The New Cool Kids
Mariam Mohamed Burn the beanies, discard the wayfarers, forget the hipsters. There’s a new group of cool kids on the block and they’ve got our attention. They’re young, they’re male, they’re impeccably dressed and they’re proudly African. They are the street style heroes, bloggers, photographers and other members of the most influential fash-pack. Often seen gracing street style platforms in their uber stylish ensembles these men like designer Laduma Ngxokolo along with bloggers and media personalities such as Trevor Stuurman, Jerri Mokgofe, Siyabonga Beyile, Anthony Bila Kabelo, Kungwane and Wanda Lephoto amongst others are talk of the town. These guys, all established in their own right, have encouraged a whole new cult of young Africans in the streets of our most popular cities , dressed to the T, reaching for the spotlight (or camera lens?). The result is a new found sense of pride in dress amongst young South Africans along with a need for establishment and creative expression. These young men have released the importance of nurturing their talents and carving their identities in the fields that they choose to find themselves in. Along with their aspirations for the future , the guys are always acknowledging the past , their lost icons and heritage, with great respect. Just a scroll through Instagram ,or stroll down the street, is enough to show you the power and growth of this new group with the number of members increasing daily. We can’t help but wonder if this is a start of a new , dominating subculture? Images: http://web.stagram.com/n/trevor_stuurman http://web.stagram.com/n/laduma http://web.stagram.com/n/wandalephoto ...
The Class of ’79 tells the story of Three Students who Risked their Lives to Destroy Apartheid
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela, May 2002 Out of the class of 1979 at Rhodes University came two women whose identities merged with the painful birth of the new South Africa: two journalism students whose journey was to take them into defiance, imprisonment and torture during the apartheid years. One of the quietest girls in the class, Marion Sparg, joined Umkhonto we Sizwe, trained in exile in Angola and was eventually convicted of bombing three police stations. The Cape Times journalist Zubeida Jaffer was imprisoned, poisoned and tortured for her writing and her union activism, yet chose not to prosecute her torturer. Guy Berger, also a student and later a lecturer at Rhodes University, was arrested and interrogated for possession of banned books. He spent seven months in custody, three of which he spent in solitary confinement. He was ultimately sentenced to four years in prison. This is a book that you should read to understand where journalism comes from and perhaps where it’s going...
Africa in the Spotlight
By Mariam Mahomed Africans are blessed with a number of things. A striking landscape, great heritage and a number of beautiful cultures. It is no wonder then that we are so proud to be from this amazing land.Our pride is only increasing now as the rest of the world notices our splendour. African inspiration is now at the forefront of trends in arts and design. From Burberry’s use of blankets in the Fall 2014 collection to the use of various afro-chic inspired prints and textures by numerous fashion houses, such as Etro, Givenchy, Mary Katrantzou and Suno, Africa seems to be the go to place for inspiration across international catwalks. Aside from the clothing, African design elements come across clearly in the accessories and jewellery pieces used and created by fashion’s most prestigious brands. Italian luxury brand, Fendi’s bold and beautiful leather and fur cuffs from their Fall 2014 show reminds us of a great African warrior and seems to be the favourite jewellery piece amongst fashion lovers across the world. Another favourite accessory from the Fall 2014 shows is the handbags from Burberry featuring colours and prints that brings about warm thoughts of African landscapes and artworks. And if conquering the world of fashion is not enough the most stunning décor and interior looks of the season boasts African design elements. Global interior and architecture web-magazine , Decoist, realises that ‘it is time to put the vivacious African continent and its captivating prints, artifacts and designs under the spotlight’ and showcases a number of exquisite African inspired interiors. Sir Richard Branson’s luxury safari retreat Mahali Mzuri showcases the perfect mix between African inspiration and contemporary architecture. The modern, exclusive and absolutely breath-taking camp-styled lodges serves as a global architectural inspiration and is an epic salute to African design. We can definitely expect an increase of African inspiration in architecture, interiors and fashion design across the world. As more magazines, blogs and other media platforms showcase this trend , African design will be available on a number of websites and retail outlets and seen in cities around the world in the next few years. Yes, the world is saying ‘Look at Africa!’ and to that we say, ‘It’s about time!’ Pictures from Style.com and...
Book review: Africa is open for Business by Victor Kgomoeswana
I love it when a book with a subject matter I’m not well versed in, is an easy yet informative read. This was the case with “Africa is open for business” the insightful read by Victor Kgomoeswana, a business specialist who does a lot of work with multinationals, interpreting the African landscape for foreign investment. It is a collection of 50 essays from Victor’s learnings over the years of doing work as a business show host for radio stations such 702, Kaya FM; doing interviews with news powerhouses like CNBC & CNN. As well as information gained from his Business developer position at PPC a local cement company which has expanded to several countries across the continent. The book breaks down the elephantine task of understanding the Pan African business market, & breaks it down into into bite-sized chunks. It is a must-read for both leisure readers with a keen interest in the direction the continent is taking in terms of development. As well business information seekers who wish to equip themselves with knowledge such as entrepreneurs and corporation directors who want to expand their operations throughout the continent and take advantage of the boom. In the book, Victor touches on and elaborates on every story you’ve heard about doing business in Africa. Controversial topics such as the ‘2nd colonization’ by the wave of Chinese forging relationships with African countries in exchange for minerals. To Nigeria’s reputation reincarnation – from being known as Africa’s fraud capital to its new status as the continent’s biggest economy and everything in between. The anecdotal style the book is written in made it a pleasure to read, which is unlike my usual experience with business writing. It still packs stats and facts as any business book but thanks to his intimate knowledge & his passion for the subject matter Victor has made this book a gem definitely work...
Review: The Acer Aspire S7
IT Maestro Starter of Conversations & Talent seeker at Discovery Ultrabooks are nothing new. Ever since Apple famously launched the MacBook Air in 2008, PC enthusiasts were chomping at their collective bit to get a similar device for their Windows needs. Fast forward a few years and most of the manufacturers offer an ultrabook alternative to the ‘cult of the Mac’. Whether it is a ThinkPad, ATIV Book or VAIO, an XPS, Spectre, or Portege, few have successfully been able to get the balance between performance and portability just right. Cynics might add the hefty price of these machines but given that it is competing with Apple products in both the looks and functionality departments, I tend to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to budget. That doesn’t mean I’ll be lining up any time soon to buy one, but there are plenty of people who can afford to spend good money on these expensive toys. Be that as it may, the Acer Aspire S7 ultrabook might just be the one to change my mind (if not the size of my available budget). It might seem trite to say that this is not your typical ultrabook but just one look at the S7 should be enough to show it. It is thin, it is light, and it is an absolute beauty to look at. Featuring an aluminium unibody, it is less than 13mm ‘thick’ making it one of the thinnest ultrabooks around. In terms of weight, well, it is completely negligible as traditional pen and paper notebooks feel heavier to carry around. Some users who are not fans of Windows 8 might baulk at the idea of using the operating system on such a beautiful device but the performance you get from the S7 using both the keyboard and touchscreen make these arguments irrelevant. While I am used to using Windows 8 in ‘desktop mode’ almost exclusively, having a powerful touchscreen device made for a very pleasant (and intuitive) experience. The battery life of approximately five hours might not be enough for some of the more power-hungry users, but it is a small price to pay considering the processing power of the S7. In addition, the fact that it is such a thin machine means the keyboard is quite flat on the surface when you type. Of course, this criticism is true for any ultrabook but it still takes a while to get used to typing with a slightly different wrist position than usual. This is a minor issue as you are bound to get into the swing of things within a few days of use. An...
Youth Lab June 16 – The Next 20 Years of Democracy
Youth Lab in partnership with Gracefully Consulting invite you to celebrate 20 years of democracy by casting vision for our future with young South Africans Recognising that South Africa in 2014 celebrates the 20th year of our democracy and the great excitement that comes with reflecting on where we come from; Youth Lab has embarked on a ‘Next 20 Years Campaign’. Launched on Freedom Day, this initiative includes poster quotes from iconic South Africans and essays from young South Africans on how they imagine the next 20 years of the South Africa of their dreams. In partnership with Gracefully Consulting, wish to extend this campaign to include a Youth Day, June 16 event that focuses on an inspirational vision sharing session by 4 young South Africans and a general open discussion with the audience of young Sowetans. The day will also host and feature author Thando Mgqolozana – author of ‘Unimportance’. The day will culminate in an entertaining celebration, with DJs and refreshments served after the discussions end. Other guests include: Xhanti Payi – Economist Reuben Phasha – Constitution Hill Ndumiso Ngcobo – Author and Radio personality Thando Mgqolozana – Author of Unimportance The goal of the event is to inspire young people to begin to project and articulate the vision they have for South Africa. The next 20 years are ours to create and ours to determine. We invite and young people involved with your organisation to join us in sharing your ideas about the next 20 years of democracy. Please find the event synopsis and provisional program below. Date: 16 June Venue: Phefeni Senior Secondary School Time: 12:00 –...
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