Africa’s first G20 Summit put youth, fairness and global cooperation at the centre amid grandstanding from a key member.
The 2025 Declaration is stronger than last year’s, adding clear commitments on youth unemployment, food security and critical minerals.
South Africa kept the summit focused despite the United States’ boycott, showing that no single country is bigger than the G20.
Experts and youth leaders say this summit is a turning point, giving Africa a louder voice in global decisions.
Group photograph of world leaders at the G20 summit on 22 November 2025. Photo: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS
The first G20 Summit held on African soil opened with symbolism that felt heavier than just ceremonial. Johannesburg, the “cradle of humanity,” as President Cyril Ramaphosa framed it, hosted a meeting shaped by global fragmentation, a US boycott, and the weight of expectations that Africa would finally speak in its own voice.
The unanimous adoption of a declaration on Saturday, November 22, signals a level of global consensus on pressing matters. Beyond the speeches, the real significance of this summit lies in what the declaration promises, how it differs from past commitments, and how South Africa managed the absence of one of the world’s most powerful nations.
What’s in the declaration?
Compared to Brazil’s in 2024, the 2025 Johannesburg Declaration is far more assertive in addressing long-standing inequalities between the Global North and South. It introduces structural reforms that African states have demanded for decades.
These include deepening international financial architecture reform, expanding multilateral development bank lending capacity, and setting up the first-ever G20 Critical Minerals Framework, which pushes beneficiation and manufacturing in resource-rich developing countries.
The declaration also goes further than previous years on food security through the Ubuntu Approaches, focusing on price volatility and support for smallholder farmers.
The declaration introduces the Nelson Mandela Bay Target, which aims to reduce the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training by 2030.
This target will be supported by new training programmes, more job-creating investments, and digital skills initiatives that the G20 has committed to rolling out for young people.
Rather than simply stating a percentage, this commitment signals that the G20 now recognises young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) as a measurable crisis that requires intentional policy, financing, and monitoring a major shift from previous summits where youth were mentioned only in passing.
It essentially means governments are now expected to treat youth unemployment as a structural problem that must decline meaningfully, not symbolically.
Dismissing the boycotter in chief and the future
For Frank Lekaba, Senior Lecturer at the Wits University, South Africa handled its diplomatic tensions with the US strategically.
“Ramaphosa refused to let the absence dominate the narrative,” he says.
Lekaba repositioned the G20 as larger than any one member. “The message was clear: there’s the G20, and then there are member states. None is bigger than the G20.”
Youth representatives also see this summit as a turning point. Levi Singh, the sherpa of the Y20, says the declaration “contains good context” for addressing youth unemployment, even if gaps remain.
“While it doesn’t prioritise youth issues as strongly as it could, the participation of young people is finally being recognised,” he says.
He praises the South African presidency for modelling a more people-centred, human-focused approach to multilateralism. “It showed that the G20 can be a platform for the Global South. It located Africa’s voice inside the G20.”
With the US absent, some feared the summit would fracture. Instead, South Africa secured unanimous agreement on a declaration that places Africa’s priorities at the centre of global governance discussions.
FEATURED IMAGE: G20 signage outside the media centre at Nasrec. Photo: Likho Mbuka
The streets fell silent as South Africans lay down to honour women lost to gender-based violence, sending a message that silence is no longer an option.
Dressed in black and carrying the weight of a country perpetually in mourning, hundreds gathered at Constitution Hill on Friday, November 21, 2025, joining the nationwide shutdown organised by Women For Change to honour the lives of the 15 women murdered every single day in South Africa.
Participants of the national shutdown hold up placards on November 21, 2025 at Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
At exactly 12pm, participants, including women, children and members of the LGBTQI+ community, lay down for fifteen minutes of silence under the scorching midday sun. Bodies pressed against the burning pavement, many visibly uncomfortable, yet committed to the symbolism of the moment. The air was still. The silence was heavy. The only sound that carried through the venue was the soft, steady calling of the names of the women who have lost their lives, spoken slowly, patiently, and with painful clarity.
In the crowd was *Lerato Madonsela from Braamfischerville, Soweto, a mother attending with her 15-year-old daughter, a survivor of a violent assault earlier this year. For Madonsela, joining the protest was not just an act of solidarity; it was a plea for justice.
“It’s very important for me to be here today because I’m supporting my daughter, who has been going through a lot,” she said. In April, her daughter was allegedly raped by a man dressed in full police uniform, mask, badge, and all.
The police officer waited for her daughter at the bus stop, “He called her and said I sent him to fetch her. She refused, he then intimidated her with a gun, forced her into a car, drove her to an area in Soweto and raped her,” she said.
Her daughter now panics at the sight of anyone in police uniform and cannot identify the man because he was masked.
Madonsela immediately opened a case. “The police took my statement and my daughter’s statement. They did all the tests,” she explained. But just three weeks later, she received an SMS saying the case had been closed. “So my daughter didn’t get justice.”
The ordeal has had lasting effects. Her daughter spent a month in a psychiatric hospital and is still on medication to manage nightmares. The trauma has also disrupted their daily lives. Madonsela said she recently lost her job because her performance suffered while she cared for her daughter. “For me to be here at the shutdown is a blessing,” she said. “I’m here for her.”
Placard that reiterates that enough is enough. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
Women For Change spokesperson, Cameron Kasambala, said the scale of the turnout left her fighting back tears,. “People showed up by the hundreds.” For her, the silent protest demonstrated the collective power behind the movement.
“We matter. Our presence is important. Our voices are powerful,” she said, adding that the willingness of people to lie down in the blistering heat for 15 minutes reflected deep solidarity with victims and families.
She stressed that symbolic gestures from government are no longer enough. She called for proper implementation of policies, transparent communication, specialised training and dedicated units within law enforcement.
“We want real action,” she said firmly. “We have heard enough talking, enough policy promises, enough conversations. The President has acknowledged this crisis on global stages like the G20, that means he must act with the urgency and magnitude it deserves.”
Among those who lay on the scorching pavement was Nompumelelo Chiliza, a University of Johannesburg student, who said she joined the shutdown to stand with women silenced by gender-based violence, including moments in her own life when she could not speak out.
Nearby, Yola Sekgobela from Krugersdorp said seeing hundreds gather felt “inspiring” after years of worsening violence. Lying down, he thought of women who no longer have a voice and families still fighting for accountability. “This has to push leaders to act,” he said.
The 15 minutes may have ended, but the call for justice and accountability continues.
*Not their real name
FEATURED IMAGE: Participants lie down for 15 minutes. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
Students at Wits University stood shoulder to shoulder in widespread peaceful protest this week, following an allegation of rape on campus, initially shared on social media. In response to protests that spilt out onto the streets of Braamfontein, the university suspended a member of the student representative council (SRC).
In a statement issued on November 11, the university said: “The alleged perpetrator has been put on precautionary suspension whilst the matter is being investigated. We encourage all students to abide by the University’s rules and allow the University’s process to take its course.”
In public statements, the Wits SRC named and distanced themselves from the alleged rapist, and reaffirmed an “unwavering stance against all forms of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation”. They also made a plea for formal cases to be laid with university structures.
Students gathered outside of a South Point residence in Braamfontein. Photo: Phenyo Selinda
South Africa currently finds itself at a critical point in conversations surrounding GBV, with movements like Women For Change calling for a nationwide shutdown on November 21, 2025. This, after the movement’s bid to declare GBV a national crisis was rejected.
At Wits, previous cases have sparked protests such as #EndRapeCulture, leading to policy reforms including the establishment of the Gender Equity Office (GEO). Yet, with student surveys showing that 62% of students have experienced some form of GBV, activists say there is still a long way to go.
The university encouraged students to report cases of GBV to the gender equity office “in-person or via this link: GEO Reporting Tool.”
A GBV mass meeting will be hosted by the SRC on November 13 at 10:00 at the Great Hall, in an effort to support other survivors and stand in solidarity with anti-GBV efforts.
As the investigation unfolds, the Wits community and South African students at large are once again faced with a painful question: how many more women must suffer before justice becomes the norm, not the exception?
Emergency telephonic counselling can be accessed via the Wits Students’ Crisis Line on 0800 111 331. This line is available to all Wits students 24/7/365. The Wits Student Crisis App is also available for students who prefer live chat or text counselling, or contact CCDU for assistance.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of wits students gathere in the persuit for justice by Liyabona baartman
Investigative journalism is alive and well in Africa, report Lulah Mapiye and Sechabe Molete.
Journalists and media workers from over 30 African countries gathered for the AIJC conference.
Journalists were reminded to apply journalistic basics to produce the best work.
The annual AIJC conference will take place in Kenya next year.
Investigative journalists from South Africa, The Gambia and Ghana walked home with all the spoils of the third edition of the African Investigative Journalism Awards held on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
The ceremony, hosted in partnership with ABSA, brought together journalists and media workers from over 37 African countries and 45 further afield, reaffirming a common desire to change the world through storytelling.
As broadcaster Sakina Kumwendo introduced the night’s various speakers, it became evident that the future of African journalism is in good hands.
“As I look around, I see not just fellow journalists, but I also see the ultimate custodians of truth on our continent. Women and men who carry the torch in the darkest corners where power hides, knowing full well that this very light they bare makes them targets,” said the Editor in Chief of Nation Media Group, Dr. Joe Ageyo, in his keynote address.
From left to right: Seth Bokpe, Dewald van Rensburg, Edmund Agyemang Boateng and Mustapha K Darboe at the African Journalism Awards. Photo: Leon Sadiki
Ageyo’s message was a call to action for all African journalists to sharpen their tools to save Africa from the horrors brought on by corruption, negligent leadership and weaponised incompetence that continue to torment her.
South African journalist Dewald Rensburg won the award for his 10-part series titled ‘City of Gold’ last night. Rensburg’s ‘City of Gold’ piece exposes a large Gold-based VAT scam worth billions. His exposè shines light on organised crime and money laundering in Johannesburg’s gold sector.
Convener of Judges, Gwen Lister, revealed there were many compelling submissions, which almost made choosing one ultimate winner impossible. However, what sets winning journalists apart from the rest is the ability to go back to journalistic basics.
And 2025’s awards did not only celebrate the first prize recipient, second place went to Mustapha K Darbae of The Republic, The Gambia for “The Assets Go for a Song”. In third place were Seth Bokpe and Edmund Agyemang Boateng of The Forth Estate, Ghana for “Forest invasion.”
The investigative journalism work continues and delegates will convene in November 2026 at Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya for the fourth AIJC.
FEATURED IMAGE: Dewald van Rensburg giving a speech after winning. Photo: Leon Sadiki
Despite tuition appearing cheaper on paper, Wits students from financially disadvantaged households still grapple with mounting debt and the hidden costs of higher education.
Wits students face growing debt and hidden expenses that make higher education increasingly unaffordable despite seemingly low tuition costs.
Universities struggle with declining government subsidies, inflation-driven expenses, and financial strain, forcing them to raise student fees to survive.
NSFAS funding limits and inconsistent policies deepen student inequality, threatening to reverse the hard-won progress of the Fees Must Fall movement.
When Medupi Reginald Mathunyane, a final-year Biological Sciences student at Wits University, was defunded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in 2022, the weight of uncertainty hit him hard. Months of appeals followed, each one a battle against bureaucracy and mounting financial anxiety. Today, as he nears graduation, his debt exceeds R100,000, growing every semester.
“I’ve done everything I can just to stay in class,” Mathunyane says, his voice carrying both determination and exhaustion. “But the stress of thinking about how I’ll pay back this debt never goes away. It’s like carrying a shadow over my studies, reminding me I might not make it through without sacrificing my dedication to my studies, with the hope that someday I will be funded.”
Mathunyane’s story is not unique. Across South Africa, students from financially disadvantaged households are feeling the squeeze. Yet on paper, higher education appears more affordable than ever. Professor Imraan Valodia, a former Wits University dean and respected economist, explains that comparing tuition fees over time without accounting for inflation gives a misleading picture.
“Degrees are not entirely more expensive,” he says. “If you take R60,000 in 2010, it would be roughly equivalent to R125,000 in 2025 when we adjust for inflation. By that measure, a R100,000 degree today is technically cheaper.”
But Valodia stresses that these numbers mask the lived reality for students. Over the past 15 years, South Africa’s consumer price index has averaged around 5% per year, while the higher education CPI (which tracks costs specific to universities such as equipment, laboratory maintenance and academic resources) has risen even faster. This means that even if tuition has not increased as sharply in nominal terms, the cost of delivering quality education has, leaving institutions and students caught in a financial tug-of-war.
At the heart of the affordability debate lies South Africa’s strained public finances. For years, sluggish GDP growth has constrained government revenue, leaving the Treasury with difficult choices between competing priorities: healthcare, social protection, infrastructure, and education all vie for the same shrinking fiscal pie.
The 2025/26 Budget allocated R146.6 billion to post-school education and training, about 5.7% of the total R2.58 trillion consolidated budget. Debt-service costs alone consume nearly R426.3 billion, almost three times higher.
The numbers reflect the impossible trade-offs. South Africa spends generously on education in global terms, at about 6.1% of GDP compared to the global average of 4.4%, yet this has not translated into affordability for individual students. Much of the spending goes to maintaining an already burdened system rather than making degrees cheaper at the point of entry.
Wits spokesperson Sherona Patel highlights the pressures universities face, which often go unseen.
“The University generally receives its income from three sources: state subsidies, student fees, and third-stream income such as donations or contract research,” Patel explains. “If subsidies decline in real terms, then student fees increase. Surpluses are reinvested into the academic project to ensure sustainability for future generations.”
Patel points out that the higher education inflation rate often outpaces general inflation. Specialized laboratory equipment, international journal subscriptions, and research costs are usually denominated in foreign currency, leaving universities vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations. On top of this, Wits must cover additional domestic expenses, including diesel and water tankers during load shedding and water shedding, private security around Braamfontein, and inter-campus transport.
Despite these pressures, Patel notes that Wits allocated R2.33 billion in financial aid, bursaries, and scholarships in 2024, helping over 30,000 students access higher education. Historic debt totalling R63 million was cleared for nearly 800 students. Even with these efforts, Patel admits that the University cannot cover all student costs without risking insolvency. “Free education and debt clearance require national solutions involving government, the private sector, and donors,” she says.
Even the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, meant to be a buffer against financial exclusion, has struggled to keep pace with rising costs. In February 2025, the scheme announced a 4% increase in allowances for university students and a massive 46% increase for those in TVET collegesto cushion the blow of inflation. Yet students argue that these increases barely scratch the surface in cities like Johannesburg, where rent and transport costs quickly erode monthly stipends. NSFAS itself acknowledged the pressure, stating that “where necessary, NSFAS will take extraordinary measures to ensure that NSFAS-funded students are not left stranded due to skyrocketing accommodation costs.”
For the Wits SRC Treasurer General, Liyabona Baartman, the statistics do little to soften the financial reality facing students.
“The financial barrier is tuition and accommodation together,” he says. “Take someone studying medicine at UKZN and someone doing the same at Wits. The UKZN student pays less. Yet NSFAS applies the same funding formula across the country. That does not make sense. Living in Johannesburg is more expensive than living in KZN. NSFAS needs a case-by-case approach.”
Baartman also warns that the gains of the Fees Must Fall movement are being undermined.
“Before Fees Must Fall, NSFAS was a loan. We fought tooth and nail to turn it into a bursary. That was a major gain. But now, those gains are being reversed. NSFAS used to pay the full cost of accommodation. Now there’s a cap, leaving students stranded. The inconsistency in challenging the system has allowed these rollbacks to happen.”
For Mathunyane, the numbers are not abstract. They are lived experiences: long nights balancing part-time work and studies, the constant worry of falling behind, and the persistent anxiety that debt may derail his dreams.
“I’ve survived this far,” he says. “But I don’t know what will happen after I graduate. The debt does not go away. It feels like the system is built to make you survive, not thrive.”
At the heart of the debate is a national question: who should bear the cost of higher education? Families already grappling with unemployment and inflation feel the pinch. Universities warn they cannot fund every student without collapsing. Students insist that education is a right, not a privilege reserved for the middle class.
As Patel explains, “Student funding is a national challenge and requires broader discussions and solutions.” Baartman counters, “We cannot let the gains of Fees Must Fall be rolled back. Free education is still the goal.”
Until these tensions are resolved, higher education remains both a lifeline and a financial cliff, cheaper on paper, yet still impossible for those who need it most.
FEATURED IMAGE: Graphic of Wits University the stock market prices Going up to and logos by Phenyo Selinda
Buy Now Pay Later services promise a convenient payment method to make shopping easier, but for many, that convenience comes at a hidden cost.
BNPL is marketed as interest-free but relies on retailers and penalties.
Lower-income consumers use BNPL services due to economic inequality and immediate gratification.
BNPL services have hidden costs that pose financial risks.isksto consumers.
It’s currently 01:15 am, and the only light glowing in the room is from a phone screen. Tumelo is mindlessly scrolling through endless digital aisles. Tap, tap, tap – her thumb dancing against the glass screen and then finally, she sees it; her heart beating with jolts of excitement, the one item she’s been searching for – a cow print denim skirt. Her cart is already overflowing with festival gear. The total, a shocking R1274.64 “That’s way too much” she says.
She can’t afford all the items in her cart, but this festival is all everyone’s been talking about, this denim skirt is the last item that would complete her look. And then like a flash, something catches her eye, it was almost as if the whole room had lit up “make shopping easier with 4 interest-free payments.”
At first, she hesitates, but then thinks of how good she would look at the amapiano festival two weeks from now, contemplation swims in her head and finally, she’s convinced herself that it’s harmless. It’s just four payments of R318.66. No interest. No catch.
Or so it seems. Without another thought, she clicks “checkout with PayFlex” before she can even change her mind. But how exactly does this interest-free model work? With major providers like PayFlex, PayJustNow and Mobicred as alternative payment options, it has never been easier to get what you want, when you want it. By just a click of a button, you can get all your heart’s desires now and worry about the bill later.
The Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) industry is rapidly growing in South Africa. It offers customers a convenient way to shop by allowing them to purchase items without paying the full amount at once.
BNPL services are marketed as interest-free payments split into weekly or monthly manageable instalments. This is similar to the traditional lay-buy systems, but the only difference is that with BNPL, customers receive purchased products immediately and do not have to wait for it to be fully paid.
While BNPL have convinced customers that you can get whatever you want whenever you want it, at a small price, their interest-free claims raise the million-dollar question: how exactly do these companies generate their revenue?
Image of Payflex zero-interest offer payment plan. Photo: File/Payflex.com
Why South Africans flock to BNPL
According to a Research And Markets report, South Africa’s BNPL industry has undergone a significant growth between 2021 and 2024 and is projected to increase further from USD 717.3 million to approximately USD 1.3 billion by the end of 2030.
This growth is attributed to the increasing demand of interest free payment options, particularly as digital payment methods become more popular, especially among the younger consumers.
This upward trend only highlights the deep-rooted inequalities faced by regular South Africans. In an economy that frequently excludes lower-income consumers, many turn to BNPL providers as a financial lifeline, especially for those unable to pay for essentials up front. These platforms make large purchases feel more manageable.
In addition to the rising cost of living, a large population of South Africans either lack access to traditional credit or have limited financial services available to them.
Professor Gary van Vuuren of the Wits School of Economics and Finance argues that it’s a system that taps into the idea that things will look good in the future, that one will be able to pay their debts in time, “We always misjudge our future obligations – but other things always come up,” he says
He explains that it is a system built on optimism, “humans believe that they will have the money in a few months’ time… but life doesn’t work that way – immediate gratification, that’s what humans love.”
The illusion of “interest-free”
So, how do BNPL providers make their money if they are not charging interest?
First, it starts with the retailer. BNPL provide a service to merchants. These merchants are your everyday retail stores such as Superbalist and Takealot, they partner up with a BNPL provider and pay a small fee every time customers opt for the BNPL option at checkout. This is a simple arrangement that creates a win-win situation where the retailer boosts sales with fewer abandoned carts and the BNPL provider earns a commission.
Research by Stitch shows that customers spend 20-30% more when using Payflex, in fact, 83% of customers say they shop more often when Payflex is available.
Applying is made deliberately simple, at the point of checkout, you are required to provide your personal details such as your ID number and your debit or credit card information.
Providers then conduct a light credit check to assess if you will be able to pay these instalments when the time comes without digging too deeply into your credit history.
This speedy process is the key to their success, “They don’t want to do a deep credit dive – it costs time and money,” van Vuuren explains.
The consequences
While the promise of no interest is plastered in bold across all BNPL marketing, the real conditions are often buried in the lengthy terms and conditions – a place very few customers look.
For Tumelo, the “no catch” was a promise short-lived. A week after the festival, she received an SMS from Payflex informing her that the R318.66 payment was overdue and that a R95 default fee had been added. “I completely forgot about the payment,” she recalls, “I didn’t even have the money to pay them back when I saw the message.”
The assumption that BNPL services are interest-free makes them seem minimal risk, but a deeper look reveals the hidden costs associated with using these platforms.
According to Professor van Vuuren, many consumers lack the financial education needed to navigate these services. “The average customer probably won’t be very financially literate… these places rely on the fact that people don’t pay on time,” he warns.
With Playflex, their catchphrase is simple: “No interest, no drama”, but what happens when you miss a payment?
When you miss a payment on its due date, Payflex automatically charges a default fee. For its “Pay in 4” payment plan, you are charged R95.00 and for a missed “Pay in 3” payment, the fee charged is R125.00. This default fee is charged weekly for a maximum of three charges until the outstanding balance is paid in full.
Screenshot of Payflex Terms and Conditions. Photo: File/Paylex.com
But that’s not all. If the overdue balance remains unpaid, it starts to result in default interest at 2.00% per month. This happens because the overdue payment effectively reclassifies the initial transaction as an incidental credit agreement under the National Creditors Act (NCA) – additional charges which are hidden from sight.
For those who fail to make payments on time, the consequences can be severe. A missed payment might seem like a minor issue in the moment, but it can leave you in a web of financial entanglements down the line.
So essentially, the real revenue for BNPL companies comes from default and penalty fees from missed payments.
“These companies are going to make people poorer in the long run. They give people the expectation that they can afford things that they actually can’t,” says van Vuuren.
While BNPL services claim to be interest-free, the hidden costs are stitched quietly beneath the fabric of a soft cotton blouse or the travel tickets to a beachy holiday in Cape Town – penalties and mounting charges that only reveal themselves after the fact, turning an interest-free purchase into a costly debt.
Before clicking the shiny, appealing button that says, “Pay Later” consider this: what are you really delaying – the cost, or the consequence?
Professor van Vuuren’s advice remains clear: “Make sure that you know the conditions of these contracts.”
While BNPL may seem harmless or even helpful, sometimes reading the fine print is what may save you from a financial trap.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image of online purchase being made with Paylex option and logos of various BNPL services. Photo: Nthabeleng Phayane
Easy access to credit may seem like a ‘plug’, but starting life with a negative balance after you graduate can keep you financially stuck.
Students are falling into debt traps through easy credit access.
Credit providers deliberately target students, who are vulnerable customers due to poor financial know-how.
The hidden costs of affordable credit turn small purchases into financial burdens.
The new Nike Air Max 95s have dropped, and of course, this sneakerhead has got to get their hands on the hottest kicks on the block. The price of these is quite steep, but there’s a tempting alternative at the bottom of his screen to buy now, pay later.
With just a few clicks, the shoes would be his. There are many options to choose from: MobiCred, PayFlex, and PayJustNow. Add this impulsive buy to an existing The Foschini Group (TFG) clothing account, already sitting at more than R5,000, with instalments at R550 a month.
Like many South African students, they had fallen into the trap. The student credit trap.
The resurgence of youth credit
TransUnion reported that between December 2018 and December 2022, approximately 58% of South Africans began their credit journey with a clothing account.
In the second quarter of 2024, new credit originations were up to 15.2% compared to the previous year, with consumption-driven products such as credit cards, personal loans, and retail credit making up to 83% of new accounts. Millennials and Gen Z hold 62% of these accounts. Overall, this means, about 30% of South Africans are credit-active, meaning they currently have access to at least one form of credit.
Meanwhile, nearly 50% of South Africans aged 21-30 with active credit have fallen behind on at least one loan or account repayment.
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services are making debt even more mainstream. A PayFlex survey from 2022 has shown that 89% of South Africans who have used BNPL services in the previous three months intended to continue with those services, and the service achieved an impressive Net Promoter Score of +82.
This means customer satisfaction and loyalty are so high that users would recommend these services to others.
Debt diaries
“I opened my clothing account during my final undergrad year, when I was receiving NSFAS and an allowance. My income was higher, which is why the credit limit was more generous. Now I’m just watching myself drown in debt because I have neither,” said Bhongo Mahlangu, an IT graduate.
With R6,569.80 outstanding and no job, monthly instalments have become impossible to keep up with. “What seems like a small instalment at first, quickly becomes impossible when you’ve got no income,” he said.
Banks and retail stores in South Africa actively target university students with credit. Store accounts from retailers such as Markham, Edgars, and Truworths are quite popular, with statistics showing that one in four students owns a store card, yet 42% don’t know they’re liable to pay interest on top of what they owe.
BNPL services like PayFlex and MobiCred blur the lines between “affordable now” and “debt later” by normalising credit and qualifying young buyers to delay financial strain while accumulating liabilities.
It’s just sales and commission, says a salesman
“The first thing is students don’t have debt, and they’re gullible, so they’re easier to convince,” said Thabiso Moloi, an account salesman with three years of retail work experience.
Standing against the rack neatly packed with stylish denims, he hangs the new stock of jeans. “Let’s say you came in to get this pair of jeans, it’s easy to convince you to get our two for one special. You always want to be up to date with the fashion trends.”
The store account isn’t just a card; it’s a strategy to lock in loyalty early, encouraging repeat visits and larger purchases on each return.
This strategy is a double-edged sword: retailers profit by catering to students’ materialism and desire for instant rewards, while students blindly walk into a debt trap.
It starts on campus
Many students enter university relying on official financial aid like the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to cover tuition fees and living expenses. However, easy access to student loans encourages additional borrowing that often goes unnoticed.
“Some of the initiatives that Wits has, currently, are [sic] the Standard Bank loan, which is an unsecured loan. We also have Fundi that students can go to,” said Ismail Soobader, board member of the South African Student Finance Forum (SASFF).
Universities directly add to the debt cycle by allowing students to register under repayment plans, carrying tuition and accommodation fees forward.
“Interest on these loans is charged if you defer on two or more repayments,” added Soobader.
This keeps students in class but often leaves graduates burdened with institutional debt, as many cannot access their academic records or certificates until balances are settled, limiting job opportunities needed to repay what they owe.
SASFF works on addressing the challenges and developing best practices in student finance administration within the higher and further education sectors in Southern Africa. A conference hosted by the organisation in September 2025, had student debt and strategies for mitigation firmly on the agenda.
FUNDING WOES: Although having made it through the registration threshold, this student still has a large amount of debt she owes to the university. Photo: Zimasa Mpemnyama/File
Credit is a tool, not “extra income”
One of the biggest red flags with student spending is how easily credit is mistaken for “extra money”. Students swipe their store cards or sign up for the BNPL instalments without fully considering how these obligations will add up over time.
“As a student, generally your needs strip your income, and having a line of credit becomes really tempting and it lands people in trouble,” said Seth Randall, who worked as a financial advisor for more than three years.
The result is that debt, which initially seems manageable, snowballs into a monthly expense that follows them long after the purchase has lost its shine.
Randall emphasized that the key to avoiding this snowball effect lies in treating credit as a tool to build a credit score, not as disposable income.
“If you know that you’re not going to be tempted to use it inappropriately, don’t go there, until you’re earning consistently …people dig themselves into a hole they may never get out of,” added Randall.
Store accounts and BNPL services can help short term, but only if repayments are met. One missed instalment triggers penalties and a bad credit report on Credit Bureau.
Many students also underestimate how much more they end up paying when using buy now pay later services or store accounts compared to paying cash.
For example, the Nike Air Max 95s priced at R3,499.00 may seem manageable when split into instalments, but once interest charges are added, the total cost can climb to R3,799.00 or even R3,999.00.
What looks like an affordable monthly repayment quickly becomes a more expensive purchase, and this hidden cost is one of the main reasons student debts build up so quickly.
Swipe now, smile later?
According to an article by Kirsten Minnaar from The Daily Investor, nearly 45% of South Africans under 25, and approximately one million between 18 and 24, use credit out of the 20 million credit users nationwide.
For many, a retail account is the first step into the formal credit market, and when managed responsibly, it builds a positive credit history.
“I opened this account actually to work on my credit score, and I just got too carried away with the sneakers and clothes offered to me,” said Mahlangu.
Although these BNPL services seem more like a disadvantage, they can also carry advantages when used and maintained wisely. Flexibility, allowing for split instalments that are more manageable.
Additionally, BNPL services also provide short-term breathing room, allowing students to make significant and valuable purchases, such as laptops or textbooks, without depleting their cash flow all at once.
At their best, BNPL services can be a convenient budgeting tool, helping young consumers manage expenses across the month without sliding into bigger debt with credit cards.
Over upward of a million of this is unpaid, which shows that young people are struggling to keep up with their debt.
Buy now, pay later services may bring instant gratification, but for many students, it means carrying debt long before their first paycheck. The swipe today becomes the weight they drag into tomorrow.
FEATURED IMAGE: A screenshot of one of the buy now, pay later services. Photo by: Kamvelihle Mtwazi
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) correlates with the evolution of digital crimes.
Financial institutions use AI to detect fraud, but criminals are also using AI to develop new ways of committing fraud.
In the pursuit of developing world-class AI for Africa, data security is the most critical element in securing Africa’s digital economy.
In an undeniable reflection of Africa’s burgeoning digital economyby Mastercard, the continent’s AI market is projected to skyrocket from an estimated R78 billion in 2025 to a massive R286,9 billion by 2030. South Africa’s projected AI market size is over R20 billion as of 2025, according to the report by Mastercard. As a direct response to this financial surge, nations like South Africa are moving to secure this digital future.
As we progress further in the development of a digital Africa, traditional, rule-based security systems are proving to be slow and ineffective. From phishing emails, spam texts to sophisticated deepfake attacks, criminals are constantly evolving their methods.
Standard Bank’s Head of payments, Rufaida Hamilton, wrote an article discussing the role of AI in detecting, monitoring, and preventing payments fraud. Hamilton states that AI is transforming fraud prevention in the financial sector by moving beyond traditional rule-based systems to proactively detect and monitor payments fraud in real time. AI-powered systems can detect these patterns in transaction data, identify unusual customer behaviour, and even analyse text and voice to flag suspicious activity in real-time.
Above: Data chart showing the number of AI-related scams over a three-year period. Graphic: Katlego Makhutle/TRM Labs
However, the article also notes that this is a continuous cat and mouse game, as criminals are simultaneously using AI to develop more sophisticated scams and mimic human behaviour. The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) released an annual report in 2024 stating that there’s an uptick in AI-powered financial crimes, with criminals getting more creative in their use of AI to commit phishing, deep fakes and creating synthetic identity frauds.
According to SABRIC, a major underlying threat is the rise of synthetic identities, which are fictitious personas created by AI that blend real and fake data. These digital phantoms are used to apply for loans and open fraudulent accounts, bypassing traditional verification systems designed to spot real people.
Application fraud remains a significant concern, with false applications alone contributing 2.9% of card fraud losses. Beyond just tricking individuals, AI is also enabling a new kind of “ghost” fraud that attacks the very foundations of the financial system. TRM Labs also reported that criminals are now using AI to generate hyper-realistic deepfakes of executives to trick employees into wiring millions.
SABRIC’s report also reveals that criminals are no longer just relying on clumsy, rule-based attacks but are harnessing AI to craft a new generation of scams. Gone are the days of misspelt phishing emails and awkward grammar.
Instead, criminals are deploying generative AI to produce “error-free phishing emails” and “AI-generated WhatsApp messages.” This shift makes every text and email a potential trap, turning the most common forms of communication into potential tools for digital fraud.
While overall financial crime losses saw a decline of nearly 18%, dropping from R3.3 billion in 2023 to R2.7 billion in 2024, digital banking fraud has surged, becoming the dominant threat South Africa’s digital ecosystem.
The number of reported digital fraud cases more than doubled, soaring from 31,612 in 2023 to 64,000 in 2024. This dramatic increase resulted in a proportional rise in financial losses, which climbed from R1 billion to over R1.4 billion in the same period.
The fight for control over Africa’s digital financial landscape is a new kind of “Code War,” where fintech innovations and AI-powered defences are locked in a continuous escalation with sophisticated digital criminals.
However, the adoption of AI in this context is not without its own set of challenges, particularly concerning data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for robust regulatoryframeworks. The solution to these escalating threats extends beyond technology and connects directly to the concept of data sovereignty and security in Africa.
Wits University’s School of Electrical and Information Engineering lecturer, Dr. Martin Bekker, noted that AI in Africa still needs to be given representative data by Africa and for Africa. Bekker highlights that sharing data with any Language Learning Model (LLM) is not secure or private and sharing data with these tools does not present any “unique” security challenges; instead, it exacerbates existing challenges.
“Digital security is always relative [and] never absolute…[its] a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. However, there are ideas such as hosting your own open-weight LLM internally, as opposed to using an online service, which are emerging as best practices. As for the ethics – AI training appears to rely on quite a bit of IP misappropriation, super-high energy use, and if there is RLHF (Reinforcement learning from human feedback), possible labour exploitation too,” Bekker stated.
At the recent GovTech 2025 conference, South African Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, warned that without digital sovereignty, the country’s national sovereignty is at risk, as data becomes increasingly controlled by foreign tech giants.
“We need digital sovereignty. We can’t have our data controlled by everybody, anywhere in the world,” Nzimande stated. The purpose of building local data centres is not solely based on the physical storage of data. It also points to a strategic move that is working to ensure that African-based financial data remains within the continent’s borders, is subject to local laws and is used to develop a domestic AI industry that serves African needs and values.
The long-term defence against AI-powered crime and data breaches must be a holistic one. However, simply localising data and regulating financial institutions does not automatically guarantee security or sustainability. The story of AI in Africa’s financial sector is therefore a complex narrative of innovation and vulnerability. An ever-changing and unfolding story, where advanced digital technology is the best defence against crime and the most potent weapon for digital fraudsters.
FEATURED IMAGE: Hand holding phone with scam alert on the screen Photo: Katlego Makhutle
Due to the high unemployment in South Africa, citizens have resorted to finding gaps within the formal sector, creating informal employment for themselves, running errands.
A lack of job security pushes people to trade in the informal sector, with women the most affected.
Runners use social media platforms to conduct their business and reach customers.
The runners typically operate in big, bustling cities.
It’s a Wednesday evening in September, Kamogelo has just arrived at her residence after a long day of teaching practicals. She is now on a call trying to correct a mix-up with orders she placed last weekend from Johannesburg to Pretoria’s Mamelodi Mall.
Kamogelo Matshate (22), a final year bachelor of education student at Wits University, has been a runner since May 2024. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, she goes to Johannesburg CBD, Dragon City and China Mall to buy items for customers and send them via courier services.
People who buy items on behalf of others are referred to as personal shoppers or runners. Matshate is guaranteed at least R1,000 at the end of each month, which she makes by charging a runner fee of R150-R250, depending on the size of the order.
Runners inside the Lotto building in Joburg CBD queuing to pay for blankets and mats for their customers. Photo: LulahMapiye
The informal sector pays the bills
A report by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released in March 2025 shows that South Africa’s informal sector accounted for 19.5% of total employment in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This is in line with scholarly research, which shows that the majority of people operating in South Africa’s informal sector enter it out of necessity, a direct result of the country’s tough economic climate.
“This is particularly true for economically marginalized groups, most notably youth and women. Due to a lack of formal opportunities, black women are disproportionately forced to enter the informal sector,” said Siphelele Ngidi, an associate researcher on the labour market project at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits.
This is true in Matshate’s case. She felt pushed by circumstances to become a runner. Her mother, who was a volunteer at a non-profit organisation (NPO), earning an incentive of less than R2,000 a month, was released from her duties in April 2024. Matshate’s mom took up the volunteering role as she had given up on hopes of formal employment. She has been applying for jobs for years with no luck.
A 2023 study by Stats SA, reported that the participation of women in the labour force remained lower than that of men, at 54.3% compared to 64.9% for men. This is a byproduct of South Africa’s history, where the labour market was separated on the basis of race and gender. Unfortunately, this remains true 31 years into democracy.
In addition, moments of uncertainty like the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic saw millions of people lose their jobs and enter the informal sector for survival.
Seeing her single mom fail to secure a job for years and struggling to provide for her little brother, who was then in matric, devastated Matshate. Her National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowance of R1,700 was not enough to feed her and her family back home.
“My mother doesn’t have Facebook, so it would have been difficult for her to market products to people. I have 7,300 followers on Facebook, which gave me a starting advantage.
“Referrals also help boost my customer base and trust,” said Matshate, who has been using the money she makes from running errands to feed her family and pay for their funeral policy.
“Factors like the quality of employment can push people into the informal sector. When formally employed people are paid below a living wage, they may quit their jobs for full-time informal work or keep their jobs and do part-time work in the informal sector,” said Ngidi.
Essential middle(wo)men
This is the reason Nonti Mpofu (40), is a part-time runner in Johannesburg. She works four days a week as a domestic worker and two days a week as a runner. Her supply base goes beyond South Africa, as she stocks many items for customers in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Mpofu has created a name for herself, and her customers value her service. “I stay in Pongola and sell in Ndubazi area, under Sishelweni region, Eswatini, leaving Pongola to stock in Joburg slows down my business, as I have to carry my bags and knock door to door selling.
Sending money to auntie Nonti to stock for me saves me money and gives me an opportunity to maximise on sales,” said Lengton Bishi, Mpofu’s customer from KwaZulu-Natal.
Standing next to a young man who was using a clear pallet wrap to wrap a parcel from the first floor of the Lotto building in Joburg CBD, “Depending on how big the parcel is, wrapping ranges from R20-R50. We do it to keep a customer’s parcel safe. Obviously, if the parcel arrives without the wrap, I’d know someone tempered with it,” said Mpofu.
Inside the large black plastic bag were baby diapers. Mpofu plans to take the parcel to Newtown to put it on a bus to Zimbabwe for a fee of R200. Her customer runs a small business in a village called Dewedzo.
Runners benefit the formal market, as they use transportation services like buses and taxis, courier services like PEP’s Paxi and shops for stock.
Mpofu charges between R100 and R150 for orders up to R1,000. For orders up to R4,000, she charges 15% of the order amount, and for orders above R4,000, she charges 10% of the order amount. This is how she makes a profit.
Most of the stores where Matshate and Mpofu buy stock encourage bulk buying, which allows for negotiation, discounts and ultimately increased profit.
Through this informal trading, these women are able to feed their families. Mpofu has built herself a house, sent her son to college and her daughter to a private primary school.
The informal sector in South Africa is growing, with Stats SA reporting a rise in informal businesses from 1.5 million in 2013 to 1.9 million in 2023, consistent with the rise in unemployment.
Moreover, the informal sector has the same dynamics as the formal sector as more men are employed than women.
Filling a technological gap
The shops that Matshate and Mpofu stock from use only WhatsApp to market their products. They do not have business websites, which makes it difficult for their customers to shop directly from them. When customers are unsatisfied with a product they ordered online, there is usually a procedure they can follow to return it. However, they cannot do that with the type of shops runners typically source from.
As a result, runners take the place of an online presence. Filling an essential gap and going above and beyond to satisfy their customers. “Unlike ordering online and getting surprised, I get in store [sic] and feel the quality of the product, see if it matches the product description. If it does not, I quickly inform my customer before stocking up,” said Matshate.
Mpofu showing a salesman WhatsApp pictures of what her customer from Midrand wants. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
According to GG Alcock, author of Kasinomics, informal economies are highly fragmented, and opportunities lie in aggregated models. For example, the success of Uber lies in aggregating millions of drivers on a single app. Uber recognized that a million drivers are more powerful than a hundred thousand taxis.
Similarly, runners understand that a thousand customers are better than trying to set up a thousand individual shops. Aggregation models are being used in the informal sector because that is where opportunities lie. Using technology for marketing, making payments and orders, including messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook, helps numerous informal businesses aggregate their businesses.
Challenges of being a runner
When Wits Vuvuzela attempted to get a perspective from the store owners and workers on their experience with runners, they refused to speak. “They are afraid that you might be working with the Johannesburg Metro Police,” said Mpofu.
Johannesburg Metro Police often raid, and confiscate items sold in the shops Matshate and Mpofu buy stock from because most of the clothing shops sell counterfeit products. “Though runners are not directly harassed, there is a ripple effect on the success of their business because of these police raids,” said Ngidi.
Anele Zwane, a 24-year-old student in Pietermaritzburg, became a runner in 2024. Her plan was to help busy people with their grocery shopping for a small fee of R150, but she did not get any customers.
She soon realised, “Things are expensive in Martizburg, I could not be a runner for any other thing except food. Unfortunately, people here prefer shopping on their own. They viewed paying me R150 to help them as a rip off,” said Zwane.
Mpofu attested that location is key, as she left Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, her hometown, for greener pastures in Joburg. “No one needs anything from Estcourt but most people in Estcourt need a lot of things from Johannesburg. And some of my customers are from Estcourt,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu, Zwane and Matshate claim it is rare to find a runner who works outside of Johannesburg and Durban, runners typically operate within these cities.
The South African informal sector is growing rapidly as many citizens need to put food on the table and formal employment is either not available or not paying enough. The policies of trade in the informal sector make it difficult for some to enter. The solution lies in the informal and formal sector working together and using aggregation models and technology to boost the country’s economic status.
FEATURED IMAGE: Dragon city where runners buy hair and other products for their customers. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
The red berets take the win in a clean sweep, shaking up student politics once again.
In a resounding victory, the Economic Freedom Fighters Youth Command (EFFYC) at Wits University secured all 13 directly elected seats in the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections for the 2025/26 term.
The results, announced on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, reflect strong, sustained support for the EFFYCs agenda on campus, which includes issues like fees, safety, and equality. Voter turnout stood at 31.15%, representing just over a third of the student population.
As South Africa celebrated Heritage Day, the outcome underscored the role of youth politics in shaping a more equitable future. The EFF’s emphasis on radical transformation resonated deeply among the Wits student electorate.
Newly elected SRC member, Sonwabo Mhlahlo said: “What we are looking forward to as the new Wits SRC is to deliver students to the promise land as many of them have confidence in us and more also to leave no student behind for the incoming academic year.”
Thuto Hleza added: “There are prominent challenges of exclusion specifically in our institution during the registration period for first years and returning student and the EFFYC is a powerful organisation we are determined to go to the ground as we have never failed because students believe in us if there is no solution then I’m afraid we are prepared to kiss the Boer and kiss the farmer.”
The clean sweep grants the EFF Youth Command full control over the SRC’s directly elected positions.
EFF leader Julius Malema reacted to the results on social media, in a post, he said: “Let’s congratulate our 13 2025/26 SRC Elect. These are the individuals you have trusted to represent you in the next academic year.”
The election results were shared in a live stream by Wits University, drawing cheers from EFF supporters. The 13 winners, all in bright red shirts, include a mix of fresh faces ready to lead. They are:
Thuto Hleza
Antonett Khoza
Godknows Maswanganye
Musa Mavuso
Sonwabo Mhlahlo
Mathatsi Mosima
Gilbert Nchabeleng
Sibusiso Ngeele
Thapelo Nkoana
Aphelele Qwabi
Nsovo Sondlani
Vuyi Twala
Mandulo Xaba
These leaders will serve for the 2025/26 term, working on student welfare, academic rights, and campus safety. The EFF Youth Command’s strong showing follows their win in 2023, where they grabbed eight out of 13 seats. This time, they went all the way.
WIts SRC Elected Candidates Graphic by Wits Elections
Wits Voter turnout Graphic by Wits Elections
FEATURED IMAGE: Graphic of the Wits SRC newly elected candidates. Graphic: Phenyo Selinda
A new generation of creators is learning to dance with the machine, one pixel at a time.
Major African festival, AVIJOZI, focused on the intersection of creativity and technology, highlighting the best of film production, animation, visual effects, and gaming.
AI technology should not replace artistry or creativity but should assist in shaping the future of African creatives and professionals.
Some artists are already using AI to finetune workflows and accelerate production.
As filmmakers, animators, and VFX artists gathered at AVIJOZI 2025, they weren’t just discussing new software, they grappled with a new creative partner: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Hosted on September 13 -14, in Hyde Park, digital art flickered across massive screens as the next great animated film was being dreamed up, a creative revolution underway. AVIJOZI wasn’t just another festival; it was a front-row seat to the future, where the line between creator and code is blurring.
VFX Specialist & Head of Innovation at Digital District, Nicolas Erba Photo: Katlego Makhutle
Nicolas Erba, the Head of Innovation at Paris-based Digital District, approaches technology with a pragmatic, forward-thinking mindset. Erba acknowledged the technical and conceptual challenges of integrating AI by noting that AI-generated images are often not “natively ready” for high-end production, citing issues with resolutions that are “too small for cinema” and difficulties with colour grading. He also pointed to a more abstract hurdle – AI introduces “completely new” concepts that are unfamiliar to many artists. His daily work involves overseeing tech monitoring, a process he described as scouting for and selecting new, production-ready AI technologies to “level up” the company’s existing pipeline.
Despite the complexities of AI in VFX work, he sees AI as a critical tool for automating repetitive tasks. Erba cites rotoscoping as a prime example, a manual tracing process that once took a human two days, can now be completed by AI in just ten minutes. The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) reported that 68% of creative professionals surveyed were excited by the advent of AI. A similar percentage of 70% was already using AI tools in their daily work. Erba firmly believes that the future of the industry lies in a “hybrid workflow” that blends traditional techniques with AI, asserting that the true threat to artists is not AI itself, but rather other artists who embrace the technology to gain a competitive edge. “I don’t think that graphics artists are going to be replaced by the AI itself but some of them might be replaced by others using AI,” Erba said.
Senior lecturer at Wits University’s School of Architecture and Planning, Dr. Sechaba Maape, facilitated a workshop at AVIJOZI on demystifying AI and incorporating cultural intelligence. He believes this element is crucial for anyone using AI to create creative work about African people and places. Maape is an architect, urban designer, and founder of Afreetekture, a cultural consultancy that focuses on shifting the discipline of architecture and in the digital age. “Cultural intelligence is really for me about understanding the nuances of culture, how culture circulates, you know, like how culture frames meaning,” he said.
Maape challenged the simplistic, often stereotypical portrayals of Africa that persist online by developing AI models that explore the nuances of South Africa’s multicultural society. “We don’t have flies flying around our mouth. We are self-actualised,” Maape said.
Maape’s core concern is that if AI is trained on biased data, it will perpetuate stereotypes. “What I’m more worried about with AI than anything else, is that if you think about the pictures that have been taken that are supposed to be about Africa on the internet…I can bet you anything that it’s going to be a massive difference between those pictures and your day-to-day life,” he said. He said a person who only knows South Africa through online media might create a video game heavily focused on crime and fail to capture the everyday reality and cultural richness of places like Johannesburg. For Maape, cultural intelligence is about the human user’s ability to discern and understand the nuances of a culture, how it circulates, and how it frames meaning.
Lauren Fletcher, Audiovisual Project Manager at the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), is focused on a similar and crucial facet of the AI discussion: empowering a new generation of creators. Her role involves fostering partnerships between French and South African professionals, such as the one between Erba’s Digital District and AVIJOZI partner and visual effects studio, Chocolate Tribe. Fletcher cautioned against the misconception that one can simply “chug in a few words and have a video come out”. Fletcher emphatically said: “If you’re not doing the work, the research, creating your own images to put into the different AI programmes, [then] you’re going to get really poor results.”
This belief is a core part of the Unrecorded Voices project, in which 12 South African digital artists used AI to create work with historical context: proving that research, authenticity, and creativity are what truly make a project impactful. Fletcher said that AI technology should be a layer built on a foundation of human creativity, not the other way around. Fletcher and her team are in the midst of a three-phase project that explores the impact of AI on the audiovisual sector, with the goal of creating connections and opportunities for local talent.
The festival brought together professionals in gaming, animation, film, and special effects to share insights, build capacity and bridge the gap between creativity and technology. The question is no longer “Will AI replace us?” but rather, “What can we create with it?” It is through the lens of cultural intelligence and artistic ingenuity that AI’s true potential can be unlocked, proving that its greatest purpose is to enhance and not diminish the human element of creative storytelling.
FEATURED IMAGE: A collage of photos taken at the AviJozi festival on September 13 and 14, 2025. Photo: Katlego Makhutle
South Africa’s pursuit of equity in male-dominated spaces require women leaders who are unapologetically women instead of women leaders who mimic their male counterparts, according to Wits Convocation president Kgomotso Mufamadi.
Womens Appreciation Event Panel: Wits University Masters student,Karabo Damane,Ayanda Ntanda, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Head of risk management,and Ms Baleka Mbete, former speaker of parliament,and Kgomotso Mufamadi Wits Convocation President. Photo: Milton Makgothoma
Wits students, and alumni gathered at Solomon Mahlangu House to discuss the importance of representation across all disciplines
The event encouraged of a reimagining of representation, and what that looks like for women in leadership
The event encouraged young woman to occupy spaces as their whole selves, instead of compartmentalizing and code-switching per environment requirement.
In recognition of Women’s month, the Wits Post-Graduate Association (PGA) office, in collaboration with Wits Alumni Relations, and Wits Doctoral Academy hosted a women’s month appreciation event aimed at celebrating women leaders on August 29th at the Film and TV cinema at Solomon Mahlangu House to unpack the importance of meaningful representation across disciplines and sectors.
Among the panel was Ayanda Ntanda, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Head of risk management, Kgomotso Mufamadi Wits Convocation President, and Ms Baleka Mbete, former speaker of parliament.
Karabo Damane opened the evening with a powerful chant “Igama lamakhosikazi malibongwe”, translated to‘May the name of women be appreciated, and thanked’,aimed at giving meaning to the Women’s Appreciation event.
Damane then shared that while representation politics continue to form part of an integral part of breaking down barriers, South Africa still grapples with an impactful reimagining of women in leadership positions.
Honourable Mbete argues that representation is but a consequence of people not being left alone to exist as they were, “I would have wanted to continue with what I came across when I was five years old… my father playing the piano, teaching me songs”, she said.
“Even with what you are referring to as representation politics… we have been grappling with racism, sexism, and you had feminism to grapple with sexism. All of that was in aim of something that was an agenda coming from elsewhere”, she continued.
Damane then segued into a discussion of what this activism could look like for women in a patriarchal society, where they are constantly pushed to be activists. Mufamadi believes it is quite simple. “One of the things we need to think about is reimagining work because we have imported what work should look like…and we have compartmentalized ourselves in this way, and its restrictive because at some point there appears to be some choice we have to make between our families and our careers”, said Mufamadi.
She shared an anecdote about her boss at one of her first jobs allowing her to leave earlier at work because she made use of a taxi, and often her working hours were quite long. She shared that this often came across as special treatment to her colleagues who had cars, not acknowledging that that provision allowed her to continue working from home. This is an indication of what reimagining work for women to simply exists as all their roles could look like.
The evening ended in a series of storytelling from their audience of how they continue to exist as young ladies in their professions in a way that does not mimic their male counterparts.
As storytelling continued to emerge from the audience, the central message to young women is clear: lead as women unapologetically, because impactful leadership requires authenticity.
FEATURED IMAGE:Womens appreciation panel. Photo: Milton Makgothoma
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, […]
