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Poor man with nothing but money
Following a shocking incident where a wealthy man threatened women at a Sandton restaurant after being rejected, Sandile Memela examines the toxic intersection of instant wealth,…
Quiet luxury with purpose: How a former principal built Avela Lodge & Spa
Former school principal Lindiwe Ginya has built Avela Lodge & Spa in the Magaliesberg, transforming a vision for educational retreats into a thriving sanctuary of purpose-driven…
What we say when we think no one is listening
Three decades into democracy, South Africans still retreat into separate racial silences and stereotypes. Matuba Mahlatjie explores what we say when no one is listening.
Cele tears into apartheid operatives
Former police commissioner and minister Bheki Cele testified before the Khampepe Commission investigating delayed TRC cases, facing questions on missing anti-apartheid activists…
Zimbabwe: When the grave digs itself
Zimbabwe's proposed Constitution Amendment Bill No 3 extends presidential terms and criminalises communication with foreign entities, threatening the core of the country's…
Booktok, performance and the politics of reading
In the age of BookTok, reading has evolved from a solitary pleasure into a public performance. This article delves into how social media has reshaped our relationship with books,…
White foreigners arrive; Black Africans ‘flood’
Sandile Memela’s argument begins with a convenient sanitising move. The anti-migrant marches, he argues here (https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/2026-07-09-the-truth-the-missing-link-…
‘You strike a queer, you strike a rock’: How ‘Nkoli’ revives the legacy of Simon Nkoli
A vibrant vogue-opera celebrates anti-apartheid and LGBTQ+ activist Simon Nkoli, blending history, spectacle and political resistance with dazzling theatrical flair. The…
Education for liberation, dignity and empowerment: A call to action
This article reflects on three significant anniversaries: 70 years since the women's march against pass laws, 50 years since the 1976 Soweto uprising, and 30 years of South…
Nearly 50 years on, the Market Theatre is still holding up a mirror to South Africa
Three days after the historic Soweto Uprising in 1976, the Market Theatre opened its doors in Johannesburg, becoming a vital space for artistic expression and resistance against…
The uprising they turned into a party: What Youth Day keeps getting wrong
Every June 16th, South Africa celebrates Youth Day with music and speeches, often reposting the iconic image of Hector Pieterson. But historian Noor Nieftagodien argues these…
The Arc betrayed
The 1976 generation fought against Bantu Education for liberation, but their grandchildren, born after 1994, navigate a different landscape. This article explores whether the…