Essays of Africa November 2015 by Kwenta Media

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Inside ESSAYS A WOMAN’S JOURNEY

OF AFRICA

cover stories 32

MAIN FASHION: The fashion tide is in and it’s nautical.

JO-ANN STRAUSS: Success beyond the crown.

MY JOURNEY: MBALI KGOSIDINTSI rebuilds her life after a breakdown.

MONEY: Get more bang for your year-end bonus buck.

WOMEN’S NETWORK: The indomitable Julia Masefako Mashele: free to spread her message of hope.

SEX: Asexuality: Not a behaviour but a state of being.

MAIN BEAUTY: The fight against cellulite.

features 62

PARENTING: Nutrition in a nutshell.

NEWS REPORT: Curating the new.

HEALTH: Health checks to have on a regular basis.

MAN FEATURE: The politics of dating with kids.

NOVEMBER 2015

people 28

PROFILE: Kenya’s Mary Chege moves back home and celebrates her successes at work and home.

REAL LIFE: I had a liver transplant in my ’20s!

MAN Q&A: Lebo Motshegoa of Foshizi has his finger on the pulse of Africa’s market trends.

columns 14

GUEST BLOG: SA health blogger Caralishious is committed to healthy living.

READER’S CORNER: Motlatlepule Mokhine challenges you to make completion your goal.

UNCOVERED: Ndoni Khanyile continues with her natural hair chronicles.

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44 ESSAYS OF AFRICA

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- SINCE 1976 -

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15 SEXY 7: The best fashion picks for the month.

17 SHOPPING: White elegance. 19 SHOPPING: Eco-green. 20 FASHION NEWS 22 ITEM OR OUTFIT: Designer shades or evening outfit. 23 REAL WOMAN: Fiercely feminine. 30 SHOPPING: All aboard! 74 MAN SHOPPING: Classic clean lines.

lifestyle 90 FOOD & ENTERTAINING: A healthy dish on the side. 98 DÉCOR STYLE: Five tips to spruce up your space for summer. 102 DÉCOR NEWS 106 TRAVEL: Morocco in full colour. 110 MOTORING: The perfect drive for city living. 112 BOOKS 113 TECH NEWS & APPS 114 MOVIES & THEATRE 115 MUSIC

90 88

beauty 78 SEXY 7: The best beauty products of the month. 80 BEAUTY NEWS 86 HAIR: Lusciously loc’d. 88 BEAUTY INTERVIEW: Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao talks about the success of her luxury brand, Malée.

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ON LOCATION

EDITOR’S LETTER

CONTRIBUTORS’ PAGE

ONLINE UPDATE

LETTERS PAGE

101 SOCIAL SCENE: Dove gives women more for their hair. 104 SOCIAL SCENE: Women in business. 116 HOROSCOPES 117 SUBSCRIPTIONS PAGE 118 STOCKISTS PAGE

MAIN COVER: STYLED BY: TUMI MDLULI. PHOTOGRAPHER: Mark Le Grange. HAIR STYLIST: Shaughn Adams. MAKE-UP: Henry Maritz. DRESSED BY: ROBOT TRADING. LOCATION: POINT OF VIEW VILLA GUESTHOUSE. INSIDE IMAGES: PHARMA DYNAMICS, ZEZE ORIAIKHI-SAO, MARK LE GRANGE.

fashion

EssAY S of Afric a

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ESSAYS www.essaysofafrica.com

CEO of Kwenta Media & Founding Editor of Essays of Africa

Managing Editor Deputy Managing Editor Features Writers Fashion & Beauty Editor Admin & Fashion Assistant DĂŠcor Writer

Nawaal Nolwazi Mdluli

Zama Nkosi Tracy Maher Caryn Thandi Petersen, Thina Mthembu, Hlulani Masingi, Ndoni Khanyile Tumi Mdluli Tebatjo Manamela Rhoda Davids

Contributors

Kim Garner, Robyn Bloch, Zukiswa Dlamini, Elizabeth Badenhorst, Russell Brout, Caralishious

Online Features Writers Sub-Editors Proofreader

Thina Mthembu, Hlulani Masingi, Tebatjo Manamela Tracy Maher, Nadia Goetham Nicky De Bene

Designer Junior Designers Digital & Web Specialist Online Administrator Sales & Business Development Team Business Development & Production Manager Marketing/PR & Events Coordinator Operations & Finance Manager Advisory Board

Office Drivers Publisher Physical Address

Postal Address Websites Advertising Editorial Information & Enquiries Subscription Queries Printers Distribution

Lelethu Tobi Asanda Mazwi, Siphokazi Masele Lekeke Mahlo Nuraan Motlekar

Nuraan Motlekar Mbalenhle Fakude Kelly Moyo Fazila Bizor, Lindsay Breytenbach, Lindelwa Isabelle, Ndoni Khanyile, Busisiwe Mahlaba, Sen Mdhluli, Moeketsi Mosola, Dr Salifou Siddo, Nthabe Zondo, Sonto Ndlovu Gabriel Mashishi, Yusuf Msinyi Kwenta Media (Pty) Ltd. Fourways View Office Park, Block C, First Floor, Cnr Sunset Ave and Sunrise Blvd, Fourways Tel: 011 467 5859, Fax: 011 467 2808 Kwenta Media, Essays of Africa: P.O. Box 4437, Dainfern, 2055 www.essaysofsafrica.com / www.kwentamedia.com advertising@essaysofafrica.com / advertising@kwentamedia.com editorial@essaysofafrica.com info@essaysofafrica.com / info@kwentamedia.com subs@essaysofafrica.com CTP Printers Cape Town RNA (Astrid Anderson)

Essays Of Africa Magazine, Website and Webzine are 100% owned and published by Kwenta Media (Pty) Ltd. The editor and publisher reserve the right to alter copy and visual material as deemed necessary. Copyright by Kwenta Media (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. BBBEE Level 1

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EOA ON LOCATION

A SCARF FOR WARMTH, WHILE JO-ANN WAITS FOR MARK LE GRANGE TO TEST THE LIGHTING.

CLOTHING SELECTION FOR THE MORNING’S COVER SHOOT.

A ROOM AT THE POINT OF VIEW GUESTHOUSE TURNED INTO A DRESSING ROOM.

WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK LE GRANGE.

HENRY APPLIES MAKE-UP TO JO-ANN’S FLAWLESS FACE.

JO-ANN’S HAIR STYLIST, SHAUGN ADAMS WAITS TO BEGIN HIS MAGIC. HOW MANY CLOTHES DOES A LADY NEED? MORE GORGEOUS ITEMS FOR THE SHOOT.

TUMI MDLULI AND JO-ANN STEALING A FEW MOMENTS TO DISCUSS ALL THINGS FASHION AND BEAUTY.

beyond STRAPPY SANDALS.

BEAUTY THE CROWN

Despite her experience as a beauty queen and high-profile media personality, Jo-Ann Strauss remains humble as she showed us that beauty is indeed more than skin deep. NO VE MB E R 2 0 1 5

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ESSAYS OF AFRICA

2015/10/07 4:35 PM

ED’S LETTER EOA

PHOTOGRAPHER: GARETH JACOBS.

IFYOU CAN CHANGE IT forgot who I was. We are told that we are spirit beings, living in bodies, in possession of souls (emotions). It has been said that the inner self is key; that we should radiate from within. So much emphasis was placed on letting women live and breathe from the inside that we made a great error in forgetting something that I also know to be true – we are human beings. I have a body. This body of mine is composed of elements that society so often gets me to overlook. Yes, I am a spiritual being, but my body is also fluid and mass, composed mostly of water and dust (earth). It is so much more than just a physical manifestation of me – it is my flesh. I think I forgot that I am a body. Not only am I a being, but I also have a body that I need to take care of. You know me because you recognise my body. When my body goes, I will no longer be as I am now, but will

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transcend into the highest heavens. While I am in this flesh, my body is my dwelling, my castle, and my cradle. We need to respect our bodies by paying close attention to what we put into them. Are you cognisant of your sugar and salt levels? Having had a sweet tooth since childhood, I overindulged on sugar. For me, tea with sugar was a special treat. The migration from tea with sugar to sugarless tea was as challenging as quitting cigarettes is for a smoker. It was not just in the action of not using sugar, but something that called for a rewrite of the way I felt and related to many things. At some point, I even figured it was better to stop drinking sugarless tea altogether. The good thing about it is that I opted to drink plain water instead. This increased my body’s hydration levels and got me to connect with the healing aspects of my body. As I indulged in pure water, my body felt rejuvenated, my skin started to glow and I felt encouraged to take even better care of my body. I had my blood group checked so that I could eat the correct foods accordingly. Instead of just having water, I now add cucumbers, lemon and strawberries to it. I know I have a large bone structure, but I don’t worry about my limitations. I overcome them by knowing and loving my physical covering. During pregnancy, I chose to cut out as much sugar as I possibly could from my diet and my attitude towards sugar while my daughter was smaller resulted in her believing that she is ‘allergic’ to sugar. Instead of a teaspoon of sugar in her tea, she will opt for some honey. This may be a small step in the right direction, but I am happy that I can build on teaching her to make healthier food choices as she grows up. If you ever want to underestimate the value of our physical bodies, go to the cemetery. It is not spiritual beings that are buried there, but the physical body that goes with the hugs and kisses. Are we doing enough to promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage our bodies to keep moving? Know what is good for you. If you don’t like it – the yoyo weight gains and losses – then do something about it. If you are fed up with dimples on your thighs and cellulite redefining your physique, do something about it (see page 82). I enjoy my lifestyle because sometimes, while I go through the motions of getting to know myself better, I have moments like this where I look at myself and choose to make a change – not because I have to but because I want to. God knows that I am a body. He gave me this vessel to carry my spirit on earth. He looks after my spirit; I need to look after my body and I encourage you to do the same.

Nawaal Nawaal@kwentamedia.com

N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 12:36 PM

EOA CONTRIBUTORS Q What keeps you inspired in the final stretch of the year? My two kids, Hafsa and Muhammad-Ali, keep me so inspired. They are the ‘coolness’ of my eyes and never cease to stop teaching me more about myself every day.

Q How do you get ‘unstuck’ when feeling a bit low? My first source is prayer: asking my Creator for the guidance to get unstuck. Secondly, I do something creative. I recently bought a coloring book and I find it helps me meditate on the things I feel unsure about.

Q What’s your mantra and how did it come about? “The only difference between a black woman and a white woman is opportunity.” This is a recent quote by Viola Davis when she won the Emmy Award for best actress in a TV series. This motto is so powerful because it simply says, there’s nothing wrong with you black woman and if there are no opportunities, create them! Luyanda Sibisi, Features Writer

A BIT OF INSPIRATION

Q What keeps you inspired in the final stretch of the year? I am inspired when I network and meet powerful women who, despite life’s challenges, make things happen in their own lives, while making a difference in our country today. Hearing and reading about their success stories gives me the energy to wake up every morning and be ready to face each day.

Q How do you get ‘unstuck’ when feeling a bit low? I first pray about the situation and I try not to focus on the problem, but rather to think about a positive and possible solution. It is said that change is as good as holiday, so bringing change to the situation or changing the subject gets me ‘unstuck’.

Q What are the things that have helped you to get through 2015 gracefully? Prayer, hope and music to revive me. Bulelwa Mokori, Features Writer

WORDS AND IMAGES: LUYANDA SIBISI , BULELWA MOKORI AND NDONI KHANYILE..

As the year comes to a close, many of us fall into a slump caused by the year’s tiredness starting to weigh heavily on us. We asked our contributors about the things that put some pep in their step.

Q What keeps you inspired in the final stretch of the year? These days I’m inspired by a lot of things I find online, from the incredible podcast Serial to Issa Rae’s hilarious content. Bradford Young’s work in films like Pariah and Mother of George is pure cinematic inspiration.

Q How do get ‘unstuck’ when feeling a bit low? When I’m feeling low there’s nothing like a ‘90s R&B and hip-hop dance-off in my lounge to get me fired up again.

Q What’s your mantra and how did it come about? ‘Everyone is figuring out’… It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one trying to figure out this thing called life. The truth is, everyone is walking the same road and trying to make sense of it all.

Q The things that are helping you get through 2015 gracefully are: 2015 was a tough year at times but my husband’s sense of humour, marathon sessions of Scandinavian TV dramas and carbs got me through it. Ndoni Khanyile, Columnist and Features Writer

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ONLINE UPDATE EOA SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EOA DAILY ONLINE NEWSLETTER TODAY! You missed out on yesterday’s daily newsletter but don’t worry, you can still subscribe today. If you’re looking for fresh content and want the 411 on the latest beauty or fashion trends, visit our website www.essayofafrica.com for easy steps to subscribe to the newsletter. We promise to fill your inbox with the best lifestyle trends every day!

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SOCIAL NETWORK: Find Essays Of Africa on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

E SSAYS OF A F R I C A

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N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 6:42 AM

EOA LETTERS Hi Team I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity of covering the Godly Women in Service event in your October issue… what an honour! I sobbed when I saw our story on the magazine. It wasn’t until now that I have come to realise that God never uses people but gives them opportunities to work for Him. Thank you so much for sponsoring our event too and lastly thank you for sending Mbalenhle to come and celebrate with us. May the good Lord expand you, may He increase you, may He promote you, may He visit every seed you have planted, and bless the works of your hands too. Stay blessed. Carol

A MAGAZINE THAT SPEAKS TO US

Interesting and relevant articles. I’m sure this will fly off the shelves in Tanzania. Anna Homstrom

Wow, I’ll be getting my own copy soon! Interesting topics, cancer, Nandi [Mngoma], politics of woman changing surnames, all very interesting and relevant I must say, with real issues! I love a magazine with information I can still refer to. Khuni Dish Dorobucci

A very interesting magazine. Thank you for the friendship and God bless! Marcia Sumbana

The smile that this cover brought! Her [Nandi Mngoma] radiant smile and energy is contagious. I can’t wait to get a copy! Xoli Madlala

This woman [Nandi Mngoma] is just something else… she’s truly our African queen. This is what I call a profound and informative magazine. I need to subscribe; it’s always a pleasure to read it. Nunu Macdonald

Your letters SOCIAL MEDIA

Sandra mpanyira @mpanyirasandra This woman [Nandi Mngoma] is goals mhani! I’m staring in the mirror rethinking my life right now. intombeBhaca @MissySimplicity @EssaysOfAfrica I emember the first time I fell in love with y’alls work. It was in this issue! [Rosie Motene cover] Keep up the good work. [MAG FAB] The beautiful @NandiMngoma cover the October edition of @essaysofafrica magazine #MagFab #MagazineCover Lihli @LtLihle @NandiMngoma @EssaysOfAfrica be your own woman and be proud like @NandiMngoma the African lady #adore her so much Tops Mkhwanazi @Topsdiva Beautiful. Beautiful. @EssaysOfAfrica @Vanessa_Gounden Orgela Online Ent™ @OrgellaOnline [MAG FAB] The beautiful @NandiMngoma cover the October edition of @essaysofafrica magazine #MagFab #MagazineCover

We would love to hear your views, news and especially your feedback on the magazine. E-mail us at letters@essaysofafrica.com or post your comments on Facebook.com/essayofafrica, @EssaysOfAfrica or EssaysOfAfrica.

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ESSAYS OF AFRICA

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EOA BLOGGER COLUMN

COMMITTED TO HEALTHY LIVING

eing a ballet dancer for so many years, clean living has always been a part of my life. My knowledge and deep passion for health, however, was cemented during my own healing journey through which I able to overcome eating disorders. Being under constant scrutiny on stage I used to feel tremendous pressure to be thin and so restrictive eating sadly became part of my life. I am so grateful to have had the support I did to help me change my perception of food, health and my body. By means of proper nutrition, perseverance and loving support, I was able to heal my body and my mind. Exposing myself to new ways of thinking about healthy living opened my eyes to the astounding properties of wholesome nourishment. Even though my path to healing was a challenging one, I am happy that it was mine to bear, because I have learned so much from it. I now understand the dangers of deprivation, fad-dieting and over-exercising, because I’ve been there. I want to teach people how to eat with a deep sense of peace, enjoyment and gratitude by choosing nourishing foods that will promote a healthy, happy body and mind. Creating my blog www.caralishious.com has also been incredibly therapeutic for me, and has now become a platform through which I am able to encourage healing in others too. I want to inspire people to nourish their bodies, to appreciate themselves, and to look at food not as something bad, but as something that nourishes, protects and heals.

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CLEAN LIVING

I am not about singling out one specific way of eating or exercising. I really do believe that each individual is completely different – from the way we perceive the world to the way we process and assimilate food into our bodies. This is why nutrition, as with any individual difference, is very personal – something we ought to take the time to figure out by truly listening attentively to what our bodies need. Therefore clean living will also look different for different people. Clean living for me personally means choosing to live by a wholefoods lifestyle, practising yoga four to five times a week, engaging in regular meditation, and treating myself too! Wholefoods eating is colourful and exciting – especially re-creating traditional recipes using healthier ingredients. It’s all about switching up ingredients and getting a little creative in the kitchen. It’s crazy to think that so many of us get caught up in striving towards an ideal that does not, and will not ever exist. With the media constantly telling us what ‘perfect’ should look like, it’s nearly impossible not to get sucked in. But we have to force ourselves out of it! We need to take a stand and realise what is best for our health and longevity – no quick fixes or extremist diets. We need to learn how to give ourselves permission to enjoy our favourite foods so that we never feel restricted or deprived. It’s really okay for us to treat ourselves every now and again. We need to learn balance and moderation – and it is my aim to help spread the right message – one of balance, nourishment, self-appreciation, and healing. E For the latest in nutrition, food, health and fitness, follow Cara on: Twitter: @caralishious Facebook Page: caralishious Instagram: @caralishious Website: www.caralishious.com

WORDS: CARALISHIOUS. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY CARALISHIOUS AND LORINDA VOGES.

South African health blogger, wellness coach and health foods producer, Cara-Lisa, shares her journey into the world of clean living.

ESSAYS OF AFRICA

2015/10/07 6:47 AM

FASHION EOA

TOM FORD SUNGLASSES, R4 500, SDM EYEWEAR.

SEWN GREEN LEATHER BRACELET, R179, MIGLIO.

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ADRIANO GOLDSHEMEID LADIES SWAY SHIRT, R4 595, CLOTH & LABEL.

Sexy SEVEN

Add a touch of class to your casual outfit with these must-have fashion items.

WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY STOCKISTS.

GUESS LEATHER WATCH, R2 495, ARTHUR KAPLAN.

LEORA NUDE SYNTHETIC PRINT SCARF, R649, DUNE LONDON, EDGARS.

HIGH-WAIST RIPPED JEANS, R3 599, TIGER OF SWEDEN.

WHITE SNEAKERS, R3 199, TIGER OF SWEDEN.

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N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 6:50 AM

EOA READERS’ CORNER the neighbour, the government, the spouse and the employer. The list is endless. Ideas to avoid the incompletion pattern include wisdom around feelings. We should not decide using feelings. They are temporary, cannot sustain a project and can never keep you going when it’s tough. You will need more than feelings to keep going until you accomplish that which you set out to do. Minimise your need for big changes, which can be be overwhelming and set you up for failure. Change that is small and incremental is often more sustainable than big change as it is easier to manage and to make permanent. Giant steps are noticeable from the onset, which might be exciting, but it is that excitement which may create the pressure leading to failure. Having options is good when we know what we want. It is often easier to know what we don’t want, and when we are unsure of our goals, our decisions may be shaky and impacted by those around us. As we observe others and what they do, we are tempted to abandon our efforts and move onto something new and possibly more exciting. We must learn to stay in our lane as we run the race we have chosen. Adopting a mindset of collaboration as opposed to competition can help us to focus on our goals and allow us to ask for help when we need it. Don’t quit just because it gets tough. Breathe, pray, meditate, take a walk and stay the course. Completion is attainable if you carefully consider what it is you are about to do before you sign up up for it – before you

MAKE COMPLETION YOUR GOAL am greatly troubled by incompletion. I see it almost all the time. The beginning of the year often comes with excitement as a student registers for university; 18 months later they are disillusioned and have discontinued their studies. Motivation kicks in to start photography classes after listening to someone inspirational; six months later, there are a whole lot of reasons why they cannot continue. Most of us become excited and energised at the thought of beginnings: a new project, a new year, a new relationship, all these normally inject a great ‘can do’ attitude and feelings of capacity and enough motivation towards accomplishment. When we impulsively decide and contract with ourselves to begin something that we have not thoroughly thought through, the risk of incompletion is high. The sad thing about incompletion is that it breeds a pattern, without us even noticing. It somehow gets wired into our system and we become people who do not complete things that we start. The impact on our psychological self becomes noticeable, as our sense of self is eroded. There is nothing good about an identity of incompletion. The challenge is when self-awareness is at a low or does not exist – then the reasons for incompletion will always be external, from apartheid to

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commit. Set an intention and be bold about it. Don’t let fear or life get in your way, but develop strategies to overcome any obstacles to achieving completion. Find ways to hold yourself accountable. Share your intentions with others, so they can keep you in check. Make sure you savour the experiences as you go along by creating memorable moments. Use visualisation to anchor your intention. Think about it: can you see, touch, and feel it? Can you see yourself graduating in front of a hall full of people? Can you see your published book in the bookstore? Can you see yourself speaking about your journey at the book launch? Establish rituals to maintain your forward momentum. Decide what you will do every day and every week to keep moving towards completion and work ceaselessly towards an attitude of ‘stick-ability’. E

WORDS AND IMAGES: MOTLATLEPULE MOKHINE.

EOA reader, Motlatlepule Mokhine, shares her thoughts on how incompletion makes us think less of ourselves and suggests ways to overcome it.

EssAY S of Afric a

2015/10/07 6:55 AM

Shopping

FASHION EOA

WHITE ELEGANCE

LILYPAD WHITE SANDALS, R899, DUNE LONDON, EDGARS.

Whether for daytime or nighttime, white adds freshness to any look.

TOM FORD SUNGLASSES, R5 200, SDM EYEWEAR. PINKO JACKET WITH GOLD DETAIL, R9 695, D’ORÉ.

WHITE SLEEVELESS BLAZER, R 899, LIPSY, EDGARS.

WHITE LACE CROP TOP, R699, LIPSY, EDGARS.

JOHN RICHMOND DRESS, R37 395, D’ORÉ.

WHITE HIGH-WAISTED SKORT, R899, LIPSY, EDGARS.

WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY STOCKISTS.

WHITE SKIRT WITH WAIST DETAIL, R2 100, KAREN MILLEN.

DINKS WHITE PLAIN SYNTHETIC BAG, R799, DUNE LONDON.

JASMIN WHITE BLOCK HEELS, R1 499, DUNE LONDON.

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N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 10:02 AM

EOA UNCOVERED

NATURAL HAIR

Chronicles

Following on from Part One of her hair journey in the last issue, NDONI KHANYILE shares how she went on a mission to learn about her hair, with the support of a network of black women from all over the world.

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“… the most important thing I did was to take the initial decision to change my relationship with my hair.” This virtual sense of connectedness would quickly disappear when I walked into the hair salon to trim, treat or braid my hair. There, I still had to deal with people who saw my hair as a burden and made sure they let me know exactly how they felt about it – until I decided that I deserved better. I deserved to pay for an experience that left me feeling good about whatever hair was growing out of my head. It took me a while, but I finally found the hair salon that felt like the right fit for me. All the stylists have natural hair of all lengths and textures and their patience and experience made me feel like I was in the best of hands. I couldn’t believe I had finally found a space that affirmed my choices as much as

I did. Six years on this natural hair journey and I have learned so much, but the most important thing I did was to take the initial decision to change my relationship with my hair. That decision brought me to a deeper knowing of myself; I grew an appreciation of my unique beauty and worth and I can’t wait to share that with my beautiful kinky-haired daughter one day. E

Who taught you how to take care of your hair? How do other people’s opinions affect how you feel about your hair? Let us know @ EssaysOfAfrica.

WORDS AND IMAGE: NDONI KHANYILE.

have been wearing my hair natural for about six years now and while my decision to transition was initially fueled by excitement at the new possibilities that awaited me, excitement soon turned to anxiety. I studied images in magazines and online of women with beautiful, full and healthy Afros worn in an assortment of funky styles. These images were the lifeblood of my natural hair inspiration, but the reality remained that I knew very little about my natural hair and even less about how to take care of it in its natural state. Decades of listening to other people’s ideas of what makes hair ‘good’ or ‘bad’ had left me afraid of my chemically unaltered hair. Afraid that the voices I heard growing up as a child were right and that my own hair was something to be ashamed of and hidden. Then I discovered the online natural hair community and finally relaxed into a feeling of belonging. Blog post after blog post of thoughtful and useful advice from women who had been exactly where I was – eager to start on the journey of natural hair but lost as to how to take care of my seemingly unruly locks. Video tutorials and shopping guides walked me through establishing my own DIY haircare routine and gradually reclaiming a sense of true ownership and pride over my hair. This network of black women scattered around the world was holding one another by the hand as they navigated this journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Never before had I experienced this sense of deep community online.

Essays of A frica

2015/10/07 6:57 AM

Shopping

FASHION EOA

BIKINI TOP WITH FLORAL & FRINGE DETAIL, R1 305, BANANA MOON.

BIKINI BOTTOM, R1 185, BANANA MOON.

BASLER LIME GREEN JACKET, R7 895, D’ORÉ. LAUREL GREEN JACKET, R10 795, D’ORÉ.

POLYVORE TURN-LOCK SLING BAG, R995, CHARLES & KEITH.

WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY STOCKISTS.

NARETTA GREEN SUEDE PUMP, R1 900, TED BAKER.

GREEN DRESS WITH WHITE FLOWERS, R4 500, KAREN MILLEN.

GREEN BODYCON DRESS, R3 500, KAREN MILLEN.

ECO-GREEN

JOHN RICHMOND GREEN BELT, R4 695, D’ORÉ.

Keep calm and go fashionably green!

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N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 10:09 AM

EOA FASHION NEWS

RAW FOR THE OCEANS THIRD WAVE

While you’re still in the spring mood, Luisa Spagnoli’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection bursts with colour and femininity! The colours range from soft and pastel hues to all shades of green, as well as intense shades such as electric blue and turquoise. With matching tunics and loose shirts in fluid fabrics, this collection also comprises multiple facets, including day fashion trousers that reveal a hippie chic inspiration. The range of bags and accessories includes trunks, spacious shopping bags in soft-coloured or laminated Nappa leather. Luisa Spagnoli is available exclusively at their flagship stores in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, and Hyde Park Corner, Johannesburg. A selected range of items are available at Isabella Charlotte Boutique in Franschhoek.

SUPERGA X CHULAAP

JOIN THE ORIGINAL MARINES This global brand is an Italian clothing retailer and is the latest international brand to open its stores in South Africa, with its first shop in Dainfern Square, Johannesburg in October. If it’s top quality you’re looking for when shopping for your children, from newborns to teenagers, make it a point to visit Original Marines! They are still in the process of setting up flagship stores in the best shopping malls close to major cities in South Africa, so be on the lookout and we’ll keep you updated!

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Prince of Print, Chu Suwannapha – well known for his electric and African-inspired style – recently debuted CHULAAP, a universally acclaimed collection at this year’s SA Menswear week. The Superga X CHULAAP collection offers three distinct and vibrant shoe designs with a unique artistic, ethnic quality that makes it an ideal collector’s item for sneaker-heads and fashion-lovers! The collection will be available at selected Superga Concept Stores, starting from R950. For further retail information, contact 011 608 0023 or view www.superga.co.za. E

WORDS: THINA MTHEMBU. SOURCES: LAMEEZ MOHD; REASON MKHATSHWA IMAGES: VIVID LUXURY; ORIGINAL MARINES, JK PR.

A PALETTE OF COLOURS

Partners G-Star, Bionic Yarn and Parley for the Oceans now enter their third season together. The starting point of the RAW for the Oceans 15 collection’s design came from a sketch drawn by Pharrell Williams of a face-covering hooded jacket. Merging this jacket with features of a submarine escape suit from G-Star’s archive of military garments, the futuristic Occotis HDD Bomber (available in versions for men and women) was formed. The nautical inspiration continues through the collection, including a classic men’s peacoat in new raw black denim and Breton stripe pattern using the initiative’s octopus mascot. This season, jeans and jackets made from the world’s first denim from recycled ocean plastic are distressed and patched and a special chalky white paint treatment is given to the women’s Occo Skinny jeans and shorts.

2015/10/07 7:02 AM

Ads.indd 8

2015/10/07 10:27 AM

EOA ITEM OR OUTFIT

1 item

Choose a pair of cat-eye-shaped designer shades for R5 200 or a whole outfit for a night on the town for less.

TOM FORD CAT EYE SUNGLASSES, R5 200, SDM EYEWEAR.

Or 1 outfit ASHIANA GOLD-PLATED EARRINGS, R725, KAIKA JEWELLERY. BLACK JUMPSUIT, R2 100, LIPSY, EDGARS AND FLAGSHIP STORES.

JOLI ROUGE LIPSTICK, R265, CLARINS COUNTERS NATIONWIDE.

WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY STOCKISTS.

STECY ROSE SANDALS, R899, STEVE MADDEN.

SATCHEL BAG, R329, VIKSON, ZANDO.

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ESSAYS OF AFRICA

2015/10/07 12:46 PM

REAL WOMAN EOA CHUNKY NECKPIECE, R490, ROBOT. SNAKESKIN BUBBLE DRESS, R899, OAK TREE, STUTTAFORDS. BLACK AND WHITE CROCO STILETTOS, R2 350, CASTELO.

FIERCELY

feminine Whether you’re dressing up for a dinner date or a girls’ night out, confidence is key. Be sure to wear something that makes you feel comfortable, but don’t be afraid to show off your best assets. Hulisani Thabela elegantly shows us how rompers and short dresses can suit the occasion.

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november 2015

2015/10/07 7:21 AM

BLACK CHUNKY NECKPIECE, R490, ROBOT. MULTI-COLOURED CHUNKY NECKPIECE, R490, ROBOT. BLUE TUNIC DRESS, R490, WOOLWORTHS. COURT SHOES, R450, WOOLWORTHS.

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REAL WOMAN EOA

CREAM WHITE THREE-QUARTERSLEEVE BLAZER, R630, ATMOSPHERE, PRIMARK. BLACK ROMPER, MODEL’S OWN. OVAL-SHAPED EARRINGS, R199, ROBOT. BLACK AND WHITE CROCO STILETTOS, R2 350, CASTELO.

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DENIM ROMPER, R499, FOSCHINI. NECKPIECE, R830, ROBOT. FUSCHIA WATERFALL JACKET, R599, WOOLWORTHS. FLORAL WEDGES, R290, CALL IT SPRING.

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WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. PHOTOGRAPHER: GARETH JACOBS. MAKE-UP ARTIST: PRUDENCE SEGAMI.

REAL WOMAN EOA

HOUNDSTOOTH TUNIC DRESS, R999, TRENERY. NECKPIECE, R550, ROBOT. BLACK PLATFORM SANDALS, R2 550, CASTELO.

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 7:22 AM

MARY CHEGE HAS SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT Mary

She’s had many titles throughout her 14-year career and at this point in her life, some of them include director and mom. We caught up with Mary Chege from Kenya to get a glimpse into who she is, in and out of the boardroom. t was 2000 when Mary Chege left Kenya to come study for her Masters in Law in South Africa. Armed with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of the Witwatersrand, Chege kick-started her career as an associate at international law firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae. “My time there was invaluable,” Chege says. “The firm invested a lot of time in ensuring we understood the commercial

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aspects behind the transactions we were working on. It’s from here that my interest in understanding the financial and business models behind projects and transactions was piqued. Their theory was that if you didn’t understand your client’s business, you couldn’t be a great transaction advisor,” she adds. From this point, Chege had many plans about what her future had in

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PROFILE EOA store. “From the time I set my eyes on an MBA in 2004, my plans pretty much went out the window. I often say that if my life had gone as I had planned it, it would be a disaster,” she says with a laugh. Chege’s application process came to a grinding halt with her first pregnancy. Inspired by her experiences during pregnancy and early motherhood, she went into business in 2007. “Everyone thought I was crazy when I ventured into business. No one could understand that I wanted to leave an international law firm in order to start a kids and maternity retail store,” recalls Chege. Like most business owners will tell you, getting into the game is not easy and Chege learnt that the hard way. “One of my greatest lessons was that you can have a great plan, but if you’re going to borrow from financial institutions for a start-up, it works against you. They are not patient, so before you even get into stride, they are collecting 45 days later, and you’re repaying the money you’ve borrowed.” She believes that this life experience was more valuable than any MBA. Chege’s business didn’t do very well, so she went back to her field, this time as a legal consultant.

WORDS: ZAMA NKOSI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY MARY CHEGE.

A SEASON FOR CHANGE In 2012, Mary got an opportunity that would see her moving back home after 12 years in South Africa. “I was offered a job by an investment bank as head of legal for one of their real estate projects – actually the biggest in East Africa. I was at that job for all of five weeks. They had shareholder issues within the company that led to the project stalling. I learnt that the role of that job in my life was to move me back home to Kenya,” she recalls. The timing was perfect. Chege was struggling in her marriage and being at home turned out to be just what she needed. “I had enough money to cushion me for a while, but what helped me go through those life changes was family. Being here, I had my mom and aunties as my support structure. They would take the kids for the weekend so I could sleep or cry, or do whatever I needed. I also had friends who allowed me to be – this really did me a lot of good. I would never have been able to cope the same if I was still in South Africa.”

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Even though home had some comforts, Chege had a lot of adjusting to do. “There was a lot I had to relearn. Yes, I grew up here, but I had never worked here before. It was a shock to the system. Things don’t work the same, so I had to adjust. Even small things like driving took adjusting to. It took 14 months before I started driving myself. My kids transitioned better than I did and used to marvel at my inability to drive in Kenya,” she laughs.

“All the things I had been learning in SA came in really handy. Again, the fit wasn’t planned but it worked out better than I could have ever imagined.” CREATING HER OWN LANE When Chege got back Into the job market, she served as Technical Advisor in one of the newly formed County Governments in Kenya and was responsible for coordinating the structuring and execution of donor funded projects and engaging with private sector investors in the Finance, Infrastructure, Healthcare and ICT Sectors within the county. “It worked out perfectly wfor me. I got back home in the middle of a huge transition – similar to what South Africa had gone through between 1999 and 2003. All the things I had been learning in SA came in really handy. Again, the fit wasn’t planned but it worked out better than I could have ever imagined.” It was during this time that Chege met up with the CEO of Development Finance International, Inc. who was visiting Kenya briefly from the U.S. That brief meeting paved the way to her appointment as Director for their Africa operations. Chege describes the work that DFI does as bridging business and international development. She

explains, “There is a lot of money out there and not enough good projects. Projects need to be packaged in a way that makes them bankable and ready to absorb finance. Since that differs with each client and sector, we are able to meet client needs with the right funding internationally and help grow businesses in different markets.” Even though this isn’t the law career that she had imagined, Chege feels she is exactly where she needs to be. “I am happier here than I was as a lawyer. Back then I was good at what I did without actually loving it. I love the work we do here and I love the social development aspects that allow for us to ensure communities are taken care of. There is an element of giving back that I am very passionate about,” she adds.

FREELY FEMININE Another big role that Chege plays is that of being mom to her daughters aged seven and 10. “It is tough for working moms, worse so for single working moms. My attitude to it has evolved over the years. I used to work round the clock, but I have had to put systems in place to have balance,” she admits. “Sundays are out of the question, that is my day with my kids. I also shut down between 6pm and 8.30pm because that is time for walks, homework, dinner and bedtime stories with my kids. You learn a lot about your children at the dinner table. I get back into work mode between 9pm and 11pm,” she explains. Chege’s secret to success and happiness is an unexpected one and it shows off her fun side. “Everyone says I’m crazy,” she laughs. “The craziness helps me to be able to sit down as the only female in a room full of men and stand my ground. It helps me think out of the box,” Chege says, adding, “and it’s given me the freedom to shift from dark pantsuits to enjoying my femininity. Now I wear skirts, dresses and red heels – things that make me a happy girl. You can be tough and soft at the same time, and that’s something worth celebrating.” E

“I love the work we do here and I love the social development aspects that allow for us to ensure communities are taken care of. There is an element of giving back that I am very passionate about.” 29

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Shopping

ALL ABOARD! Go nautical with red, white and blue.

FITTED KNIT DRESS, R3 200, KAREN MILLEN.

BLUE STRIPED SHIRT, R3 599, TIGER OF SWEDEN.

BOILER DENIM SUIT, R269, MRP.

BLUE STRIPED PANTS, R3 199, TIGER OF SWEDEN.

BLUE & WHITE PENCIL DRESS, R3 700, KAREN MILLEN.

ESCADA HANDBAG, R7 995, D’ORÉ.

BLUE HIGH HEELS, R2 300, KAREN MILLEN.

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ESSAYS OF AFRICA

2015/10/07 10:15 AM

FASHION EOA WHITE WITH MULTICOLOURS SHIRT, R999, ZARA.

RED FRAME TOM FORD SUNGLASSES, R5 200, SDM EYEWEAR.

RED OPEN FRONT KNIT TOP, R2 300, KAREN MILLEN.

WORDS: TUMI MDLULI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY STOCKISTS.

VANESSA G WHITE SHIRT DRESS, P.O.R., D’ORÉ.

WHITE SKIRT WITH FLOWERS, R3 100, KAREN MILLEN.

RED PUMPS, R2 500, KAREN MILLEN. RED RACHEL DRESS, R450, COPPELIA, SPREE. CARLA RED SANDALS, R419, BRONX.

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N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 10:17 AM

tide high

Just like the seasons, fashions return; references are replayed and trends reimagined. Join us as we hop on board for a look at the new nautical.

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EssAY S of Afric a

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FASHION main EOA

LDS RENE STRIPED RUGBY CREST GOLFER DRESS, R899, POLO. SLIM RED FLIPFLOPS, R299, HAVAIANAS, STUTTAFORDS.

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novemb er 2015

2015/10/07 7:28 AM

NAVY BLOUSON RECTO, R499, MANGO. NAVY-BLUE SKINNY JEANS, R599, MANGO. AGRELIA PUMPS, R1 099, ALDO. FLARED SLING ICONIC BAG, R1 195, POLO.

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FASHION main EOA

JACKET MENTA, R5 500, LUISA SPAGNOLI. WHITE TROUSERS, R649, MANGO. PROTO RED LEATHER HEELS, R1 299, STEVE MADDEN.

E ss AYS of A f ri c a

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 7:28 AM

WHITE AMOS BERMUDA SHORT, R2 110, LUISA SPAGNOLI. BUCAREST T-SHIRT, R1 700, LUISA SPAGNOLI. WHITE SUIT JACKET, R899, MANGO. BIRCHELL HIGH HEELS, R2 399, ALDO RISE. ISABELLA BAG, R6 900, LUISA SPAGNOLI.

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EssAY S of Afric a

2015/10/07 7:29 AM

FASHION main EOA

The beach is where it’s happening!

WHITE DRESS CORNICE, R6 560, LUISA SPAGNOLI. RED LEATHER JACKET, R1 499, GUESS. SLIM RED FLIPFLOPS, R299, HAVAIANAS, STUTTAFORDS.

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 7:29 AM

DRAWSTRING GOLFER DRESS, R899, POLO.

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2015/10/07 7:29 AM

FASHION main EOA VENTANEW NAVY DRESS, R649, MANGO. ZELINI WEDGE, R599, CALL IT SPRING.

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 11:34 AM

From the catwalk to the seashore.

SOPHIE BLING JACKET, R1 199, SISSY BOY, STUTTAFORDS. DENIM SHORTS, R599, GUESS, STUTTAFORDS. SHORT-SLEEVED MESH STITCH RELAXED T-SHIRT, R899, GUESS. AGRELIA PUMPS, R1 099, ALDO.

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EssAY S of Afric a

2015/10/07 7:29 AM

WORDS AND STYLIST: TUMI MDLULI. PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK LE GRANGE. MODELS: NELLY AND TERRIE. HAIR & MAKE-UP: SHANNAZ ALEX.

FASHION main EOA

NAVY-BLUE SUIT JACKET, R999, MANGO. BUCAREST T-SHIRT, R1 900, LUISA SPAGNOLI. LDS ALICE CHINO SUIT SHORTS, R999, POLO. PROTO RED LEATHER HEELS, R1 299, STEVE MADDEN. INFINITA RED BAG, R6 700, LUISA SPAGNOLI.

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 11:34 AM

EOA REAL LIFE

MADIMO MOKGOSI SMILES AS SHE HAS A NEW LEASE ON LIFE.

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ESSAYS OF AFRICA

2015/10/07 7:38 AM

REal life EOA

I HAD TO HAVE A LIVER TRANSPLANT IN MY 20’s

Madimo Mokgosi shares how a recent liver transplant has given her a new lease on life.

was only in matric when I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, an inflammation in the liver that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your liver. I felt tired all the time and was constantly cold, no matter how hot it was outside. I couldn’t go out or work. I had jaundice and blood clots were visible through the skin on my neck. The diagnosis meant that I had to be put on chronic medication to manage my disease, but two years into taking my medication I could no longer afford to continue with it. My medical aid was exhausted and I had no money to buy the medication I needed. I thought things were under control, but I later realised that the symptoms were in hiding and the condition of my liver was worsening.

WHEN YOUR BODY FAILS

WORDS: MADIMO MOKGOSI. PHOTOGRAPHER: ASANDA MAZZWI.

In early 2013, my symptoms started to resurface; I would be cold when it’s hot and hot when it’s cold. My body would swell randomly. There was a time when my belly grew and even though I knew that I wasn’t pregnant, I looked it. That swelling would dissipate and return at will. I eventually went to a hospital and was told I could not leave. I was told that I had been walking around with virtually no blood; I had experienced complete liver failure and my body was starting to self-destruct. I was told my only chance of survival was a new liver, but I was aware that many people die waiting for organs. In South Africa, the waiting list for donor organs is extremely long, with the demand far outweighing availability.

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Around 4 000 people are awaiting all types of organs at any given time, with only 500 receiving transplants per year. Hope arrived in the form of Dr Jean Botha, head of liver transplantation at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, where I was being treated. Dr Botha looked at my dad and said, “Two things are going to happen – either we get your daughter a liver or we buy her a coffin. And I am going to make sure that we don’t put her in that coffin.” I broke down and so did my dad.

“Two things are going to happen – either we get your daughter a liver or we buy her a coffin. And I am going to make sure that we don’t put her in that coffin.” A GLIMMER OF HOPE Dr Botha is known for using a technique where he splits the liver of a patient’s family member in order to transplant a portion into the patient. Due to the liver’s capacity to regenerate, after surgery both the donor liver and the transplanted portion grow back to full size. My dad and brother were eliminated as possible donors due to factors including age, medical history and weight. My sister, Tsholofelo, was the only suitable donor and she was keen. While undergoing testing, the doctors discovered that she anaemic, so she too had to be ruled out. It was devastating. Just 10 days later, on 25 October 2013, I received the phone call that would change my life. They had found a liver for me and wanted me to come to the hospital immediately for a transplant. The procedure took six hours and was successful, although I continue to be at risk of infection. There are many side effects that I still deal with and I will be on medication for the rest of my life, but I’m not complaining because I have so much to be grateful for. I had amazing support from my family and my partner, Prince and his family. People often say you only live once. I live by a different rule: you live every day and only die once, so make the most of the days when you are living. E

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COVER STORY EOA

SUCCESS

beyond THE CROWN

Jo-Ann Strauss has been one of South Africa’s solid household names since she was 19 and now, at 34, she’s a grown woman living life on her terms.

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he consummate media professional, the lovely Jo-Ann Strauss is poised and articulate and able to handle the most pressured international platforms with ease. The journey that set her on her current path began many years ago when she was a teenager growing up in Blackheath, north of Cape Town. She fondly recounts the story of a family outing the Strauss’s took to Home Affairs when she was sixteen. A seemingly strange choice for a family day of fun, Strauss’s parents had bigger things in mind. “There is a wonderful Xhosa saying ukuhamba kukubona (to travel is to learn) and I think it is so true,” she says, adding, “We didn’t have enough money to travel abroad at the time but my parents believed that the world was our oyster and when opportunity knocks, you must be ready.” Little did they know that just three years later Strauss would board her first international flight as the new Miss South Africa to represent her country at the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico.

PREPARING FOR SUCCESS Strauss also credits her parents with instilling in her a love of words and reading from a young age. This love of reading developed into a thirst for knowledge that she believes has helped to set her apart in a crowded media landscape. Some previous Miss South Africa winners, notably Top Billing executive producer Basestana Khumalo, have been able to leverage the beauty title to launch successful careers in media and business, but there are many who have since faded into the ether. “I think the difference for me was that I went back to school and finished my degree in law and commerce,” she muses, a promise her father made sure that she kept. Clearly having inherited her father’s conscientious

ways, she still invests time in furthering her learning and updating her skills set with online resources and short business courses and seminars. “Young people have to take more responsibility for getting themselves up to speed. There’s a culture of entitlement and I think that’s sad.” After winning the coveted title, Strauss was welcomed into South African living rooms as a beloved presenter on one of the country’s longest running magazine lifestyle shows, Top Billing. Through the show, she was able to travel the world, cultivate her camera skills and cement her brand as a bankable media personality, MC and brand ambassador. “In the media we do perpetuate this image of glitz and glamour, but I like to believe that shows like Top Billing let people know that success is out there if you are willing to work hard for it,” she says.

CALLING THE SHOTS Not one to rest on her laurels, Strauss was eager to expand her media profile beyond the realm of on-air talent. “I’ve been in the industry for 15 years now and gained a lot of experience, but experience is nothing if you don’t invest it in something that can go forward.” She instinctively understood that the true power in media lies with those who develop and own concepts, which affords one the opportunity to set the agenda and influence representation. She cut her teeth as producer and host on the e.tv talk show Glambition, which focused on the power and beauty of African women. “There were lots of challenges but the thing is when you’re putting your own money into something you really want it to work,” she adds. She followed that offering with the internet-based reality format, Presenter Search in 2012. “I was inundated with people asking me how to get on television and I thought it was a good way to reach people directly.” The format, which had already proven successful in Europe, invited young people keen to

“Young people have to take more responsibility for getting themselves up to speed. There’s a culture of entitlement and I think that’s sad.” no ve m b e r 2 0 1 5

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COVER STORY EOA

“Clearly having inherited her father’s conscientious ways, she still invests time in furthering her learning and updating her skills set with online resources and short business courses and seminars.”

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“Only when you have kids of your own do realise how much your mother loves you.”

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WORDS: NDONI KHANYILE. PHOTOGRAPHER: Mark Le Grange. STYLED BY: TUMI MDLULI. HAIR STYLIST: Shaughn Adams. MAKE-UP: Henry Maritz. DRESSED BY: ROBOT TRADING. LOCATION: POINT OF VIEW VILLA GUESTHOUSE.

COVER STORY EOA join the world of television to upload their mobile auditions to YouTube. The strongest applicants were whisked off on an adventure-filled trip of stiff competition and celebrity mentoring provided by Strauss and her celebrity guest judges. Again, she invested her own resources but was able to bring technology partner, Samsung, on board to provide contestants with prizes and the gadgets they would need to film. The second series of the show recorded over 3.5 million social media interactions, cementing Strauss’s belief that online is the future of media content. The presenter search evolved into her newest concept, Social Star, to capture the enormous potential that social media offers #SocialStar launched the second week of October and entries are open until about 22 of October. We are travelling to the destination from 12 to 16 November, which looks like it’ll be Mauritius. “Media is changing. You now have stars like Caspar Lee from South Africa who is a major YouTube player but most people don’t know who he is,” she reflects. “Hollywood is knocking on his door to ask him to interview their blockbuster stars on his channel because it connects them to a younger market.” Though she says she loves producing for television, she appreciates the freedom that online platforms offer to create innovative concepts and push boundaries.

HER BIGGEST ROLE YET Strauss wears many hats: media entrepreneur, UNICEF ambassador, international MC and Media 24 director to name a few, but her newest role of mother has been her most thrilling to date. She stayed true to her rule of keeping her personal and media lives separate by sidestepping the obligatory celebrity pregnancy press and instead launched her blog Modern Mommy and announced her son’s birth on her own terms. For someone who has been a public figure since the

age of 19, she is fiercely protective of her private space and believes that if she is to be discussed, it should be for the right reasons. “Some people may think that I’m a very boring media personality because my personal relationships don’t feature in the press. I’m a working mom but so are millions of women. Does it make me any more special because I’m on TV once a week?” Strauss has become adept at juggling many balls and acknowledges her husband for helping her keep it all together. “He’s very hands-on at home but that’s only possible because we respect one another and support each others’ dreams. It also helps that my mom lives 30 minutes away,” she admits with a laugh. “Only when you have kids of your own do realise how much your mother loves you.” She emphasises health and balance over diet and deprivation, explaining that she and her husband take their son on a walk in the evenings to catch up after a long day and get some exercise. She thanks her regular pilates routine for helping build strength during her pregnancy and preparing her to carry a growing boy around town. “We live healthily but I also like cake,” she quips with a smile. “I enjoy food and long lunches with friends. I believe you exercise not because you have to but because it makes you feel good. Everything in moderation.” At 34, Strauss is successful, driven and happier than she has ever been. In an oftenvicious media environment she stands out as one of the few celebrities who have been in the public eye for so long without having her image tarnished by scandal and innuendo. “Fame doesn’t bring many friends, and a certain level of success just begs for you to be broken down. I think the wonderful thing is that growing up so many things are put in perspective, so you’re not chasing anymore and you know what your concrete goals are.” If her track record is anything to go by, we can expect even bigger things from one of South Africa’s favourite personalities. E

“I enjoy food and long lunches with friends. I believe you exercise not because you have to but because it makes you feel good. Everything in moderation.” e ssays of A f r i c a

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Do Destructive Things was a poem Mbali Kgosidintsi penned during her final year at UCT’s renowned Theatre and Performance school. Its visceral style and raw, emotive imagery cut through the beauty of her performance, leaving a bittersweet aftertaste. It received standing ovations wherever she performed it, for it was universal in its reflections on ways in which we sabotage ourselves. It had the power to leave an audience spellbound.

AN ACTIVIST’S LIFE This is the magic of watching Kgosidintsi on stage. Born to perform, her creativity shone through at the youngest age. With her mother a member of the ANC cadre living in exile, Kgosidintsi grew up in Botswana. She recalls a constant stream of writers, artists and activists in their home. “My mother was an artist who, due to circumstance, was propelled into activism,” she says. “I think that’s why she raised us to follow our hearts and develop an appreciation for the liberal arts.” Though her political life meant they were constantly moving, Kgosidintsi’s mother kept a connection to theatre and poetry through her three young

OF PETALS, POETRY & PSYCHOSIS When Mbali Kgosidintsi’s mother passed away, the loss she experienced caused unceasing pain. Yet not even she could have predicted the breakdown that was to come. children. Her influence and fierce love for them was heightened by the fear that shaped their lives as she fought the brutal apartheid state. The death of Kgosidintsi’s elder sister in a car crash on the way to her matric dance left an indelible mark on all of their lives, sparking a prevailing sense of loss that was to shadow every moment of joy to come.

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LACE AND PETALS Kgosidintsi used these painful experiences in her work as an actress, achieving remarkable success soon after graduation from UCT. Her debut role on the professional stage was in Cape Town’s Maynardville Festival, playing Hero in the Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. This was quickly followed by tours of Europe

and the USA with the Handspring Puppet Company and a lead role in Yael Farber’s Molora, which toured Japan. Between tours Kgosidintsi worked with a female poetry collective, Rite 2 Speak, curating a show entitled A Night of Lace and Petals. She describes a highlight of her career as winning the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for her work

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MY JOURNEY EOA

on A Magic Flute in London. “I was 25, sitting next to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chiwetal Ejioufour, who had won best actor for Othello that year. I remember going up with the director to receive the award and looking out on that audience. It was unforgettable.” The bliss of these years came to a crashing halt with the shocking news of her mother’s death. Hearing that her mother was sick, Kgosidintsi left rehearsals to visit her in hospital, not expecting the worst as her mother had been in relatively good health. “I’ll never forget that phone call from my brother as I was on my way to the hospital. He said, ‘Mama is dead!’ I instinctively dropped the phone, opened the door and ran into the street screaming. Cars had to swerve out of the way, but for me reality had stopped. The world disappeared in that moment and all I felt was shock and pain.”

“The world disappeared in that moment and all I felt was shock and pain.”

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGE: SUPPLIED BY MBALI KGOSIDINTSI.

FACING REALITY As she was now the eldest, all responsibilities of handling burial rituals and managing the estate of her mother fell on Kgosidintsi. She had little time for mourning, as she was in the middle of rehearsals for a major production, having to fly the next day to Nairobi. She remembers feeling ill at the funeral, throwing up all night. Yet she had to remain strong – for her career and her younger brother. During the final show of the production she was working on, she recalls a bitter sense of emptiness. “The curtain call that would usually fill me with exhilaration was replaced with anger and hate. I decided then and there to take time off.” The next few months were spent with close friends, travelling and taking succour from their support. Repressing

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feelings of rage for her loss, she learned to surf and embarked on epic skydiving adventures. Yet these merely served as ephemeral bandages for a broken heart; there could be no panacea for the depths of her despair.

BREAKDOWN The day she finally broke, as she describes it, is etched into her memory as one of the darkest moments of her life. Although she cannot recall every detail of this time, she can remember a build-up of self-destruction. “A couple of months earlier I had told a friend that something was broken inside me that I didn’t know how to fix. I was having constant anxiety attacks.” The night of her psychotic break, she went to a neighbour’s house and stripped naked, weeping uncontrollably in front of him. The trauma of being raped and sexually abused in the past had resurfaced, merging with her current state of grief and causing a complete break from reality. “I ended up in hospital that night, and woke sedated the next morning in a prison-like bed. I sat in front of a panel of doctors and they proceeded to put me through one of the most hellish experiences I had yet to undergo.” Mbali recalls her time at a state institution as a living nightmare. “There was a patient who became obsessed with me and would masturbate in front of me until he eventually had to be restrained. I would be surrounded by people with open wounds whilst waiting for my therapist, and was only allowed a little bit of sunlight each day.” The months that followed were equally harrowing, as the side effects of her medication left her physically – and mentally – impaired. “The drugs would cause me to pass out almost without warning, and eventually I couldn’t walk. Even to this day I can’t walk for long distances without pain in my legs.” She became unrecognisable to herself and those around her. “The hardest part was that no one had any

idea how to help – even I wasn’t sure how to help myself.”

TOWARDS A NEW SELF Although it has taken months and years of healing and therapy since her breakdown in 2011, Kgosidintsi has slowly managed to pick up the pieces of her life, recognising that she has a chemical imbalance she must live with forever. “It’s a war every day to keep going and live with the negative ‘voices’ in my head.” She credits her brother and friends for being her rock throughout the most terrifying ordeals. “They were always by my side, particularly when I couldn’t do things for myself.” Kgosidintsi has returned to her first love of theatre, and is commencing a foray into film. “Writing and creating has been a huge part of my sanity and healing. I find the telling of my story helps me to shape, understand and control it.” She hopes her story can help others facing similar issues with mental health to never forget their power and place in the world – no matter how powerless they may feel. “It will be a while before I can say that I’m back to my old self. Perhaps I shouldn’t try to go back but rather move forward and see what my future holds. As my brother points out, failing is not what’s memorable about my story, but it’s how I got back up after the fall.”

“…failing is not what’s memorable about my story, but it’s how I got back up after the fall.” Kgosidintsi is currently working on new creative endeavours, namely her first short film Guns and Petals, and an autobiographical play, Tseleng. Every step forward is a step in the right direction and Kgosidintsi is determined to show that she is stronger with each day that passes. E

N OVEMBER 2015

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he end of the year is fast approaching, which means you’re probably busy tying up those loose ends, have already received a few out-of-office replies from your contacts, and you’ve mentally already spent your Christmas bonus – or that magical 13th cheque, if you’re lucky – before it’s even cleared in your bank account. It’s the festive season, after all, right? But, at the risk of sounding like the Grinch, spending your bonus spontaneously on things you don’t need could end up causing you more stress in the long run. Instead, use this extra lump sum wisely. “It’s important to plan ahead so you’re not in an insecure financial position after the festive season, or aren’t adding on more debt to make ends meet,” says Linda Sherlock, head of Advisory Services at Alexander Forbes Financial Services. The experts advise that you take note of this and other bonus-saving tips to make sure you enter 2016 in the clear.

PAY OFF YOUR DEBT Sure, it doesn’t sound all that festive, but paying off debts is actually a relief, and will make your holidays worry-free. Use your bonus to settle short-term debts such as retail store cards, credit cards and personal loans, which typically have high interest rates. “You don’t have to settle all your short-term debts right now,” explains Sherlock, “but tackle the one with the highest interest rate and pay it in full.”

PAY SCHOOL FEES IN ADVANCE Don’t forget that many schools give a discount of five percent or more if you pay fees upfront. “Take advantage of this because it makes financial sense, and it keeps more money in your pocket in the long run,” says Aviwe Gijana,

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BEFORE YOU BLOW YOUR BONUS Before you spend your end-of-year bonus on another fleeting trend, read how to make your bonus really last.

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money EOA out what savings technique is best for you. And, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time, investing can make you feel better. “Investing consistently can make you happier,” says Scholtz-Mare.“Research by Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman has shown that a contributor to happiness is continuous incremental improvements in your overall wealth. But, if you spend your bonus rapidly, you go from feeling rich to feeling poor, and stuck in the same rut.”

COOL IT ON THE GIFTS “According to Deloitte's Year-End Holiday Survey in 2014, individuals can allocate as much as 43 percent of their December expenditure to gifts,” says Scholtz-Mare. Instead, chat to your family and friends to check if they would be okay with capping a limit on festive season gifts, or if they’d like to do a round robin where everyone just buys a gift for one person. “Look at it this way, just investing one bonus of R15 000 for five years will yield R24 700 (at an interest rate of 10 percent). Will you even remember the Christmas gifts you bought five years from now? Probably not, and neither will the recipients. But you will definitely see the results of your investment.”

“… paying off debts is actually a relief, and will make your holidays worry-free.” an Associate Consultant at Alexander Forbes Financial Planning Consultants.

WORDS: KIM GARNER. IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

B IS FOR BUDGET If you want to ensure you stay on top of your spending, the best way to do so is to make, and stick to, a budget. Gijana says, “Write down your income plus your 13th cheque and total them up. Then subtract all expenses for the month, including debit orders and expenses for January, fuel, groceries, uniforms and stationery. Check the remainder, and think about trips, gatherings, and occasions that you will need to attend. Put aside an amount you expect to spend on each event.” Once you know what you’re in for, you can monitor your spending more closely – and maybe have some cash left over to save.

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SAVE IT It’s not often you’ll just get an extra wad of cash. If you want it to last, save it in a smart investment, and watch it grow! “Use the money to ramp up your savings portfolio,” suggests Estelle Scholtz-Mare, the head of Financial Wellness Marketing and Campaigns at Momentum. If you already have an investment, add to it to benefit from compound interest. “Any lump sum added to existing investments has a significant impact on the growth of your cash,” she explains. You could also invest the money in a fixed deposit or a money market account. Gijana suggests you invest in unit trusts or investigate the new taxfree savings account, which allows you to save up to R30 000 a year, tax-free. A financial advisor can help you figure

NO BONUS? NO PROBLEM! If your company doesn’t dish out bonuses, you’ll have to be extra careful around the upcoming party season. “Since many companies pay salaries earlier than normal at the yearend, try sustaining yourself with the last month’s salary until the date of your normal payday,” advises Gijana. “Stick to the monthly expenditure you are used to.” Of course, if you know your company won’t offer up gifts at the yearend, start planning as soon as you can and save a little bit each month. If you still need a little leg up without a bonus, Scholtz-Mare suggests doing an annual clearance of things you no longer use and selling them online to pump up your Christmas fund. E

n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 7:45 AM

A NETWORK OF HOPE

After spending seven years behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit, Julia Masefako Mashele has rebuilt her business and galvanised a powerful network of women into action. orn to a life of poverty in the village of Ditshweung in Limpopo, Julia Mashele’s spirit of resilience has guided her through some tough times. Having grown up in difficult circumstances, she was forced to leave school before completing Standard Six – as was customary at the time for many black South Africans. Although her perceived inferiority due to a lack of education stayed with her for many years, this did not deter Mashele from a life of success. Married with three young boys and trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship, Mashele quickly discovered her knack for business after selling secondhand clothes. She joined AMC Classic as an agent, which took her throughout the country and continent as she successfully marketed their products. After developing a wide clientele in many countries across Africa, she registered her own networking business, with her sharp negotiation skills helping her to secure contracts with top companies, exporting and distributing everything from Kruger Rands to motor spares and stationery. Her talent for networking paid off, as people responded well to her open, direct manner. Mashele managed to purchase cars and homes for her family, even in a white neighbourhood – almost unheard of for a black woman during apartheid. She became the self-made ‘queen of Soshanguve’ and brought many people into her circle.

LOCKED UP Mashele’s world collapsed in 1993, when white police officers stormed one of her farms and arrested her. The charges – ranging from drug possession to robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder – seemed so ludicrous at the time that she thought it had been one big misunderstanding. Sadly, this was not the case. A victim of the brutal ‘justice’ system

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under apartheid, Mashele had few rights or recourse to action. Although all charges were eventually dropped years later as the fabrication of one man’s testimony, the toll it took on her and her family was unspeakable. We meet at the McDonalds in Pretoria, less than five minutes from Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, where she was held for seven years – the longest any person in South Africa has been held without being charged. Her pressed floral dress, coiffed hair and statement jewellery defy the image of a broken woman. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine such a bright presence being shackled for so many years. “To stay in prison without bail for a crime I didn’t commit was just too painful. I had no right of movement; I became very sick. And the toll it took on my children…” Words fail her at the difficult memories.

“To stay in prison without bail for a crime I didn’t commit was just too painful. I had no right of movement; I became very sick. And the toll it took on my children…” JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED Rather than focus on the horrors she experienced, she tells me of the fights she led in court and behind bars – fighting for justice and the rights of many of the women with whom she was imprisoned. She read every page of the constitution and led numerous successful campaigns, including that of having the first baptism of a child born in prison. Although her hopes of being freed when Nelson Mandela came to power were soon dashed, despite interventions by international human rights organisations and outcries from the local media, she never gave up that fighting spirit.

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WOMEN’S NETWORK EOA “I always looked presentable. I went to court over 200 times and each appearance was harrowing, but I never broke down in front of them.” To see photos of Mashele’s immaculate cell is to witness the indomitable power of this fierce woman; replete with stylish curtains, plush rugs, paintings and books, the pride she took in herself and her surroundings is astonishing given the dismal circumstances. Mashele’s impressive networking skills flourished even in a maximum-security prison, where she became the most beloved and respected inmate amongst the women. “I couldn’t help but speak out about the things I saw – it’s just who I am.” This frank honesty led to her becoming a symbol of hope and resistance for so many of those incarcerated with her, particularly the mothers. “I know what it is to be separated from your children. For seven years I could only speak to them through a glass partition.”

FREEDOM Three days before Christmas in 1999, Julia was given the greatest gift of all: her freedom. Finally released on bail, Julia walked out of prison with nothing. Her ex-husband and his new girlfriend had spent her hard-earned wealth; her homes had been taken from her and she was left bereft. Yet it was her network of friends and churchgoers that came to the rescue, providing her with a place to stay and helping her transition back to normal life. “I lived in fear for a while,” she admits. “My children had suffered greatly and it was so hard to see what it had done to them.” But again, this did not derail her. Julia tapped into her wide business network and was surprised by how positively they responded to her return. Things eventually picked up and she started piecing back together her fractured life.

BUILDING A DREAM TEAM

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY JULIA MASHELE.

Besides her networking business, Julia’s greatest passion is to bring hope to those behind bars. Her faith has been a constant comfort in her life, and she sees it as her mission to help those who are facing similar circumstances to what she endured. “I registered an NGO after being released: Dream Team Foundation,” she says proudly. It’s clear that this is the work she was born for, beaming as she describes the halfway houses she established for those coming out of jail with nothing. “When you come out after years of being locked up, the emotional damage is too much. These people, who are not accepted by their families, need support. Even the hardened criminals need support, or they’re more likely to re-offend.”

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PASTOR JULIA MASEFAKO MASHELE SPREADS HER MESSAGE OF HOPE.

Weekends are spent visiting people in prison, particularly those who have been abandoned by their families. In the two hours that I spent with Mashele, numerous women in her network came and went, evidently proud to be associated with her and her work. She arranges events for former inmates and uses all resources at her disposal to help those who have been rejected by their communities. She has established a church and ministry for those seeking support, and set up a bakery, vegetable garden and workshop for former inmates to gain skills. Mashele’s ultimate dream is to establish a preschool for children whose parents are imprisoned, as she feels strongly that this can help stop the vicious cycle of crime. She has written and published seven books about her experiences in the hope that her story will touch the lives of others. Her network spreads from Soshanguve throughout the country and continent, with dozens of people united under her powerful vision of courage and hope. There is no stopping this phenomenal woman. E Julia Masefako Mashele’s book, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied, is available through Van Schaik Bookstore.

N OVEMBER 2015

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Happiness is…

DITCHING THESE 10 BEHAVIOURS NOW! Most people list being happy as one of their goals, but often their behaviour tells a different story. EOA pinpoints some destructive habits that could be hampering your pursuit of happiness.

e all fall into self-sabotaging traps now and again, but often cannot see the detrimental effects of our own behaviours. According to Nonhlanhla Mngomezulu, a clinical psychologist, “Selfsabotage has a lot to do with abusive or painful experiences in childhood. People whose childhood experiences are tainted by any form of abuse are likely to either consciously or unconsciously re-enact past abuse.” By pinpointing ways in which you rob yourself of happiness, you can start to address and let go of these destructive habits. After all, there’s no better time to live your best life than right now. 1. Settling For A Mediocre Relationship You know deep down when something is working, and even more so when it isn’t. Life is just too short to invest time and energy in a relationship that doesn’t inspire or nurture your growth. “From our earliest days, we learn that our worth is tied up in our ability to find a mate,” explains psychologist Bella DePaulo. She says that women after a certain age are often urged to lower their standards due to social stigma attached to their single status. But settling for mediocrity just so you don’t have to be alone does not make for a happy relationship. Rather embrace being single and learn to develop a sense of self-worth that’s not attached to a romantic partner’s love or approval. This will serve you well when you do meet someone who is worthy of your love. 2. Living Beyond Your Means With easy access to credit these days, it’s not that difficult to live beyond your means. But that constant month-end panic when bills are due is not worth the stress. If you’re someone who loves a good shopping spree, especially as a feel-good distraction,

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hit a local market instead of the mall for budget items, or make it a rare treat instead of a frequent splurge. Mngomezulu urges women to address and resolve any residual feelings from the past that make them susceptible to this destructive behaviour. 3. All Talk And No Action The pull towards making elaborate plans can be strong, but will only leave you feeling like a fraud if it’s something you can’t achieve. One of the most common self-sabotaging behaviours is procrastination. According to a leading expert on procrastination, Dr Joseph Ferrari, procrastinators purposely put obstacles in their path or choose paths that hurt their performance. “It represents a profound problem of self-regulation, often stemming from a fear of failure.” Although you may think you do your most creative work under pressure, this is often not the case. Stop looking for distractions while talking a big talk, and start doing something real and achievable with your life.

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SELF-EMPOWERMENT EOA

“Focus on strengthening parts of yourself that will enhance your sense of self.” 5. Selling Yourself Short Women tend to sell themselves short by acknowledging their weaknesses rather than their strengths, and playing small in order to make others feel comfortable. While this may appear as innocent modesty, it can cripple your chances of getting that promotion or landing a dream job. Take a cue from the men on this one and don’t be afraid to shine. “Focus on strengthening parts of yourself that will enhance your sense of self,” says Mngomezulu. Own your accomplishments just as you celebrate the achievements of others.

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

6. The Perfectionist Trap Living according to unrealistic standards is a sure-fire way to sabotage your happiness. Perfectionism is a defense learnt from a young age and if not checked, will leave you feeling like a failure no matter what you achieve. Author Julia Cameron wrote in The Artist’s Way, “Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead.” She explains that it can lead to a debilitating, obsessive cycle that causes you to lose sight of the bigger picture. Setting goals is a good thing, but it’s also important to remember that we’re all fallible. Accepting the imperfection of humanity is a liberating gift, and people will respond to you better once you become comfortable with any perceived flaws.

4. Finding Comfort In Food And Booze Mngomezulu says that many women self-medicate with food or alcohol. Although these may provide a seemingly quick fix, the shame and disappointment you’ll feel the next day is never worth it. We all deserve a late night feast or treat once in a while, but if it becomes a daily occurrence it can start affecting your health, not to mention your feelings of self-worth. Similarly, a glass of red wine, a la Olivia Pope (The Fixer), can’t do much harm, but stretch that to a bottle a night and you’ll be in a perpetual state of sluggishness and depletion.

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7. Not Speaking Up Bottling your emotions in order to spare someone’s feelings can cause physical illness, not to mention a great deal of stress. “When we avoid speaking up and expressing how we feel or what we need, we are sabotaging our self-esteem and allowing negative feelings to build up internally,” says psychotherapist Emily Roberts. She encourages passive people to learn assertiveness and effective communication strategies. Stop playing the nice girl and start speaking up, and demand the respect you deserve. Your voice is too important to get lost in the crowd. 8. Staying In A Dead-End Job Knowing when to move on is one of the hardest yet most important lessons of your career. Don’t be afraid to seek out new

challenges and opportunities; you never know what could be in store if you just take that leap. 9. People-Pleasing Almost every woman has it to some extent: the disease to please. Bending over backwards for others can lead to them taking advantage of your generosity. Social psychologist Dr Susan Newman says people-pleasers “put everyone else before themselves and fear being disliked.” Yet conversely, it can end up leaving you more alienated than ever and harbouring inner resentment. Stop being a doormat and learn to say “no”. Reciprocity is the foundation of a healthy relationship – be it a friendship, romantic love interest or business partnership. 10. Not Prioritising Self-Care From not getting enough sleep to obsessing over your daily calorie count, taking care of your physical, mental and spiritual health is crucial. You know what makes you feel healthy, empowered and inspired. If dancing till dawn makes you happy, then make time for it over the weekend – when you can be sure to recover all of Sunday. Arianna Huffi ngton, founder and president of The Huffington Post (and all-round superwoman in our books), has become a self-described sleep evangelist after her collapse from exhaustion in 2007. She ranks her nightly eight hours of shut-eye as a number one priority, as well as adopting strategies such as switching off her cell phone and taking a relaxing bath each night before bed. “It’s important for women to learn ways of soothing themselves,” explains Mngomezulu. Exercise releases endorphins and is a no-brainer when it comes to leading a healthy life. Be it a daily walk in a park, workout in the gym or Pilates session, make exercise a priority. Similarly, we truly are what we eat, so ensure that the bulk of your diet consists of fresh vegetables, fruits and proteins, saving treats for the weekend. Stop the extreme diets and calorie counting, and start listening to your body – she is replete with infinite wisdom. E

N OVEMBER 2015

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HOW’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR HELPER? Are you treating your domestic worker correctly according to the guidelines set by the Department of Labour? We tackle the basics of building and maintaining a healthy relationship with a domestic worker or childminder. s women continue to climb the corporate ladder and push the boundaries of gender equality in the workplace, there exists a growing demand for them to juggle their careers and personal lives, which in turn sees many hiring extra help to maintain this fine balance. Domestic workers make up a large part of the unskilled or semi-skilled job market in South Africa. Most families depend heavily on the help of domestic helpers – be it in the form of helping to raise children, cooking and cleaning, or perhaps all of the above. With helpers forming an integral part of family life, employers are compelled to understand and enforce the important principles that guide the employment of these people.

BASIC RIGHTS Domestic workers have the same rights as any other individual that forms part of South Africa’s working class. The Department of Labour has set guidelines for the minimum wage of domestic workers, according to the number of hours they work and the nature of their work. As far as maintaining a healthy relationship with your domestic worker is concerned, agreeing on a salary and job description is a great place to start. As important as they are in the family setup, many domestic helpers work under terrible conditions that oftentimes border on slavery and abuse. Instances of domestic workers having to work long hours without being given prior notice, or without being paid overtime are quite prevalent. It is very easy to overlook these nuances because, for the most part, many women consider their helpers as extensions of their family. Noncedile Maphelo (37) has had several bad working experiences as a domestic worker, but says her most recent employer has been the worst. She has since left this job and says her pay was very low for what was required of her. “I used to do all the housework, mind the children and take care of the chickens they bred – all for R1 000 per month.” Maphelo was a live-in domestic worker and says her living conditions were horrible.

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“I wish employers would understand that we leave our homes and our children to come to work so that we can earn money for our families. R1 000 per month is hardly enough to cover the things I need, let alone to send money back home to my family,” Maphelo says. “Many employers know I need the job, so they know I cannot say no to some of their unreasonable demands.”

SETTING BOUNDARIES Maid4U is a professional service that offers employment solutions to anyone in need of the services of a domestic helper, reliable nanny or cleaners on a part- or fulltime basis. They hire helpers in all categories, and do a background check on these individuals to screen for issues related to their credit history, criminal records and qualifications, if they have any. “We strive to make the right match between an employer and the helpers,” says founder of Maid4U, Lindiwe Shibambo. “Because we’ve screened all our ladies and trained some of them, we know their strengths and place them according to a client’s specific needs. This avoids conflict in the working relationship as both individuals are on the same page,” says Shibambo. Maphelo, who has worked for both black and white employers in the past, says she prefers to work for the latter, as they are not as exploitative as other races. Says Shibambo, “It’s important to realise that domestic workers have rights. Race should not play a part in this process. As long as basic human rights and labour guidelines are followed, there should be no reason for conflict in the worker-employer relationship. “Issues such as job descriptions, pay slips and registrations for UIF and a provident fund tend to be overlooked by the employers. As a recruitment/ placement agency we protect both the employer and employee by addressing these issues, which gives both parties peace of mind and a good start to a healthy relationship,” says Shibambo.

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RELATIONSHIPS EOA

WORDS LUYANDA SIBISI. IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

DO IT THE RIGHT WAY Here is a list of requirements you need to keep in mind when hiring a domestic worker. At the start of employment, according to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), you need to provide the employee with the following: Employer and Worker Details Employer’s full name Employer’s address Employment details Place/s of work Date of employment Working hours and days of work Payment Details Salary or wage, or the rate and method of calculating wages Rate for overtime Any other cash payments Any payments in kind and their value Frequency of payment Any deductions Value and payment for any food or accommodation. Leave Details Any leave to which the worker is entitled Notice/Contract Period Period of notice required Period of contract.

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KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL Lindiwe Shibambo provides a list of clear boundaries you should establish very early to maintain a professional working relationship with your domestic helper. 1. Your domestic worker is entitled to a rest day – which could usually coincide with their day of worship. It is inappropriate for an employer to expect a domestic worker to forfeit their day of rest, unless a worker volunteers her services and is paid an overtime rate of double their daily rate on a Sunday or public holiday. 2. Having said this, a worker cannot work more than 15 hours of overtime per week and for more than 12 hours on a single day (according to the BCEA). 3. If your domestic worker lives on your property in compliance with the standards set by the legislation, you are entitled to deduct 10 percent from their salary. However, it is not permitted to provide your domestic worker with accommodation that is unhygienic or unsafe. 4. You cannot make your domestic worker take unpaid leave for your own convenience the same way your domestic worker cannot take paid leave without prior notice and agreement. E For more information or help with your recruitment needs, contact Maid4U on 073 011 5462 or 012 546 0213. E-mail: info@maid4u.co.za.

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In a world of increasingly fluid sexual preferences and identities, where does asexuality – a lack of sexual attraction – fit in? oncepts such as gender and sexuality are becoming less black and white, and a lot more fluid as people find the courage to live out their truth in public. But, even as we gain a better understanding and hopefully acceptance of these concepts, there’s a sexual orientation (or rather non-orientation) that is still largely misunderstood. Enter the asexual, a person who experiences little or no sexual attraction, and no desire to act on attraction sexually.

WHAT NOW? As with most sexual preferences, the definition of an asexual can differ from person to person, each experiencing different feelings on the asexuality spectrum. Sumari van Rooyen, a clinical psychologist who deals with sexual and relationship issues, says asexuality is generally viewed as “a lack of any sexual attraction towards people, objects, etc. Heterosexuals score high on attraction to members of the opposite sex, homosexuals score high on attraction to the same sex, and bisexuals score high on attraction to both sexes. Asexuals score low on attraction to both sexes.” If they do experience attraction occasionally, they may identify as straight, bisexual or gay as well, but show little desire to express their attraction sexually. As someone who identifies as asexual, 22-yearold Alice from Cape Town says, “I don’t experience sexual attraction toward either gender, nor desire any form of sexual intimacy. With anyone. Ever.” It’s tough to slip asexuality into a neat little box, but it does help to understand it as an ‘attraction’ (or lack thereof) and not a behaviour. Note, however, this is not celibacy. “Celibacy describes someone’s behaviour, that is, that they choose to not have sex with anyone,” according to the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN). “Orientation is not behaviour.”

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SEX & INTiMaCY INTIMACY EOA Still, asexuality is only just starting to really gain the focus of researchers, and it’s estimated that only a small number of the population identifies as asexual. “In my experience, around one percent [of the population] is asexual,” states Van Rooyen. “There is very little research that’s been done locally.” In 2004, Canadian sexuality researcher Anthony Bogaert explored the asexual demographic and said he thought that the one percent figure wasn’t accurate. He believed the prevalence of asexuality was probably much larger, but said asexual people might have been underrepresented in the study. This could be because less sexually experienced people, such as asexual people tend to be, are less likely to participate in studies about sexuality.

WORDS: KIM GARNER. SOURCE: ASEXUALITY ARCHIVE. IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

IS IT JUST A PHASE? There are many misconceptions about being asexual, such as the idea that ‘it’s just a phase’ or that it can be ‘cured’. Van Rooyen says, “Some people may think asexuals have no desire for sexual stimulation, but some do enjoy sexual touch and can get physically aroused.” And, yes, some asexuals also have sex. “It is assumed asexuals have low libido, and some do, but it isn’t a reason for asexuality,” explains Alice. “Some asexuals will be sexually active in their relationships as a means of compromise, but this makes them no less asexual. Not all asexuals are virgins, and not all asexuals are sexrepulsed. I find the image of [asexuals as] cake-eating cat-ladies clad in purple quite distressing,” the young woman explains. Another misconception is that asexuality is the result of psychological disorder, which is not necessarily the case. There isn’t enough research to conclude if asexuality can be attributed to nature or nurture – whether someone is asexual at birth, or becomes so later – but the general understanding is that it is most likely a combination. “It’s probably almost always a combination [of nature and nurture],” says AVEN on their website, “because there are strong correlations with trauma, but also some genetic correlation too, as measured by a set of twins who had been raised apart. Both nature and nurture accounts for 25 percent to 50 percent.”

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ASEXUALS AND RELATIONSHIPS While asexual people rarely experience the desire to have sex, or a sexual attraction to another person, they still often have relationships. But, the start of romantic life can be confusing – at least, even more so than usual! “I’d always felt marginalised by my peers at school… because I had not experienced strong sexual urges or crushes,” explains Alice. “I could certainly admire attractive people, but it never developed into sexual attraction.” Alice says a desire for ‘normalcy’ led her to enter into a relationship in high school. “At that point I was aware that something wasn’t right,” she says. “Sexual encounters were highly awkward, uncomfortable and unsatisfactory. At the time I would think of a million things I could rather be doing, and consciously avoided opportunities to fool around.” The relationship ended, and Alice and her friends thought perhaps her boyfriend just wasn’t the right guy. Her second high-school relationship, though, brought with it similar feelings. “We had a very deep emotional/intellectual connection, but I simply didn’t have any sexual interest in him at all, and it soured our relationship. Frustrated and confused, I turned to Google for answers,” she says. Realising that she identified with other asexuals helped her to better understand her

experiences. “It has taken a few years for me to truly accept myself as asexual as opposed to ‘defective’. I now focus on what makes me happy.” But, for Alice, it isn’t easy. “Finding platonic companionship is near impossible for me at the moment. This lack of sexual interest is difficult to explain to heterosexual guys who take a romantic interest in me, so I end up pushing them away before the need for that conversation arises,” she says. “Somehow not being sexually attracted to my partners is the equivalent of loving them less? In a society obsessed with sex, asexuals have the potential to lead quite an alienated existence. Unfortunately, I no longer seek out romantic relationships.” So, how do you support a family member or friend who might be asexual? First, ditch the judgement. Second, talk to them and try to understand their feelings. “Accept the fact that they know themselves better than you do, and that asexuality isn’t a phase in most cases,” explains Alice. “Research as much as possible, and respect and acknowledge them for who they are.” As for you own feelings of asexuality? Know you are not alone. “There are others like you all over the world dealing with the same emotions. Seek out asexuals in your area and research and communicate with them,” suggests Alice. And, lastly, know that you are not broken in any way.

COULD I BE ASEXUAL? Only you can decide if you want to label yourself asexual, but if you align yourself with any of the descriptions below, it could be worth doing more research into whether or not you identify as an asexual. l You don’t think about sexual intercourse. l You think of intercourse in anthropological or scientific terms, rather than romantic or erotic terms. l You don’t understand what the big deal is. You haven’t had sex for [insert significant amount of time here], so why are other people so worked up about going without for two weeks? l Sexual intercourse is totally alien to you. l You’ve thought, “I’m straight/gay/bi, but not very good at it.” l You’ve thought, “I must be straight by default.” l You’d much rather do any other activities than having intercourse. l You like sex, but it doesn’t ‘feel right’. l When you encountered the naked body of someone for the first time in a sexual situation, you looked at it like a real-life anatomy lesson, rather than an object of desire. For more information on this topic, go to www.asexualityarchive.com. E

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NUTRITION IN A NUTSHELL LOREN STOW sifts through the 5 whys, ways & whats of healthy nutrition to help parents make the best choices for their families.

t either comes easily… or it doesn’t. Some young children seem to inhale bowls of healthy fare, while others would rather starve to death than eat anything but chicken nuggets and chips. For those parents who do not know where to start, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. This ‘How-To Guide’ aims to underscore why you should persevere with a nutritional diet in the face of tantrums, hunger strikes and monumental lapses in recipe and snack ideas. It is also written in such a way that we touch on what’s most important and why, without boring you with too many details. So read on and discover your child’s nutrition in a nutshell…

5 REASONS WHY NUTRITION IS SO IMPORTANT

1. Physical Growth Did you know? From age two to puberty, children grow on average 5cm to 8cm and gain 2kg to 3kg every year. Food fuels a child’s growth just like water, sunshine and soil grow a garden. Without the proper nutrition a child’s body cannot grow strong muscles and bones, important for leading a healthy and active life.

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Evette van Niekerk, lecturer with a special interest in paediatric nutrition at Stellenbosch University, explains that parents should monitor their child’s growth at the doctor or paediatrician or clinic on a regular basis, noting their weight, height and head circumference. 2. Cognitive Development Did you know? Nutrition during the early years of a child’s life is linked to performance in later years. “Inadequate nutrition results in decreased activity levels, poorer social interactions, underactive curiosity, and decreased cognitive functioning,” warns Van Niekerk. She adds that nutritional deficiencies can affect brain growth in the early years. “For example, an iron deficiency leads to learning difficulties, as well as growth and behaviour problems.” 3. Immunity Did you know? Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit, oranges, guava, papaya and mango, as well as vegetables such as spinach, squash, carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes are natural immune boosters.

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PARENTING EOA It only makes sense that a well-nourished body is more capable of fighting off colds, flu and other illnesses, and Evette explains that a diet rich in vitamins C and E, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics can help to strengthen a child’s immunity. 4. Obesity And Chronic Disease Prevention Did you know? Van Niekerk teaches that parents can prevent childhood obesity by increasing physical activity, decreasing screen time (less than two hours per day), limiting sugary drinks and fruit juice, encouraging enough sleep (at least nine hours a night), never skipping breakfast, enjoying family dinners together and eating healthy snacks. The bottom line is that parents need to help their children to learn how to make healthy choices in order to avoid obesity and the chronic

diseases linked to it such as cancer, heart disease and osteoarthritis in later life. 5. Social Development Did you know? “Positive interactions around food can promote healthy eating habits, strong family relationships and reduce the stress of daily living.” – Family Resiliency Centre Most adults can remember favourite dishes that remind them of their childhoods, certain foods they ate with family on a Sunday, or a particularly good recipe that their grandmother shared with them when they left home. Food is family and family is often linked to food. By keeping meal times social, positive associations are formed between good food and feeling good.

HEALTHY SNACKS Fruit

Carrot sticks

Yoghurt

Provita biscuits

Mini blocks of cheddar cheese

Bread or toast fingers

Popcorn

Peanut butter on bread or for dipping fruit into

Raisins

Mini carrot and banana muffins

Cherry tomatoes

5 WAYS TO MAKE NUTRITION EASY We spoke to Billie-Clare Dryden-Schofield of Bumbles Cookery Club to discover her five top tips when it comes to making nutrition work for you as a parent. 1. Be a good example; if you are healthy they will be healthy. This means setting an example and choosing healthy options yourself and making changes to your lifestyle before you can expect your child to eat healthily. 2. Grow your own food! From a few herbs on the windowsill, to a pot of tomatoes on the balcony or a little veggie patch in the garden; by getting your children involved in growing what they eat, they are more likely to be interested and try new and healthier alternatives. 3. Get your children to help you in the kitchen. Encourage your children to help you prepare lunch or dinner. It can be as easy as breaking lettuce into a salad, mixing a sauce or making sarmies. The more a child is involved in preparing food (and not just expected to consume the food all the time), the more opportunities they will have to explore and learn about food, tastes, smells and textures. 4. Plan ahead Planning your meals a day or even a week ahead will help to ensure that you have chosen balanced and varied meal options. It will allow you to be more creative and less rushed. 5. Snack attack We all get them… and when a snack attack hits it needs to be sorted without delay. Make sure when you do your shopping that you avoid stopping in the processed junk food aisle and instead aim to fill your basket with healthy snacks that you can grab in a minute. There is nothing quite like a snack attack to push a child over into a meltdown; so being snack savvy is a health – and sanity – saver.

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WHAT 5 FOOD GROUPS BY PORTION SIZE? It’s important to know what to feed your family, so here are the five major food groups, along with the recommended portions per day. 1. Carbohydrates: For energy, calcium, B vitamins and fibre. Starchy foods such as breads, pastas, rice, potatoes, cereals, mielie meal and so on. 3 to 5 servings per day * 1 serving = 1 slice of bread / 6 tablespoons of porridge, pasta, pap, rice / 2 small potatoes 2. Protein: To help the body grow and repair itself, a good source of iron. Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, peas, lentils, and soya 2 to 3 servings per day * 1 serving = 2 sausages / 1 small can of sardines / 1 cup of cooked beans / 1 medium chicken breast 3. Milk and dairy: To keep bones and teeth healthy Milk, cheeses and yoghurt 3 servings per day * 1 serving = 1 glass of milk / 1 pot of yoghurt / 1 matchboxsized piece of cheese 4. Fruit and vegetables: For vitamins, fibre and antioxidants for general health. 5 portions per day * 1 portion = 1 apple, orange, pear, banana / 1 handful of grapes / 1 tablespoon of raisins 5. Fats and sugars: For energy. Butter, margarine, cooking oil, cream, salad dressing, chocolate, jam, biscuits It is important to not have too much from this food group too often because they are high in energy but do not contain much nutritional value.

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EOA PARENTING CHOOSE YOUR PORTION WITH CAUTION! The Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA) reveals that the rising obesity epidemic in our country shows that the most problematic age categories are women and preschool children. > 40% of adult women are obese – up from from 27.5% over the last decade. 18.9% of girls and 17.5% boys are obese – in preschool children aged two to five years, up from 10.6% to 18.2% in the last decade. The problem has been attributed to lack of portion control, poor food choices and inactivity. The easiest way to fight obesity in children is to ensure a minimum of one to two hours of physical activity a day, limit screen time to 30 minutes a day, and serve fruits and vegetables with every meal and eat meals together as a family. Visit www.essaysofafrica.com (Health & Lifestyle section) to download the following fun food resources: • Superfood Flashcards • Meal Planner Contact Billie-Clare Dryden-Schofield for more nutritional advice or cooking classes on 087 231 1696, email billieclare@bumbles.co.za, or visit www.bumbles.co.za.

SOS – NUTRITIONAL EMERGENCIES Three major food health emergencies that every parent should be aware of when they read the food labels:

1. SUGAR Sugar is simply an empty calorie – all the energy, but without any goodness. Hidden sugars, also called ‘added sugars’, are a major food health emergency for all people, especially children, and is usually found in processed foods such as breads, cereals, biscuits, cakes, soft drinks, ice cream and jams. When too much sugar is consumed it can lead to obesity and other diseases, so become label savvy and start looking for those hidden sugars – often labelled as sucrose, dextrose, maltrose, and fructose. The easiest way to limit hidden sugars is to avoid buying desserts and sweets, sugary cereals (opt for whole-grain instead), flavoured yoghurts (opt for natural instead), and flavoured drinks (stick to water or milk).

2. OBESITY Obesity in children is becoming an epidemic in South Africa, with 13.5% of our children aged six to 14 years considered to be clinically obese (the global average is 10%). When fresh foods and vegetables are more expensive per gram than energy-dense (or fatty) foods, it is actually cheaper to feed a family on unhealthy food. Obesity is a serious health emergency that leads to chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and more.

3. SALT According to World Action on Salt and Health (WASH), salt in children’s diets is also becoming a health emergency, and once again the main culprits are ‘added salts’ that are hidden in highly processed foods such as cereals, crisps, breads, and even milk and milk products. Fresh home-cooked food is also less likely to contain the high levels of salt than fast foods like pizza, burgers, chips, chicken nuggets and so on, contain. High levels of salt intake increase blood pressure and therefore the risk of heart disease and stroke. Salt is also thought to contribute towards obesity in that is causes thirst and if a child is drinking sugary drinks or fruit juices, they then consume more of these which results in weight gain. In the long term, too much salt also increases the risk of stomach cancer, asthma and kidney disease. The best way to avoid excessive salt is to avoid processed foods and opt as much as possible for healthy, fresh, home-cooked meals.

NEWS FLASH! 100% Pure Coconut Water

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IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

A great new refreshment with a variety of health benefits, CocoZone is harvested from young, green coconuts and bottled on site to ensure a natural and consistent quality and taste. The 100% pure coconut water drink contains no added preservatives, sugar or artificial sweeteners, and is gluten- and lactose-free. In addition to Vitamin C, which boosts the immune system, a single serving of coconut water not only contains more potassium than two bananas, ensuring optimal muscle function, heart rhythm and lower blood pressure, it also contains anti-ageing properties. Free of guilt and full of goodness for all ages! Visit www.cocozone.co.za for more information. E

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Parenting... Your Way! Parenting... Your Way!

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Curating

CYRUS KABIRU, MACHO NNE: VATICAN MASK.

THE NEW

From First Thursdays and the Design Indaba to the Turbine Art Fair and Joburg Art Week, Mzansi’s vibrant art scene is flourishing.

GUESTS

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Despite the controversy surrounding South Africa’s presence at this year’s Venice Biennale, with late confirmation of artists and few black women invited to participate in the SA Pavilion – not to mention the controversy of Chinese artists representing Kenya at the world’s most prestigious exhibition – 2015 has been a year of phenomenal growth in art throughout the continent. The artists who performed on the established fringe in Venice as part of the Johannesburg FNB JHB ART FAIR: GERALD MACHONA Pavilion received much acclaim for their bold, refreshing programme. South Africa’s year-round calendar of fairs, exhibitions and events has sparked new collaborations and interest from artists and the public alike, where conventional boundaries of performance, photography, film, sculpture, drawing and design are continually challenged. This year saw Cape Town’s popular First Thursdays come to Joburg, where galleries from Braamies to Maboneng stay open till late and visitors are offered a sensory explosion with artisanal street food and live entertainment. Not confined to gallery spaces or exhibitions, perhaps one of the most exciting developments on the continent has been the thriving street art scene – where the city walls of Durban, Accra and Tunis have become an open canvas of expression, colour and activism. A highlight of the year is undoubtedly Africa’s leading art fair, the FNB Joburg Art Fair, featuring contemporary art from the continent and diaspora. With its vibrant programme of collateral events playing host to top international curators, collectors and directors from institutions like The Tate Modern, Venice Biennale, Centre Pompidou and CCA Lagos, this fair has become the ultimate platform for artists on the continent. Co-Director of

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NEWS REPORT EOA

FNB JHB ART FAIR: BJORN MELHUS

the FNB Art Fair, Mandla Sibeko, was particularly inspired by this year’s featured artists and performance art events. “We are forever birthing something fresh and new, placing the continent in a distinctive competitive position,” says Mandla. Here is a look at some of the hottest artists making waves across the continent... TURIYA MAGADLELA Winner of this year’s prestigious FNB Art Prize, Soweto-based Magadlela uses a variety of fabrics such as nylon pantyhose, sheets and uniforms in her work. For the 2015 Art Prize, she presented a series of works under the title Imihuzuko, contemplating the history of incarcerated black South African leaders. Using traditional Xhosa cloth and correctional service fabrics, she named individual works for incarcerated kings, chiefs and prophets. Her large-scale installation of institutional beds, which formed the focal point of the exhibition, examines what it means to be imprisoned in present-day South Africa. Magadlela has exhibited in Joburg, Cape Town and the Netherlands. Her widespread exposure from winning this year’s prize will no doubt cement her place on the global art scene.

rubber and other materials, Machona created the spectacular ‘Uri Afronaut’ exhibited at the Joburg Art Fair. Decommissioned currency is central to his work, used in a striking range of eclectic pieces – from a flag to a golden protea, plum blossom and futuristic trainers – that have been featured at renowned art fairs such as Art Basel. The Zimbabwe-born artist negotiates the condition of xenophobia through the cultural aesthetic of Afrofuturism in his work,

with his recent series developed as a response to the xenophobic violence of 2008.

LAKIN OGUNBANWO Nigerian photographer Ogunbanwo is a highly versatile artist with a keen eye for colour. His vivid, suggestive work boasts of a meticulous approach that allows for visually stunning imagery. Initially self-taught, he eventually travelled to Paris for professional studies at the prestigious Speos Photography Institute.

CYRUS KABIRU, MACHO NNE: BONELESS.

CYRUS KABIRU, VATICAN MASK, MIXED MEDIA.

GERALD MACHONA Using the decommissioned Zim dollar, old South African rand, wood,

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CYRUS KABIRU, FUTURE BICYCLE: STEEL AND FOUND OBJECTS.

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His work features bold and provocative portraits, as well as high fashion photography, often set against bright colours and Lagos cityscapes. His images quietly challenge the conservative culture of Nigeria. His new series was unveiled at this year’s FNB Joburg Art Fair, providing a glimpse into the many forms of cultural identity expressed in Nigeria, featuring men’s traditional headgear within a modern context.

MOFFAT TAKADIWA Harare-based Takadiwa uses unconventional materials and found objects in his work, such as old keyboards found in landfills. As Sean O’Toole wrote in an Artsy editorial, Takadiwa was initially interested in drawing and painting, but explored the use of these objects when art materials became prohibitively expensive due to the country’s staggering inflation. His practice has evolved to elevate found objects into sculptural forms that engage with issues of cultural identity, consumerism, spirituality and the environment. He has been steadily attracting international attention with high-profile exhibitions in Paris, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Joburg, New York, London and Berlin.

MOHAU MODISAKENG Born in Soweto, Modisakeng lives and works between Joburg and Cape Town. He was awarded the SASOL New Signatures Award for 2011 and has exhibited in New York, London, Dakar, Cape Town, Joburg and Basel. His bold work has been featured at the FNB Art Fair for the past four years, with symbolic themes of confronting the contours of colonial and postcolonial history. Although he predominantly works as a sculptor, Modisakeng has explored performance art, video and photography. His striking work is visceral, with large-scale pieces that demand attention as a response to the inherent violence of the past.

TONY GUM Undoubtedly one of the most popular artists featured at this year’s FNB Joburg Art Fair, Tony Gum has been hailed by Vogue magazine as the coolest girl in Cape Town. At just 20 years of age, the visual artist and blogger has been making waves with her Pop Art styled self-portraits.

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FNB JHB ART FAIR: TONY GUM

Her playful yet provocative CocaCola series reconfigures the iconic bottle in an array of uses and poses, writing on her blog that she “figured Coca-Cola needed a black woman in their presence”. FNB JHB ART FAIR: MOFFAT TAKADIWA

With eclectic fashion and film references – from Wes Anderson to Frida Kahlo and Senegalese portraitist Omar Victor Diop – not to mention a proliferation of brands – Gum is refreshingly candid about her work, stating simply that she styles shoots and then shoots them.

CYRUS KABIRU Self-taught Kenyan artist Kabiru has been at the helm of the Afrofuturist movement, pushing boundaries with his elaborate and detailed sculptural spectacles that serve as powerful metaphors for how Africa is perceived. His ‘C-Stunners’ are made from found objects and recycled material sourced on the streets of Nairobi. The ‘Afrodazzled’ bifocals speak to his flamboyant imagination and keen sense of invention, intimately linked to his life story. Kabiru’s practice has rapidly expanded in recent years to include larger sculptures, installations and documentary films, challenging

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NEWS REPORT EOA

“… the city walls of Durban, Accra and Tunis have become an open canvas of expression, colour and activism.”

FNB JHB ART FAIR: CANDICE BREITZ (HER)

conventional craftsmanship, sculpture, fashion, design, art and photography with his work.

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGES: SUPPLIED.

LOYISO MKIZE

FNB JHB ART FAIR: LAKIN OGUNBANWO

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South African visual artist Mkize became known for his refreshing illustrations in the comic book series, SupaStrikas. He recently formed his own visual arts and communication company, Loyiso Mkize Art, which publishes the energetic South African superhero comic book, KWEZI. Mkize ventured into the art world in 2011 with his first solo exhibition of paintings, which was received with much excitement. His paintings focus on people and themes close to his heart, having done massive portraits of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He explores the complex nature of modern humanity, the environment and culture through his work. E

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Check yourself before you wreck yourself

Many women never miss an appointment for a manicure, hairdo or spa session, but often skip important health checks. EOA reminds you which tests you should be getting and why it’s not a good idea to take them for granted. reast cancer, depression, heart disease, osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases are among the top killers of South African women. Due to busy lifestyle pressures and trying to balance work and home responsibilities, they go undetected – often until it’s too late. Luckily, medical experts have compiled a go-to list of screening tests that every woman should have in order to detect serious diseases. The following tests are highly recommended:

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1. BREAST SELF-EXAM

“Apart from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all races, with a lifetime risk of 1 in 35 in South Africa,” says the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). However, women can reduce their chances of breast cancer with a simple monthly self-exam. You can do this yourself and you should be checking your girls at least once a month for unusual lumps, bumps or discharges. This will help keep you alert to any changes that occur in your breasts. The best

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health EOA After age 25, it’s still recommended that you get tested regularly for the range of STDs – including hepatitis b and c, syphilis and the lesser-known trichomoniasis, which presents with symptoms of yellow or gray vaginal discharge, vaginal itching and smell. It’s also a good idea to get tested before you have a new sexual partner.

3. DIABETES

With South Africa now officially the fattest country in Africa and the third fattest in the world, diabetes is more of a concern than ever before. According to a Health Department study: “More than half of SA’s women are overweight or obese... obesity-related diseases like hypertension and diabetes are spiralling.” Although routine diabetes screenings (which involve a blood sugar test) should be done once every three years, don’t be shocked if your doctor orders a blood test outside of these general guidelines, since many health checks are done on an as-needed basis.

5 EASY STEPS TO FIGHT DISEASE To live a healthy life with a reduced risk of disease, US television health guru Dr Oz strongly recommends you adopt some of the following steps:

time to do it is a few days after your period ends. At 40, you’ll want to start scheduling annual mammograms, though your doctor may recommend screening earlier if you have a family history of cancer. Although cancer is serious, there is a good chance of recovery if you remain vigilant about testing. Leading a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet can help reduce your chances of cancer.

WORDS: RUSSELL BROUT. IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

2. HIV

Despite how much we have progressed in terms of treatment and acceptance of HIV and Aids, it remains a major concern for everybody – more so for women. The United Nations says: “Women’s vulnerability to HIV is particularly heightened by their economic dependence on men, lack of access to education, poverty, sexual exploitation, coercion and rape.” Yet, even in light of the alarming statistics, women hold the power to their sexual health, and regular testing and the non-negotiable use of condoms remain your best defence against HIV. The most accurate screening for HIV is a still a blood test, though you may get a mouth swab or a finger prick in some cases. It’s recommended that all sexually active women get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea annually as well. These can be run off your pap smear or with a separate swab of your cervix.

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1. Don't Skip Breakfast Fibre in the morning means less hunger late in the afternoon, when you're most likely to feel tired and gorge yourself on unhealthy sugar. An early start on eating also keeps your metabolism more active throughout the day; breakfast eaters are thinner than people who just rush out the door. 2. ROTFL, LMAO Laughing not only eases stress, but also promotes social bonding and lowers blood pressure. There is evidence that it may also boost your immune system. So bring some humour into your life, whether it’s through friends or even a new TV show. 3. Get Some Zzzzz’s All the best adult shows are on late at night, but they're not worth the strain on your system when you don’t get enough sleep. Seven hours of sleep a night not only helps you to live longer, but also lowers your stress, sharpens your memory and reduces cravings for pantssplitting foods the next day. Set a bedtime and stick to it. 4. Sweat Till You’re Wet If you can work up a sweat for just one hour a week, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits: reduced risk of heart attack, better mood, and lower blood pressure. How you work up that sweat is up to you, vigorous sex is exercise too... just saying! 5. Pop Some Good Pills Roughly half of us are deficient in vitamin D, of which the sun is a major source. This crucial vitamin may aid in fighting cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. E

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A MATTER OF

Insight

Thirty-one-year-old Lebo Motshegoa, the founder of black consumer insights agency, Foshizi, shares his passion for what he does. graduate of the AAA School of Advertising, Lebo Motshegoa honed his creative skills at some of the country’s leading advertising agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Lowe Bull and Ogilvy, before becoming a young entrepreneur. In 2004, Motshegoa saw a gap in the market and with his vision to change the existing consumer research mindset he strived to present an authentic insight into the black consumer by crafting unique methodologies and founding his own agency, Foshizi.§ As a young entrepreneur, he has positioned his agency to have its finger on the pulse of black South Africa, from the eclectic mix of people found in the LSMs 3 to 8 who live in surburban, peri-urban and township location across the country, to the more affluent consumers classified as LSMs 9 to 12. Motshegoa chose to move away from using traditional focus groups, instead preferring to engage with consumers where they are most comfortable – in their homes. It is this environment that his subjects are free to provide their honest, no-holds-barred opinions about products, brands and companies for Foshizi to generate the current and valuable information about South Africa’s everevolving black consumer market for its clients, including corporates, advertising agencies and aspiring companies.

Q Tell us a bit about your transition from working as a creative in agencies to market research? When I first got the opportunity to work at Yfm99.2 as a copywriter, most of my colleagues in advertising advised me that it was a career suicide because creatives belonged in ad agencies. I didn’t listen to their disparaging comments about radio copywriters being looked down upon and having little chance of making it back into an ad agency after radio work. I gave radio my best shot and my team and I revolutionised many of the radio ad strategies. We made our own sound effects (SFX) that were not available on audio libraries at the time and we re-scripted ads that were aired on the station. I won two Loeries during this time. My background working in the radio station was a great start to my career, but I was soon made an

LEBO MOTSHEGOA

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MAN Q&A EOA offer to work at an ad agency, where I won a silver People’s Choice Award for work on a black insights project. At the time I was a volunteer writer for JHB Live and a guest lecture at AAA, while also helping corporate companies by sharing insights with them about what is now termed the Main Market. I became an author and linguist when I became the first to publish the Scamto Dictionary, and I have had the opportunity to be a columnist at various stages. I have had other start-ups that have seen failure and success and sat on a few boards, but have been in market research with Foshizi for 12 years now.

Q What ignited your interest in the black consumer market? The term ‘consumer insight’ was and still is badly used in the market. A good insight is a game changer for any organisation, client or brand for that matter. I would become irritated when people who don’t even live the life were presenting observations about black people as a new consumer insight or trend. I got tired of taking reports from research companies to balance my office desk, so I took it upon myself to rather to be part of the solution and not the problem. A gap existed in the market for a research insight agency with black DNA to step forward and specialise in that market. The name ‘Foshizi’ means ‘For Real’… I did not want to work for a company with a boring name and the name had to represent our vision: ‘Keeping It Real’.

WORDS: NAWAAL NOLWAZI MDLULI. IMAGES: LEBO MoTSHeGOa

Q What is Foshizi’s key business focus? We are a market research company. We are in the business of big ideas borne out of insights. The process is that we do market research first and always; thereafter, we unearth the insights required to change our client’s business for the better. We can do any service that any international research company can do – both qualitative and quantitative research. We have built our own Pan-African Research Network where I personally went into various countries in Africa to seek partnerships with fellow research companies in Nigeria, East Africa and all the immediate Southern African countries, which means we are doing work in the rest of Africa.

Q How did Scamto Dictionary come about? At AAA School I became the go-to person for insights about the townships amongst

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my schoolmates. The township lingo (Scamto) was not always easy to remember offhand when my classmates came to ask for a Scamto word for a campaign they were working on. That led me to create a glossary for my own reference, really. My lecturer at the time also rejected my exam submissions because she said there was no such a township language/lingo in South Africa, so this was a way to prove her wrong.

Q Does corporate comprehend the black consumer mindset? Yes and no. Change in some of the corporates is very slow. The person in charge of the emerging market portfolio is sometimes not part of that market themselves so it takes time to change their mindset. However, I have had the pleasure of working with clients who take the black consumer market-buying power very seriously.

Q What is your take on LSMs? Do they work in the South African setup? A big no. The new South Africa is 21 years old. LSMs are much older and don’t work in the rest of Africa. Consider vehicles, for example. Cars are very cheap in the rest of Africa, yet by SA standards an LSM 2 person does not own a vehicle. Foshizi and its clients prefer using consumer mindset segments, where we define people by their aspirations and purchase power.

Q What are your thoughts on failure? Do you have any regrets? I don’t give up because I don’t want to look back one day and say ‘I should have done that’. I don’t have an alarm clock – my passion wakes me up. I want to work so hard that the word budget does not exist in my vocabulary. I do regret that I have made some bad business partnerships.

Q What keeps you ahead of the curve? I make sure I don’t stop having fun with my work. Our business motto is that not everything has been discovered. I travel the world a lot searching for new things to learn. Being a student of life in the business about people’s lives, you can’t take it for granted that you know everything. I am very open-minded, even with my staff. Despite having a Type A personality, I am not set in my ways.

Q What personal qualities do you most like about yourself and who do you take after? My mom died when was 13, so I don’t know much about which of her qualities I have inherited. On the other hand, I have inherited a lot from my father. I can stand my ground and I am patient with people, but I give them a long rope to hang themselves. I am always in a leadership position, but I don’t like to micro-manage people so I prefer to work with self-starters. I am very adventurous! I can go and live in China tomorrow without having made any arrangements and I will not lose sleep worrying about what is waiting for me at the other side. I am a family man at heart, so I always want a cheerful environment at work. I do surprise lunches or days off for my employees as they are my second family.

Q How do you create a work/ home/life balance? Work: I am good with delegating the right things to the right people – knowing their strengths and weakness. So I will delegate what I think comes naturally to them. However, I do the final interviews of new applicants because I know what we do or don’t need in the staffing department, and I also ensure that applicants will fit into the culture of our company. Most of my time at work is spent doing what I am paid for – work. Going onto Facebook or social media is wasting time and I don’t take personal calls unless it’s an emergency. Home: My life is very structured. I go to gym three times per week and I have a personal trainer, so I get the most out of those three sessions. I don’t make many work calls when I am home. I usually reply in text messages. I don’t like to wake up late because you can lose out on a lot of time that you can use wisely. I have noticed that my energy levels at 33 are not the same as they were when I was 21, so I need to make use of every opportunity I get. Where my son is concerned, when he spends weekends with me we visit relatives or I take him somewhere to learn something fun. I am his best friend, and at the age of four, he has reached the stage of questioning everything and anything. It is very exciting!

Q If there was one thing you could change, what would it be? I wouldn’t change where I was born, but I would change our currency to the US dollar. E

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THE POLITICS OF Dating with kids

After a certain age, it becomes almost expected that you will meet and date people who have children from previous relationships. We asked men how they feel about dating with kids.

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MAN FEATURE EOA t may not be ideal, for men or women, but dating someone with kids is a reality that many couples, especially older ones, face. When the woman is the one with kids, chances are that she is the primary caretaker of the kids, which changes the dynamics of dating. But what does that mean for men in that situation? Dating is complex enough without kids but when they are a part of the mix, the adults in the relationship have to really grow up and rise to the occasion, says Judy Bowler, a Durban-based psychologist. “What I often see in my practice is that women want fathers for their kids, while a lot more are wary of bringing men into their kids’ lives because of a fear of what those men could do to harm their kids,” Bowler says.

WORDS: ZUKISWA DLAMINI. IMAGE: ©ISTOCK.COM.

PRESSURE COOKER For Nkanyiso Zondo (35) dating a woman with children is not a problem… up to a point. “In theory I have no issues dating women with kids. I have done it in the past and would definitely consider it in future. The only issue that I have had in previous relationships has been the feeling of almost being forced to be a part of the child’s life before I am ready.” Zondo says that he has found that some mothers want to know upfront whether or not you are interested in having a relationship with their child, something he feels is unnecessary. “It takes a while to get to know someone and know if you want them to be in your life for a long time. I believe that only when that relationship is secure, should you be asked to be involved in their child’s life,” he says, adding, “I sometimes think that women expect you to step up to the plate for a kid that isn’t yours when that’s the father’s job. I would only feel obliged to be any kind of father to their child after marriage.” Bowler isn’t surprised by Zondo’s case study. “It can be very overwhelming for a man with no kids of his own to be put in this type of situation, much like it would be for a woman without her own kids,” Bowler admits. The key with children and relationships is to gauge the situation, because each one is different. Bowler says that pushing to see if a new lover will love

your child is asking for a lot because you don’t even know how you feel about each other yet.

COMMON GROUND Tshepo Mofokeng (43) married a woman with two kids and he says that’s because they had things in common – kids. “If you had asked me in my twenties or even early thirties if I would date a woman with children, especially multiple children, I would have said no,” admits Mofokeng. His attitude changed when he found himself single again with two kids. “I couldn’t expect anyone to accept my situation if I couldn’t accept that they were in a similar situation to me.” For Mofokeng, being around kids and the changes that they bring to someone’s life was already normal, so he felt the transition to playing the stepfather role was easy. “If you don’t like kids or are not used to a life with kids, being around them can be too much,” he admits. “I dated some women who tried to pretend that they had time for my kids, but I could see they were bored and irritated. By the time I met Sarah I was no longer bothered by noise, mess and being ‘number two’ because I understood what parenting is about.”

PLAYING IT SAFE Bowler says that sometimes mothers, even though they say they want to date, act in a manner that says otherwise. “It’s very wise for women to take their time screening men that they will introduce into their kids lives,” she says. However, the fact that you have children can also become your excuse to keep men out of your life, she cautions. Bowler explains that women sometimes string men along, knowing that they will never fully let them into their lives. “So while some men think that the mother wants them to come in and take on a fatherly role, the truth is that some mothers want to keep you as far as possible from their kids out of fear that you might be a monster,” says Judy. So what is the middle ground for men who are looking for a partner with kids? Bowler’s advice is simple: “It’s like all relationships, some will work out but most won’t. The hardest thing to accept is that if she has kids, you will always come second to them. If you can’t accept that, let that family be and move on.” E

“Dating is complex enough without kids but when they are a part of the mix, the adults in the relationship have to really grow up and rise to the occasion.” E ssAY S o f A f r i c a

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EOA BEAUTY & HEALTH NEWS

LIQUID GOLD FOR YOUR HAIR

Women of African and Afro descent often experience hair breakage, dandruff, dry scalp and receding hairline. ORS Hair Strengthening Argan Oil launched on 12 September at the 2015 African International Hair Extravaganza (AIHE) held at Vodacom World in Johannesburg. Used for centuries, Argan oil has become one of the most beneficial wonder oils for hair and skin in recent years. It is a natural produce from Morocco’s Argan trees and is often referred to as ‘the liquid gold of Morocco’. As a beauty elixir, Argan oil is non-greasy and rich in vitamin E and antioxidants. Regular use of Argan oil can help prevent hair damage, improve hair elasticity and restore natural shine to hair. For more info, visit www.orshaircare.com.

ELECTRIC FACE BRUSH PRECAUTIONS Some women are replacing soap, water and flannels with electric face brushes to cleanse their faces but Dr Graham Duncombe, a health expert at Skin & Renewal Groups says it is unadviseable to use it when your face creams contain retinoid. Dr Duncombe says that if your day or night creams contain good retinoid, they are good enough to speed up your skin cell turnover and keeping the epidermis nice and tight. Using the electric brush for your face can lead to excessive exfoliation, which can result in inflammation and cause pigmentation. If you are looking for a deeper exfoliation, ask your beauty therapist or skin doctor for a peel that is compatible with the face products you currently using and treat your skin according to their instructions.

Drinking a Blueberry, Peach and Flaxseed smoothie can help you kill two birds with one stone: quench your thirst and get better eyesight. The fruits in this easyto-make, sweet and healthy smoothie are great-tasting sources of vitamins C and E. Vitamin C helps ward off the progression of cataracts (the clouding of the eye) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD – damage to the macula, the part of the eye needed for central vision). Vitamin E packs an extra punch when it comes to protecting the eyes’ cells from being harmed by free radicals, while flaxseeds are a good source of Omega 3 which helps regulate the fluids in our bodies, preventing dry eyes and normalising eye pressure. Ingredients ¾ cup fresh blueberries 1 small peach, sliced into small pieces ½ cup almond milk or juice of your choice ½ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt 1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds 2 tbsp. pure honey Slightly less than ½ cup ice cubes Method Blend all the ingredients in a mixer until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes one serving. For more info on eye health, visit www.mellins.co.za.

WORDS: HLULANI MASINGI. SOURCES AND IMAGES: MELLINS, ORS, S-ELLE PR, DR GRAHAM DUNCOMBE, BEAUTYSOUTHAFRICA.COM, ©ISTOCK.COM, THE GRIND PR.

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THE FIGHT AGAINST

CELLULITE Skinny women have it, so do fat women and fit women and women of all ages. We take a look at the latest treatments being used to wage the war on cellulite. ikini season is upon us. Some have been working hard all year, waiting for this time and using hashtags like #summerbodiesaremadeinwinter, while others are wondering where and how quickly they can get a cover up to hide lumps and bumps they don’t want to share with the greater public.

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Cellulite reportedly affects almost 90 percent of women. This number should make you feel a bit better about yours because genetics are what set women up for cellulite. “There are a lot of misconceptions about cellulite, mainly because it is something many women try to hide. It isn’t something that only overweight people suffer from; nor is it a sign that you are lazy and not taking care

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main BEAUTY EOA CIRCULATION This is one of the best open secrets when it comes to helping your skin look more toned. Dry body brushing is a practice that has been around for ages. You take a dry bristle brush and you literally brush your body before getting into the shower. Dry brushing not only exfoliates your skin but it helps with circulation, which also helps to decrease the appearance of dimples.

BRINGING OUT THE BIG GUNS Now that we’ve shared some small ways to see a difference in your cellulite, here are the big guns in the game. of your body,” says Palesa Hadebe, a beauty therapist who performs a range of cellulite treatments. “I’ve seen overweight women with ‘barely there’ cellulite and toned women with more cellulite than you would expect. It depends on a number of factors and genes are a big factor,” she says. Hadebe states that while cellulite can be a problem, there are many ways to work around it. “There are small and big things one can do to help decrease the appearance of cellulite. I always tell clients that instead of obsessing about having no cellulite, rather focus on decreasing the appearance of your cellulite,” she says. So whether it’s on your thighs, bum, arms or belly, here are a few things you can do to get your cellulite in check.

1. VelaShape®III VelaShape®III is a non-invasive body contouring treatment for circumferential and cellulite reduction. VelaShape®III enables you to safely achieve a toned and contoured body in typically three or four treatment sessions. It provides dramatic results without downtime or significant discomfort. The most common areas where VelaShape®III is used are the neck (under chin), arms, thighs, buttocks, flank and abdomen. It’s important to point out that this treatment is not a weight-loss treatment but a cellulite reduction treatment, which is why this treatment is not recommended for obese people (with a BMI that is over 30).

BURN, BABY BURN Nobody wants to hear it but it’s the truth. Exercise will reduce the appearance of cellulite. “As your body gets toned from exercise, the appearance of cellulite is reduced,” says Bonga Twala, a Sandton-based personal trainer. “There are targeted exercises you can do, like leg lifts, that will help tone the legs and bum to make them firmer. Remember that you can’t spot train. Spot training is when someone just tries to work out one part of their body. For best results, do full body workouts with emphasis on the areas where you have the most cellulite, which is usually thighs and bums,” he says.

SUGAR & SALT These are two enemies of taut, tight skin. Sugar gets stored in fat cells, making them expand and show as cellulite in some areas. Salt aids in retaining water, which also does nothing for the appearance of cellulite, except make it look worse. Watch how much sugar you consume and put that saltshaker down. These are small changes, but sometimes that’s all that’s needed to get closer to that bikini body of your dreams. Don’t forget to add water to your diet to help flush out toxins that make cellulite more visible.

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Review Zanele, 31 did three sessions of Velashape®III at the Sandton Aesthetic Institute. “I went on for my first treatment not really knowing what to expect. I was going to get treatment on my thighs so I got undressed and was made to feel very comfortable before getting down to business. It felt like there was a roller being moved around my thighs, which initially was a bit painful, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I could definitely feel that the machine was being moved around my thighs. I would tell the aesthetician working on me that it was getting too hot in places and adjustments were made. The first session was probably the most uncomfortable and I left with bruises on my thighs. I was warned not to work out for the following 12 hours and not to immerse myself in hot baths. My second session was a week later and I felt more comfortable with the process. The 90 minutes went by quite quickly and we focused on doing the sides of my thighs, which is my problem area. Later on in that week, I started seeing a different in the way my thighs looked. My third and final session also went smoothly and I could see that the treatments had made a difference to the cellulite in my thighs. It’s a treatment that I would like to continue doing for upkeep because it works well.” For more info on packages for Velashape®III treatments, visit Sandton Aesthetics Institute on www.sandtonaesthetics.co.za or 011 883 3116.

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2. X-Wave X-Wave is described as an advanced, scientifically proven cellulite treatment. It uses specially modified Acoustic Wave pulses, which induce vibration in the connective tissue, making it firmer and tighter. Patients typically experience improvement in skin‘s texture and elasticity as well as dermal firming and the reduction in dimpled skin appearance.

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WORDS: ZAMA NKOSI. IMAGES: ©ISTOCK.COM.

Review

Nolwazi Langa, 40, had four sessions of BTL X-wave technology therapy at Spiral Aloe Lifestyle Clinic. When I heard that Madonna (yes, the music icon) purchased the BTL X-Wave technology, I had to try it out. I was told that the acoustic waves (originally used to disintegrate kidney stones) have been modified to successfully treat cellulite and work by emitting a lower energy level to avoid tissue damage. I did not feel any discomfort during the treatment. In fact, although the initial sensation felt strange as the equipment vibrates like a jackhammer, I got used to the vibrations and I felt no pain at all – I could chat away to the therapist until the sessions were over. Four to six sessions were recommended, depending on the severity of the cellulite. I had been told that cellulite is a difficult problem to treat, so I was amazed at the smooth tone and firmness of my skin after my four treatments. The therapist explained that the BTL X-wave technology is also a great way to reduce the appearance of scarring and stretch marks, and can be booked after surgery to help break down and eliminate stubborn fat and provide a more even result. She also uses the BTL X-wave technology as part of her massage treatments to assist with breaking down knots in the neck, shoulders and back. I’ve tried something different and it worked for me. For more info on the BTL X-Wave treatment, visit www.spiralaloe.co.za or call 011 469 0376, or visit www.centreofwellness. co.za or call 011 783 8289. E

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readlocks have many names, amadreds, locs, dredz, etc. Whatever name you choose, it is safe to say that dreadlocks are one of the best ways to wear your natural hair. Many women love them because they are quite easy to handle, but even though they fall under the category of hairstyles that require little maintenance, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take good care of them. If you already have decided to have your stylist twist your hair or you are already sporting a head of lovely locs, these tips will help you keep them healthy and beautiful.

1. Find A Good Loctician This is very important, especially when you’re still in the beginning stages of growing your locs. Make sure that the person you pick knows everything about dreadlocks, so that they can give you the best advice on what products to use and how to best maintain your hair.

2. Have A Constant Routine This applies to all hair types. In order to maintain the best hair, you need to adapt a healthy hair regimen and try to be consistent with it.

3. Wash Your Locs Regularly If you’ve just had them done, wait a few weeks before washing them. Washing your dreads will help them grow faster, so after the wait you can wash them every week or fortnight.

4. Dry Them Thoroughly The musky smell you find on some dreads is a result of them not being dried long enough. You can either air dry them or use a blow dryer. Don’t tie them up if they are still damp – be patient and wait for them to dry.

LUSCIOUSLY LOC’D! A hairstyle that has stood the true test of time is dreadlocks! Like a fine wine, dreadlocks only get better with time and the new styling trends!

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WORDS: THINA MTHEMBU. SOURCE: MOHAMMED SALOOJEE IMAGES: ©ISTOCK.COM.

BEAUTY EOA

5. Don’t Twist Your Hair Too Much

6. Moisturise Your Locs

If you notice that your locs are looking a bit fat, gently palm-roll them in the same direction as before. This will keep them in good shape and keep your locs separated. If you twist them too tightly, the amount of tension may cause them to snap off.

Like skin, your hair also needs moisture, so be generous because at some point your locs will get really dry. Your stylist will tell which essential oils to use. If you use dreadlockfriendly sprays, oils or moisturisers, you won’t overload your hair with oils.

FOR YOUR INFO! Q. If you’re starting your locs from scratch, how do you shape them? A. Mohammed Saloojee from STYLIN’ DREDZ says, “Your dreadlocks base should be in rectangular blocks of equal sizes. This will allow the formation of well-formed locks to start growing.”

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7. Protect Your Hair At Night Lint is fluff that sticks onto your hair. Cover your head with a doek or a head scarf at night. Locs also tend to shed, so the doek helps to keep moisture locked in your hair and scalp, while and protecting your hair from pillow friction. Getting the best dreadlocks won’t happen overnight, so brace yourself for a long, arduous process. But with time and patience, you too can join the soul sistas sporting beautiful dreads! E

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AUTHENTICAly

African

Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao started Malée in 2009 and has nurtured it into a luxury brand that is growing and making its presence felt in the beauty industry.

Q: What made you decide to get into your line of business? Circumstance and passion. I moved to SA in 2009 from London after business school, when it was the recession and there was very little work going around. The weather conditions didn’t agree with my skin and I realised that most of the beauty brands on the SA market didn’t have products that catered for our African climate. I had a business plan for Malée from business school so I got stuck in and developed it further, while I job-hunted. One thing led to another and Malée was born, with the incredible assistance of the team of people I met along the way.

Q: Yours is one of the few African beauty brands that have stood the test of time. Why do you think that is?

body and hand moisturisers and cleansers. The intention was to create a range of products that cater to our customer’s everyday lifestyle and provide a special touch of daily luxury for their own at-home spa experience.

Q: How do you measure success in life? My personal measure of success is the number people on whom I have a positive impact, including my loved ones, Malée customers and all those out there who I do not even know I touch.

Q: List some of your personal qualities that have helped you to build a successful business. Persistence, integrity, being open to every learning opportunity, and staying true to who and what Malée is.

I always put the quality of our products first. We are transparent about who we are and what our products do, the unique fragrances, the quality of our ingredients, and formulations that borrow from ageold remedies that people understand and know, but are scientifically proven to deliver long-lasting results. Our Malée customers know what exactly they are getting. We started small and have grown organically. We also pride ourselves on exemplary customer service.

Q: What challenges have you faced along the way and how have you overcome them?

Q: Describe the typical Malée customer.

There is no better time than right now! Plan as best as you can, learn about your industry, do what you love, and the rest will come.

Malée is for everyone: kids, mums, dads, granddads, aunties and uncles. Our customer is looking for natural and healthy, but luxurious skin-loving vitamins and active ingredients, as well as quality products that work for all skins types, from the most sensitive to the driest. We are a no-fuss luxury brand that is authentically African yet pampering.

Q: Talk us through some of the products you make and the intention behind them. How do you want your clients to feel when using your products? We make fragrances for you and for your home, such as EDP’s and room mists. We also make body care products such as scrubs, and

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In business there are always challenges. I have learnt that it is important to keep positive, stay flexible, learn faster, fail fast, and keep focused on your vision.

Q: What advice would you give to other Africans who are considering entrepreneurship?

Q: How do you maintain a successful work/ life balance? For me they are one and the same. I try to have a routine and I have an amazing team that helps make it all possible. E Visit Malée’s website with online shopping, nationwide courier deliveries from R65, and their tribe loyalty programme and community platform at www.maleeonline.com.

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COMPILED BY: ZAMA NKOSI. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY MALÉE.

BEAUTY INTERVIEW EOA

“We are a no-fuss luxury brand that is authentically African yet pampering.” E SSAYS OF A F R I C A

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ZEZE ORIAIKHI-SAO, FOUNDER OF MALÉE

N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 8:39 AM

A HEALTHY DISH ON THE SIDE

The problem with many side dishes is that they contain too many carbs. To help you prevent weight gain and keep your blood sugar levels under control, Cooking From The Heart has come up with more nutritious options.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI Serves 4 Ready in: 45 minutes

The roasted flavour of two everyday ingredients combined with cumin makes this special side dish a low-carb veggie to fill your plate with.

Ingredients

300 g broccoli, cut into florets 300 g cauliflower, cut into florets 2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive or canola oil Lemon juice and black pepper to taste 2 tsp. (10 ml) cumin seeds or 1 tbsp. (15 ml) ground cumin Âź cup (60 ml) Rooibos tea Handful fresh mint or parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 200Ë&#x161;C. Place veggies in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the mint or parsley. Toss to coat the veggies with the seasonings, including tea, and place in a large oven dish. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until just cooked. Stir in fresh herbs and serve hot or at room temperature. Serve as a green veggie with pan-fried, grilled or roasted fish, chicken or meat of your choice. Enjoy a big portion of this side and add a moderate portion of another starchy side dish. Choose any of the recipes from the side dish section.

TIPS: 1. Add chickpeas to the veggies for a more filling side dish. 2. Chilli or other seasonings like paprika or turmeric can be added to the veggies before roasting.

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Essays of A frica

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FOOD & Entertaining EOA

BUTTERNUT & CHICKPEA SALAD Serves 4 Ready in: 1 hour 30 minutes

A flavourful way to add colour and variety to your plate is to roast butternut with aromatic spices.

Ingredients

1 tsp. (5 ml) ground coriander 1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika 2 tsp. (10 ml) dried origanum 1 tsp. (5 ml) ground cumin ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) curry powder 3 tbsp. (45 ml) olive or canola oil ¼ tsp. (1.2 ml) salt 2 tbsp. (30 ml) lemon juice 3 tbsp. (45 ml) water 500 g butternut, peeled and cubed Black pepper to taste 1 x 410 g tin chickpeas, drained 4 small spinach leaves or 2 handfuls lettuce leaves, roughly torn

Method

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Place spices, half the oil, salt, lemon juice, water and butternut in a large bowl and mix well. Season with black pepper and place in an oven dish. Roast for 30 minutes or until butternut is tender. Allow to cool. Stir in chickpeas. Spoon onto spinach or lettuce and drizzle with remaining oil. Enjoy as a salad. Serve with oven-baked or roasted fish, chicken or meat. Fill your plate with green veggies, fruit or a tomato salad.

TIPS: 1. C rumble 1 slice of feta over the salad for more flavour, but omit the salt. 2. For added texture, serve with raw pumpkin seeds. 3. The spinach can be stirred into the hot butternut to soften the leaves a little. Serve as above. 4. Add any fresh ingredients of your choice like tomatoes, cucumber or green beans to the salad.

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 4:36 PM

CAPRESE TOWER LEMONY BROWN RICE Serves 4 Ready in: 40 minutes

Brown rice has a delicious nutty flavour, contains fibre and has a slower release of energy. Although it takes longer to cook, it is well worth the wait â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially with this lemony flavour.

Ingredients

1 lemon 1 cup (250 ml) uncooked brown rice Â˝ tsp. (2.5 ml) salt 1 tbsp. (15 ml) chopped fresh parsley

Method

Peel off 4 strips of lemon rind with a vegetable peeler, take care not to peel any white pith with it. Squeeze out lemon juice and add with the rind, rice and salt to a pot with about 2 cups (625 ml) water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer with a lid for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked. Drain well. Stir in the parsley and serve immediately. Serve with a stew, mince or casserole dish. It is also great with a portion of fish or chicken. Fill your plate with nonstarchy, low-carb vegetables or a salad.

TIPS:

1. A llow the rice to cool down completely and use as a base for a rice salad. Add any salad ingredients of your choice or add cooked chicken or lentils to make this a light meal. 2. Add peas or spinach to the rice or sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds over before serving.

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FOOD & Entertaining EOA

BEAN & ONION SALAD Serves 6 Ready in: 50 minutes

A change from the typical three bean salad, with no added sugar.

Ingredients

200 g green beans, cut into thirds 1 tbsp. (15 ml) olive or canola oil 2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced 2 tbsp. (30 ml) red wine vinegar ¼ cup (60 ml) water 1 tsp. (5 ml) dried thyme 2 tbsp. (30 ml) tomato paste 1 x 410 g tin butter beans or red kidney beans, drained 1 x 410 g tin four bean mix or more butter beans, drained ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) salt Lemon juice and black pepper to taste

2 ripe tomatoes, cubed Handful lettuce leaves

Method

Pour boiling water over green beans and allow to stand until cooked, but still crispy. Drain and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary and allow to cool. Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry onions, very slowly until golden and caramelised. If they brown too fast before softening, add a little water and allow it to cook out and fry again. The more golden and soft, the better the flavour. Reduce the heat and add vinegar, water and thyme and simmer for a few minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well. Stir in tinned beans, add salt and season with lemon juice and pepper. Allow to cool. Combine bean mixture with the green beans and tomatoes. Spoon over lettuce. Serve with roasted fish or chicken. It’s delicious as a starch with a braai. Fill your plate with veggies of your choice and another salad. Another small portion of starch could also be enjoyed.

TIP: Any tinned beans of your choice will be delicious in this salad.

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n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 8:41 AM

PAN-FRIEND CABBAGE Serves 6 Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive or canola oil 1 onion, chopped Â˝ cabbage, thinly sliced 1 Granny Smith apple with the skin, grated 1 tbsp. (15 ml) mild or wholegrain mustard 4 large spinach leaves, thinly sliced Lemon juice and black pepper to taste

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Method

Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry onion until soft. Add cabbage and apple. Fry gently until soft, but not mushy. Add mustard and spinach and fry for about 1 minute. Season with lemon juice and pepper and serve immediately. Serve with mince, chicken or pork dishes and a small portion of starch. Fill your plate with orange, yellow or red salad ingredients and veggies to enjoy a balanced meal. TIP: Sprinkle sesame seeds over the cabbage for an extra crunch.

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FOOD & Entertaining EOA

VERSATILE DRESSING Serves 6 Ready in: 15 minutes

Homemade dressing allows you to control what and how much of it you put in the dressing. Serve at the table so everyone can add their own, or use it to marinate or roast meat and chicken. Vegetables can also be prepared with the dressing. See the tips below.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. (45 ml) olive and canola oil 2 tbsp. (30 ml) balsamic or red wine vinegar 1 tbsp. (15 ml) lemon juice 2 tsp. (10 ml) chopped fresh rosemary or thyme 1 tsp. (5 ml) mild mustard Âź tsp. (1.2 ml) salt Black pepper to taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and season with black pepper. Store in a clean, airtight container in the fridge and use as suggested. The dressing keeps well for up to 2 weeks. Serve about 1 tbsp. (15 ml) per portion.

TIPS: 1. Use this dressing to cook chicken breasts on the bone. Remove skin and fat from the chicken and panfry on both sides until golden brown. Pour some of the dressing over, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked through. 2. Use the dressing as a marinade for fish portions, pork or lamb chops, excess fat removed. Braai or cook as in Tip 1. 3. Salad ingredients, like cucumber, green beans, tomatoes and even broccoli will be delicious with this dressing. Or serve over lightly cooked green veggies. 4. Toss butternut, baby marrows or veggies of your choice in the dressing and roast at 180Ë&#x161;C.

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n ovemb er 2015

2015/10/07 8:41 AM

EOA FOOD & Entertaining

BABY MARROW NOoDLES

Serves 4 Ready in: 30 minutes

A delicious way to bulk up a portion of pasta for a meal or enjoy as a green veggie to fill your plate.

Ingredients

6 to 8 large baby marrows 1 strip of lemon rind, cut with a vegetable peeler (optional) ½ cup (125 ml) frozen peas, rinsed 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive or canola oil ¼ tsp. (1,2 ml) salt Lemon juice and black pepper to taste 2 tbsp. (30 ml) chopped fresh mint or basil

Method

Using a vegetable peeler, cut long, thin slices of baby

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marrows. Cut these slices into thick ‘noodles’. Heat a pot with 1-2 cups (250-500 ml) water and bring to a boil. Add baby marrows and lemon rind and simmer with a lid for 3 minutes or until just cooked. Add peas and simmer for 1 minute. Drain well. Return veggies to the pot. Add oil and salt and season with lemon juice and pepper. Toss through with the herbs and serve immediately. Serve this side dish as one of the veggies that can fill half your plate. Or stir into pasta, to bulk it up, without eating too much carbs. Mince will be delicious on this or a portion of any meat or fish of your choice. A tomato salad or fruit will complement this.

TIP: If preferred, stir 1 slice of feta into the baby marrows, but leave out the salt. Or sprinkle with roasted sunflower seeds for a crunch.

E ssays of A frica

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FOOD & Entertaining EOA

BROWN LENTILS WITH HERBS Serves 6 Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup (250 ml) uncooked brown lentils Â˝ tsp. (2.5 ml) salt 1 sprig fresh rosemary or dried bay leaf 1 tbsp. (15 ml) dried mixed herbs 1 clove of garlic, whole 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive or canola oil 3 ripe tomatoes, cubed 3 tbsp. (45 ml) chopped fresh parsley 3 tbsp. (45 ml) chopped fresh origanum or more parsley Lemon juice and black pepper to taste

RECIPES AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY PHARMA DYNAMICS.

Method

1. Place lentils, salt, rosemary, dried herbs and garlic in a pot with 2 cups (625 ml) water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer with a lid for 30 minutes or until lentils are just soft. Drain well. Heat oil in the pot and fry tomatoes until just soft. Add lentils and herbs. Toss through and remove from the heat. Season with lemon juice and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature with chicken, pork or as an alternative to rice or pasta with mince. Fill your plate with another small portion of starch and any green veggies, seasoned with lemon juice and black pepper, or a colourful salad.

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TIPS: 1. The clove of garlic can be removed just before serving, if preferred. 2. Allow lentils to cool down and serve as a salad, as is, or with more fresh salad ingredients.

COOKING FROM THE HEART A new diabetes book by well-known foodie, Heleen Meyer, in partnership with Pharma Dynamics, the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA (HSFSA), will hit the shelves in time for National Diabetes Awareness Month this month. This book forms part of the Cooking from the Heart series that will again be made available for free to the public. E

n ov emb e r 2015

2015/10/07 8:41 AM

Lighten up…. up SUMMER’S HERE! Spruce up your space with these top five summer-ready tips.

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ESSAYS OF AFRICA

2015/10/07 8:43 AM

DÉCOR feature EOA 1. CHOOSE YOUR COLOUR PALETTE When the days are hot we often seek refuge indoors, so a cool interior is key. This season there are a few options – go for trendy soft pastels, a breath of fresh zesty air with splashes of citrus oranges and yellows, or try pops of bright colours such as magenta with contrasting soft neutrals like beige, grey or cream. The aim is to lighten and brighten your space as much as possible by working with colours that will blend seamlessly.

2. FURNITURE FIX The quickest way to change a space is to change your furniture placement. Don’t be afraid to swing those sofas around, but always remember to be practical to your needs. Slipcover sofas are a simple and easy option to refresh your space and give it a facelift. Swop the darker dull tones of winter for a light airy neutral. If you have the option to try a printed cover – preferably in floral for this season – go for it! If your sofa doesn’t have covers, make use of lightcoloured throws for a similar effect.

3. LIGHTEN UP

Light up instantly by starting with your curtains – take down the heavy drapery and put up light curtains. If you have an amazing view, open up the curtains – or if you still prefer your privacy go for something sheer to cover your windows. You can still layer your light curtains, especially in your bedroom, as this adds a romantic feminine touch. Remove heavy rugs and replace with neutral sisal rugs or, if your home gets really hot in summer, go for bare floors that are cool underfoot.

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4. BRING THE OUTDOORS IN Nothing says summer quite like fresh flowers in your home. If you have a garden in bloom, make use of those beauties to adorn your space. Roses are in season at the moment and if your garden has an abundance, don’t let them go to waste. Not only do they make beautiful centrepieces for your dinner parties, but they will also leave the room smelling lovely. If you’re not into flowers, fill your vases with greenery for a more casual overall look. If you opt to open up your windows to take in the view, remember to rearrange your furniture accordingly.

5. CREATE A SWEET SPOT Everyone needs an outdoor oasis (the size depends on your exterior space). Whether it’s a quaint deck, a patch of grass or larger poolside patio – a quiet or inviting outdoor space to retreat to is a must for the warmer months. Set it up in a flash with a few basics – a couple of chairs and a table, an umbrella for daytime, some lanterns for after sunset, a few strings of fairy lights – wrap these around tree branches or even the legs of the table, or simply switch them on and pop them in large Consol jars. Add some brightly coloured cushions for your chairs, a drinks trolley (local markets or secondhand furniture shops are great for finding these gems) for those mouthwatering cocktails and a great tapas serving set and you’re set for endless hours of relaxation or entertainment. Remember summer décor ideas are easy and relaxed, cool and fresh, but most of all livable. Enjoy your home! E

n ovember 2015

2015/10/07 8:43 AM

EOA DÉCOR SHOPPING

India by Suzanne Sharp for The Rug Company, hand-woven wool crewelwork 2.74mx1.83m for R31 500.

Atlantis by Allegra Hicks for The Rug Company, hand-woven wool crewelwork 2.74mx1.83m for R31 500.

The Marina Chandelier for R5 995 from Block and Chisel.

HANDPICKED FOR YOU The Francis Back and Seat and Carver are new additions to Woodbender. The low-back dining chairs have a luxurious thick padding and you can get them from R2 112 to R2 523 each.

We went shopping for some décor items to enhance your home and this is what caught our eye.

Le Creuset’s new colour – Cool Mint – will add a breath of fresh air to your summer table. Cool Mint is available in your nearest Le Creuset Boutique Store today. Items retail from R210 but vary according to style.

The Gina Chandelier for R5 995 from Block and Chisel.

WORDS: RHODA DAVIDS. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY STOCKISTS.

Panelled cotton box 12cmx10.5cm for R159 from @home.

Colour combinations bursting with fresh and bold character – that’s what Digiflora, the new addition to the Hertex range is about. From R535.80/m retail incl. VAT.

Scatter with illustrated leaf detail for R239 from @home. Pewter and glass butlers tray for R899.99 from Mr Price Home.

Green glass vase about 17.5cm high, R49 from @home.

Large chestnut rope storage trunk for R359.99 from Mr Price Home.

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SOCIAL SCENE EOA

DOVE GIVES WOMEN MORE FOR THEIR HAIR lobal iconic brand Dove launched the NEW Dove Advanced Hair Series. On the day, Unilever’s Research and Development representative, Cassandra Taylor detailed to guests exactly how the advanced product technology and formulas work to add nourishment plus more. Expert hair stylist Karen Van Wyngaard demonstrated product efficacy on two real women, Sarah and Chenelle from Dove’s 2014 Guilty Hair Secret campaign, providing guests with helpful tips on how to add shine and volume using the new Dove Advanced Hair Series products. Guests enjoyed an experiential session where they were treated to a hand or foot massage while having their hair washed, treated and styled with products from the Dove Advanced Hair Series relative to their hair concerns.

DOVE PURE CARE DRY OIL PRODUCT DISPLAY

HAIR STYLIST, KAREN VAN WYNGAARD, STYLING MODEL’S HAIR.

WORDS: SPHE MJADU. IMAGES: DOVE

NEW DOVE ADVANCED HAIR SERIES WASH AND MASSAGE STATIONS.

NEW DOVE ADVANCED HAIR SERIES MEDIA LAUNCH.

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REFRESHMENTS

NEW DOVE ADVANCED HAIR SERIES THERAPISTS.

CASSANDRA TAYLOR, UNILEVER R&D PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER DEMONSTRATION.

NEW DOVE ADVANCED HAIR SERIES PRODUCT DISPLAY

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N OVEMBER 2015

2015/10/07 9:05 AM

ALL-WEATHER ELEGANCE

Elegant and simple is what comes to mind when you look at one of latest trends in quilts – the cubist quilt from Hertex is neutral and uncomplicated and ideal for a minimalist décor interior. The clean lines and contemporary sophistication along with the superb quality is evident from the soft touch of the micro fibre 100-percent polyester composition. Available in basmati, linen, organic and sea mist – the palette is soft, neutral and though summery, it’s perfect for those in-between weather days. Visit hertex.co.za for more information.

FROM BATHROOM TO BOARDROOM This month we look at how your boardrooms can get a visual and audio makeover, and we celebrate SA design greats and minimal elegance. MAKE SOME NOISE

Ergoform’s 3D Acoustic Panels are innovative, come in an array of popular patterns and cool colours, and are an easy way to invigorate an office space. Apart from looking great, the panel’s primary function is to absorb sound waves − resulting in a more precise sound quality. By reducing the speed at which sound pressure waves bounce around in a space, the acoustic panels allow for greater audibility and clarity of speech. Both visually appealing and ideal for enhanced acoustics, the panels are ideal for an environment for business meetings, presentations, one-on-one discussions, or creative brainstorming. Ergoform’s 3D Acoustic Panels are also easy on the natural environment; they are manufactured using PET Felt, which is made directly from recycled plastic bottles. Priced between R600 and R900 per panel, they are available to order from Ergoform in Cape Town on 021 461 2251 or Johannesburg on 011 262 0210. Visit ergoform.co.za for more information.

DESIGN AWARDED

Ravi Naidoo, creator of Design Indaba and founder and MD of Interactive Africa has received the 2015 Sir Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education in South Africa. The ceremony took place at the Royal College of Art in London, where Naidoo delivered an address on his philosophy of design as a catalyst for job creation and economic growth, and design as a driving force for change in business, manufacturing, government and educational bodies. It is safe to say that Naidoo has not only imported great ideas, but has brought international attention to some outstanding South African talent. Malcolm Garrett, Master of the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry and their representative on the Awards Committee said: “Ravi Naidoo lost no time in rising to the opportunities and challenges presented by the abolition of apartheid in South Africa, and for twenty years has been realising a vision to harness the power of design and creativity to drive change and improve the quality of life for his country. He saw the possibility of creating an economic revolution, one intrinsically tied to the story of South Africa. His was no narrow vision, but one which through global sharing of design talent would enhance the economies and therefore the lives of people everywhere.” For more information about Ravi Naidoo, visit interactiveafrica.com.

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DÉCOR news EOA

ELEGANCE IS KEY FOR BATHROOMS OF THE FUTURE

Minimalist elegance is the key trend for bathrooms. Form and function get creative with the innovative use of space. As seen in the picture, Geberit’s concealed cisterns hides the unsightly plumbing and piping. The wall-hung toilet, together with the Geberit Sigma01 dual flush plate was used in this bathroom image combining beautiful design with function. Versatile, durable and simple to use, the Sigma01 flush plate is easy to install and combines the Geberit’s Sigma range of concealed cisterns. Visit geberit.co.za for more information on the latest trends.

ALL YOUR IDEAS ON THE WALL

WORDS: RHODA DAVIDS. IMAGES: SUPPLIED.

HAND-SCULPTED WALL WOWS SHOPPERS

Paying homage to Pretoria’s world-renowned purple-hued beauty, a huge wall of individually cut and intricately folded jacaranda flowers, detailed jacaranda leaves and hand-sculpted proteas has gone up in front in a redevelopment section of Menlyn Park Shopping Centre. The mall is undergoing a R2-billion redevelopment due for completion in late 2016. The suspended origami installation runs partially down a three-metre-high wall, allowing the public to walk right up to and beneath it. The temporary structure by local artist Elizabeth Lotz creates a visual fantasy that shoppers can marvel at. The design and assembly process of the massive origami installation – based on the Japanese art of paper folding – is ongoing and will continuously grow, with new features being added on a regular basis. “Each flower and leaf pattern was individually machine-cut, page by page, then the flowers were each folded by hand,” explains Andrea De Wit, Marketing Manager for the centre. “The handcrafted process makes the installation one of a kind, and adds to its appeal.” Never before seen on such a scale nor in such a context in South Africa, the origami project follows similar installations in other design-conscious cities around the world, including Berlin, London and Bangkok.

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Have you ever seen a print or a picture and thought how stunning it would look on the walls in your home? Now you can customise a print for wallpaper with Smart Art. Smart Art prints wallpaper on demand and to the size you want. Products take up to four days to print and are sent to the customer as soon as they are ready. In addition there’s also a product ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, counter tops and flooring – its called Floor Graphics and is scratchproof and consists of a laminated layer over vinyl. You can take it off and reapply it somewhere else… like a sticker. This product is available from R45/m2 and will last up to seven years. You can choose any image or effect that you want to have printed. There is also an option of an outdoor vinyl or printing on PVC. Other products include 3D wallboards, vinyl decals and canvas printing. Visit smartart.co.za for more information. E

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CELEBRATING WOMEN IN BUSINESS

LEFT TO RIGHT: SIHAAM SALIE-ABRAHAMS, DIRECTOR OF GRANT THORNTON, KISSMEA CHARLES AND MARTINE SOLOMONS SIHAAM SALIE-ABRAHAMS, FAYAZ MOHAMED, PARTNER OF GRANT THORNTON, KGABO MAPEKA-RALEBEPA AND IMTIAAZ HASHIM, PARTNER OF GRANT THORNTON

rant Thornton Cape celebrated women in business by hosting over 100 clients and senior partners from the firm at an interactive high tea. Guests included emerging and successful women business leaders from the greater Cape Town’s wide range of industries. A key highlight of the event was guest speaker Nawaal Nolwazi Mdluli, an inspirational entrepreneur who is a director and stakeholder in wide variety of industries. Her business interests include media publishing, production and printing solutions; mining, construction and development, and marketing, PR, events and website design. Mdluli spoke about her personal life journey as a woman, as well as her entrepreneurial experiences and challenges. “Our goal was to give women leaders the opportunity to connect and inspire,” said Ian Scott, CEO of Grant Thornton Cape. “I believe that this year’s event did more than this. We challenged people to make a difference for the future by giving back to communities, by joining forces to achieve exciting goals that would improve the lives of those less fortunate, one initiative at a time.” E

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SOCIAL SCENE EOA

IAN SCOTT, MANAGING PARTNER OF GRANT THORNTON CAPE

MARTINE SOLOMONS AND KISSMEA CHARLES

LEFT TO RIGHT: RIFQA VAN HAAGT AND LAYCON ENGELBRECHT FROM GRANT THORNTON

LEFT TO RIGHT: NAWAAL NOLWAZI MDLULI, SHANAAZ PARKER AND KISSMEA CHARLES

WORDS: MBALENHLE FAKUDE. IMAGES: GRANT THORNTON CAPE.

LEFT TO RIGHT: SIHAAM SALIE-ABRAHAMS, GRANT THORNTON, KISSMEA CHARLES, SHANAAZ PARKER, NAWAAL NOLWAZI MDLULI, KGABO MAPEKA-RALEBEPA, MUNEEBAH PATEL, TANYA MITCHELL AND FAYAZ MOHAMMAD

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2015/10/07 4:08 PM

In full Morocco is one of Africa’s hottest travel destinations of the moment. Offering a riot of colours, flavours and luxury experiences, what’s not to love? hether it’s Condé Nast Traveller, or Travel and Leisure magazine or even the New York Times, Morocco is definitely the flavour of the month on the international travel scene – from gorgeous guesthouses in Fès or stylish gin joints in Casablanca, to legendary hotels in Marrakech, Morocco combines contemporary

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design in an ancient almost Biblical setting, and the results are extraordinary.

SEE The country is lavish in its colour schemes – the piercing blues of its craftwork, the burnished red walls of the Marrakesh medina, shocking orange mountains of spice in the markets and the biscuit hues of the desert that provide the backdrop to this fascinating destination. Morocco and its people are as effortlessly

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TRAVEL EOA

exotic as the desert is quiet and mesmerising. Many a traveller has succumbed to the seduction of Morocco’s alleys, alcoves and Atlas Mountains. Even those who have never travelled to Morocco have a tagine stashed away in the kitchen, for its food has gone global and remains Morocco’s best ambassador. Going through a door in Morocco is like stepping into another world. From the outside you’re faced with a nondescript entrance, but cross the threshold and a world of wonders is revealed, with opulent courtyards and modern Arabic furnishings, the smell of mint tea in the air, water features, languid palm fronts and a waiting local who relishes the chance to show off his country’s hospitality. It is a heady, heady mix – an urban oasis, a relief from the streets’ fabulous sensory overload. Just across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, accessible by ferry from the tip of Europe, lies Tangier. Unashamedly mercenary when it comes to trade and relieving you of your baksheesh in a heartbeat, Tangier has its attractions, like the walled Kasbah area and Medina. This historic part of town is crammed with food stalls, merchants, craftsmen, carpet vendors and snake charmers. Inland from Tangier is the nearby village of Chefchaouen, deemed to be one of the prettiest in the country thanks to its bright-blue buildings, red roofs, narrow lanes and a charming square. Further south along the coast, the capital, Rabat, and movie-famous Casablanca are stepping up to the international travel plate, spending money on infrastructure and rural tourism. Rabat is all old-world

elegance with wide European-influenced boulevards, shady trees and imposing buildings of yesteryear. Here you can enjoy a laid-back café moment with fantastic coffee and patisserie to match. Casablanca is its brash sibling, a financial go-getter in an almighty hurry. In looks, it boasts Hispanic and Moorish influences and attractive art deco facades, but its most famous landmark is the very over-thetop and enthralling Hassan II mosque that allows non-Muslim visitors. Of course there’s a Rick’s Café in homage to the 1942 movie classic, opened by a former (American) diplomat, boasting mosaic floors and traditional arches plus cocktails and a piano man. Revellers head for Casa’s beachfront at Ain Diab, where clubs, cocktails and late nights are de rigueur. The imperial cities of Marrakech and Fès, however, are the aristocrats of local destinations. Entering Fès is like stepping back in time and onto a real-life movie set celebrating an Islamic yesteryear going back 1 200 years. Medina’s alleyways are so confusing that you may as well wander at will, take in the astonishing sights of pack animals, people and hole-in-the-wall shops and then rely on a taxi once you exit to find your bearings.

EAT Marrakech, inspiration to many an artist, is a renowned food destination, particularly at night. The main square in the city’s medina (Djemaa el-Fna) comes alive at dusk, when vendors set up shop and seduce passersby with the smell of their grills, breads and sweet treats. It is hugely social, communal and unforgettable, thanks to local specialties that live up to every expectation. The exotic dish of Bastilla (saffron and cinnamonscented almond chicken in layers of paper-thin pastry), a successful Moroccan culinary export, comes from Fès. Don’t miss out on mechoui – roast, carved lamb served with bread and salad – a dish that is a meal in one. In more upmarket establishments around town, try a couscous platter with spicy Merguez sausages, fluffy meatballs, fragrant broth and slow-cooked root vegetables for an authentic local experience, followed by a tea-pouring (from a dizzy height) ceremony. There is nothing mass-produced about this country’s cuisine and that is its enduring allure.

SHOP Shoppers will exhaust their wallets in Marrakech’s souks. Travelling interior designers – bring an extra suitcase or two, or better yet, a container. Lamps, carpets, candleholders, and glassware – the choice is impossible, affordable and contemporary.

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TRAVEL EOA STAY Staying overnight in a riad, a small hotel in a previously private home with a lush inner courtyard, in the Marrakech medina (old city) is recommended; try Riad Idrissy or the stylish Dar Kawa. La Mamounia became famous in the late 1970s when Paul McCartney and Wings recorded a song in honour of this establishment, where Winston Churchill is purported to have written his memoirs.

PLAY

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WHERE TO STAY Marrakech: Riad Adore: www.riadadore.com P’Tit Habibi: www.pitithabibi.com Dar Kawa: www.darkawa.net Tchaikana: www.tchaikana.com La Moumania: www.moumania.com Casablanca: Movenpick Hotel Casablanca: www.movenpick-hotels.com Gray Boutique Hotel and Spa: www.grayhotelandspa.com Fès: Riad Fès: www.raidfes.com Riad Laarousssa: www.raid-laaroussa.com Hotel Sahrai: www.hotelsahrai.com Riad Idrissy: www.riadidrissy.com Atlas Mountains: Kasbah Tamadot: www.virginlimitededition.com/en/kasbah-tamadot Source: Condé Nast Traveller (UK); New York Times, Travel and Leisure Magazine.

Equally regal and catering to the modern leisure traveller tastes, there’s the 18hole Palmeraie Golf Palace resort outside Marrakech that enjoys a magnificent setting of extremes. On the one side, there’s an endless stretch of desert; on the other, seven lakes and thousands of palm trees plus the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. The Marrakech Palace hotel has on offer – apart from exceptional dining – a magnificent swimming pool, tennis court, fitness centre, spa, horse-riding facilities and massage options. From Marrakech, you can head for the coast and the Portuguese-influenced port of Essaouira or the snow-capped Atlas Mountains in the opposite direction. Make the most of the chance to experience the attractions of traditional Berber life in mountain villages as old as time with walnut groves and terraced gardens. Grandmothers still make couscous, bread and cheese by hand and the animals won’t be hurried. Essaouira is famous for its fish dishes and markets, picturesque location and ocean views. Portuguese sailors came here in the mists of time and influenced the local cuisine, which is the town’s claim to fame apart from its seaside location and traditional musical festival in June. Agadir is the country’s main beach-resort town, rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1960 and, as such, not as rich in history as the seaside villages of Asila and Essaouira. Today, Morocco is funky and smart, a mix of the old world and the new – a heady experience that delights and enthrals and where being totally alive in every moment comes as part and parcel of your itinerary. E

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OUT ON THE TOWN Get the perfect drive for city living…

TOYOTA AURIS

Touted as the smartest hatch on the market, the refreshed 2015 Auris range recently made its South African debut. As with any Toyota, low running costs and peerless reliability are a given. But the Auris has grown to new strengths this year with a refined design and enhanced driving experience, cementing its place

as a dominant player in this saturated segment. Its low-slung driving position makes you feel more connected to the road, providing for a sharper, more visceral ride. On board, the facelifted Toyota has a sensual feel, boasting soft-touch quality trims and surface finishes. Its new tablet-inspired touchscreen panel

offers CD/DVD, radio and Bluetooth/AUX/ USB functionality, as well as a host of onboard functions including a reverse camera. The entire cabin has a crisper, more sophisticated appearance, with a new set of upholstery designs. Available in three powertrains, undoubtedly the most exciting upgraded model is the 1.8 Hybrid – the ideal companion for any urban dweller, boasting exceptional fuel consumption and emission figures.

FORD FOCUS ST

The new Focus ST has gotten a major injection of fun, making for one great joyride through the city – especially in its bold new shade of Tangerine Scream. Aggressive styling heralds its arrival on the scene as a global performance model with improved dynamics and innovative technology, including the industry-first Enhanced Transitional Stability system that makes for more responsive, balanced driving. The acclaimed 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine powers the Ford from 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, with an impressive fuel consumption of 6.8 litres per 100 km. Auto-Stop-Start has been included for the first time, improving the engine’s fuel economy by 6%, making it the most fuel-efficient petrol Focus ST. The interior ensconces you in comfort, where heated, eight-way power adjustable Recaro sports seats in a leather trim come standard in the ST3. Other new standard features include the SYNC2 system with an eight-inch touchscreen, a high-end Sony audio system linked to nine speakers, dual USB ports and an SD card slot.

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MOTORING EOA VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO GTS

The Scirocco model range has been given a serious power upgrade with the introduction of two new engines. The striking 2.0 TSI Scirocco GTS is the ultimate city car, mated to a six-speed transmission that accelerates to 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 246 km/h. Reminiscent of the original Scirocco GTS launched in 1982, the new model features the same sporty, athletic look. Its customised black-andred interior turns every highway into a racetrack, delivering a fresh thrill each time you’re behind the wheel. The 5.8inch infotainment system with colour touchscreen offers functions such as Bluetooth for mobile phone and audio streaming and a proximity sensor.

JAGUAR F-TYPE R COUPE

As if it couldn’t get any better, Jaguar’s award-winning F-TYPE R Coupe recently gained all-wheel drive traction and electronic power assisted steering. The upgrades provide the Jag with superb grip on all road surfaces and weather conditions. In all-wheel drive form, it now reaches 100 km/h in a mere 4.1 seconds, with a limited top speed of 300 km/h. Enhancements to the F-TYPE extend to the interior design, with stylish new dials and gauges for the instrument cluster, as well as an upgraded infotainment system with faster navigation routing.

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGES: QUICKPIC.

PEUGEOT 308 GT

Undeniably elegant, Peugeot’s flagship hatchback embodies the essence of Parisian living, turning heads with its subtle, sexy form. The new fivedoor 308 is easily one of the hottest hatches around, with an advanced turbo engine and unique driving pack for sharper steering and response. Its visually striking headlights contain 62 separate LED elements, while arced LED daytime running lights create further impact. The sporty, exclusive theme is carried through to the interior, which boasts leather bucket seats and red stitching. E

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EOA BOOKS

DEEP SOUTH Paul Theroux R320, Penguin UK He’s been writing about the most far-flung corners of the world for 50 years, so it’s little wonder this captivating travel writer is at the pinnacle of his craft. This time he’s giving incisive insight into the American South, taking in some breathtaking scenery along the way and capturing the spirit of the people he meets.

PAROOL/PAROLE Breyten Breytenbach R300, Penguin Nonfiction The acclaimed silver-tongued anti-apartheid activist’s poignant speeches have finally been collated into a book that reads like a poetic treatise on the nature of oppression, struggle and liberation. Perhaps the book’s verve comes from its capturing the spoken prose so passionately delivered by the literary icon at various events around the world.

THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING: MORE NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND Bill Bryson R330, Doubleday How much has your country changed in the past 20 years? Bill Bryson intends to tell you exactly how much his has in the sequel to his acclaimed Notes from a Small Island, the best-selling travel book in history. It’s a nostalgic ride from a most capable contemporary writer that’ll leave your feet itchy.

MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS Kylie Ladd R180, Little Brown Four mothers and four teenage daughters slip away on a cheeky island holiday, thinking all that’s in store for them are cocktails and turquoise waters. But the moms learn some hard truths about being a teenager today, and have to navigate the bewildering territory of allowing their children to forge their own way in the world. E

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WORDS: ROBYN BLOCH. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY PUBLISHERS.

THE CAPE TOWN BOOK Nechama Brodie R395, Struik Nature In 2008, when Nechama Brodie’s The Joburg Book came out, it seemed the city experienced somewhat of a resurgence. Perhaps its release was simply well timed, but there’s no doubt it helped catalyse a new wave of interest in the city and its history. Now Brodie turns her attention south to the quasi-colony at our continent’s tip in 14 richly textured chapters that seek to give readers a nuanced but holistic view of the Mother City and its fascinatingly complicated past. The author delicately balances her coverage of world-renowned tourist attractions such as Table Mountain and the Kirstenbosch and Company gardens, with areas such as Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to give the book huge crossover appeal, and in the process touches on Cape Town’s present and often fraught relationship between the city’s megawealthy and its underclass. Brodie found many of the images in the book, which have never been published before, in the archives of museums, universities and public institutions. Just as with her book on Joburg, the author gives the reader a real sense of the ground on which they stand and live their lives. Now who was it that said to understand your present you need to try to understand your past?

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TECH EOA

APPS

SIDEWAYS

The insider’s guide to discovering the South African winelands, Sideways hooks you up with the farms, activities and deals that keep you in the know. This stylish app has the most comprehensive database of wine farms, helping you to plan your next adventure through more than 40 search filters, ranging from organic wineries and cellar tours to onsite restaurants and spas. Whether you’re heading to the Cape for a long weekend or just can’t get enough pinotage, their expert team serves up all kinds of curated lists, events and news that expose a side of the winelands you’ve never seen.

COCKTAIL FLOW

This beautiful and easy-to-use app helps you find the perfect drink to fit any party or celebration, with cool search filters such as mood, colour and holiday. With over 600 uniquely designed cocktail recipes, the app is laid out like recipe cards, allowing you to search through a particular deck to find the one you want. It even has delicious mocktail and smoothie recipes, so no one is left out.

PLATTER’S WINE GUIDE

Mixology will make you the ultimate bartender. Search through nearly 8 000 drink recipes and over 1 000 ingredients to find classic cocktail inspiration. Its handy Liquor Cabinet tab lets you enter the liquor and mixer types you have on hand, browsing its database to find all the cocktails you can make.

WINE23

This stunning new app is your personal guide to South African wine, allowing you to scan, discover, rate and share exciting new wines. With tasting notes for over 7 000 wines, you’ll get the latest industry rating for each one. You can even buy wine directly from the winery for home delivery through the app.

WATER & WINE

From the winelands to your lounge, let the drinks flow in this gorgeous weather.

NEWS SNIPPETS

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGES: GOOGLE PLAY STORE, ITUNES, JANICKI OMNIPRESSOR, REDIFF.COM.

Since 1980, Platter’s has been the wine lovers’ essential guide to exploring the world of South African wine. Aside from ratings of over 7 000 wines, it offers key winery information and useful details on the SA wine industry. The app features all the new edition’s ratings, top wine lists and wines of the year.

MIXOLOGY DRINK & COCKTAIL RECIPES

THE DRINKABLE BOOK

An American chemistry researcher may have found the solution to provide clean drinking water for developing countries. Whilst doing her research at McGill University, she developed a book where the pages can be torn out and used as water filters. Made with nanoparticles that kill bacteria, each page is printed with useful info on water safety both in English and the local dialect. Users can simply pull out a page, slide it into the slot of the accompanying filter box and pour water through the page, which is then drinkable. Each page can clean up to 100 litres of water, while a whole book can filter one person’s water needs for four years.

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FROM SEWAGE TO WATER

Another innovative method for developing clean water has come from Bill Gates, who funded a machine that turns raw sewage into electricity, ash and clean drinking water. The system can convert 14 tons of sewage into electricity and drinkable water each day, with the first round of tests taking place in Dakar.

WATER ATMs

The Kenyan government has installed communal water dispensers to get clean and affordable water to people in poor areas of Nairobi. These water vending machines, known locally as water ATMs, allow people to fill containers with water for a subsidised price, paid for with prepaid smart cards. E

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ON STAGE

EOA MOVIES & THEATRE

MARIA STUARDA

One of the highlights of the opera calendar takes place in Cape Town this month, with the greatest confrontation history had never seen: that between the Virgin Queen and Mary, Queen of Scots. Banned by the Royal Court of Naples and censored at La Scala as too hot to handle, this riveting examination of the pride and frailties of the people who lead our destinies leaps off the stage. On alternating nights, Cape Town favourites Noluvuyiso Mpofu and Maudee Montierre embody the passionate Maria, as Bongiwe Nakani and Violina Anguelov plumb the depths of Elisabetta’s psyche. Maria Stuarda is on at the Artscape Opera House on 7 and 8 November.

TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL

After touring Jozi, Cape Town, Durban and PE, the Tri Continental Film Festival hits Mbombela and Ermelo this month. The festival showcases an array of powerful socialimpact documentaries, with this year’s lineup including six South African premieres. The TCFF involves organisations and social movements that aim to use film to build support for their causes, developing a theme of tackling gender inequality in recent years. This year’s festival sees the African premiere of Kim Longinotto’s inspiring new film, Dreamcatcher, telling the story of a sex worker-turned-activist. The TCFF opens in Mbombela on 4 November and in Ermelo on 6 November.

LAUGHTER, TEARS & SECRETS REVEALED Shot in and around Clarens (Free State province), this romantic comedy stars a renowned cast of veteran actors and newcomers to the big screen. The film revolves around the Jakes family who are forced to relocate through the witness protection programme after their teenage son witnesses the murder of an undercover cop. As their son discovers his first love, the Jakes have to navigate small-town life and somehow find their way back to each other after the breakdown of their marriage. Starring Mampho Brescia, Pope Jerod and Mpho Sebeng, this homegrown tale of love lost and found is bound to be a heartwarming treat for the family. The Jakes Are Missing opens on 23 October.

WAR ROOM

With great jobs, a beautiful daughter and a dream house, the Jordans seem to have it all. Appearances can be deceiving, however, as husband Tony flirts with temptation and wife Elizabeth becomes increasingly bitter, crumbling under the strain of a failing marriage. Their lives take an unexpected turn for the better when Elizabeth meets her newest client, Miss Clara, who encourages the couple to find happiness through prayer. War Room opens at Ster Kinekor theatres nationwide on 6 November.

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JOEY RASDIEN

Joey Rasdien’s absurd yet thought-provoking standup show tackles the touchy subject of evolution and how natural selection has blessed many of the figures that loom over South African life. Topics under scrutiny range from the devil and Charles Darwin to Julius Malema and Stephen Hawking, in a showcase of Rasdien’s comic genius. Catch Joey Rasdien at the Caledon Casino on 7 November.

GRANDMA

Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, this comedy drama has won the hearts of critics and moviegoers around the world. Starring Lily Tomlin and relative newcomer Julia Garner, the story focuses on self-described misanthrope Elle Reid, who has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a daylong journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future. Grandma opens at Ster Kinekor theatres nationwide on 13 November. E

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGES: ARTSCAPE OPERA HOUSE, STER KINEKOR, SASFED.ORG, thesouthafrica.com.

ON SCREEN

THE JAKES ARE MISSING

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MUSIC EOA FRESHLYGROUND

Freshlyground is opening the Hope@PaulCluver Summer Festival season with a blast of energy and feel-good vibes. The beloved SA band knows how to get a party started, with none immune to their contagious beats. With recent hits like Don’t Leave Me and Take Me to the Dance, they continue to produce some of the most soulful and catchy tunes in the country. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see them live at Paul Cluver’s spectacular 600-seat forest amphitheatre. Yummy treats and drinks will be on sale, including Paul Cluver’s range of wines. Catch Freshlyground at Hope@PaulCluver in Grabouw on 14 November.

WORK OF HEART

Zonke (Sony Music)

A unique force in the industry, South African R&B singer Zonke has carved out a distinctive position in the musical landscape, becoming one of our biggest stars and hitmakers in the game. Her latest album showcases Zonke at her best – it is the work of a grown, assured singer and producer. An instinctive writer, her compositions flow and carry with them the collective experiences she effortlessly puts to music. Her lyrics speak of strength and resilience through life’s turbulent waves, with her music providing a pathway to becoming a better, stronger version of herself. Cementing her place as one of the reigning queens of Afro-soul, Zonke delivers musicality, sensuality and inspiration on every track.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

WORDS: CARYN THANDI PETERSEN. IMAGES: SUPPLIED BY FRESHLYGROUND.COM, SONY MUSIC, UNIVERSAL MUSIC, WARNER MUSIC.

The latest music and music news to hit the scene.

BLOOD

Lianne La Havas (Warner Music) Packed with ethereal, R&Bkissed stunners from the talented singer/songwriter Lianne La Havas, this album will keep you grooving throughout the summer. Following the release of her critically acclaimed debut in 2012, the British recording artist travelled to Jamaica to reconnect with her roots. Inspired by her time there, La Havas’ new album pays homage to her Jamaican and Greek bloodline. Blood is a departure from her acoustic musical leanings, taking on a neo soul and jazzy style, with elements of R&B, doo-wop, reggae and gospel music. The songs featured on the album are characterised by heavy bass with electronic flourishes, while the lyrics focus on love, relationships and identity.

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PANDORA’S BOX

Deep Xcape (Sony Music) Making dents on dance floors far from their hometown of Katlehong, the Deep Xcape duo of George and D.General – aka Dumisani – have released an album packed with sinful surprises for House Afrika. Featuring a spread of soulful singers, the duo’s first full-length album is a stylish statement of deep intent, with jazzy chords tucked into warm bass lines and sweeping melodic hooks, sending the vocals sky high. Tracks like I Like It and Clap Your Hands have the ballroom-savvy, scat-heavy catchiness that has seen the likes of Mi Casa rise to the top.

SHADOWS & DIAMONDS

Elijah Blake (Universal Music) Born in the Dominican Republic, Elijah Blake is a contemporary R&B artist who broke through as a songwriter for an impressive list of stars within his genre, including Rihanna, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, and Ciara. Blake’s solo career developed after releasing a number of hit singles, as well as the EP, Drift. His first debut album, Shadows & Diamonds, features an appearance from Dej Loaf and input from NO I.D. and Salaam Remi.

TREE OF LYFE

Lyfe Jennings (Sony Music) Seasoned R&B lovers will appreciate Lyfe Jennings’ sixth album, with soulful tracks that contemplate issues around relationships and self-betterment. The heartfelt opener, I Love You, recalls the classic love songs of Al Green and Lenny Williams, followed by a resonant Algebra Blessett duet. Always, a sweetly romantic ballad of devotion, rounds out this soothing album. E

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EOA HOROSCOPES

LEO 24 July – 23 August You’re all about home now, and contact with the world outside works best via flirty texts to your partner or by honing your online profile if you’re looking for love. Achieve an ambition on your bucket list too, for personal satisfaction, as well as to have a new tale to tell. CANCER 22 June – 23 July You might throw caution to the wind and learn to embrace your dark side this month. Turning your bedroom into a boudoir may be inevitable now too. Use some of this passion in your career, where doing what’s not expected – in a good way – also gets attention.

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SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November This is the perfect time to reinvent yourself and to get a grip on your finances. You’ll cross paths with others who can help you achieve your dreams now and while love may feel like it’s in a slow process of evolution, it’s worth taking the time to get romance right.

SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 22 December This month’s new moon crystallises your thinking, making you as sharp as a diamond. Wherever your focus turns, you’ll work out a way to make things happen, whether it’s adding extra shine to a relationship that’s lost its gloss or developing a flawless career plan.

Your birthstone is a topaz!

YOUR MONTH IN THE STARS GEMINI 22 May – 21 June A full moon in your sign suggests that you need new inspiration to lift you out of a lull, and friends could help you make an unexpected fitness breakthrough. It’s also a highly romantic time, so get ready to share your space or even make your home more baby-friendly!

TAURUS 21 April – 21 May Love gets a fresh start now and new joint ventures at work are also blessed. Be inventive with your resources as your usual funding options could be wearing thin, and even outthere ideas could work once they’re coupled with your legendary good taste and tenacity.

ARIES 21 March – 20 April The planets link to produce the right amount of chemistry for a balanced partnership with staying power, at work or in love. A healthier lifestyle and work ethic adds to a sense that life’s moving in the right direction too, so don’t just talk about it; put it into action.

CAPRICORN 23 December – 20 January Make new connections or deepen your links with your usual crew this month. Start a cherished project now too, as the new moon helps you turn visions into viable ventures. At work, collaboration is crucial, while wellbeing needs a revamp to help you achieve awesomeness. AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February If work has become a chore, you can now get enthusiastic about your career all over again. It might mean unearthing hidden gems about your job or gaining skills to do it differently to make it more fulfilling. Finding love as you gain power at work is possible now too. PISCES 20 February – 20 March Be open to inspiration now, no matter if it’s out of your comfort zone – your intuition will put you ahead of what’s trending. Destiny has big plans for you linked to important power players, so career discussions are likely, as are negotiations about finance and love.

WORDS: STELLA NOVA. IMAGE: WWW.DIAMONDWAVE.COM

VIRGO 24 August – 23 September New opportunities and options may come your way now so be open to everything, especially if your work seems to have hit a block. Knowledge is power, and new information could emerge, as might unexpected resources to help fund training or even a complete career change.

LIBRA 24 September – 23 October You’re the go-to gal for love, style and beauty, now and through to December. Relationships get exciting but erratic again, and you have the cosmos on your side at last when it comes to finances, but only if you’re prepared to overhaul the way you handle your money.

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WORDS: NDONI KHANYILE. PHOTOGRAPHER: Mark Le Grange. STYLED BY: TUMI MDLULI. HAIR STYLIST: Shaughn Adams. MAKE-UP: Henry Maritz. DRESSED BY: ROBOT TRADING. LOCATION: POINT OF VIEW VILLA GUESTHOUSE.

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