More than 3 300 students attended the university’s first Witsies Got Talent competition, where sold-out crowds, cheering audiences, and standout performances transformed the Great Hall into a celebration of student talent
Ntando Qangule won the competition and R30 000, followed by Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe with R20 000 and Luke Scrase with R10 000.
Singing, poetry, dance, and audience participation turned the finale into a celebration of student talent and campus life.
Cheers echoed across the Great Hall on Saturday evening as students chanted Ntando Qangule’s name before she had even stepped onto the stage.
Moments later, the third-year Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance student delivered the singing performance that would win her the first Witsies Got Talent title and R30 000 in prize money.
The grand finale, hosted by Campus Housing and Residence Life on May 9, brought together the competition’s top 12 finalists after 137 students initially entered.
Qangule, who said she had been feeling ill before the performance, credited feedback from judges in previous rounds for helping shape her final act. “Perform. You’re not just here to sing. We know you have a voice, but perform,” she said, recalling the advice she received during the competition.
Poet Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe placed second and received R20 000, while second-year LLB student Luke Scrase secured third place and R10 000 for his tap-dancing performance.
The top three winners of Witsies Got Talent 2026 pose with their prize cheques at the Great Hall on May 9. From left are third-place winner Luke Scrase, first-place winner Ntando Qangule and second-place winner Zinhle Bhebhe alongside sponsors and organisers. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Students fill the Great Hall during the sold-out Witsies Got Talent grand finale hosted by Campus Housing and Residence Life. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Hosts Simon Bopape (left) and Khayalethu Xaba engage the audience during the Witsies Got Talent grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
From left are judges Dr Moloi, Thembisile Mathebula, Vuyolwethu Matiwane and Sibusiso Mkhize during the Witsies Got Talent grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
The winner of the Wooden Mic Talent 2026, Promise Ntshudisane, known as Dese Ke Star, shakes judge Sibusiso Mkhize’s hand. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
One of the standout moments of the night came from Scrase’s tap dancing routine, which left judge Vuyolwethu Matiwane admitting that she had forgotten to write down a score because she was so captivated by the performance.
“Audiences are not always open-minded enough to appreciate something like tap… but the judges and the audience really got into it, and I could not be more grateful,” Scrase later told Wits Vuvuzela.
The finale featured performances from Angelic Voices of Buffness, Luke Scrase, Kira Attfield-Fuchs, Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe, Munei Nthai, Nandi Moyo, Asibonge Ntuli, Ogomotseng Gaonathebe, Dineo Modisane, Raiders 6, Cebisile Banda, and Ntando Qangule.
Audience participation remained high throughout the evening as students sang, danced, and competed for prizes handed out by hosts Simon Bopape and actor Khayalethu Xaba. Fourth-year BA Theatre and Performance student Asibonge Ntuli also received a standing ovation before she even began performing her original song.
Celebrity performances from Aymos, Soweto’s Finest, and Clemour Ngobeni added to the atmosphere as judges Dr Moloi, Vuyolwethu Matiwane, Thembisile Mathebula, and Sibusiso Mkhize evaluated performances ranging from singing and poetry to dance and visual art.
Campus Housing and Residence Life organiser, Mr Maphumulo, said the initiative aimed to create opportunities for students beyond the classroom.
“The talent show is critical because it addresses several issues, such as alternative entertainment, raises awareness about drug/alcohol free residence communities, and most of all, mental health. The show not only gives a platform but also allows students to have a healthy competition amongst themselves,” he said.
Promise Ntshudisane, known as Dese Ke Star, won the Wooden Mic Talent 2026 category, a comedy-focused category created mainly for entertainment.
Alongside cash prizes, finalists also received Pick n Pay vouchers, sponsored trips, and opportunities to perform at future university events.
As the crowd slowly emptied from the Great Hall, students were still replaying performances, singing lyrics, and debating their favourite acts from the night.
FEATURED IMAGE: Witsies Got Talent 2026 winners Luke Scrase, Ntando Qangule, and Zinhle Bhebhe pose with their prize cheques after the grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
The Melville Art Mile reactivates the creative heritage of the suburb.
Once a month, the Melville Art Mile creates a walkable art experience in the heart of student life in Johannesburg, Melville.
Artists, are given the opportunity to exhibit their work in a way that is accessible to all.
Melville is reclaiming its spot as Johannesburg’s creativity hub.
Ask anyone who has been a university student in Johannesburg; they have been to or at least heard of Melville. From the cute cafes to the busy bars to the grand graffiti adorning almost every crevice of the area, Melville creates a vibrant, friendly atmosphere that differs from its neighbouring suburbs.
The suburb has begun to center itself as Johannesburg’s creativity hub. Student culture has shifted the legacy of the environment from a quiet, calm Afrikaaner area to the lively, artsy dynamic it has become.
One event captures the soul of the suburb, the Melville Art Mile, a monthly event along the Melville Strip.
Canvases spill out onto the streets, loud laughter can be heard all around, and handmade trinkets are on display. This is the scene that greeted me when I visited on Thursday, May 7. The event invites people to enjoy a night of art, music, and community by providing an accessible way to curate and consume art, a welcome detour, especially for students.
Artwork by Indoni on exhibit at Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender
The Melville Art Mile offers opportunities for young emerging artists to display their work. This provides them with the push they might need to fulfil their dreams. A singular compliment on their brushstrokes from a stranger or even a few new followers on Instagram, is sometimes all it takes to get one foot out the door.
Many artists credited Melville in their artistic journeys as this environment is one of the only places that one can paint without anyone disturbing them, in reference to graffiti art. “Melville has always been known as an artist sanctuary.” Aubrey Moloto, the founder of Melville Art Mile, told this reporter.
Thalia Ngcobo, a young artist with work on display at the event, shared, “This is a great opportunity especially for those who are starting out, because starting out is scary. Doing this is the first step in your career.”
The Melville Art Mile is considered an “open market for artists because there’s nowhere in Johannesburg where you are able to sell your artworks to a public audience and receive all the comission,” Moloto explained while discussing the benefits of exhibiting at this event. “All you need to do is fill out an online form that can be found via the organisation’s social media pages and wait to be selected. Melville artists and businesses are prioritised as “this is for them, by them,” he further commented.
Artist Alex Dibakwane and his artwork, Ancestral Disputes, on exhibit at Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Moloto shared that the initiative of the organisation is to remind the city as well as everyone around it that Melville, at its core, is a creative space. Another goal is to boost the economy of the area.
Every turn that you take, every street you walk down, and every exhibit you enter, shows you exactly what Melville is becoming – a space for creatives to exist without (too much) worry.
The neighbourhood is more than just its dangerous reputation. Moloto hopes to “shake that narrative” through the First Thursday monthly Melville Art Mile events. The organisation’s driving force is to regenerate Melville’s creative roots and bring back life to the local businesses by boosting the economy and providing work for everyone in the neighbourhood, from students to residents to artists.
“Melville is a great example of what Johannesburg should be,” explained Neil Badenhorst, a frequent attendee at Melville Art Mile.
According to event attendees, art has a pretentious culture attached to it. In theory, art is meant to be something accessible and interactive, a source of community. However, in practice, it has become a very clinical experience. The welcoming and vivid feel has been disrupted by an elitist and alienating crowd.
Yet, this is not the case in Melville. In Melville, art is for everyone.
It belongs to those who cannot afford a ticket to an art gallery. It belongs to those who can sketch in their sleep. It belongs to those who do not understand the difference between acrylic, watercolour, or gouache. It belongs to those who can mould a block of clay into a masterpiece.
FEATURED IMAGE: Attendee looking at artwork on display at the Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender.
When Wits met La Réunion on stage, language fell away and music took over. Voices Without Borders brought French precision and African warmth together for one unforgettable night at the Atrium.
Picture of Wits choir warming up for the event. Photo by: Reatlehile Mashamba
The Faculty of Humanities and the Wits Choir welcomed Choeur du Petit Conservatoire de I’Est for a joint concert titled Voices Without Borders on May 08 at the Wits Artiruim.
The performance was set to start at 18:30 with guests arriving an hour earlier, filling the air with excitement and anticipation. From the moment the first note rang, the contrast between both choirs was evident, and that was the essence of the evening: a cultural exchange with no borders.
Led by director Fanny Prie, the French choir set the stage with precision and harmony of classical French repertoire. Based in Saint-Andre, La Reunion, the 45-strong youth ensemble is known back home for their “Bus de Noel” tour across schools and hospitals. Their sound was clean, controlled and disciplined, with pure evidence of what years of training sound like in every phrase they sang.
Yet, the performance didn’t feel cold; it brought warmth to a country far from home. “We are a population and a mix; that’s what our choir represents. It’s difficult because African choirs sing in their languages, but it has been a lesson for us and the exchange helps us exchange the French repertoire.” said Prie. The Artiruim fell silent after the last note, then broke into applause, as language barriers disappeared through music. On the other side, Menzi Gumede and Sasha Xola Dladla-Nkosi shaped the Wits Choir for the evening. It was nerve wracking for them going in not knowing what the audience’s turnout would be, but there was clear excitement from both conductors.
They pushed the choir into rhythm and created a beautiful harmony, listening for how it could blend well with the French choir’s precision. For Dladla-Nkosi, that was the point of the night. “Shared harmony is the ability to do things with people who have not been exposed to the choir setting. Harmony in itself blows people who are not involved in choirs away.” said Dladla-Nkosi.
The electric feeling from both conductors came through in the passionate voices of the choir. The choir blended well mixing raw talent to make beautiful melodies. When the Wits choir missed a note and had to restart, the moment wasn’t met with embarrassment by performers and the audience. It was instead met with a shared understanding that they were striving for perfection.
The idea of “shared harmony” stopped being just an idea and became what was happening in real time. It wasn’t about which choir was better; it was about what happens when two different traditions and age groups meet with the intent to learn from each other and deliver the best performance.
“The cultural exchange is something I’m looking forward to because they are an elderly choir. I’m just really excited to be here. I think music is a universal language and them coming from France and us from South Africa and us coming together for the love of music encapsulate what shared harmony means” said Kea Maphila, an alto singer for Wits choir.
When both choirs came together on stage, it was nothing but beautiful. The precision and energy from both choirs completed the entire evening. In that moment the differences in language, style and training did not matter; what remained was a shared sound that felt bigger than each choir. Reunionese choral music blends French choral discipline with Maloya rhythms, a Créole style from African, Malagasy and Indian heritage on the island’s sugar plantations. South Arican choral music blends Western hymns with indigenous African traditions in the Amakwaya style, becoming an identity and community tool. It showed that music does not need perfect translation to connect people, it needs two groups willing to listen and meet in the middle.
Picture of Wits choir practising while French choir watches them. Photo by: Reatlehile Mashamba
FEATURED IMAGE: Picture of Wits choir warming up for the event. Photo by: Reatlehile Mashamba
Wits E-Hub Market Day turned the Library Lawns into a lively marketplace where students put their entrepreneurial feet first.
Wits E-Hub Market Day gives student entrepreneurs an opportunity to sell products, test ideas, and build visibility on campus,
With South Africa’s youth unemployment rate at 46.1%, more students are turning side hustles into viable income streams while still studying.
Student-led businesses like Ilanga Coils show how personal experiences are being turned into scalable ventures, supported by campus entrepreneurship spaces.
Image of crochet handbags by Eddies Craft
Decorated stalls lined at the Wits University Library Lawns as students moved between vendors selling jewellery, bags, new tech innovations, candles, henna art and sweet treats. Behind one table, third-year year Accounting Sciences student Tassy Mabuza was already close to selling out of his, Barebites, sweets from his business, Sweetplug co.
The Wits Entrepreneurship-Hub (E-hub) supports students interested in starting and growing businesses. Based at the Matrix Building on campus, the hub provides networking opportunities, pitching sessions, market days and co-working spaces for collaboration and ideation. Faith Njoko, project co-ordinater at E-Hub,says through weekly business events and entrepreneurship programmes, they help students gain practical business experience outside of the classroom. A vital bridge between academic study and the realities of running a business for many students.
Through initiatives such as the recent Market Day, students can test products, interact directly with customers and build brand visibility within the campus community.
Beyond the lively atmosphere, the event reflects a growing culture of entrepreneurship among young South Africans and students navigating a difficult economy and rising youth unemployment. According to Statistics South Africa, the country’s official unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, while youth unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 reached 46.1%. Against this backdrop, side hustles are becoming more than temporary trends for students. From haircare brands and food businesses to fashion and creative services, many young people are using entrepreneurship to create opportunities for themselves.
This growing entrepreneurial culture is largely solution driven, with students identifying everyday problems and developing businesses that respond to real needs within their communities.
Image of iLanga Coils Hair Products
One of the student entrepreneurs at the market, Nomusa Khambule, turned a personal struggle with natural hair into a growing business while completing her master’s degree in management specialising in entrepreneurship and new venture creation. Khambule’s Ilanga Coils was born in 2022 after she struggled to find products that worked for her own hair. Drawing from her science background, she started experimenting with ingredients and formulas before officially launching the business in 2023. “What started as solving my own problem became something much bigger once people started responding positively to the products,” she said.
Since then, the brand has expanded beyond campus markets and recently collaborated on a campaign with Absa, a milestone Khambule said validated the potential of student owned businesses. However, balancing postgraduate studies and entrepreneurship has not been easy. Khambule rejected the idea of “perfect balance”, saying that running a business while studying requires constant prioritisation. “Some days school needs more attention, and other days the business comes first,” she explained.
Despite the challenges, Khambule said physical market events remain important because customers can directly experience the products before purchasing them. “For haircare especially, people want to touch, smell and try products before buying them,” she said.
Additionally, she said that “markets help build trust and visibility.” Although Ilanga Coils is now profitable, Khambule said scaling production remains one of her biggest hurdles as she still operates from her kitchen. She hopes to eventually expand the brand into a recognised African cosmetics company.
Image of Snowflicker Studios Candles
As the market slowly began to quiet down, students packed away the last of their products after a day of sales and networking. For many of them, the businesses displayed on the library lawns are more than temporary side hustles, they mark the beginning of long-term ambitions.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image of Tassy Mabuza, founder of Sweetplug co at the E-Hub market showcase. Photo: Nqobile Mtshali
A creative powerhouse whose legacy is defined by life experiences, grit, passion and purpose.
Malcolm Purkey is famously known as a multifaceted genius. A playwright, director, actor, lecturer and an experienced Dean of AFDA Johannesburg. From humble beginnings, Purkey carved his own path in theatre and education rooted at Wits University.
Born in 1951, Yeoville, Johannesburg, Purkey spent his life moving around the city. His parents came from Britain; his father Harold Purkey was a jazz pianist and his mother, Kay Purkey was a hardworking singer. It is no surprise, then, that Purkey inherited all the artistic talent from both his parents.
A photo of Malcolm Purkey standing next to Sophiatown board. Photo: Sikelelekile Pahlana
Purkey is a true Witsie, he started at Wits in 1970 and studied English, Sesotho and Ancient Greek. He initially dropped out because he had failed his undergraduate modules and found his way back to Wits, completing English One. Afterwards, he left school and worked in a theatre for six months, which marked the beginning of his theatre career. He left South Africa to go to Britain, and realised Britain was not home, in fact he came to the conclusion that: “I am neither African nor European, I am both.”
His return to Wits to complete his honours in English, built a box theatre in the Matrix alongside an architect and he also built The Nunnery theatre.
As Purkey spoke to Wits Vuvuzela, a vivid recollection of being taught the absurdist play, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett by former English lecturer, Hilary Semple. A seminal moment for him.
“I’m an absurdist. Oh my God. There is no God. Oh, my God what am I supposed to do? So, what I did is I wrote [sic] an answer. Where the two characters who are looking, waiting for Godot, they finally get to heaven, and they find out that the realisation of a dream is hopelessly inadequate. The journey is all…That was the play I wrote, and it got professors saying nice things about it,” he shared.
The play in question was Sequel to Jeso (1971), which was one of his first plays shown at Wits, in the Great Hall.
Decades on, Purkey’s imprint in theatre continues to be felt the resurgence of the play Sophiatown (1986), which was recently on show at the Wits Theatre. Sophiatown has successfully sold one million copies of the play text published by Wits University Press and Macmillan Publishers which happens to also be a part of the current grade 11 first additional language curriculum.
Purkey believes that drama, as both a subject and medium, is a powerful tool. “Drama teaches you a whole lot of power, language, talking and being in the world.” He first learned just how powerful when he co-founded the Junction Avenue Theatre Company in 1976 and later joined forces with Workshop 71 to form a non-racial theatre group that could shed a light on the injustice of the Apartheid regime.
A guiding principle for the company was “history from below.” It “was the idea that we have to reveal the hidden history that the apartheid state wanted hidden, such as the destruction of Doornfontein, the destruction of Sophiatown, the ANC in exile,” he shared.
His first award followed shortly after in 1978, when Purkey won best director of the year for the play Travesties.
Through his work and life experience Purkey has been able to not only achieve much but also live up to his sense of purpose, which is: “To use theatre to communicate wonderful, contradictory, and telling ideas that reveal part of our worlds to ourselves and part of ourselves to ourselves that otherwise remain hidden”.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of Malcolm Purkey. Photo by: Sikelelekile Pahlana
Every Wednesday at any Roco Mama’s near you, students are signing waivers, sweating through ten burning wings and calling it a good time. But this is not really about the food.
Every Wednesday, something unusual happens at Roco Mama’s branches across the country. Students pull up in groups, sign a legal waiver and willingly eat ten of the hottest wings on the menu in under 10 minutes for a chance to win a cap and a free meal worth R200. Most of them lose. Almost none of them regret it.
The challenge has quietly become a student ritual, Witsies are showing up in numbers. Waiter Jimmy Khumalo stated that “Yona iWits iya si supporta” which translates to Wits really supports us.
The rules are simple. Ten hot wings, a side of fries and a 500ml sprite. Finish everything in ten minutes and the meal is on the house. Tap out and you are R200 lighter. Before any of that, you sign a waiver. Rosebank branch manager Giovanni Bernicchi is straightforward about why “We won’t be liable for anything that happens to the person, that is why we have a contract in place, which remains valid for up to one year” he stated.
What draws students in? Bernicchi says it is a combination. “Students are coming for both the content and the experience. Because it only happens once a year, they want see how it is and experience something that is hot” he added.
But spend any time watching a table attempt the challenge, and one thing becomes immediately clear. Nobody is doing this alone, even when they came alone. Strangers lean across tables offering advice. Friends count down together. Someone who already tapped out becomes the loudest cheerleader for the person still going.
There is a camaraderie that heat seems to manufacture, there is a shared suffering in it that makes strangers feel closer, more quickly than most situations would. On the Wednesday I visited, three separate groups of student friends were there to take on the challenge. Though different in race and background, they had the same energy. The restaurant for those few minutes felt less like a dining space, and more like a locker room before a big sports game.
A group of friends bow their heads and join hands in prayer over plates of spicy hot wings and fries at RocoMamas. Photo: Rearabilwe Tsebela
This sense of solidarity may also explain a quieter phenomenon at these tables: the placebo effect. In this context, the placebo effect refers to the way a person’s belief that they can get through the heat, reinforced by the encouragement of those around them, makes the experience more bearable that it would be alone. The pain does not disappear, but the brain works with the body rather than against it. When a stranger tells you, “you have got this” and your friends suffering right alongside you, community becomes the painkiller.
Oratilwe Mabizela, who completed the challenge, speaks to exactly this. “I love challenging myself and I hate quitting’’, he said. Mabizela grew up eating spicy food and wanted to test his limits and set out to become the first person to complete the challenge at the Loftus Park branch. On whether he would do it again? He replied “Oh no! The challenge itself is not that bad, the aftermath is, when the food has to go out”, he said.
Tshidi Thabethe did not complete the challenge however does not frame it as a loss. “I paid for the experience more than the food. It was fun, intense and definitely something different”, she said. Thabethe came after seeing the buzz online, curious to find out if the challenge lived up to the hype. It did. Her TikTok video of the attempt has since reached 1.1 million views turning one Wednesday into viral content long after the heat has worn off.
Students are willing to risk R200 not for the food and not just for the content but for a story they get to tell together. Win or lose, they walk away with something no meal alone could offer: the memory of having gone through something hard, with other people and coming out the other side laughing.
The edge Witsies try and conquer is not always academic. Sometimes it is sitting across the table from a friend suffering through the same fire and realising you are not alone. Ten wings. 10 minutes. Community.
The challenge is available every Wednesday at Roco Mama’s, so wherever you are in the city, there is a table and a waiver waiting to be signed.
FEATURED IMAGE:The outdoor seating area of RocoMamas Rosebank, featuring wooden picnic-style benches and warm lighting under a modern black frame. Photo: Rearabilwe Tsebela
Street skate culture is alive and thriving in the heart of Jozi.
F City hosts a skate competition in Selby.
Young skaters flock to the event to show off their tricks.
Skate culture facilitates youth development and community building.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Picture of skater mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
On Saturday April 25, wheels were rolling and sneakers were skidding in Johannesburg’s inner-city as F City Market brought skateboarding to the streets of Selby.
The afternoon was filled with cheers as a group of young skaters from central Johannesburg crowded around a small wooden ramp, eager to showcase their skills. The prize: a brand new skateboard courtesy of Crispy Skateboards.
This was young Isheanesu Hove’s first day doing a double kickflip: a move which crowned him the winner of the competition. “Skating to me, it means life,” Hove says, proudly clutching his newly won board. “It inspires me.”
This event is one of many hosted by F City Market in collaboration with Crispy Skateboards to bring skating back to its roots. Joe Dludla and Rhandzi Rhay, two students who founded the movement, were spurred by the lack of skating events in Johannesburg.
With most events being larger-scale or enclosed in skate parks, Dludla and Rhay saw a need to create an alternative space on the streets of Braamfontein for the youth by the youth.
Street skating is central to what Dludla calls the “core culture of skateboarding,” an activity that isn’t limited to skate parks, but open on the streets and accessible to all. “It’s a very small niche scene, so we need to keep it alive,” he adds.
At its core, the space is dedicated to uplifting the youth and providing them with a platform to hone their skills. Each month, F City hosts a youth development mentorship programme in collaboration with Growing Alexandra Skate Club, which aims to cultivate growth and creativity among the youth of Jozi.
As this initiative is still relatively new, it is in desperate need of volunteers. Dludla and Rhay encourage anyone with a skillset to share their craft– from skateboarding to graffiti to music. “We’re trying to influence the next generation of kids,” Rhay says.
The event extends beyond just skating; it’s a culture rooted in creativity and artistic freedom. As co-founder of Crispy Skateboards, Kaelik Dullaart says, “It’s the music. It’s the aesthetic. It’s the attitude. It’s the community.”
Drawn together by a love for skating, the space has become more than just an event; it has become a family.
As the sun set, the kids departed as a group back to their homes in town; skateboards ablaze beneath their feet.
Picture of the young skateboarders on Webber Street. Photo: Jamie Ho.
FEATURED IMAGE: Picture of a skater suspended in the air mid-trick. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Wits students react to the Zara x John Galliano collab. In a cost-of-living crisis, is the designer label still a status symbol or just overpriced plastic?
Global high-fashion icon John Galliano signs a historic two-year creative partnership with Zara.
Wits students are divided; some chase the ‘status’ of the label, while others slam the ‘tacky’ dilution of luxury.
The rise of high-quality ‘dupes’ and fast fashion collabs is blurring the line between prestige and plastic.
Luxury used to be defined by exclusivity, the rustle of silk, the weight of hand-stitched leather, and a price tag that felt like a gatekeeper. But as Vogue reports about the unexpected two-year partnership between the legendary John Galliano and fast-fashion giant Zara, the golden gates of high fashion have swung wide open. Wits students may be far away from the fashion high streets of Milan or Paris, but they had something to say about the reported collaboration.
The collaboration, set to debut in September 2026, marks the return of Galliano (the former Dior creative director known for theatrical couture) to the mass market.
For Lindani Dweba, a final-year BA student majoring in Politics and HR, the allure is simple: the name. “I would buy for the name,” Dweba admits. When faced with the choice between a R1,800 designer-labelled polyester jacket and a R200 thrifted wool coat, he leans toward the label. “Preferably the label. But luxury is becoming cheapened because of alternatives making the same thing.”
However, not everyone is buying the hype. For Caleb Boroto, a first-year Film and TV student, the collaboration feels “tacky.” Boroto argues that someone of Galliano’s regard partnering with a fast-fashion brand strips away the luxury feel entirely. “Gun to my head, I’d pick the R200 wool jacket,” says Boroto. “I’d prefer to be sustainable and choose something that lasts, like wool or cotton.”
The Reality of Aspiration: Lindani Dweba, a final year student, wears Nike P-6000s (R2,399), which serve as an attainable alternative to luxury items like the Gucci Rhyton sneaker (R21,700). Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
Katlego Hlahla, a third-year Actuarial Science student, echoes this scepticism, noting that luxury prices often feel “unnecessarily inflated” for the quality provided. As Zara’s prices creep up, the lines between ‘high street’ and ‘high end’ are blurred.
The psychology of the label remains a powerful force, even when the quality is questionable. Sephaku Tshoshi and Kirsten Pudi, both fourth-year Accounting Science students, admit they would choose a designer name over a thrifted bargain any day. “I wouldn’t get the same bag without the name, even if the quality was the same,” said one of the students, gesturing to her Ted Baker tote. They noted that the rise of high-quality “dupes” has made luxury more accessible, but also less significant. “People are buying fakes now, even people with money. You can’t tell the difference anymore.”
Psychology Honours students Daiyaan Kahan and Jake Fourie said that “accessibility cheapens the value, but people still buy it for the status symbol.” Fourie, however, sees the positive side, “If it’s more accessible, it’s overall good. More people representing a brand is good for the brand’s expansion” he stated
As the Zara x Galliano collection prepares to hit shelves, the Wits campus remains a tug-of-war between the desire for status and the demand for authenticity. In an era where ‘luxury’ can be bought at the mall in a plastic bag, real luxury might just be the ability to tell the difference.
FEATURED IMAGE: Reframing the Aesthetic: By pairing a sporty PUMA track jacket with tailored pinstripe trousers and formal loafers, Demitri Michaud, a postgraduate student, demonstrates a ‘high-low’ styling approach that mirrors global trends of deconstructed luxury. Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
Thrifting may be trendy, but for many students, it is simply the cheapest way to afford fashion.
Economic necessity and “instant gratification” drive some Wits students to second-hand shopping.
The Matrix’s Zaza Clothing reports its busiest year yet as students ditch retail for quality and affordability.
Hidden online fees and poor garment quality are making global fast-fashion giants less appealing to local youth.
In the heart of Braamfontein, the ‘thrift flip’ is more than just a curated style; it is a survival strategy. As South Africa faces a cost-of-living crisis, students are increasingly searching for the perfect R50 vintage shirt. This shift has turned a trendy pastime into a financial necessity.
While discussions about second-hand shopping often highlight ‘slow fashion’ and sustainability, the reality in hubs like Melville and Braam tells a different story. For many of The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) students, thrifting isn’t about saving the planet; it is about saving their bank balance.
On the top floor of the Matrix, the energy at Zaza Clothing is a testament to this shift. Since opening in March 2023, owner Ali Monama says business has grown every year, but 2026 is by far the busiest he has seen.
“I chose the Matrix because fashion starts with the youth,” Monama says. He notes that while sustainability is a plus, the economy is the real driver. “Thrifting is critical for the economy right now. People prefer it because modern retail clothes don’t last, whereas vintage leather and denim are pure quality,” he adds.
The price tags at Zaza Clothing offer a stark alternative to the mall, ranging from R20 earrings to R600 Doc Marten boots. The prices are what appeal to students like Thulani Bikili, a second-year civil engineering student. Bikili thrifts twice a month specifically because of the cost-of-living crisis. “Retail stores are just overpriced,” he says.
For some, the appeal is a mix of budget and “instant gratification.” First-year electrical engineering students, Siyamthanda Mazwan and Naomi Makangume, argue that while sustainability is a “secondary perk,” the real win is finding unique items that allow them to avoid “following the crowd.”
Picture of students browsing through a clothes rack at Zaza Clothing. Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
The duo also highlighted the growing frustration with online giants like Shein. Between unpredictable shipping times and hidden customs fees, they’ve started questioning the true cost of “cheap” online hauls. “Is it really cheaper if I’m paying for all these other hidden fees?” They ask. “With thrifting, you get what you buy then and there. You can actually try it on to see if it fits.”
As financial pressures continue to reshape student life, the shift toward second-hand clothing reveals a generation that is becoming increasingly resourceful. Whether it’s to find a one-of-a-kind vintage piece or simply to survive the month, the students at Wits are proving that in the struggle between ethical spending and economic reality, the price tag, and the quality, is winning every time.
FEATURED IMAGE: Picture of sunglasses and ties taken at Zaza Clothing store in The Matrix. Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
What began as a study group is now a campus staple with 200+ orders. Built on brotherhood and faith, Panache is redefining luxury for the Wits community.
On any given day at Wits University, students cross the Library Lawns wearing hoodies and streetwear that stand out in the crowd. Among the sea of fast fashion, certain pieces carry a specific look that has become a staple of the Braamfontein and Wits community aesthetic. This presence belongs to Panache.
But long before it became a growing local brand, it started with something far simpler: friendship. For students Tshepang Rafutho, third-year accounting science, Kevin Radebe, BComHons in insurance and risk management, Thokozani Matyolo, honours in economic science and Tshiamo Ntlemo, third-year accounting science, Panache was never the original plan.
Their story began in lecture halls and shared study groups, where mutual friends brought them together. What started as an academic collaboration evolved into a friendship rooted in shared interests, ambitions and goals.
The brotherhood remains the brand’s anchor. While many student startups buckle under the pressure of balancing business and academics, the four credit their stability to a shared faith.
Rafutho explains, “At the core of it all, Christ has become the foundation of our friendship. That’s our anchor, the rock on which we stand.” It shapes how we move, how we treat each other and how we handle both challenges and success”. This stability allows them to hold each other accountable and push for growth without the work ever feeling personal.
The idea for Panache grew out of a gap they observed in student life. Matyolo said, “There was not much that reflected accessible luxury for students. We felt like students were not given the opportunity to experience quality and an elevated style that still felt accessible”.
Their first release, the “Princess Diana” hoodie defined the brand’s aesthetic. The design features a high contrast black and white portrait of the late Princess in a tiara, set against heavy black fabric with a minimalist ‘P’ embroidered on the sleeve. The turning point arrived when the founders realised the brand was resonating beyond their own social circles, the order list began to feature names they did not recognise. “I would say it was when people not close to us, people who did not have any obligation to support us were buying the hoodies despite not being familiar with the brand” said Matyolo.
Picture of a black Panache hoodie featuring a graphic print of Princess Diana, laid out on a white garden table. Photo: Rearabilwe Tsebela
We officially decided to go for it when we saw the genuine excitement around our very first drop. Before we had even officially positioned Panache as a brand, people were already treating it like one,” said Rafutho. Since its inception in May 2024, Panache has fulfilled over 200 orders, expanding its reach well beyond its initial circle of supporters. For the founders, seeing students wearing their pieces is the ultimate validation. As Ntlemo puts it, “Like ba believe’a mo rena!” (They believe in us).
“The support is a constant reminder to stay consistent and intentional, because every garment worn carries the Panache name and reflects what the brand stands for” said Ntlemo”
However, the vision for Panache stretches far beyond campus. The team is already building Friends of Panache, a creative ecosystem where ideas, can be brought to life through projects and collaboration. “Our goal is to become the bridge for young creatives who have the talent but lack access to opportunities that allow them to build strong portfolios,” said Radebe.
For instance, a student photographer can transition from taking casual photos to leading a professional clothing photoshoot using Panache apparel, while a model can use Panache’s garments to build solid work needed to reach “bigger stages” like mainstream magazines.
For Rafutho, Radebe, Matyolo and Ntlemo, the message to their peers is clear, you don’t have to wait until you have made it with intention. Whether through a garment or a creative collaboration, Panache is about owning your journey in real time.
FEATURED IMAGE:Picture of the four founders of Panache leaning in against a bright sky, capturing the spirit of collaboration and brotherhood behind the brand. Photo: Rearabilwe Tsebela
Wits students win their second film competition despite facing finance, logistics, and resource challenges.
Three Wit students won the Nikon ZR Filmmaker Challenge 2026.
As part of the competition, their film was premiered in the SK IMAX Cinema in the Mall of Africa.
The trio plans to start a joint film company.
Three Wits film and television students won the 2026 Nikon ZR Filmmaker Challenge for their short film, Threads of a Memory, which was screened as part of the competition at the SK IMAX Cinema in the Mall of Africa on March, 24.
The three, Sesethu Ledwaba, Blessing Tsebe and Hanani Mbam were partly sponsored by Nikon South Africa who provided them with a Nikon ZR camera and three lenses.
Photo of the three winners with film equipment. Photo: Zebrena Ralph
The trio told Wits Vuvuzela that they competed against some renowned filmmakers in a selection process that they saw only the best eight films being premiered at the Ster Kineker IMAX Cinema.
They had the task of outsourcing their own lighting and tripods which they got from the Wits Film and Television Department. On top of this, they funded their own transport, props, and food for their crew by doing side jobs as students, completing production in just three days. Mbam told Wits Vuvuzela that, “luckily for me I had been working at my res from January, so at least that money I was able to make made things a little easier.”
This win comes after the trio won the Italian-South African Short Film Competition in 2025 with their film, The Art of Tricolore.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela, Tsebe said, “It shows that we are a winning formula to some point.”
Despite the Nikon ZR Filmmaker Challenge not having a cash prize, the trio won the Nikon ZR camera, which is a high-performance professional camera.
“It’s better than money” said Tsebe who added that they plan to use it to create more of their own films as a joint film company.
FEATURED IMAGE: Photo of the three winners with film equipment. Photo: Zebrena Ralph
Rirhandzu Shilubane uses her platform to challenge beauty standards and empower women and children.
In a world increasingly shaped by changing beauty standards where weight-loss culture dominates and more young people feel pressured to change their bodies, Rirhandzu Shilubane is working to rewrite that narrative. When she entered the room, she did so with bright energy and a welcoming smile that immediately put one at ease. She has a presence that reflects both confidence and intention.
Shilubane, is a 24-year-old third-year law student at Wits University. She is also a Top 14 finalist in the Face of Plus-Size South Africa 2026 pageant. For her, the pageant is not about appearance, but about the impact.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to be a vessel of change,” she says. “Even before I fully understood what that looked like, I knew I wanted to work in a space where I could contribute to something bigger than myself- especially in advancing rights and justice.”
Her academic journey reflects this purpose. “I became interested in how laws actually work in people’s lives, how we make sure rights are not just written but realised.”
Her decision to enter pageantry is rooted in deeply personal experiences. Growing up, she often felt excluded because of her body size during pageants at her primary school.
Rirhandzu Shilubane, Top 14 finalist in the Face of Plus-Size South Africa 2026 pageant. Photo: Dzulani Muthaphuli/ Plain World PicturesRirhandzu Shilubane, Top 14 finalist in the Face of Plus-Size South Africa 2026 pageant. Photo: Dzulani Muthaphuli/ Plain World Pictures
“I wanted to be part of something that tells young girls, especially those who look like me, that they are worthy, that they are seen,” she says. “Representation matters. When you see someone who looks like you taking up space, it gives you permission to do the same.”
Through her initiative, Elevate Her and Children, Shilubane has translated advocacy into action, running food and clothing drives, supporting a children’s home, and organising programmes centred on dignity and care.
“Dignity is a basic right,” she says. “Sometimes we think it’s something abstract, but for many children, it’s about being acknowledged, being cared for, being given space to just be children.”
Her advocacy for body positivity is equally extensive. “It’s not just about plus-size women,” she explains. “It’s about everyone. You could wake up tomorrow in a different body, but if you’re not at peace with yourself, nothing changes. Body positivity is about being comfortable in your own skin, regardless of size, shape, or appearance.”
Despite criticism that often surrounds beauty pageantry, Shilubane remains steady in her purpose. “I understand the criticism, because some spaces do reinforce harmful standards,” she acknowledges. “But for me, this platform is about deconstructing those ideas. Even if I only reach one person, if one girl starts to see herself differently, then that is enough.”
Rirhandzu Shilubane, Top 14 finalist in the Face of Plus-Size South Africa 2026 pageant. Photo: Dzulani Muthaphuli/ Plain World Pictures
Her resilience, she says, is rooted in her upbringing. “My mother taught me that when a door closes, you don’t stop- you find another way in,” she says.
Looking ahead, Shilubane hopes to use her law degree to expand access to justice and empower communities through education. “People are not voiceless,” she says. “They have voices, they just need platforms that amplify them. I want to be part of creating those platforms.”
Her message to young women is both simple and profound: “When you fully embrace who you are, you give others the freedom to do the same. And that is where real change begins.”
FEATURED IMAGE: Rirhandzu Shilubane, Top 14 finalist in the Face of Plus-Size South Africa 2026 pageant. Photo: Dzulani Muthaphuli/ Plain World Pictures.
Since her announcement as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille has dominated national headlines. In this bonus episode of We Should Be Writing podcast, hosts Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto dissect a media meet-and-greet with the mayoral hopeful. From her extensive political résumé to her controversial public utterance, we examine why the Democratic Alliance has chosen Hellen Zille as their candidate for the 2027 local mayoral elections. Additionally, […]
