If you happen to be in East London, Eastern Cape, and in search of a tasty plant-based meal, Earth Café is the place for you. It is “a humble little café serving delicious and nutritious food”, and at the core of the establishment, is the overall health of each customer.
Whether you’re looking for a coconut crumbed fish burger, a poke bowl or even a tasty smoothie, Earth Cafe has something for everyone. You can even build your own burger – because no one knows your cravings quite like you – and listening to live music while you enjoy your meal!
But more than that, the team at Earth Cafe is passionate about everyone having access to a nutritious, tasty meal, regardless of affordability, times are tough, and they are here to make a difference.
One customer raved about Earth Cafe on Twitter:
“#EastLondon Twitter: If you’re ever looking for delicious plant-based meals, there’s this nice little spot in Berea (across the BP garage) that I discovered recently. They also offer free or discounted meals for those in need and that really touched my little heart,” she wrote.
#EastLondon Twitter: If you're ever looking for delicious plant-based meals, there's this nice little spot in Berea (across the BP garage) that I discovered recently. They also offer free or discounted meals for those in need and that really touched my little heart🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/9sHOXoncOq
If you’re a Christian, the Bibles verse quotes on the boards will add an extra sweet touch, but even if you’re not, the motivational notes are bound to life any mood up!
Period poverty refers to the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management.
Through education and advocacy, we can greatly improve access to hygiene facilities and products, reduce stigma and shame, and encourage education about menstruation.
Periods are often associated with shame and stigma, as well as poor menstruation education. Around the world, children miss school while menstruating due to lack of access in addition to the cultural or social stigma that they may face.
26-year-old activist who has been dubbed the “minister of menstruation”, Candice Chirwa, has made it her life’s work to help end period poverty and help remove the societal stigmas that surround menstruation.
Candice began this unique journey with research for the United Nations in 2017 when she was just 21 years old. She was tasked with finding research on different countries’ policies regarding menstrual health.
Since then, she has made it her life’s mission to help raise awareness about people who menstruate, the struggles they go through, and how best to support them – these include having pad drives and educating young menstruators about their bodies, the importance of keeping track of their cycles, as well as encouraging companies to have period leave for employees.
Candice is on a mission to fiercely change the disempowering narrative around menstruation. Her media presence has been established since 2015 with a core interest in Youth Politics, Gender issues, and Human Rights. She has been featured on various notable media platforms, putting the spotlight on all these issues.
South Africa still has a long way to go in terms of providing menstrual education, but it’s people like Candice who will ignite the fire in others and accelerate the work.
Washing your sneakers can be quite a daunting task, especially if you’re a sneakerhead with lots of pairs – and don’t us started on trying to get a stain off suede material, a nightmare!
That’s why when local entrepreneur, Lethabo Mokoena started his sneaker-cleaning business in 2015, he knew he would be successful; because let’s face it, everyone loves a good pair of fresh, clean sneakers.
Lethabo started his business at his home in Daveyton, a township in Benoni, Gauteng, with just R700 as capital and he named it Walk Fresh. “I had to drive from Daveyton to Braamfontein to get access to some of the key resources & knowledge that molded me to be the entrepreneur I am today,” he wrote on Instagram.
2015 vs 2023.
Lethabo Mokoena started his sneaker cleaning service – WalkFresh at his home with only R700. Now he's opening branches all over South Africa. pic.twitter.com/KI00kBIQ65
“Walk Fresh is a boutique sneaker cleaning and shoe-care service providing the best sneaker cleaning, suede/nubuck refurbishing, and maintenance for all footwear brands, makes, and materials,” the brand website reads.
Eight years later, Walk Fresh has four branches across South Africa with the prospects of even more growth.
“We find our freedom in what we do. We get the chance to define ourselves and be part of a family. Some of the processes and techniques we use are not found in textbooks or on the Internet. They are original; these are skills handed down by those before us. This is a legacy from our grandfathers, fathers, uncles and now us. The skill of utilizing a toothbrush for polishing shoes to using tissue paper for drying sneakers are those we have inherited,” the website continues.
Because Lethabo is passionate about transferring skills for the betterment of others, he launched Sole Survivors: an institute dedicated to teaching youngsters in townships how to clean sneakers and run sustainable sneaker-cleaning businesses.
With an impressive cast, gripping storylines, and mouth-watering plot twists, the new Mzansi Magic telenovela, Gqeberha: The Empire, is promised to be a favorite with Mzansi viewers.
Produced by the multi-award winning Tshedza Pictures (The River, The Republic, Legacy), this is the first Mzansi Magic telenovela filmed entirely in the Eastern Cape.
Gqeberha: The Empire’s star-studded cast includes Zikhona Sodlaka (The Wife, Blood Psalms); Zandile Msutwana (Grootboom & Sons, The Queen); Mbulelo Grootboom (Wounds, Suidooster); Kay Bikitsha (The Queen); Phila Madlingozi (Isikizi, The Queen); Anele Matoti (Recipes for Love and Murder, Wounds); and Akhenime Mfenyana.
Luzuko Mxenge (played by Grootboom) is a successful businessman who is husband to three very different, very strong wives: Bulelwa (played by Sodlaka), Zimkhita (played by Luzuko) and Nozuko (played by Bikitsha). What more could he want? Another wife, for starters.
Akhenime’s character, Anathi is first noticed by Thulani, the businessman’s son, but later impresses the businessman himself with her beauty when he dines at the restaurant he works at. With her poor background and dream of becoming a chef with her own restaurant, Anathi agrees to marry Luzuko because she is charmed by him and knows that marrying him will change the life of her family.
Her portrayal of Anathi has already impressed viewers – and who doesn’t love a fresh face on television?
“Mzansi Magic is excited to premiere a new telenovela, which is one of the genres our channel is known for and that our viewers enjoy greatly. With its premiere, we are excited to expand into Gqeberha and the Eastern Cape – a first for the telenovela world.
With the incredible quality of storytelling from one of the top production houses on the continent, we are optimistic that the audiences will fall in love with the series,” says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net.
His decision to expand the family soon threatens to bring out the bitterness his wives have long suppressed – but also comes with complications no one could have predicted, endangering his relationship with his heir-apparent.
Gqeberha: The Empire follows themes of dynasty, family, love, betrayal, polygamy, and jealousy, through the lens of characters viewers will be able to relate to – there will be those you root for and those you love to hate.
Catch the show every weekday at 9pm only on Mzansi Magic.
In July 2020, Australia and New Zealand will co-host the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup, and South Africa will be represented in more ways than one: South Africa women’s national soccer team, nicknamed Banyana Banyana (The Girls) has qualified to play, and our very own Akhona Makalima is among the 12 African referees who have been selected to officiate the games.
A total of 33 referees, 55 assistant referees, and 19 video match officials (VMOs) will form FIFA Team One. 32 nations will compete in the Women’s World Cup for the first time. Born as a 12-team tournament in 1991, it was expanded to include 16 countries in the USA in 1999 and 24 in Canada in 2015.
Akhona will be the only South African referee in New Zealand and Australia and given that she’s been a listed international referee for the international governing body FIFA since 2014, and that she officiates for the FIFA, PSL, SAFA, and SASOL Women’s League, it comes as no surprise that she’s been trusted with a tournament of this magnitude.
Akhona was born in March 1988, and was raised by her stepfather, Mbuyisa Dalasile, and mother, Vuyokazi. Although she grew up herding sheep in a rural part of the Eastern Cape under her grandfather, Robert Makalima, Akhona was always passionate about sports.
After playing football for a while, Akhona was introduced to the world of officiating football games and blew her first whistle in August 2011 at the Chris Hani memorial tournament in Eziphunzana in East London after some training.
A few years later, she is a testament to how far passion, hard work, and dedication can take you! And in her own words, “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work in smart ways.”
Let’s face it, living as a woman in South Africa is a risk – we live in constant fear for our lives. The rape statistics, compared to the rest of the world, are alarmingly high, and increasingly so.
Crimes against women and children, whether at the hands of strangers or close friends and relatives, are constantly reported on, but very little action is taken.
Women have had to take matters of their safety into their own hands, and Johannesburg woman, Nicole Koopman, is passionate about equipping women with the necessary tips and tools to avoid being victims of these violent crimes.
Nicole’s business, KeyChain South Africa, sells keychains that are designed to be discreet and easy to carry, while also providing an effective means of self-defense in the event of an attack.
Whether you’re walking to your car at night or traveling to unfamiliar places, the keychains are there to help you feel safe and secure.
KeyChainSA is committed to providing top-quality products at affordable prices. The keychains are made from durable materials and have been rigorously tested to ensure that they are effective in protecting you from harm.
The company offers a wide variety of self-defense keychains to suit the needs and preferences of all women. From traditional keychain designs to modern and stylish options, there’s something for everyone.
As a mother of a young girl herself, Nicole is dedicated to creating a safe environment and future for her daughter. “I knew I had to take action to provide my family and others with a sense of safety and peace of mind. This led me to start Keychain SA in November 2022,” she writes on her website.
We still have a long way to go, but it’s people like Nicole, who help the everyday woman prioritize their safety, and precautionary measures to ensure there’s one less victim every day.
Previously, it was very rare for a woman, especially of color, to become a pilot, but over the years more and more women have been breaking stereotypes and reaching for their wildest dreams.
At just 21 years old, Lethabo Malesa, a woman from the Seshego township in Polokwane has obtained her license to become a Commercial Pilot – so next time you’re in the air, listen to the pilot, it might just be her!
A commercial pilot is a pilot who can display a minimum level of skills and understanding to a licensing authority and has earned their commercial pilot license, which allows them to be remunerated for their services. They can also legally fly for hire.
Growing up, Lethabo always knew she wanted to be a pilot, and in 2020, her journey began at an aviation school. After qualifying, many people and organizations took to social media to congratulate and celebrate her achievement.
Lethabo’s journey and achievements are an inspiration to many, young and old across the globe.
The unemployment rate in South Africa, especially among the youth, is a national crisis. Many young people, even those with qualifications are sitting at home, feeling hopeless and job prospects are almost non-existent.
Sprucing up your CV, keeping your LinkedIn updated, and constantly applying for jobs, won’t always guarantee job security. This is why Mzamo Mbhele, a 22-year-old IT software development student has developed a job-hunting app that allows young people to find jobs near them. Job X is a zero-rated app that allows job seekers to use the app without having any data.
While studying Mzamo was able to build the app, which allows people to build professional CVs, save them as PDFs, scan their documents using their phone camera, and save them as PDF documents.
What sets Job X apart from any other app is that it allows you to build a professional CV, and also shows you the jobs available based on your location, skills, and qualifications. The app already has more than 40 000 users.
Mzamo has always been intrigued by how technology works and knew very early in his life that he wanted a tech career. He even began repairing phones at the age of 11, and 11 years later, he is using his skills for the betterment of others.
For most people living in the rural areas of South Africa, traveling to local stores or supermarkets is expensive and can take an entire day. But thanks to Kuloola, a mobile app by Siyanda Mthethwa, specially developed to tackle this issue, previously excluded communities have access to essential services.
Siyanda is one of the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans 2020, a SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards winner, and an Accenture Rising Star Awards winner.
“Kuloola” comes from a take on “it’s easy” in the isiZulu language and, through his work, Siyanda has managed to make life much easier for people, by getting essential goods delivered directly to their doors.
However, that doesn’t even cover half of the impact Mthethwa has had on rural communities. Through the service, he has also managed to create employment for many residents, especially young women.
In previous interviews, Siyanda has mentioned that this is among the achievements that make him proudest: being able to hire and sustain employment for 15 young people, predominantly women.
With no prior management experience, he has been able to retain most of his staff because of a strong and inclusive management style. For Siyanda, Siyanda being able to work towards improving the lives of people in his own community has also been a moment of pride for him.
He says he was privileged to have access to opportunities and a good quality of life. It’s for that reason he wants to make a positive impact on the lives of people less fortunate than him.
Customers choose from predefined combo sets with basic products like rice, flour, sugar, oil, vegetables, dishwashing liquids, and toilet paper. Then, they can order delivery via mobile in three convenient ways: make a phone call / ask for a callback, SMS or send a WhatsApp message.
MaNgema, one of Kuloola’s customers told The Fuse, “Before using this system, I used to leave my house very early in the morning to make sure I get to the store on time, to avoid the long queues because many pensioners go on the same day. Buying groceries would be an all-day activity, and my bones are already giving up on me, so I would tire. But now, that young man has made things so much easier for me and my grandchildren – they can focus on their studies, and I can focus on my health.”
After spending 13 years as an educator, Mlungisi Nkosi has developed methods of making Mathematics and Physical Science easy to understand for learners in Grades 10 to 12.
His passion for teaching and seeing others do well led him to start a YouTube channel that has since become one of the fastest-growing YouTube Channels in the area of Education. His channel has impacted over 250 000 individuals, with over 106 000 subscribers to date.
Mlungisi is one of the 13 content creators who were selected to be part of the YouTube Black Voices fund program, class of 2022.
His content continues to inspire those who want to excel in Mathematics and Physical Science. The channel has an impact in sub-Saharan countries, the USA, the UK, and Northern and Southern Africa.
“The aim is to change the narrative of South African youth and young adults in the area of Mathematics and Physical Science to become globally competitive,” he writes on his website. And with the new academic year about to start, it’s people like Mlungisi’s content that students and pupils should be binging on right now.
