Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Lesego Chepape

Creator

Lesego Chepape

Lesego Chepape is a climate reporting fellow, funded by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa

Life lessons: Matau’s story is one of resilience, community and an almost stubborn belief in what is possible. Photo: Supplied

Hloni Modise Matau is giving women their flowers, now

Hloni Modise Matau, founder of the Basadi in Music Awards, has dedicated years to building a platform that celebrates women in an industry that often overlooks them. Her story is…

Preview: Get a glimpse of Rorisang Sechele’s latest work shaped by growth, healing and self-discovery. Photo: Supplied

Gig Guide: Rorisang Sechele’s In Full Bloom at Untitled Basement, Gert-Johan Coetzee launches fragrance line and Zakes Bantwini takes Afro House to Anjunadeep

Get your essential dose of South African arts and culture news, featuring jazz vocalist Rorisang Sechele's upcoming 'In Full Bloom' performance, Grammy-winner Zakes Bantwini's…

Dance: Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa has created a ballet academy that is giving children an opportunity she once lost. Photos: Supplied

Mballet, a garden that grew from concrete

Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa, founder of Mballet Dance Academy, is transforming lives in Tembisa. From her grandmother's backyard, she's created a ballet studio providing children with…

Health advocacy: Nomcebo Dlamini hopes the next generation of women will redefine what leadership looks like. Photo: Supplied

The woman asking South Africa to confront what it has normalised

Nomcebo Dlamini, campaign director of Saapa SA, is leading the charge to challenge South Africa's deeply ingrained drinking culture. She highlights the devastating impact of…

Potent presence: Dr Zakithi Mkhize’s work lives in labs and lecture rooms but also on social media, in schools and in conversations with young women who need to be told: you belong here too. Photos: Supplied

Building belief beyond the laboratory

Dr. Zakithi Mkhize, a virologist specialising in HIV research and founder of Black Girl Scientist Media, is changing perceptions of scientists in South Africa. Through her work…

Resilient: Sissy Obisi Dlamini has never sought recognition for the lives she has quietly held together.

A life built on carrying others

Sissy Obisi Dlamini, affectionately known as Mamkhulu, is a testament to extraordinary resilience. Her life, marked by profound loss and unwavering dedication to others,…

Editorial: Beyond the headlines

In this special Women's Day edition, editor Lesego Chepape reflects on the powerful stories of South African women, highlighting their honesty, courage, and the ripple effect of…

Recognition: The author and her mother, Eva. Photo: Supplied

The women who hold us together

This Women's Day, we honour the remarkable women whose profound contributions often go unnoticed. From community builders to leaders, discover the individuals whose quiet…

Grooving: The trio explore the rich traditions of Afro-Cuban and Latin
jazz through their own contemporary interpretations. Photo: Supplied

Gig Guide: The Ultimate Camping Experience, Lu'Ah Live launches in Cape Town and The Modern Jazz Trio at Centre for Jazz and Popular Music

Discover a diverse array of events across South Africa, from the Modern Jazz Trio's 'A Night in Cuba' in Durban, exploring Afro-Cuban rhythms, to the launch of Lu'Ah Live's…

Inspired: Dr Nontuthuko Mvundla, an aesthetic medical doctor, has built an award-winning practice around a philosophy that sits comfortably between science and art. Photo: Supplied

Dr Nontuthuko Mvundla is redefining African beauty

Award-winning aesthetic medical doctor Dr Nontuthuko Mvundla is challenging conventional beauty standards by placing African identity, artistry, and authenticity at the centre of…

The shirt that unbuttoned freedom

At the opening of Presidential Shirt's new flagship store, actor John Kani and former Constitutional Court judge Albie Sachs reflect on how Nelson Mandela's iconic Madiba shirt…

Game on: The World Group II clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina offers South Africa a chance to rewrite recent history. Photo: Supplied

Gig Guide: Davis Cup action, Artist Proof Studio's KZN debut and Oskido's Big Day Out lineup

This essential gig guide covers three major events in South Africa: the Davis Cup tie between South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Pretoria, Artist Proof Studio's…

When parenting reaches breaking point, ‘Bad Behaviour’ asks who we trust with our children

A new M-Net documentary series, 'Bad Behaviour', delves into South Africa's growing 'troubled teen' industry, questioning the practices of behavioural correction camps and…

Unmistakably local: Every beat, language choice and cultural reference is rooted in the
neighbourhoods K.Keed and Orish call home. Photos: Supplied

‘We want to be a reference point’: K.Keed and Orish on SA hip-hop's future

In an era where South African hip-hop is increasingly shaped by global sounds, K.Keed and Orish's latest project, Umgaranto II, focuses on documenting the people, places, and…

As Hey Hillbrow! Let's Dlala! returns for its seventh edition, hundreds of young people will transform the inner city's streets into a celebration of freedom, reimagining Hillbrow through art, play and the enduring legacy of the 1956 Women's March

Hillbrow's streets become a stage for freedom before Women's Day

As debates around urban belonging continue, a Johannesburg arts project, Hey Hillbrow! Let's Dlala!, responds with song, costume, and collective imagination. On 8 August, over…

Familiar luxury: Sarah Langa says her ambition is to develop what she describes as "an African home" and, eventually, an African design philosophy. Photo: Supplied

Sarah Langa wants African homes to tell African stories

After more than a decade as a pioneering content creator in fashion, Sarah Langa is now making waves in interior design. She's drawing on local materials, traditional…

Storytelling: Chasing Laughter is one of five productions that will
feature in the four-day programme. Photo: Supplied

Gig Guide: Vusi Mahlasela at Jozi Gold, Amy Jephta brings A Good House to the Market Theatre and TX Theatre Hub returns to The Market Theatre

Johannesburg's cultural calendar is packed with must-see events! The TX Theatre Hub Festival returns to The Market Theatre with award-winning productions, music legend Vusi…

Formula 1's luxury makeover is about more than champagne

Formula 1 is increasingly selling luxury, a shift prominently displayed at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix. Moët & Chandon, in its second year as title sponsor under LVMH's…

Gig Guide: Mpho.Wav reworks Bongi Dube's Go Around, Linda Sikhakhane to perform at Jozi Gold Brewing Company and Gospel Music Spotlight returns

Mpho.Wav is set to release his Afro House remix of Bongi Dube’s classic “Go Around” on July 24. Jazz saxophonist Linda Sikhakhane will perform at Jozi Gold Brewing Company on…

Interpretation: Instead of offering fixed meanings, Bronwyn Katz creates space for conversation between the artwork, the material and the person standing before it. Photo: Supplied

Bronwyn Katz digs beneath the surface to uncover stories held by the land

Bronwyn Katz, the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Arts, creates sculptures and installations that delve into ancestral memory, the history of Kimberley, and the quiet…