Marina Penderis

NGOs played a key role in fighting South Africa’s apartheid system of government, and have remained vocal during the first decade of democracy in the country. But, civil society activists now caution that this benign state of affairs should not be taken at face value. Funding remains a contentious issue, for instance.

Clever student, top grades, demanding university course… For anyone in this position, using a cheque book or managing medical insurance should be a cinch, right? Wrong — at least in South Africa, where the after-effects of apartheid continue to be felt in the education system.

The names alone are evocative — Stoned Cherrie, Black Coffee, Sun Goddess — and the clothes they are stitched into even more so. No surprise, then, that the fitted bodices and A-line skirts made famous by the Stoned Cherrie label — and other, distinctively African designs — have become a common sight on local streets.