Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Thought Leader

The DRC may have lost against England but they achieved something arguably more significant

The Democratic Republic of Congo's return to the FIFA World Cup after 52 years transcended football, becoming a powerful platform to challenge enduring stereotypes about Africa…

Daily Monitor and NTV Closure: When independent media and press freedom is under siege, what happens next?

In the mid night hours of 28th June, 2026, the military operatives of Uganda people’s defense forces raided premises of the Daily Monitor newspaper publications on plot 29/35,…

Next UN secretary-general must be a woman

For eight decades, the UN has championed equality, yet its highest office has remained closed to women. This article argues that the next UN Secretary-General must be a woman to…

Grant: With youth unemployment so high, the informal and gig economy is realistically the primary absorber of young workers for the foreseeable future. Photo: Sassa

Grants, hustles and debt – the patchwork economy keeping millions afloat

South Africa's economy has seen little growth in over a decade, with official unemployment at 33% and a real figure closer to 43%. Discover how citizens, particularly the youth,…

Trailblazer: A statue of Althea Gibson in Branch Brook Park, New Jersey. Photo: Supplied

The trailblazing legacy of black women in tennis

Explore the transformative impact of black women in tennis, from Althea Gibson's pioneering courage to the dominance of the Williams sisters and the rise of new stars. Discover…

 Born in Berlin to a Ghanaian father, Jérôme Boateng chose Germany. Photo: Instagram

Football has beaten the border wall

Football has become one of the world’s most eloquent arguments against the fiction of sealed borders. The modern game is no longer arranged neatly around birthplace, passport or…

Foul: For the US, the lesson is not so different to the lesson for South Africa after the opening World Cup game against Mexico: stay in the room. Photo: Screenshot/Fifa

Red cards and peace treaties

Drawing parallels between South Africa's World Cup red cards and US foreign policy, this article argues that America's approach to Iran has been self-defeating. It explores the…

Life beyond a degree

South Africa's youth unemployment crisis is exacerbated by a growing disconnect between young people's preparedness for work and the skills the economy needs. This article…

Mandela’s legacy deserves neither blind veneration nor reckless denigration

Every July, millions honour Nelson Mandela. This article defends his legacy against misrepresentation, arguing that criticisms from 'pseudo-revolutionaries' are historically…

Power of partnership in HIV fight

South Africa has launched lenacapavir, a groundbreaking HIV prevention medicine, marking a significant moment in the country's fight against the epidemic. This article reflects…

Reparatory justice matters to SA too

Reparatory justice, often seen as a distant conversation amidst daily struggles, holds significant relevance for South Africans. The recent Accra conference highlighted how…

Julius Malema. Credit: Julius Malema/ X

Holding public servants accountable is not defamation

A recent high court judgment in South Africa has affirmed that holding public servants accountable in the public domain does not amount to defamation. This ruling, stemming from…

Roadblock: Cheap sugar imports, mainly from India, Guatemala, Brazil and Thailand, are killing the struggling industry. Photo: Delwyn Versamy

Accelerate diversification in the sugar sector to cushion jobs, say key roleplayers in the industry

Following a landmark deal, key players in South Africa's sugar industry advocate for diversification into biofuels and other products to save jobs and drive growth. This…

Starlink in Angola: Connectivity, control and the quiet politics of the sky

Starlink's entry into Angola highlights a critical test for governance and sovereignty in the 21st century. As regulators navigate licensing, the nation grapples with integrating…

Crime intelligence head Major General Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan's lawyers invite Madlanga Commission to verify his critical condition in hospital

The legal team representing suspended crime intelligence head Feroz Khan has invited the Madlanga Commission to verify his critical condition in hospital. This comes after claims…

MK Party MP Shongwe hints at Khan-Idac cabal in SAPS

MK Party MP Vusi Shongwe has told the Madlanga Commission that suspended deputy head of Crime Intelligence Feroz Khan allegedly offered him business opportunities to dissuade him…

Circumcision season is upon us

Mpumalanga celebrates a 100% success rate in its initiation schools, with all 716 initiates returning home safely. This article highlights the province's successful interventions…

Youth

Community investment must create youth jobs

With South Africa's youth unemployment at 45.8%, this article argues that every community development project should be designed to create jobs for young people, not just deliver…

Black-on-black persecution: An Operation Dudula demonstration in the Eastern Cape. Photo: Operation Dudula

Testing the will of the people: The state-citizen confrontation in South Africa

The rise of anti-illegal immigration movements like Operation Dudula and March and March signals a critical moment for South African democracy, highlighting deep-seated…

What is infrequent, and horrifies us, are the repeated appearances of “criminality” and “xenophobia” conjoined as one event. (Hanna Brunlof)

A call to action against Afrophobic violence

The Beijing+30 Women’s Movement expresses its grave concern and unequivocal condemnation of the rising and increasingly violent wave of Afrophobic attacks unfolding across South…