Fashioning Modern Africanism

The Miss South Africa Top 10 reveal what they will be doing to celebrate Heritage Day on Thursday, September 24. Aphelele Mbiyo  (24) who was born in Mthata and raised in Port Elizabeth but currently lives in Johannesburg, holds a BA in Integrated Marketing Communications says Heritage Day speaks to identity, where we come from and what it means to be uniquely diverse in South Africa. The perfect meal for me would be pap and chakalaka with braaied chops which I would love to share with those outside my culture to experience our diversity.    "I will be spending the day with family and friends and I am sure we will celebrate at home. Heritage Day for me means a celebration of all the different creeds and cultures in South Africa in an effort to bring the nation together. This is a day that enables one to feel proud of who they are without feeling judged or stereotyped to the notions that exist about their culture and how diverse it is by seeing how we are more alike than we are dif

He’s the first voice you hear in   The Lion King , a highlight of Hans Zimmer’s Oscar-winning soundtrack .  He’s won a Grammy, been nominated for a Tony for his work on the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time, executive produced the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, had his songs streamed over 250 million times on Spotify alone, and won the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewer’s Choice 1Life Legend Award.  Now the circle of life has brought Soweto-born Lebo M back to South Africa, where he’s currently in production on  Lebo M - Coming Home , the next Showmax Original reality series, launching in November 2020.    While the 10-part show will give fans a front-row seat to his career as he creates new music with the likes of Zahara, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Judith Sephuma, and his daughter Refi, it will also turn the spotlight onto his biggest dream: bringing his family together.    Lebo M has been married three times, helping to raise nine children along the way,

Idols SA Season 16 has certainly not being an easy journey for this year's contestants, the guys who make up the top 16 proved they can take the uncertainty and disruption of the lockdown in their stride and bring their best to the stage.   The theme for this past sunday evening was  the best cover songs , and the guys brought on to the stage all the soul and passion they could bring to the stage. With the contestants performing without a live audience, the Idols SA production team introduced fan technology where the judges could, from a press of a button, play a recording of an applause after every performance, while the families of all the eight contestants could cheer their favourites on via a live virtual platform.   “With the first of the live performances now done, it is now up to the viewers to decide who progresses to the top 10,” says Nomsa Philiso, the head of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net. “All I can say is that it was an exciting day for all us despite the lockd

  South African Fashion Week (SAFW) and Mall of Africa will be launching its recently concluded three-year partnership by staging South Africa’s first hybrid designer collections showcase this year. In recognition of the COVID-19 requirements for social distancing, the ground-breaking fashion event will combine a three-day streaming programme of 26 digital runway shows from 22 – 24 October. This will be followed by the SAFW Trade Show in the Crystal Court at the Mall of Africa with more than fifty designers of mens - and womenswear as well as accessories ranging from footwear and handbags to costume jewellery and millinery from 1 – 3 November and the SAFW Pop Up Shop where fashion lovers will be able to interact and buy directly from all the participating designers from 26 – 28 November, also in the mall’s Crystal Court.   ‘This hybrid combination of both a digital and live fashion experience allows us to navigate the complexities of trading and doing business effectively whilst simult

Viceroy Brandy is excited to announce a new addition to its product range, Viceroy Smooth Gold. When a delivery arrived at my job, I was so excited cause you know what, mabiir and yours truly re so🤞🏿 This new product has a lowered alcohol content (23%) to regular brandy (43%), but still offers the same full-bodied flavour making it smoother and easier to drink. I later got home and fixed myself a glass kwa vela kwaba lit. Smooth Gold is easy on the tongue and it blends well on the rocks. I totally recommend this to anyone who likes their brandy light and smooth with the kick that leaves you nicely melo! Akere you know what dranks do to us. Hahahaha dilo stofong! Commenting on the reasons behind Viceroy’s expansion into the new offering, Richard Papo, Marketing Manager for Brandy and Liqueurs at Distell, says, “We’ve seen a growing trend among both men and women who are looking to make responsible choices with their alcohol consumption. Smooth Gold offers drinkers a lowered alcohol pr

                                Listen Here  A new breed of African maverick, BobbiDean is a producer, songwriter and performer whose rich fusion of musical textures and sonics is set to win over a new global audience. His first single on Real Life Music; Toppa, a key track of his forthcoming album “It’s A Medley”, coming in March 2021. BobbiDean is a perfect fit for taking independent African artists to the world. BobbiDean reveals a sound that transcends genres, and that articulates and integrates African sounds and rhythms into a rich fusion of musical textures and sonics.    The Nigerian-born BobbiDean is known for his hitmaker status, having worked on chart-topping tracks with musical talent spanning the Africa continent. Among these are the hitmaker Mr Kamera where Bobbi partners with him to create Tik Tak a track that embodies authentic African instruments that transcends one into a space free of all the horror and uncertainties the world faces with the COVID-19 pandemic. BobbiD

Finally Idols SA season 16 Top 16 contestants were announced last night. What has been dubbed the final judgement over the years was delivered by the Idols judges, Unathi, Somizi and Randall to 31 hopefuls were all emotionally not ready for the news. While 15 contestants, among them was DJ Zinhle’s favourite Matevhu, found out that it was the end of the road for them, 16 of them were put out of their misery when they were given the news that they will be going ahead for coming weeks to battle it out for the ultimate first prize. It is the reactions for me! The crying, the numbness, the gratitude and the disbelief all at once that makes this part of the competition interesting. “This year’s competition has been an intense one for our contestants with all the changes they had to cope with in theatre week. The fate of the contestants now rests with the viewers at home, as they will rely on your votes to ensure that they make it to the next round, starting with the male contestants this co

Compiled from the best of the two hit e-books  Lockdown  and  Lockdown   Extended,  that Melinda Ferguson launched, back to back during the first four weeks of lockdown, as well as including new essays by the likes of New Frame's Richard Pithouse, Kharnita Mohamed and Carsten Rasch, the work brilliantly tries to make sense of a world held hostage by a virus.  Sentenced to Lockdown, regarded as "non-essential", a group of 40 South African writers get together in a virtual Corona Collective, to pen  The Lockdown Collection.  This historical gem showcases a list of South Africa's most celebrated writers, disruptors and thinkers, including: Sisonke Msimang ( Always Another Country ), Fred Khumalo ( Bitches Brew ), multi-disciplinary poet, Lebo Mashile and Pumla Dineo Gqola ( Rape A South African Nightmare ). There's the comic genius of Ben Trovato ( Durban Poison)  and  Everyday Zulu  Melusi Tshabalala, while the likes of  Khaya Dlanga, Dudu Busani-Dube, Rahla Xenopou

Theatre Week has seen 31 winners advancing to battle it out for the 2020 Top 16 spots in an intense round that required contestants to focus on their performance while having very little social interaction with their peers. Season 16 Theatre Week had 107 Golden tickets winners battling it out over four hectic days.     “Theatre week is a stage in the competition where viewers get to know their contestants better and to choose their favourites and first round of theatre week was filled with everything to keep the viewers on their edge of the seat – heartbreak, tension and entertainment,” says Nomsa Philiso, the channel director for Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net.   Theatre week day one   It was a nerve-wrecking and disastrous start for some, and a glorious ending for those who showed the tenacity to advance to the next round.   Brendon, who got his golden ticket from the Durban leg of the auditions, was the first contestant to hit the stage. He was nervous that he even forgot his

The Police and some of our society members are pure letdown to everyone to say the least. Let's take the Senzo Meyiwa's case as an example. In October 2014 Orlando Pirates rising star Senzo Meyiwa was shot (not died immediately) at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo's home in Vosloorus. Senzo Meyiwa did not die on the scene, he was confirmed dead in hospital as Kelly Khumalo opted to drive him there herself. 7 people were at the house during the incident namely; Kelly Khumalo, Zandi Khumalo (sister), Ntombi Khumalo (mother), Longwe Twala (Zandi Khumalo's ex boyfriend aka Chico Twala's son), Christian Khumalo (Kelly and Jub-Jub's son), with Senzo's friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Thwala. No police nor the ambulance was called by any of the 7 people mentioned above. Police were called by neighbours. The story they spun is that 3 robbers came into the house asking for their wallets and phones, Senzo opted to fight the robber protecting his girlfriend Kelly Khum