheme. A cleverly designed and thought out lighting design can offer both bright and functional areas as well as softly lit, relaxing spa-like spaces. Lighting Warehouse offers a variety of options to complement a wide range of different bathroom styles.
66
www.afropolitan.co.za
Images courtesy of THE LIGHTING WAREHOUSE
BY ELKA SCHAIMBERG
DE C O R
d e C O r
CUlinAry spArkle
iMAgeS coUrteSY oF the Lighting wArehoUSe
Kitchens are often the busiest room in the home – it’s where we cook, eat, socialise, entertain and often work. Therefore the lighting design must accommodate all of this. Accent lighting is becoming progressively more popular, offering a third dimension by illuminating features that we would like people to notice or admire, such as interesting architectural detailing or a mosaic splash-back for example. Decorative lighting is the proverbial cherry on top – it’s the light fitting that everybody will notice – one that complements the overall style of the kitchen. You can cook up the best lighting scheme for your kitchen with a variety of options from The Lighting Warehouse.
OUtdOOr illUminAtiOn No longer will entertaining al fresco, swimming, dining or just relaxing on the patio be curtailed when the sun sets. With good outdoor lighting, you now have the opportunity to sit back and experience the beauty and tranquillity of your garden and enjoy your home’s entire living space during the day and the night. Recessed ground lights, free-standing posts and poles, floodlights, wall brackets, lanterns, bulkheads and sphere light fittings are all practical choices for homeowners who are looking for the ideal outdoor lighting solution.
African elegance and style... Sophistication and unsurpassed quality... Luxury and innovation... Let Olala dʼAfrique Interiors embellish your world! www.afropolitan.co.za
67
Tel: 011 958 2443 Suzette 082 415 4249 Babalwa 083 308 4785
www.olaladafrique.com
BY SAM MATHE
FE A T U RE
KELLI GIVENS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR WITH A MISSION
“
Know yourself. Never forget where you came from, and reach back to help someone else come forward too.” These wise words attributed to Alpha Alexander, American-born sports administrator and co-founder of the Black Women in Sports Foundation, aptly sums up her fellow countrywoman Kelli Givens’ life philosophy. New York native Givens has spent most of her life dedicated to the cause of uplifting the underprivileged. Like Alexander, the former athlete adheres to the school of thought that regards sport not only as a recreational and competitive activity but also as a tool of youth and community development. Givens believes that sport can be a powerful medium to teach children essential life skills. “Kids are open to learning if their learning is incorporated with sport,” she observes. Born in a sporting family, her mother was a softball player and her father a professional baseball player. Both parents taught her and her sister strong family values such as care for others, personal responsibility and a strong work ethic. “Hard work is something that cannot be replaced,” she says. “It is critical to one’s successes.” She says both parents taught her and her sister strong family values such as care for others, personal responsibility and a strong work ethic. “Hard work is something that cannot be replaced. It is
critical to one’s successes.” She followed in her parents’ footsteps and became a sportsperson. After she left university she reinvented herself as a successful entrepreneur – owner of the largest female minority franchise company (along with business partner, Carole Riley) – of two of the United States’ biggest fast food empires – Pizza Huts (47) and McDonalds (4). Despite her business success, she dreamt of travelling the world and helping underprivileged communities through charitable projects. So in 1999 she sold everything and left the United States – working in Asia and Africa. She came to South Africa in 2000 and worked as director of Habitat for Humanity – a global NGO dedicated to the building of decent, affordable housing for the needy. To date the organisation has built and renovated over 400 000 low-cost houses across South Africa’s underprivileged communities. “The strength behind Habitat for Humanity was the notion of ‘giving a hand up, instead of a hand out’”, she points out. Givens’ long involvement with charitable organisations – in particular non-governmental, non-profit-making bodies – has taught her that they are not financially sustainable. And that is how she embraced the concept of social entrepreneurship that is pivotal to the operation and success of Sport for All,
KELLI GIVENS: FACTS & FIGURES
CEO:
Achievements:
Sport for All Franchising Pty (Ltd), downtown Johannesburg
Named one of the 25 Most Generous Young American by Worth magazine (2002); Won a bodybuilding competition at the age of 40
Date and place of birth: 1 July 1959 in New Jersey, USA and raised in New York
Previous positions and organisations: 2001-2004 Habitat for Humanity (regional director)
2009 SOS Children’s Villages (SADC regional director and communications director)
Education:
Family values:
Went to New Mexico State University on a basketball scholarship where she also played volleyball and softball
Concern with what one can do for others instead of oneself
Sporting idols:
Personal philosophy:
CIVICUS:
Basketball great Bill Russell and tennis legends, Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson
“Work patiently to live simply and faithfully.”
World Alliance for Citizen Participation
68
2006-2008 Starfish Greatheart Foundation (RD Manager/Acting CEO)
2005-2006
www.afropolitan.co.za
www.afropolitan.co.za
69
Image courtesy of DEE-ANN KAAIJK
a world-class multi-sport social franchising company that provides life skills to youths from disadvantaged communities through community development and sport. Sport for All was founded in KwaZulu-Natal by Warren Bond and Zee Cele – director and chairperson respectively – in 1997. In its formative years Sport for All depended on donor funding to sustain its operations and programmes. But in the 1990s grants from foreign donors were dwindling and the founders discovered the franchising model as a solution to the survival and sustenance of the organisation. To implement the social franchising model, Sport for All established a partnership with True North Holdings – a multi-brand franchise company. The social franchise model proved successful for Sport for All, and in 2007 it re-launched and rebranded itself as a social franchising company. Givens became involved in 2009. With 25 years experience in community development through sport as well as franchising in some of America’s top fast-food brands, she joined Sport for All as chief executive officer (CEO) and immediately started to transform the organisation by implementing her brand of social entrepreneurship – teaching young people lifeskills through sport. She remains modest about her role and achievements. “It is important that credit should go to the founders of this organisation as well as other staff members,” she says. “The focus on my role as CEO gives the impression that this is an American body while the fact is that it is South African.” She says 2010 was a particularly eventful year for the organisation. “It offered us a perfect opportunity to reach out to a significant number of young people in many communities – to
f e A t U r e engage them in various sporting codes including indigenous games,” she says. Sport for All recently formed a partnership with South African Soccer Legends, an organisation of ex-professionals who contributed to the country’s soccer legacy yet remain marginalised. These legends offer much in terms of unearthing and developing future talent. Givens is convinced the partnership is a perfect match. “They played for the love of the game – and that is the message we teach our students,” she says. “As certified trainers and coaches, they certainly offer value to this partnership. Our short- and long-term goals with them are that they bring in to the public domain their proud legacy in order to make the current generation aware of our rich football history.”
xOLiSWA “SKiLLS” MAFUNA A SPORT FOR ALL SUCCESS STORY Xoliswa Mafuna grew up in Ekurhuleni’s Katlehong, a township that is faced with serious social challenges such as crime and unemployment. It is a community where child-headed households, the tragic result of South Africa’s high HIV infection rate, have become a norm. Mafuna is part of her community’s orphan generation and headed a household. But she never allowed her challenging circumstances to define her future. Instead, she took time out from the stresses of single-handedly looking after her siblings by plying her soccer skills at the Katlehong branch of Sport for All. When fellow Katlehong resident Benny Mphahlele was granted the area’s first Sport for All franchise, youngsters in the area were roped into the programme. They could choose different sporting codes ranging from netball to soccer. Mafuna was one of these youngsters, and she chose soccer. She went through various divisions, ending in the senior under-17 level. The fact that she was the only girl in her team didn’t discourage her. She knew she could beat the boys at “their” game. The game exposed her to soccer legends such as Lucas “Roo” Radebe and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer. Her dedication on the pitch earned her the captaincy of the under-17 side, and in 2008 she was appointed coach of the under-12 and under-15 boys’ teams. In the same year, she joined Katlehong Ladies’ Team that was invited to play in a tournament run by the ABSA Women’s League. One of her highlights as a soccer player was when she was named Player of the Match, helping Katlehong Ladies’ 70
XoLiSwA “SKiLLS” MAFUnA
Team to achieve third position during the 2008/2009 season. She believes her exposure to Sport for All programmes changed her life for the better, boosted her confidence and enhanced her opportunity of becoming a professional soccer coach. “Sport for All has given me a new lease on life,” she says. “It equipped me with the life skills that have made it possible for me to achieve so much in sport. Township life can be challenging. Had it not been for Sport for All, I would probably be hanging on street corners, getting involved in drugs and crime. I also come from a poor family, but through the
organisation I was able to acquire soccer boots that gave me a fresh start in life.” She says the highlight of her career was during the 2010 FIFA World Cup when the Sport for All club members were taken to the Germany training camp. Here she met legendary captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer. “Xoliswa is a perfect example of a hardworking youngster whose achievements reflect what Sport for All aims to achieve for its students,” says Sport for All chief executive officer Kelli Givens. for more information, visit www.sportforall.co.za
www.afropolitan.co.za
DARKSTAR 4167/7/11
Feel the sound Music. It’s so much more than vibrations in the air. It’s the voice of our history, the pain and the pleasure. When I play, I fall into that beautiful place. A never-ending descent to the very base of my soul. And when I am there I am truly at home, connected by my roots. Because I listen, I know the Afropolitan spirit will never leave me.
Good Music Good Friends
BY DAMIAN MURPHY
A FR O
W HEELS
Lexus LS460 Getting Comfort and Luxury Right
“Everything inside the LS460 is beautiful – from the leather and wooden trim to the elegant infusion of technology with sophistication.”
A
s it glided into the office park I couldn’t help but take notice of this massive beast as the sun shone off its bulky silver frame. This is a big car that is both wide and long. It doesn’t seem to want to disguise its size either, proudly showing it off with the shape and design of its exterior. The LS460 is designed for the mobile business executive who either has the money to be driven around by someone else or has a discerning family of passengers who won’t settle for mediocrity on any journey. The exterior styling of the LS460 feels a little dated to me, and I would hasten to say it is not a massively attractive car from any angle outside, but the beauty of this Lexus is not what you can see, but what you can feel and experience. Lexus has a long way to go to compete in the
72
looks department, but I think they set a supremely high standard in the comfort and luxury departments. Everything inside the LS 460 is beautiful – from the leather and wooden trim to the elegant infusion of technology with sophistication. There is a selection of gizmos and options inside the car to occupy a tech-head yet enough practically useful stuff on board to make this a tool for business rather than just a means of travel to and from it. The back seats in the LS460 recline and give a decent massage when you are in need of an unwind session at the end of a long day. The on-board system can entertain you regardless of the mood you are in and offer you a distraction from the bore of everyday traffic. Doing zero to 100 in just over five seconds is impressive for a car of its size, and the delivery of power from the 4.6 litre V8 engine is nothing short of spectacular. With 280kW and 493Nm of torque, the LS460 is a beast, fit for a race track and the road. This Lexus is a beautiful, smooth car to drive. It is actually an effortless drive involving very little concentration on what you or the car is doing and more focus on what those around you are doing. Boasting all it does under the bonnet, the LS460 should be a driver’s machine, but it’s more a passenger’s
dream than anything else. This is the perfect car to be chauffeured in, and even though I was not let down by its performance, I was rather uninspired by it. It is fast. It does have grunt but not enough excitement in its delivery. Lexus have big visions and huge ambition to take a larger part of a market that loves competition. This segment is packed with leading machines, and Lexus have a leader. Small steps on a good road are better than large ones on a shoddy road. The LS460 is a good opponent in a strong and demanding market. (Price R1.2 million)
“This Lexus is a beautiful, smooth car to drive. It is actually an effortless drive involving very little concentration on what you or the car is doing and more focus on what those around you are doing” www.afropolitan.co.za
The VW Touareg Bringing punch to the fight
The Top 5 Cars for Women on the Move It being our annual women’s edition, Charlene Clarke, president of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists and judge for the Women’s World Car of the Year, gave us a peak of her top five cars for women who balance a hectic work life with a strong family life.
Kia Sportage The Sportage was a serious contender at this year’s Car of the Year finals. Kia is taking the market by storm for its reliability and value for money. With the Kia brand doing so well, I bought myself a brandnew Cerato recently.
BMW 5 Series Joint Car of the Year 2010/2011 – need I say more? I had the 535i not too long ago, and in my review of it I really did struggle to find fault with it. I loved the 5-Series so much that I needed to force myself to find fault for the sake of objectivity. So I noticed it had a massive turning circle and burnt fuel like it didn’t have any, but that was it. The rest of the 5-Series is nearly perfect in every department.
Volvo XC60 The XC60 is Volvo’s SUV. One of their most popular models, the XC60 stands toe-to-toe with the best in the business. It is a solid, sexy vehicle that can take you anywhere you want with little or no hassle at all. I have yet to review the XC60, so keep visiting the site or our Facebook page for updates. I loved the S60 and C70, so I can’t see how I won’t love the XC60. I’ll probably love it more than the rest.
Citroën DS3
Subaru Forester
I remember reviewing the DS3 in the last women’s edition of Afropolitan, and the DS3 excited me immensely. I was not often given a chance by the magazine to review a car that fell into my price range, so I jumped at the chance to review the DS3. I was so impressed with it that I even considered upgrading. It is fast, fun and totally unique, and as I said in my review, it is the perfect accessory to any garage.
One of my most recent reviews, the new Forester, blew me away. My introduction to motoring journalism was behind the wheels of the entire Subaru fleet, Forester included, and such was my love for Subaru that my article won me praise from my editor and a regular place as the Afropolitan motoring man. The full review of the diesel Forester is up on the website now. A real driver’s car with go-anywhere capabilities.
This is Charlene Clarke's list, in no particular order, with some thoughts from our side (to read the full review, visit www.afropolitan.co.za and see the motoring section).
www.afropolitan.co.za
73
Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.
V
olkswagen, the people’s car, has a reputation of producing reliable cars that are great to drive. Year in and year out, VW has contenders for the South African Car of the Year mantle – and that says something for what they offer. I was given my first taste of VW in three years of motoring journalism, and I wasn’t let down. Having owned a Jumbo Golf II, I am familiar driving VWs, so I was super excited to push this mega-mobile to the legal limits during my test period. I tested the 3.0 litre V6 TDi model, and it delivered 176kW of power and 550nM of torque. Gears shifted rather sluggishly in this eight-speed automatic, especially around bends. But on a straight line the Touareg has great zip, good acceleration and impeccable fuel economy. It’s a lovely, smooth ride. The VW Touareg is simply a stunning car that merges the sleek sexy design of the latest Golf models into an SUV’s body to create a sporty-looking monster. Even for this segment the Touareg is a really large car though, and parking it is nearly impossible. Even with the aid of the park assist I often found myself straddling more than one parking bay unintentionally. Obstructions aside, the Touareg competes strongly in the luxury SUV market, which is dominated by some of the biggest names in five-star motoring, and it comes out as close to perfect as possible. It is actually one of the top contenders when you compare pricing to return on investment. VW need to keep doing what they’re doing, and they will keep winning the prizes they are winning. (Price R622 000 plus extras)
BY eLKA SchAiMBerg
p r O p e r t y
FORTy ON OAK Brand New Luxury Apartment Block in Melrose Arch
J
ohannesburg’s iconic Melrose Arch mixed-use development recently launched the third phase of its residential component. The upmarket 59-unit, five -storey apartment block marketed by the Pam Golding Property Group is attracting strong buyer interest. Nearly 50 percent of the apartments on offer are already either reserved or sold. In fact, figures show R220 million in pre-sales alone, with two of the five penthouse units already sold at R25.5 million each. Construction of the R400 million luxury apartment block, Forty on Oak, is under way on a site adjacent to the Protea Fire & Ice Hotel. The apartments range from 95m2 onebedroom units to 860m2 four-bedroom penthouses, which range in price from R3.5 million to R25.5 million. The bulk of the apartments are two-bedroom units, although there are some exceptional two bedroom-plus-study units as well as three-bedroom units that will also be available. The sleek ultra-modern design and superb finishes and amenities offer sophistication at its finest and comfort all the way. The contemporary look of the building itself is timeless, and the functional use of space involves the
74
inclusion of a central courtyard with raised decks and stairs that lead into a garden with walkways, creating space, tranquillity and privacy. Forty on Oak is indeed ready to set new standards in gracious apartment living. The five penthouse units are equipped with exceptional lifestyle features, including fully equipped kitchens with all modern conveniences, plunge pools and jacuzzis, rooftop gardens, entertainment areas and bars, cinema rooms and under-floor heating. “Melrose Arch is widely acclaimed – both at home and abroad – as the most exciting mixed-use development in South Africa. Its cosmopolitan
“MeLrose ArCh is An iConiC ConCept in whiCh property perforMAnCe GenerALLy hAs Been reMArkABLe despite A ChALLenGinG eConoMy." vibrancy and rich diversity of highstreet living (including its close proximity to the Gautrain and its unique mix of offices, shops, restaurants, clubs and hotels) is unmatched in the inland residential
www.afropolitan.co.za
For Futher Info Contact:
property market in South Africa,” says Dr Andrew Golding, CE of the Pam Golding Property Group. Following the success of the first two phases in the residential component of Melrose Arch, with 113 luxury apartments sold at a total value of
R333 million, the third phase saw sales on the go even prior to its official launch. Like its predecessors, phase three is attracting interest from foreign buyers, local corporations, well-heeled empty nesters, successful young professionals and the inevitable top-end, buy-to-let investors – all of whom are generally uncompromising about the high level of security and quality they seek. From an investment perspective,
www.afropolitan.co.za
Peet Strauss, manager of the Melrose Arch office of the Pam Golding Property Group, says a furnished R4.5 million two-bedroom unit can achieve rentals of approximately R32 000 to R35 000 a month, which represents a gross yield in the region of eight
“The sleek ultramodern design and superb finishes and amenities offer sophistication at its finest and comfort all the way”
percent. Coupled with this, over the next two years annual capital growth of about five percent is expected. When completed in 2012, the new phase three will bring the total number of residential units to 172. “Melrose Arch is an iconic concept in which property performance generally has been remarkable despite a challenging economy. A vibrant and cosmopolitan world-class development, the luxury apartments
offer discerning local and overseas investors opportunities to achieve both sound capital growth and good returns on buy-to-let options,” says Strauss, adding that Melrose Arch is internationally recognised for setting high standards and driving innovative, mixed-use development – for which it is a widely acknowledged model. “The balanced mix of residences, offices, shops, restaurants and hotels creates a high-street lifestyle in an appealing, lively and secure environment – providing key elements that attract buyers. The fact that Melrose Arch has a retail consumer base of 100 000 people within a 5km radius further enhances its appeal and strengthens its foundation for continued success,” adds Strauss. This exciting new development is officially set for success and will no doubt add to the exceptional expression of modern spaces achieved by Melrose Arch.
75
imageS courtesy of PAM GOLDING PROPERTIES
Peet Strauss of Pam Golding Properties on 011 6842996 or email pstrauss@ pamgolding.co.za
BY lerato mogoatlhe
t r a v e l
KENYA THE JEWEL OF EAST AFRICA
D
owntown Nairobi is bustling on the first day of my trip to Kenya. I am surrounded by the usual signs of a vibrant modern city – skyscrapers, thousands of people walking with a purpose, shops, restaurants and billboards telling readers that Michelle Obama’s biography is on the shelves, and shops crammed with electronics, trendy fashion and killer heels. It is love at first stride on Tom Mboya Road. A few steps later, I am on Albert Luthuli Street. Around the corner is busy Lagos Road. Other streets here are named after Africa’s liberation heroes including Kwame Nkrumah, Eduardo Mondlane and Kenneth Kaunda. The city is proudly and boldly African. Nicknamed Nairoberry Nairobi is also worldly, thanks to its status as African United Nations (UN) headquarters. Besides the UN, multinationals and a thriving economy have ensured the presence of a significant number of foreign workers.
76
Destination Kenya has it all. A pulsating capital city, breathtaking coastline, iconic and obscure tribes and a landscape that makes Kenya one of Africa’s most iconic travel destinations, as travel writer LERATO MOGOATLHE recently discovered.
The most stable country in East Africa, Kenya has communities from Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Their influences are most visible on Nairobi’s menu, with restaurants that serve Ethiopian, Eritrean and Asian food alongside favourite local dishes such as of nyama choma (barbecued meat). Like all cosmopolitan cities, Nairobi never sleeps, with night clubs ranging from scrubby downtown joints to chic cocktail bars straight out of the Western park scene providing entertainment at all hours of the night. Nairobians are proud of what they wear – be it power suits or traditional attire. The most exciting aspect of the city’s wardrobe is the kanga, a colourful cotton cloth that has a proverb or statement on the hem. Kangas are found all over East Africa. But unlike other countries in the region, a Kanga in Nairobi is not just yards of cloths used to cover a woman’s body in the name
of culture and religion. Here kangas are worn as scarves, skirts, tops and belts. Their versatility hits me one Sunday at a “Blankets and Wine” event. Blankets and Wine is a monthly Sunday picnic where local musicians and hundreds of revellers party on the rugby field of St Mary’s School. It is a party unlike
“The most stable country in East Africa, Kenya has communities from Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Eritrea” www.afropolitan.co.za
"Built by the Portuguese in 1593, the partially ruined Fort Jesus houses a museum with objects donated from private collections"
The Swahili coast The Swahili culture boasts Persian and Arab influences since merchants from these cultures participated in trade in the country. Intermarriage between the Arabs and local population produced the Swahili language, culture and people. The word Swahili comes from the Arab word for coast, sawahil. The Swahili coast spans Zanzibar and Kenya. The coast in Kenya starts in Mombasa and ends in Lamu with Mombasa being its heartland. Rich in history, Mombasa has an old town, and if you’re there it feels like you’ve stepped back in time. In and amongst the dilapidated old buildings, you’ll find many prime examples here of the ornate carved doors that also
characterise most of the other Swahili coastal towns. Despite being run-down the town is still charming. Built by the Portuguese in 1593, the partially ruined Fort Jesus houses a museum with objects donated from private collections such as the remains of a Portuguese ship that sank here in 1698. There’s also a hall devoted to the different Mijikenda tribes and cultures that can be found along the coast. Just north of Mombasa is Kilifi, a picturesque town where the living is large. This is where big-spending expats moor their yachts and travellers come to experience a resort holiday. But this is the Swahili coast, remember, so beach bumming can be interspersed
images COURTESY OF shutterstock
any I have ever been to. This afternoon, there are kangas all around me and bold African accessories and dainty women accessorised with poodles. The mood is decidedly Afropolitan, and between live acts the DJ plays music from around the continent and the diaspora. Nairobi is arguably one of the most exciting cities in Africa. The air is thick with ambition. There is also a literary and reading culture with countless bookshops and book vendors lining the streets. Besides its pumping nightlife, easy lifestyle and convenience, Nairobi also has much to offer those searching for an authentic cultural experience. Just go and see for yourself at one of several Masai markets dotted around the capital – here one of Africa’s iconic tribes sells their equally iconic beaded accessories. There is also a thriving poetry and arts scene. Nairobi has its own Soweto in Kibera, the second-largest slum in Africa. Life here is tough with scant space and sanitation. But Kiberians are also a spirited group of people whose lives have featured in movies such as The Constant Gardener as well as books and documentaries. This bustling settlement is a true tourist destination unlike Soweto, where visitors watch a slice of local life from an air-conditioned car before popping into a local bar for beer and some nyama choma.
www.afropolitan.co.za
77
t r a v e l with stepping back to the 14th century at the Mnarani ruins. Other sites include carved tombs from the 16th century. Like Mombasa, Malindi is gritty and crowded. But this is also home to some of the finest beaches on the coast, attracting celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
“The Masai Mara – the place where God put all the animals that did not go into Noah’s Ark”
78
The only thing Lamu cannot do is throw a good party. Everything else it does superbly. The restaurants vary from local joints serving simple fare to elegant restaurants offering luxurious dining experiences. The street life is easy-going in the mornings, when one can pass time visiting museums and monuments. It picks up around 3pm when qat vendors pull out their sacks of tropical plant stimulants to satisfy the locals’ appetite for the bitter-mild narcotic. Night fall brings out the best in Lamu’s street life. Hot grills are piled with all kinds of street food including fish and kebabs. The smell of popcorn fills the air, and passers-by are generous with their conversation. It is Shela beach that truly makes Lamu a great destination. Here you can do all things water-related: sun, swim, kite surf, snorkel and fish – without being bothered, for the most part at least, by the notorious beach sellers of the Swahili coast.
The Safari Trail There are more than 30 parks and reserves in Kenya, all encompassing vast rolling plains and a rugged landscape that has inspired many photography books. The most famous of these parks are Amboselli, Tsavo, Samburu and the Masai Mara. The Masai Mara’s vast grassland plains and wooded river valleys make it one of the stars of the African safari trail as a whole. The park is famous for the migration of zebra and wildebeest – and their predators – to the north in June and July. If you’d like to visit the park during this very special time, there’s a two-year waiting list! But the Masai Mara is the ultimate bush experience any time of year. There’s big five, and you’ll feel like you can’t get any closer to nature. Entrance fees are quite steep ($60 or roughly R420 per person), but it’s worth it to see the Masai Mara – the place where God put all the animals that did not go into Noah’s Ark.
images COURTESY OF shutterstock
But it is Lamu that is the real gem of the Swahili coast. The island is truly one of the most amazing places in coastal Africa. Time has barely touched the island. Arrival remains by boat, giving a magnificent first impression of a waterfront where windswept mosques rub minarets with faded buildings and scores of boats bobbing on the water. There is just one car and three tractors on the island, and the narrow alleys brim with hundreds of donkeys that remain the primary mode of transport here. Donkeys are an integral part of life on the island. They are how people, goods and produce get around Lamu. Alongside them are local Muslim men, women and children, the women in traditional black bui-buis with glittering patterns and the men in white kaftans. Unlike Zanzibar, where an unrobed woman invites scorn, Lamu is a friendly and tolerant place. Tourists have a right to bare their arms, even in the marketplace. As Lamu is a small island, the people all know each other, and strangers are welcomed. When I say I’m from South Africa, I am welcomed. “Welcome home to Lamu,” many people tell me and inevitably invite me for sweet, milky tea or Arabic coffee – served sweet, bitter or infused with ginger in shot glasses. Lamu is just the place for romance, and I give in to my romantic side by taking a night boat to a floating bar. We set sail under a full moon and a sky splattered with stars. The captain and his crew of local youths believe that it is not a tourist experience without the clichéd song and dance, so one of them hauls out a drum. The beat turns into typical touristy Swahili songs Nakupenda Malaika, Jambo Sana and Hakuna Matata. We arrive at the bar, which is packed with travellers and plays dull Eurocentric music. I’m scared it’ll sink under our weight.
www.afropolitan.co.za
A FR O PR O FILES
Inhaling success, celebrating business
We have always been inundated with requests from business leaders wanting The Afropolitan to showcase their businesses — and we have featured many in our pages in the past. Because of all this interest, and the fact that we want to celebrate successful African businesses and leaders, while inspiring our youth, we have launched the Afropolitan Business Profiles. This is the opportunity for your company to “own” a double page showcase within our highly regarded pages. Should you be interested in securing your spot, please contact our sales team at profiles@contactmedia.co.za.
Ayanda MBANGA image COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK
GIZ INVEST NORTH WEST BERCO 79
www.afropolitan.co.za
image COURTESY OF WHITECLIFFS PHOTOGRAPHICS
A FR O PR O FILES
80
www.afropolitan.co.za
Balancing Act Pays Off for Employer Branding Entrepreneur Ayanda Mbanga Mhungu is a successful entrepreneur, CEO and founder of successful recruitment marketing company Ayanda Mbanga Communications, currently rated number 2 in SA. We asked her about her secrets of success, maintaining balance and maximising opportunities. business with start up support but how did you maximise that opportunity to realise Loving what you do is key. Success does not mean things will always go your way your dream? What would you say are your secrets of success?
or that things are easy, however, when you truly love what you do you are able to roll with the punches, whenever the goings gets tough.
What attributes does one need to be a successful entrepreneur? Tenacity. It’s tough out there and you just need to keep on pushing on. A positive outlook on life is also critical. But good old-fashioned hard work is, however, the key.
What tips would you offer other aspiring women entrepreneurs who are looking at going it alone? It’s not going to be easy. Speak to those who have been down that road before, surround yourself with people that are more knowledgeable than you are.
You were given an opportunity when you started out on your own to grow a successful
www.afropolitan.co.za
I joined Saatchi & Saatchi Recruitment Advertising in 1993 from University as a copywriter, then started Ayanda Mbanga Communications in 1998 within the group, with start-up support from Saatchi & Saatchi. Honestly, I just worked. In my view, there isn’t much of a science to this. You need to roll up your sleeves and work. Put your ego aside and take one month at a time, while giving your best, whether it is to your clients, the people that work for you, your suppliers, shareholders, etc.
You were recently appointed deputy CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of SA’s leading advertising agencies, how does it feel? This appointment brings with it a new set of challenges, new things to do and new accomplishments to go after. I come from a sales-driven environment where everything boils down to numbers. You
may be good looking and speak well, but if you are not bringing in the numbers, you are dead in the water. So I see myself bringing in that element into the Group business, because ultimately without work coming in, there is no business.
You are a wife and mother. How do you balance your work and family life? I have since accepted that this work/ life balance notion is a fallacy. Women out there have got to accept that there are sacrifices and choices to be made. And whatever choice you make, then you have to do it. It’s impossible to work 18 hour days as is sometimes required, and still think you can have time to do your child’s homework. So I am able to find some balance by getting extra help to look after those areas of my domestic life that I’m not always able to look after. Fortunately, my family understands this and supports my desire to do well in the business arena.
What saying do you live by? Stephen Covey’s “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”
81
A FR O PR O FILES
CHANCE Chamber and Advisory Network and Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs
T
he German Development Agency GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) is a merger of DED (German Development Service), GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) and InWEnt Capacity Building International, Germany). The GIZ supports the German government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable
82
development and is also engaged in international education work around the globe. The GIZ supports the Chamber and Advisory Network and Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs (CHANCE), which aims to strengthen and empower women entrepreneurs to fulfil their role in the economic environment of Southern Africa and South Asia. Promoting gender equality and empowering women is one of the United Nations’ Millennium
Development Goals, and the objective of the CHANCE programme is aligned to this imperative. Strengthening women’s entrepreneurship not only supports the empowerment of women but is also an important driver for sustainable economic development. The programme supports institutionalised regional cooperation with and between the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
www.afropolitan.co.za
and focuses its activities predominantly on India and South Africa because of the strategic role played by these two countries in regional integration. The programme has several partners in SADC (including the Business Women’s Association of South Africa, The Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Nepad Business Foundation) and in the SAARC region (including the SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneur Council and the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andrah Pradesh).
The CHANCE programme has three pillars:
• training – custom-made training programmes and exposure tours; • dialogue promotion – promotion of exchange of ideas, experiences and best practice; and • regional and international network building – interaction that opens new perspectives for small, medium and micro enterprises and lays the basis for the dissemination and replication of success. Business women starting or growing a business often need advice and support in a range of areas, ranging from basic business start-up knowledge and principles through to leadership ideals that promote business success as well as human-resources management. The CHANCE programme has launched a training programme that will
www.afropolitan.co.za
support business women’s associations (BWAs) and chambers of business and industry to provide services to support the growth and development of women’s businesses. The training covers a range of topics and will support women who are starting and growing their businesses. The direct beneficiaries of the training will mainly be members and/ or employees of BWAs and chambers of business and industry that are at the forefront of providing support, advice and assistance to business women. The ultimate beneficiaries are business women who approach BWAs and chambers of business and industry for support services on business start-up and growth. The CHANCE programme has hosted several events since its launch in 2009, including a winter school in Chennai, India in 2009 and a summer academy in South Africa in 2010. These two events were not only geared at training but also focused on facilitating dialogue and exchange of ideas and experiences between women from diverse countries in SADC and South Asia. Delegates were also exposed to sound and innovative practices in these countries. The CHANCE programme has hosted a few training events in South Africa and Zambia, including a webmarketing training event in April 2011 that enabled business women to improve the marketing of their goods
and/or services using information technology. Participants learnt how to reach prospective customers through effective web marketing and reach a wider audience for a fraction of the price of traditional advertising. In May 2011 the CHANCE programme hosted a workshop aimed at enhancing service delivery by BWAs in South Africa. The training targeted BWA coordinators and focused on disseminating information on the new Companies Act in South Africa. It covered topics that ranged from how to register a business with the Companies and Intellectual Property’s Commission in South Africa and human-resource management to presentation and communication skills and financial management for small businesses. In June 2011, this training was adapted for the Zambian context for the benefit of BWAs in that country. At least two more training workshops are planned for 2011. These will be aimed at supporting BWAs and chambers of business and industry, empowering women and strengthening their contribution to economic growth and development. To find out more about the CHANCE program, contact the programme manager, Annamarie Grobler, at the GIZ office in Pretoria on +27 12 423 5917 or annamarie.grobler@giz.de
83
BY KABURU
A FR O PR O FILES
INVEST NORTH WEST INVESTMENT OPPORTUNTIES IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA rubber products, transport equipment, automotive components and dimension stone beneficiation. Tlokwe (Potchefstroom), Matlosana (Klerksdorp), Lichtenburg and Mahikeng remain smaller but equally important manufacturing centre’s within the Province. In the Tlokwe and Matlosana areas, light manufacturing operations in a range of industries primarily related to the mining and agricultural sectors include concrete piping, steel cabling, food processing, beverages, metal fabrication, fertilizer production and petroleum blending and distribution. Due to the abundant supply of limestone, cement
OVERVIEW OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR
Composition of North West Manufacturing Sector % Sector's Share of Regional Total 2010
Although the manufacturing sector in the North West Province (NWP) has not yet reached its pre-recession output levels, it remains fairly well diversified accounting for 5% of the Province’s Gross Domestic Product – Regional (GDP-R) and 5.3% of all employment opportunities in 2010. Averaging an annual growth rate of 5.9% (2010), the sector is very dependent on the performance of a few sectors in which the Province enjoys a competitive advantage. Given the close proximity to suppliers and lucrative markets in neighbouring Gauteng, manufacturing activity in the Province is heavily concentrated in the Eastern district of the province i.e. Madibeng (Brits) and Rustenburg. Major industries in this district include metal fabrication, machinery, household appliances, fuel and petroleum,
84
Furniture and other items. NEC and recycling 0.5% Transport equipment 0.3% Electronic, sound/ vision, medical & other appliances 0.0% Electrical machinery and apparatus 0.1% Metal products, machinery and household appliances 0.8% Other non-metallic mineral products 0.7%
ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT PROSPECTS
Based on output and average annual growth, the Province offers excellent opportunities and prospects in various industries, particularly within the fabricated metal, transport equipment and food and beverage industries.
Food, beverages and tobacco products 1.4% Textiles, clothing and leather goods 0.1% Wood and wood products 0.2% Fuel, petroleum, chemical and rubber products 0.9% SOURCE: Global Insight
www.afropolitan.co.za
image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK
I
manufacturing is heavily concentrated in the Mahikeng and Lichtenburg area. The figure below provides a snapshot of the manufacturing industry concentration in the NWP and allows for the easy identification of key industries in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA)
nvest North West of South Africa is the provincial trade and investment promotion agency for the North West Provincial Government, it has a mandate to create employment for its citizens by attracting Foreign Direct Investment and facilitating export driven trade. INW has taken a strategic position to focus on the Manufacturing Sector as a key driver of industry and employment for the province in relation to the New Growth Path and Industrial Policy Action Plan 2. The North West Province offers opportunities in the sector for new investments, expansions, trade and various sector related businesses.
Average Annual Growth Rate of Sub-Sectors (%, Constant 2005 Prices) 2010
s,
ct
du ro
AVAILABLE INVESTMENT INCENTIVES
ic
al
lp
CLUSTER
PROGRAMME
COMPETITIVENESS PROMOTION
Film and Television Production Rebate
INVESTMENT PROMOTION
Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring
tr
et a
The outlook for chemicals processing, especially for value-added exports such as phosphate and nitrogen based fertilizers is also becoming increasingly buoyant. Due to the Province’s strategic location, natural resource endowment, easy market access potential and low production cost advantage, attractive forward and backward horizontal integration opportunities exist in almost all of the manufacturing sub- sectors within the Province. The following investment opportunities offer investors a healthy return on investment as well as excellent diversification prospects: • North West Tyre Recycling Project: Recycling of used tyres in order to provide the market with a range of products such as crumbs, granules, buffing dust and garden mulch. • North West Marble Project: Mining and beneficiation of locally available marble dimension stone. • Hardboard Manufacturing: Production of pressed wood products from readily available agricultural waste emanating from crop farming operations in the Eastern and Western regions of the North West Province. • Sawdust Recycling: The production of briquettes (charcoal) from sawdust for local and export markets, using extrusion technology. • Tile Cement Manufacturing: The project is aimed at producing tile
www.afropolitan.co.za
The South African economy is expected to show modest growth in 2011 with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expected to average 3,7%. With the composite leading business cycle indicator maintaining its positive trend and the Kagiso Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) remaining above the neutral level since November 2010, a favorable outlook for the manufacturing sector is expected.
ec El
O
th
M
nno er
er al in
cm lli
m et a
ol et r
uc ts m m ac ac hi El hi ne ec ne ry tr r on y, ic a pp ,s ou ar at nd us /v isi on Tr & an ot Fu sp he rn o r rt itu e re qu an ip m d en ot he t ri te m sN EC
,r al
m eu
d ,p el Fu
pr od
ub be r
ts uc ,c he
d an
m ic
d
pr od
oo
w oo
at he rg
le W oo
cl s,
Te xt
ile
Fo o
d,
ot h
in
g,
be ve r
ag es ,
to ba c
-10.0%
ds
co
30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% -5.0%
FAVOURABLE OUTLOOK FOR THE SECTOR
SOURCE: Global Insight
cement (floor and wall tile adhesive) of superior quality using locally available silica sand as basic raw material input. • Agro-processing: The province provides a number of potential investment opportunities in agroprocessing. These would include, amongst others Fruit juices, Essential oils, Meat processing, Milling as well a myriad of opportunities in horticulture and aquaculture. For detailed profiles on the projects above please visit www.inw.org.za
INW VALUE ADDED SERVICES
• Facilitating joint venture and equity partnerships • Providing information on financing options and investment incentives • Providing advice on feasibility studies and business plans • Assisting investors to obtain work and business permits • Providing assistance in obtaining suitable factory space • Assisting existing firms to expand and re-invest • Assisting companies to find export markets for their products • Advisory services to improve company growth and performance • Competitiveness improvement support • Advice on productivity and process improvement
Critical Infrastructure Programme Enterprise Investment Programme SMALL ENTERPRISE Black Business Supplier AND EQUITY Development Programme Cooperatives Incentive Scheme
TRADE FACILITATION
Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Sector Specific Assistance Scheme Project Funding for Emerging Exporters South African Capital Projects Feasibility Study
CONTACT INFORMATION Imraan Bakhas Investment Facilitation Manager – Manufacturing 171 Beyers Naude Drive, Rustenburg, 0299 Tel: +27 (0) 14 594 2570 Cell: +27 (0) 72 150 4850 Fax: +27 (0) 86 691 7479 Email: imraan@inw.org.za Web: www.inw.org.za
85
A f r O p r O f i l e s
BERCO ExPRESS
B
erco Express, has provided a variety of logistic services to South African firms and their international trade partners since 1992. The company has evolved over the years to offer a broad range of services including clearing and forwarding, active warehousing, through to domestic and international courier services. Relationships with customers are crucial in Berco’s strategy and these relationships need constant development. The Berco mantra of constant never-ending improvement sees Berco continually striving to add value to customers, helping them to achieve competitive advantages through supply chain optimisation. Staff selection is optimised using various psychometric tools. When staff are able to perform where their strengths and personality profiles are most suited they feel truly motivated and are able to deliver incredible results. The Berco leadership team realise that every individual is different and the staff are lead on an individualistic basis, meaning that leaders are required to slightly vary their styles according to what would best motivate and help the different personalities under them perform to their best.
BERCO ExPRESS NOW MAKES COURiER MORE CONVENiENT
Looking ahead Berco has identified a need for private consumers (non corporate) to get easy access to courier services at a reasonable price. The Berco solutions team designed and implemented a totally new service in South Africa. They identified the constraints of the current public offering that entail long queues, slow delivery options, pilferage, damages and poor communication ability. Then through looking at various global options they designed a suitable product for the South African market. In 2010 Berco
86
launched the Berco Drop Box which has made it so easy and convenient to send a parcel via courier to anywhere in South Africa. “The new Berco Drop-Boxes at the local Pick ‘n Pay stores will provide customers with greater choice, flexibility and convenience,” said Andy van der Velde, CEO of Berco Express. “We have launched in about 60 stores throughout the country so far and the service is being very well supported.”
the recipient will be before 10:30am the following business day in all main centres. “We think that the service will be very popular – one size, one cost and no account required. It is a straightforward and easy to use system and parcels can be tracked on line at www.picknpay. co.za,” explains Andy. Customers are looking for convenience and flexibility these days and the DropBox system certainly fills this criteria. They are situated close to the entrance of So how does the Drop-Box work? the store so they are easy to find! DropFor a flat rate of R99 customers purchase Boxes have been a way of life in the USA a Drop-Box Retail Pack from the Kiosk in- for many years, with one well known store, which comprises a simple waybill courier company having almost 40 000 and a plastic envelope. The Retail Pack drop boxes positioned around the USA. gives step by step instructions explaining Providing solutions for client problems how the system works. has always been a part of business at “The system is incredibly simple,” Berco Express. “Our motto of 'continual explains Andy, “You buy a pack and never ending improvement' ensures that fill the plastic sleeve/bag with your we are always at the forefront with new books, documents or personal effects, ideas to help improve business,” explains complete the waybill and keep a copy for van der Velde. reference. The waybill goes into the seeWhether sending a birthday present through pouch on the plastic sleeve and to a child away at university in another then you drop the package into the Berco city, or a small business needing to Drop-Box.” get important documents to a client Parcels need to be dropped into the urgently, the facility is now as close as Berco Drop Box before the collection your nearest Pick ‘n Pay store. time indicated on the Drop-Box in Berco expects to place more Dropthe store, which is usually between Boxes at Pick ‘n Pay stores in all the 4 and 4:30 pm. Delivery directly to provinces over the next few months.
www.afropolitan.co.za
ice
erv S t n e
eni v n o C New
*
R99 anywhere in SA
Exclusive to
overnight courier
Buy a Sleeve Drop in Box Berco
OR -TO-DO STORE EXPRESS
We’ll Deliver BERCO
e ll centr burg capress.co.za. s e n n a oh ex @berco Berco J all theopbox.queries c , n io t dr ma r email re infor For mo1 457 3000 o on 01
OR O D E-TO R E S S R O T S EXP No account required *Deliveries are overnight express (by 10:30 the following business day, Monday to Friday) to all major centres within South Africa and could take up to 72 hours for far-outlying areas. Shipments to mines, plots, power-stations, embassies and areas requiring special trips may attract additional costs.
available at the following stores Beacon Bay, Bedfordview, Boksburg Hyper, Bloemfontein Hyper, Benmore, Canal Walk, Constantia, Claremont, Centurion Hyper, Cedar Road, Clearwater, Cycad, Douglasdale, Durban Hyper, East London, Fourways Crossing, Faerie Glen Hyper, Garden Route Mall, Gardens, Greenstone Hyper, Graanendal, George Central, Hayfields, Honey Junction, Kenilworth, Kensington, Kimberley, Knysna, Langeberg Mall, Liberty Mall, Longbeach Mall, Montana Hyper, Moffat Park Hyper, Nelspruit, Norwood Hyper, Northgate Hyper, New Market, Northmead, Ottery Hyper, Oudtshoorn, Pietersburg, Pavilion, Pietermaritzburg, Promenade, Pinetown, Pick n Pay on Nicol, Plettenberg Bay, Queensburgh, Rustenburg, Savannah Mall, Somerset Mall, Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch Square, Tygervalley, Towers, Uitenhage, Vangate, Vaal Hyper, Willow Bridge, Walmer Park, Woodmead Hyper, Waterfall Mall.
visit www.picknpay.co.za for terms and conditions and more information
The End of the World
I
f you are reading this then the odds are good that the world did not, as predicted by Family Stations Inc, end at 7pm on 21 May 2011. The “end of the world” is of course a relative statement when one is Afrikaans, because this could mean anything from your daughter marrying a black man, to the truly unthinkable... the Springboks losing a Test match (God forbid!) A nobly Calvinistic tribe, the Afrikaner is renowned for what could generously be described as having a rather conservative view of heaven. It’s a place reserved for souls who religiously refused to have any fun on the sinful earthly plane. According to the true Afrikaner, there were extremely personal relations between the tribe of Ham and non-NG Kerk draadsitters and hensoppers, thus resulting in the heathen Patricia de Lille. Patricia and her ilk (and by this the Afrikaner refers to all women) are, according to the Bible, the root of all evil. Think of Adam’s Eve, John’s Salome, Lot’s wife, and, of course, Satan’s own spawn: the maid. Her foul, tempting ways have led many to damnation via brief and desperate trysts in the garage. Should there be any doubt about this, then remember Dr Piet Koornhof. His vile, unholy alliance with that kleurlingvrou of his (and he, a National Party minister!) resulted in his paying the ultimate price for betraying Dr Verwoerd: membership of the ANC. Oh, beware the temptation of the woman, broeders! It is not only in matters of disgraceful carnality that woman seeks to destroy man. Oh no, her devious machinations know no boundaries. Here, I must first provide some background: even though the Jewish nation has not found salvation through the Messiah they remain a venerated nation in the eyes of the Afrikaner (this definitely for reasons of rugby as Dr Craven famously stated that a Jew in the Springbok team brings good luck). Now, the world abounds with theories concerning Jewish conspiracy. Theorists point, for example, at Hollywood, where the overwhelming majority of producers have had a Bar Mitzvah. Alas, the truth is more Machiavellian than one could dare imagine. The Jewish nation is, whether its male film producers like it or not, matriarchal, as it also is with the Afrikaner. Even the godverdomde Engelse are ruled by a woman. And women, broeders, have conspired. They have created the single most fearful
88
and inquire whether or not the hideous garment (in both style and price) that she is wearing “makes her look fat”. He will resist the truth and not utter the logical: “No, dear. It’s the fat that makes you look fat.” Instead he will say she looks lovely. She will respond that he is not even paying attention and then drag him to another store, where the process will be repeated. Once she has spent his annual salary, she will give him the bags to carry. Now he will endure the food court, where there is no bar (or Mitzvah!) The food court has been cunningly designed to amplify high pitched sounds, i.e. any pre-pubescent voice and that of concept the world has seen since the All the woman on her cell phone, which Blacks: the shopping centre. she has hauled out to talk to her “BFF” Concentrated inside its outwardly who is standing right next to her. harmless facade is a conglomeration of evil where against the laws of nature and Sitting miserably at the cramped table God, man is unwillingly yet helplessly strewn with strawberry milk shake and subjected to tortures beyond description hamburgers, the man gazes longingly at – but that must be described! Dragged the manful fog of the smoking section, helplessly thence by a provoked sense which is filled by as yet blissfully of guilt and “familial duty”, man unaware and therefore single men (woe endures the un-endurable. Having betide them.) been trapped into siring offspring, he The final agony he will endure is now spends hours dragging his own proof of the global female conspiracy: screaming progeny around whilst The WASPs* own the malls. In the malls trying desperately to dodge the snot of are cinemas. The WASPs conspire with the progeny of other equally doomed kugel** owned Hollywood. And the end emasculated ones who share knowing result is the total obliteration of the glances of agony. He will be subjected to clothing stores, man’s soul: the chick flick. All two hours of it. where the woman will pretend to be I would finish this column, but I have making “careful” choices taking whole days, his only respite in sharing a huddle to go and mow the lawn. *White Anglo-Saxon Princesses. of despair with other men outside the change rooms. The woman will come out **The same, but kosher.
"Patricia and her ilk (and by this the Afrikaner refers to all women) are, according to the Bible, the root of all evil."
www.afropolitan.co.za
image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK
BY KABURU
K A B U R U
BLUE FLAME ADV/80425
The Joburg Market. Open to the man on the street. And woman. TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE MARKET