SA Taxi makes some noise to draw attention to those with hearing disabilities
Imagine what it would be like not to hear a sound – no music, no voices, no laughter. Mphosho Shabangu doesn’t have to imagine it – he lives it every day due to a severe hearing disability. Mphosho’s family realised that something was wrong when he stopped responding to their voices at the age of about 18 months and showed no further signs of speech development. Shocked and confused, they were initially at a loss to help him. Fortunately, a family member who also had a deaf child suggested certain medical care and education options. The family had to adapt to this difficult situation, firstly by finding new ways to communicate with Mphosho. Although his family learnt to use sign language, Mphosho was largely isolated from other children and people, and experienced much frustration. Mphosho was given hearing aids at school, but he had to return these at the end of his school career. A lack of financial resources has kept him in deafening silence since then. His isolation has continued, and many opportunities have been outside his reach. Even free movement is not fully possible for him as he runs the risk of walking in front of approaching cars or injuring himself in the depot where he works as a mechanic for SA Taxi. Sadly, people have taken advantage of his disability to abuse or steal from him. Because he does not speak, he is unable to assert himself or easily ask for help. His brother Bheki has taken the selfless decision to live with him and keep a watchful eye over his vulnerable brother. Bheki says that even the slightest restoration of hearing would phenomenally change Mphosho’s life. He would be able to engage with people, make friends, stand up for himself and grow his self-esteem. Most touchingly, he would be able to communicate with his grandmother, who cannot use sign language and has never been able to freely communicate with him. As part of our Making a Difference initiative, we have decided to help one of our own and support Mphosho on his journey towards hearing again. If you would like to help us cover the costs of medical visits, hearing aids and speech classes, please make a donation to the SA Taxi Foundation: Account Name: SA Taxi Foundation NPC Account Number: 06 147 0848 Account Type: Business Current Account Branch Code: 007205 Bank: Standard Bank Reference: Make Some Noise If your organisation would like to get involved on a deeper level with our initiative, please contact Nomty Malevu at...
The SA Fashion Week SS16 Collections – Part 6: Athleisure, Edge & Glamour
The common problem with fashion writing is that we either overlook the most brilliantly conceived and painstakingly produced elements of a collection – or we ramble on, praising, criticising, fainting and gasping to a point where it’s no longer clear whether we’re talking about coats, shoes or an obscure branch of 19th Century philosophy. So we set ourselves this challenge for the SAFW SS16 Collections: reveal the essence of each collection – in less than 50 words. AfrikanSwiss SS16 A hardcore collection with lots of denim, stiffened leather and heavy zipping. Harsh paint splash detail, black ‘oil streaks’, exaggerated patchwork and rough dye patterns on overalls and jumpsuit-styles come together to create blue-collar chic. Esnoko SS16 Relatively plain and conventional arrangements are cut from fabric printed with kaleidoscope patterns. Old school lines and newspaper boy caps contribute to the fanciful mood of the collection and remind of carnivals and colourful townships. Touch of Bling (ToVch) SS16 Looks from 80s New York street-style (think Beastie Boys) gradually merge into sleeker, classical cuts with African hints. Sharp, cool and very much for the night. D.O.P.E. SS16 The perfect streetwear collection for residents who live in cities where temperatures skyrocket in summer. It’s nonchalant, unconcerned and breezy. The racquetball prints on pale colours are fun and pretty without being childish, and the cuts comprise the best of shapely athletic...
Tomorrowland UNITE Opens 5 New Stargates
The dream-makers of Tomorrowland have opened 5 new portals to throw the biggest party in the universe. Sixteen years ago, the Concorde Millennium flights bent space and time with the edgiest New Year’s Eve party idea ever – board a flight in Paris at 00:15 on the 1st of January 2000, fly across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound, and land in New York at 21:53 on the 31st of December 1991. Like Concorde, the Tomorrowland Festival has been offering partygoers a unique experience that transcends boundaries, and this year they too will bend and meld time and space with an expanded Tomorrowland UNITE. On the 23rd of July, a satellite connection will livestream the Festival in Belgium to Colombia, Mexico, Germany, Israel, India, Japan and South Africa. The Love, Unity, Madness and Magic of the Tomorrowland main stage will be beamed from De Schorre across three continents and several time zones. Live local DJ sets will also be streamed between the different UNITE sites and the main event in De Schorre. The connection will go live at 20:30 CET, when the Colombians are finishing lunch, and terminate at 00:00 CET when dawn breaks in Japan. The mythic and miraculous Mirror to Tomorrowland will ‘hang’ at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. The full international and local line-up as well as ticket sale details will be announced on Monday, the 16th of May. Take a sneak peek into the Mirror at http://www.tomorrowland.com/en/unite if you need any more convincing that this will be one of the most spectacular, mythic, music dream-experiences that the world has ever...
Africa Day concert returns to Bassline Jozi.
Africa’s biggest celebration of cultural heritage returns to Newtown on May 28th, with a star-studded celebration that will see some of the continents biggest acts take to the stage to celebrate diversity through unity. Africa Day marks the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the African Union) back in May 1963. The organisations objectives were to promote unity between African nations and provide a support mechanism for liberation movements of colonized African nations. Today, Africa Day serves as a day to celebrate our heritage, despite our differences, and showcase the continents history and culture through arts. This is the 12th year that Bassline in Newtown has been the backbone of this celebration and this year sees a line up that far surpasses any of the previous concerts, with a strong focus on female empowerment. One of Africa Days main funders is The National Lottery Commission (NLC). The NLC relies on funding from the proceeds of the National Lottery. The Lotteries Act guides the way in which NLC funding may be allocated. The intention of the NLC is to make a difference in the lives of all South Africans, especially those more vulnerable and to improve the sustainability of the beneficiary organizations. Available funds are distributed to registered and qualifying non-profit organizations in the fields of charities, arts, culture and national heritage; and sports and recreation. By placing its emphasis on areas of greatest need and potential, the NLC contributes to South Africa’s development. We are proud to announce the return of our major broadcast sponsor, SABC2, with a live broadcast of the concert from 20.30-23.00 on the 28th may 2016. “SABC2 has in recent years adopted 6 pillars which include World Exposure and our association with the annual Africa Day concert proves our commitment to reaching out to not only South Africans but the continent as a whole”, says SABC2 Channel Head Gerhard Pretorius. Kaya FM is supporting this initiative wholeheartedly. “For her to thrive once again, Africa needs her women to stand firm as women, and her song to keep playing for her children to sing along”, says Kaya FM MD Greg Maloka, “Kaya FM is pleased to be associated with the Africa Day celebrations showcasing the continent’s rich and diverse talent.” From the Department of Arts and Culture’s perspective the official theme for the event is 2016 Africa Month Celebration – “We Are Africa – Opening the doors to learning and culture from Cape To Cairo. ”The inaugural Africa Month celebration took place in 2015 and is back with a bang in 2016. Africa Month celebration is aimed to highlight Africa Day as...
The SA Fashion Week SS16 Collections – Part 5: Scouting Menswear in Association with GQ Magazine
Words by Ludwig Spies Photography by Simone Oranje Additional photo edits by Stuart Hendricks The common problem with fashion writing is that we either overlook the most brilliantly conceived and painstakingly produced elements of a collection – or we ramble on, praising, criticising, fainting and gasping to a point where it’s no longer clear whether we’re talking about coats, shoes or an obscure branch of 19th Century philosophy. So we set ourselves this challenge for the SAFW SS16 Collections: reveal the essence of each collection – in less than 50 words. Floyd Avenue SS16 The winner of SS16 Scouting Menswear presented a relaxed collection of manzanilla-toned khaki. Apart from some Indian silhouettes, the palette, overall-style suits and leather strap harness details are solidly located in the safari trunk of a gentleman explorer. Hombré SS16 Poison green, black and snakeskin warn onlookers that a bite from a boy who wears this collection will take you down in 10 minutes. Dangerous, seductive and slick. Non-European SS16 The calm silhouettes and light fabrics contain hints of Asia and Africa, but the collection strongly hearkens back to North America before the arrival of Europeans. Feather accoutrements, and bead and embroidery detail around the collars adorn the garments with a dreamy, mythic quality. Zamaswazi SS16 Zooty blocks and strips of colour, pleats, grid patterning, and unusual Springbok skin detail offer the perfect ensemble to the modern dandy. It’s uptown funk with a slightly inflated ego. House of St Luke SS16 This collection is a vibrant, heady mix of tropical prints and colours. Afro-Asian headdresses are combined with candy-coloured sport shoes and country club shorts. It’s the kind of psychedelic you’d expect from African expats on the Paris art scene. Martelle Ludik SS16 Dark, brooding fabric, dishevelled layers, tears and largeness create a heavy, gritty and aggressive collection that unashamedly seeks to arouse and challenge anyone who sees it. The collection boldly moves beyond androgyny towards genderqueer and gender-bending. Rogue SS16 The winner of Scouting Menswear AW16 returned with another collection true to the post-apocalyptic, urban inspirations of the brand. The palette and cuts are cool, stark and functional, and this mood is entrenched by the plastic buckle-clip details. Grey concrete and windswept coastlines come to...
We will be back!
