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Ukhahlamba Zulu Dancers rehearse at the Madala Hostel in Alexandra.  Photo: Oupa Nkosi

Halala the Zulu cultural revival

Hostels are finding ways to transmute blighted history into safe places for cultural expression to take root, Oupa Nkosi discovers

8 September 2021: Clothes hang to dry at the Nancefield Hostel in Klipspruit, Soweto. (Oupa Nkosi)

Light on the horizon for Soweto’s hostels

Built during apartheid, hostels in the township have become dilapidated and dangerous. But a dynamic young member of Joburg’s mayoral committee is on a mission to change this

Economists at the 2022 Tax Indaba weighed in on South Africa’s economic prospects, as growth flatlines. (Photo by GUILLEM SARTORIO / AFP)

Crisis is an opportunity to heal South Africa’s divisive spatial geographies

Apartheid architecture still strips many of dignity; they are on the periphery and rendered invisible

The Portfolio: Nocebo Bucibo

Photographer Nocebo Bucibo explores the role of photography in the production of the Thokoza hostels as spaces

The evolution of backpacking (Photo Archive)

The evolution of backpacking

A look at how the local backpacking culture has transformed

Editorial: Where are the police?

The killings at Glebelands hostel continue amidst accusations of partisan law enforcement – inevitably fuelling perceptions of official complicity.

Kill site: Glebelands hostel is the crime scene of at least 21 murders since February 2014.

Glebelands: Fingers pointed at untouchable ‘serial killer’

Still no convictions, despite statements from 50 victims in which the same perpetrator is named.

No reprieve from hostility in Dube

Neither violent protests nor politics have helped hostel residents who still live in squalor.

The issue of hostel redevelopment continues to be a thorny one, with accusations of political agendas being raised at party political level as well. (Skyler Reid, M&G)

Trepidation reigns at protest-hit Dube Hostel

The calm prevailing at Dube Hostel hinges on whether the electricity problems it is experiencing can be fixed for good, according to hostel leaders.

Adequate housing a major practical challenge

The hostel systems of the past have to be replaced by housing with one individual per room, writes Johann Barnard.

Hostels must be integrated into inclusive housing policy

Hostels must be integrated into inclusive housing policy

The Inkatha Freedom Party in Gauteng has welcomed the investigation by the M&G into the hostel situation faced by numerous families in Soweto.

Contested space: Soweto’s Community Residential Units in Mzimhlophe are yet to be occupied.

Crumbling hostels refuse to go away

A lack of management as well as distrust and infighting have brought redevelopment to a halt. Kwanele Sosibo reports.

Families united as hostel undergoes transformation

The transformation of City Deep hostel, where as many as 14 men once crammed into a single room, was shown off to the media on Wednesday.

Hostel eradication kicks off in Soweto

The launch of a hostel eradication programme in Soweto this week stirred speculation that the Gauteng government had been spurred into action by fears of further xenophobic…