At Wits University, physical and mental health declines prompt policy discussion on drug and tobacco abuse.
Substance abuse, specifically drug and tobacco use, is a common part of student culture at Wits.
In response to this, harm reduction is emerging as a more practical way to help those who are struggling.
A new bill on tobacco and e-cigarette control is being considered as a crucial step in addressing the problem at a policy level.
A walk past the Matrix, the Amphitheatre, or even Noswall Hall, brings the pungent scent of drugs on the breeze. It’s a common scene: groups huddled on benches, a joint, cigarette or vape passed between fingers. For many, whether from peer pressure, experimentation or the woes of life, it’s a “jol to zol” as a university student.
This casual normalisation of substance use on campus, however, is always concerning.
The School of Social Sciences addressed drug and tobacco use amongst students as a crisis demanding new policy solutions at a youth health talk on August 21.
For the SRC’s Health and Community Outreach Officer, Musawenkosi Hadebe, the issue is clear. “Particularly [with] students in the Wits Readmission Committee, we see substance abuse as a leading cause for academic failure,” she said.
So, what’s being done to address this?
In a proactive step towards reducing substance abuse, the national government is considering implementing the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill.
The Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Charity Monareng advocates for its passing into law: “I believe that more pressure from youth voices, through signing the petition to pass the bill, is a proactive step forward towards attempting to reduce the high prevalence of substance abuse,” said Monareng.
The proposed bill aims to regulate the sale, advertising, and packaging of tobacco products and e-cigarettes. It seeks to control their manufacturing, prohibit sales to children, and ban free distribution and sales through vending machines.
While the Wits Student Code of Conduct prohibits the use of illegal substances on campus, the issue remains rife.
However, a new approach is gaining traction. Rather than simply condemning drug use, many are turning to harm reduction, a strategy that acknowledges that people using substances should focus on minimising the risks.
“Rather than demand complete abstinence, I believe in practical tips that minimise effects as the goal is to meet people ‘where they’re at’,” explained Sive Mijinde, a researcher and project coordinator at OUT LGBT Wellbeing.
For students looking for support, the university’s Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) provides a safe space. Students struggling with substance abuse are provided with healthy coping mechanisms and pathways to wellness.
FEATURED IMAGE: Close up of a joint between a person’s fingers. Photo: Elsa Olofsson/Unsplash
National Dialogue exposes deep cracks between citizens and state officials, raises doubts about its impact.
Tensions rose during the launch of the National Dialogue at UNISA in Pretoria, where disruptions overshadowed the opening session.
Former President Thabo Mbeki, alongside several organisations and political parties, withdrew from the process over concerns about credibility.
Citizens and students voiced disappointment at what they described as exclusion and lack of genuine representation.
The first National Convention in Pretoria over the weekend was intended to begin shaping a shared national vision and create a space for forthcoming dialogue. However, the event revealed a clear disconnect between government officials and ordinary citizens.
Audience members during Day 1 of the first National Convention of the National Dialogue of South Africa at Unisa. Photo: Likho Mbuka
Proceedings on Friday, August 15, 2025, at the opening of the National Dialogue at UNISA in Pretoria, were interrupted when individuals not listed as panellists attempted to force their way onto the stage, demanding to speak before President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The event began with a welcoming address by UNISA Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula, followed by a musical performance.
Tensions unfolded shortly after panellists were invited to the stage for the first engagement session before the president’s address.
While panellists representing the citizen-led National Dialogue roadmap – a framework drawn up by civil society groups and legacy foundations – were called to the stage, two men not on the list rushed the stage.
They demanded to speak ahead of Ramaphosa and other high-profile delegates. They were asked to respect the process and calmly escorted off the stage.
The day had already been marked by an earlier disruption when an attendee collapsed, prompting a brief pause while emergency personnel provided medical assistance. Delegates sang them off with struggle songs until order was restored.
The dialogue itself opened under a cloud of eleventh-hour withdrawals. Former President Thabo Mbeki, the Thabo Mbeki and FW de Klerk Foundations, several Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, and several civil society organisations pulled out of the process. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), also withdrew, accusing the African National Congress of hijacking the initiative for political gain ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
In an interview with Wits Vuvuzela, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bengu-Motsiri said,
“Our participation will be anchored in the values of the ANC, the resolutions of our national conferences, and the current lived experiences of our people,” she said.
Not everyone left convinced. Wits University first-year politics student, Sekhu Vivian Lerato, said she had hoped to witness inclusivity at work, but the disruptions only underscored her concerns.
“It felt more about political optics than citizens’ voices,” she said.
President Ramaphosa, however, cast the Dialogue in more optimistic terms, calling it “the real conversation” for South Africans to confront poverty, inequality, and poor service delivery.”
Whether the excluded voices will accept that invitation remains an open question.
FEATURED IMAGE: President Cyril Ramaphosa during Day 1 of the first National Convention of the National Dialogue of South Africa at Unisa’s Pretoria Main Campus. Photo: Likho Mbuka
Innovators, industry leaders, and seasoned professionals gathered to discuss AI’s purpose in Africa’s key sectors.
Experts agreed that AI is a powerful tool, particularly in the health sector.
From a legal perspective, the greatest threat from AI is its potential to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few corporations.
With AI as a resource in Africa, there is a clear call for models and frameworks that are designed to serve African-based principles and values.
Delegates explored AI’s transformative impact across various sectors whilst delivering important critiques about ethical applications and regulations of artificial intelligence (AI).
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, highlighted its potential to revolutionise Africa’s future, which was the central theme at the CNBC Africa’s inaugural AI Summit at Indaba Hotel in Fourways.
Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, giving his keynote address Photo: Katlego Makhutle
The inaugural summit sponsored by Telkom in partnership with Forbes Africa and VISA, launched on Thursday, August 14, with important panel discussions moderated by CNBC Africa anchors.
Medical practitioner and CEO of Alpha and Omega MedTech, Dr. Brett Lyndell-Singh highlighted AI’s applications in healthcare, explaining how it is already being used to improve diagnostics in radiology, pathology, and dermatology.
Lyndell-Singh said, “I think it can be used for education [and] health awareness, but it cannot replace a doctor, especially [in] surgery. It’s not going to replace surgery, especially in Africa, any time soon…but you can actually have homoeopathic remedies that you can get from AI and ask it to give you some common remedies for flu, for example.”
Associate Lawyer at The Digital Law Company, Rorke Wilson, offered a legal perspective on the technology. Wilson acknowledged that AI introduces new digital security threats, such as a personal assistant AI that could compromise a user’s entire data ecosystem.
He argued that the primary threat is not the potential of a sentient AI, but rather AI being used to consolidate power and wealth to a few corporations. In the panel session, he noted that South Africa has its own commission in the works and later told Wits Vuvuzela, that perhaps the EU-AI Act-the first major legislation of artificial intelligence in the world, can be used as a “great framework” for creating a new regulation in South Africa.
The summit’s panel on education argued that it should be embraced for disruption. Professor Kat Yassim, Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Education Leadership and Management, highlighted that young people are “digital natives”. She emphasised that universities must adapt their teaching and assessment methods alike.
Yassim challenged the traditional academic view that students have a propensity to cheat. “Should our measurements not be different? Should it always be about a mark? And that is what AI is forcing us to do. It’s forcing us to question. It’s forcing us to evolve,” she said.
She advocated for a collaborative learning environment where professors and students co-create knowledge and experiment with AI as a tool. Yassim provided a striking example from her own class, where 35% of students went on to become digital leaders in their schools after designing their own learning platforms using an AI-assisted process.
She asserted that this success is the true measure of learning and impact, demonstrating that when AI is used as a tool to enhance personal abilities, it can help students make a real difference in their communities and careers.
Overall, the summit painted two sides of the AI debate in Africa. One focused on the immense potential for innovation and the other on the critical need for ethical oversight and equitable development.
FEATURED IMAGE: From Left to Right: Founder of World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck; Old Mutual Group Chief Technology and Data Officer, Dhesen Ramsamy & Openserve Chief Information Officer, Reubin Layman Photo: Katlego Makhutle
As a student, budgeting is everything, but what happens when choosing cheap comes with human consequences?
A perfect morning: Well rested, clear mind, and Temu order en route. It’s a good day…but not for everyone.
At that very same moment, a clothing manufacturer, once with a booming business, now suffers the consequences of fast fashion, starting their morning by letting go of workers. And in a small town in China, a dedicated, but exploited, worker faces the toll of another 75-hour week. All working to satisfy eager consumers.
‘Smashing and grabbing’ the South African economy
Like a thunderstorm, Shein emerged in South Africa in 2020, and not so long after followed the lightening that is Temu, in 2024. Shoppers scrambled online following the movement toward cheap products.
Newzroom Africarecently reported that as Shein and Temu grow, more jobs in South Africa will be at risk, with News24 reporting that 8000 jobs have already been lost in the past four years. Adding insult to injury, the Localisation Support Fund (LSF) estimates that with Shein and Temu’s expansion into the local market, by the year 2030, 34 000 local jobs will be lost.
In an interview with Newzroom Africa, Simon Eppel of Southern Africa Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) said, “This is not just a clothing, textile, footwear, and leather problem. Some of these platforms […] ship and sell other goods, so in fact this affects the entire economy.”
Eppel called this ‘smash-and-grab’ economics, “these online offshore retailers are conducting business in the country at all costs to us”. Simply put, Shein and Temu entered the market aggressively, attracted local consumers with low prices, and ate into the local market share.
Compounding the problem, according to the Daily Investor, Shein and Temu have been exploiting an import rule, allowing them to evade paying VAT on packages valued under R500. To level the playing field, however, SARS recently revised this rule, requiring all imported goods to pay both a 20% flat rate and the standard 15% VAT.
However, the humanitarian impact would remain.
75-hours later…
Early this year the BBC published an investigation into ‘Shein village’, where nests of garment factories are located, in the Panyu district of Guangzhou, China.
Speaking to workers and owners of 10 factories in the district, journalist Laura Bicker found that despite Chinese labour laws setting the working week limit at 40 hours, the Shein workforce charge through 75-hour long working weeks, which equates to 15 hours a day over five days or 12.5 hours over six days.
On top of this, low wages and the use of child labour add to the unethical labour practices at these factories.
Voices of young consumers
Wits Vuvuzela spoke to Thiko Rautshahalo, B.A. Law student, who said that she, “use[s] Shein and Temu for a certain aesthetic, when you go to [local stores] you just can’t find certain aesthetics, it’s also cheaper.”
Kirsten Calvert, Wits honours in psychology student, shared different sentiments about the company, saying, “I ordered clothes but sent them all back […] I realised that one quality thing is better than ten bad [quality] things.”
As students, it can be difficult to find clothing options that fit your style and are affordable, but there are many more sustainable alternatives, such as thrifting. On our very cown ampus we have Zaza Clothing, which you can find on the first floor in the matrix. Here you can shop sustainably while still keeping your budget in mind.
So, next time you click ‘purchase’ on Shein or Temu, consider what you are truly paying for.
Israel adds to the already harrowing death toll of media workers reporting from Palestine.
Journalists Against Apartheid take a moment to commemorate lost Al-Jazeera colleagues.
Anas al-Sharif was among the six journalists recently targeted by Israel.
South African journalists and supporters emphasise the need for the media to speak up and to report the truth.
It was a sombre and almost muted affair, as a handful of South African journalists gathered on August 14, to honour slain colleagues in Palestine.
Journalists Against Apartheid gathered outside the Al-Jazeera office in Auckland Park, holding candles, placards and some draped in keffiyehs to remember those who have been killed by Israeli forces.
Journalist holding a candle in commemoration of lost media workers in Gaza. Photo: Ekta Seebran
Housed in a tent outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa hospital, Anas al-Sharif, a Palestinian journalist for Al-Jazeera Arabic, along with colleagues Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and freelance journalists Mohammed al-Khalid and Momen Aliwa, were killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike.
Israel admitted to targeting al-Sharif on the belief that he was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell but has yet to produce any evidence of this.
Faseegah Davids, coordinator of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, said, “making people feel powerless is the tool of the oppressor, journalists being silenced and killed in Gaza are used to misguide the world in terms of narrative and truth. But we know the truth. They have already been exposed.”
Since October 2023, 272 journalists and media workers have been killed in Israel.
Placards made by supporters. Photo: Ekta SeebranSupporters taking a moment of silence for the lost journalists. Photo: Ekta Seebran
Josephine Kloekner, freelance journalist and organiser of the vigil, said, “It’s not a time we can just be hesitating, because all our colleagues are dying, we have to show our faces and speak up, because if we don’t, who will do it for us.”
The gathering heard voices from not only journalists and supporters of Palestine, but also from media workers on the field sent a message to be read to the crowd, which said:
“The target is truth. We knew them not as bylines, but as friends, as colleagues. Whenever we could get coffee, we shared it with them […] We ran towards danger, not away from it, because we are fearless. But in actual fact, we live in fear. It’s our natural state, and we know that the world must see. We mourn today, but we pick up our cameras tomorrow […] We can never allow Gaza to die without us.”
FEATURED IMAGE: Photos of Al-Jazeera journalists killed on 10 August 2025. Photo: Ekta Seebran.
Though information and communication technologies (ICTs) broaden our reach, with its evolution emerges the monster that is technology facilitated gender-based violence.
Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) plagues youth in the digital age.
Lack of education, adequate law enforcement, and ability to identify the cyber abuse allows the problem to persist.
The Wits Gender Equity Office works separately from government, allowing for increased reporting of abuse by student.
In a move to increase awareness about TFGBV, Wits students have joined the youth-led initiative, SafeDigitalVoices, to combat the persistence of cyber-stalking, non-consensual image sharing, and online harassment, in the digital age.
TFGBV is a term which addresses the problem of abuse, exploitation, and harassment through digital platforms, including dating apps and social media. As it is a relatively new concept, but an important one at that, education on TFGBV is minimal and as a result, many do not know how to identify it.
It is important to know the “difference between a joke and being violated,” said Dr. Aretha Asakitikpi, coordinator of the SafeDigitalVoices TFGBV course. She explained that TFGBV is ‘internalised’, describing that it has become normalised in popular culture.
Jazz Selektor and SafeDigitalVoices member, Buntu, spoke to Wits Vuvuzela about her experience. “I experienced it a lot during 2017 and ‘18 because of the way that my boobs look. I went through so much backlash on social media which led me to deactivating my Facebook account,” she said.
This brings to light the problem of reporting TFGBV and the consequent challenges of law enforcement. Dr. Asakitikpi says that, “law enforcement understand the physical,” but not the intangible. Cyber bullying cannot be seen or touched.
Many of these cases go unreported. According to Dr. Asakitikpi, this is because youth don’t often tell elders, such as their parents or the authorities, due to fear of being shamed, misunderstood, and even ignored.
“Technology is growing faster than our laws,” Asakitikpi said. She described a case she came across during her research in which a respondent reported being stalked online and was met with negligence due to lack of training on the new age beast.
“They didn’t know what to do,” she explained.
Wits Vuvuzela spoke to Bhekamndeni Mkwanazi, a staff member at the Wits Gender Equity Office (GEO), who argued that the GEO is more effective than government law enforcement because they “use an inquisitorial approach, we ensure that we keep the complainant safer and also the respondent,” explaining a belief in restorative justice rather than solely punishment.
“We conscientise them, so whenever they do come back to the university, they’re better people than what they were,” he said.
Identifying and reporting TFGBV is extremely important, not only to protect the subject of the harm, but to hold perpetrators accountable, working toward combatting online norms that are causing or perpetuating harmful behaviours.
To report TFGBV cases you can email them at: info.geo@wits.ac.za, or call the crisis hotline: 0800 111 331. They are also available on Facebook: witsgeo and X: @WitsGEO.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image of the TFGBV awareness team, working with SafeDigitalVoices. Photo: Dipalesa Letuka.
The Outreach Committee of the Johannesburg Junior Council opened Women’s Month with a Women’s empowerment conference.
The outreach committee of the Johannesburg Junior Council hosted a Women’s Day open discussion to raise funds for the Chayil Foundation.
Women from different backgrounds and professions were invited to sit on a panel with the purpose of initiating conversation amongst women and fellow councillors.
The event was themed “The Power of Her Voice”.
The Johannesburg Junior Council (JJC ) opened Women’s Month on August 2 with a female empowerment forum themed The Power of Her Voice.
The forum was created with the intention of inspiring women in the wider Johannesburg area to understand that they have the potential to affect change by speaking up against injustices that affect women, while simultaneously raising funds for the Chayil Foundation, a non-profit organisation created to up-skill and empower women and the youth through health and rehabilitation programs, food and clothing drives and youth mentorship.
Among the panelists were Tebogo Makgatho, chief executive officer of Netcampus, Karen Landi, Kingsmead’s director of service and Robyn Le Roux, the founder of the Chayil Foundation.
Despite Le Roux’s efforts in Eldorado Park, her foundation’s headquarters were broken into by thieves who took her cooking utensils and other means essential to the running of the foundation. The funds raised at the women’s forum will be donated to the foundation to replace some of what was lost in the burglary.
The outreach community, along with the JJC struck a great balance between uplifting the Chayil Foundation and providing a space for women to educate and empower other women as well as any Johannesburg residents who were in attendance.
“The vision for this event was just to bring together people to have a space where we can have open conversation,” said Lesedi Moletsane, head of the JJC’s outreach committee.
We’ve had incredible speakers come here tonight and share their lived experiences. In the world women’s voices a lot of the time are not necessarily listened to and are put aside. Just giving the women, the opportunity to speak is truly transformative,” said Moletsane.
The Power of Her Voice forum is part one of a two-part initiative to bring awareness to women’s struggles and issues during Women’s Month. The second part of this initiative will be a march on the August 10 in Parktown.
According to Oliver Bouilliart, co- mayor of the JJC, the events have been structured this way “to create awareness around what Women’s Day is truly for, but beyond that capture the essence of what Women’s Day truly is. Bouilliart believes that Women’s Month is the perfect time to have both these events to influence public discourse and inspire the exploration of topics that might be otherwise considered taboo.
From her extensive experience in the information, communications, technology and services industry, Tebogo Makgatho encouraged all the women to study the way AI will be used in their dream careers, as a way to better prepare themselves. Karen Landi candidly opened up about her experience being hijacked and provided the attendees with tools to rise up and overcome trauma. Lastly, Robyn Le Roux spoke about her journey to founding the Chayil Foundation and provided tips on how young people can engage in community outreach in the absence of resources.
“May we leave here not only inspired but deeply committed to advocacy, to equity and to unity,” Moletsane said in her closing remarks. “Not just during Women’s Month, but during every conversation, every classroom and every community we return to.”
The planned march for August 10 will begin outside Parktown Boys High School at 11am. Marchers will pass through St. Andrews and Hillside Road in Parktown and then end back at Parktown Boys.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of two members of the outreach committee hosting the evening. Photo: Secaba Molete
Financial constraints have sidelined over half of the Wits Tang Soo Do team selected for the 2025 World Championships in Scotland.
More than half the team was forced to withdraw from competing in Scotland.
Eleven athletes were originally selected, but seven had to withdraw due to funding shortfalls.
Despite fundraising efforts, the team could not raise enough to send all athletes.
Only four of the eleven Wits Tang Soo Do athletes originally selected to represent Wits University at the World Tang Soo Do Championships in Scotland this August will be making the trip, after a significant funding shortfall forced seven team members to withdraw.
The club, one of the longest-running at Wits University with over 30 years of history, celebrated the announcement earlier this year that 11 of its members would carry both the Wits and South African flags at the prestigious global event.
However, with Wits Sport only able to cover up to R10,000 per athlete — and the actual cost per person sitting closer to R50,000 — the dream quickly became a logistical and emotional challenge.
Madiala Leputu, an athlete among those still competing said, “to see the team cut down was disappointing, especially knowing that it was not due to a lack of talent or team spirit, but purely because of funding.”
Despite various fundraising efforts, the team was forced to make tough decisions.
“We put in so much effort and did everything we could to raise funds, but despite our best efforts, it still was not enough,” said Lethabo Rabothata, the club’s Chairperson, who was among those selected but is unable to attend due to financial constraints.
“We prioritised those with higher belts because they have trained longer, have more experience and are better prepared to represent the team effectively,” Rabothata said.
The four athletes who will compete in Scotland have continued to train with focus and determination, carrying the weight of their own dreams as well as those of their teammates.
“Hopefully, next time we all get to go. None of them are not able to go due to unwillingness but circumstance,” said Thomas Mbombi, one of the four athletes.
Their journey highlights both the talent that exists within underfunded university sports and the ongoing struggle to access opportunity.
Treyen Pillay, one of the selected athletes said, “there is need for more structured support, funding, sponsorship opportunities, and institutional backing.”
While the four athletes will represent Wits and South Africa on the global stage, the absence of the other seven is a sobering reminder of the barriers local talent still faces. Their story is a reminder of what is possible, and of what is still at risk if sport continues to be treated as an extracurricular luxury rather than a national asset.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Wits Tang Soo Do athletes representing South Africa at the World Championships in Scotland. Photo: Supplied/Lethabo Rabothata
The new initiative faces resource constraints, relying on donations to keep students fed.
Sizanani aims to feed non-funded students, as well as those in catered and hardship accommodations who can’t afford to book meals at the dining hall.
Each programme serves roughly 130 to 170 attendees, according to the project’s register.
But to operate weekly for a full year, the project would need an estimated R156,000.
Hunger is a silent crisis on campus. For many, lunchtime is a time of uncertainty, not a meal. While some can afford takeout meals at the Matrix or catering at dining halls, others wonder where their next meal will come from.
In May 2025, a Wits Vuvuzela student journalist reported that Sizanani Legacy Project launched their first weekend meal programme at Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach’s (WCCO) kitchen.
Sizanani aims to feed students on weekends who live in catered and hardship accommodation and can’t afford to book meals or aren’t funded. Filling a much needed gap.
The WCCO already provides limited daily food parcels, food banks, and maintains gardens, but it is not enough.
Two months later, four more weekends were hosted, including its most recent on Saturday, July 26, serving sandwiches and Sunday, July 27, serving bread and soup.
According to the register, each program serves roughly 130 to 170 attendees.
Each weekend, Sizanani spends up toR1500 on ingredients and cleaning supplies like hairnets, gloves, and aprons.
Wits Vuvuzela asked Sizanani’s internal affairs manager, Tshwarelo Mafuyeka if they could afford to host on a more regular basis.
“We honestly don’t have enough funds to operate to the extent that we would like,” said Mafuyeka.
He expressed the desire to cook everyweekend, but as an independent student-led initiative, resources are tight.
It would cost R156,000 to cover weekend operations – Saturdays and Sundays, every week – for a full year, Mafuyeka estimates.
However, the project remains optimistic due to additional support.
Campus Housing & Residence Life (CHRL) facilitated communication from several off-campus residences to Sizanani.
This brought South Point, Respublica (Yale Village), Focus 1, AFCHO, Dunwell, and Life Student Apartments on board as donors.
“Notably, Respublica gave the project 1500 noodle packs,” praised Mafuyeka.
The director of CHRL was not available for comment in time for publication, however, Mafuyeka reinforced that CHRL also assisted with “transportation or goodies for events.”
Sizanani also looked at other ventures for help. A Noodle Drive, as one of their initiatives, prompted Wits residents to donate noodles from March till July. Barnato Hall, Girton Hall and Reith Hall were the three top contributors, collectively donating over 200 packets.
Evidently, Sizanani wants Witsies to feed their minds with knowledge without going hungry in the process. Sign up for weekend drives open every Thursday.
FEATURED IMAGE: Volunteers dishing out cooked food into the lunchboxes of attendees at WCCO’s kitchen. Photo: Lukholo Mazibuko
For just R65 a pop, readers came from far and wide to stock their bookshelves. This year, Fourways Mall in Johannesburg was the host of the annual book bonanza.
All books on sale are priced at R65.
National and international book lovers make their way to the sale.
With just over 24 hours left, Exclusive will put a full stop on its annual warehouse sale. Starting on July 24, 2025, the nine-day sale was
established to both decrease excess stock and financial barriers to accessing literature in South Africa.
Exclusive Book’s customers looking for books during the sale. Photo: Sechaba Molete
Initially, books went for just R35 and were sold out of a warehouse in Kramerville. Now, malls have become the sale’s newest hosts and prices have been bumped up to R65 a book. Despite this increase, customers still feel they are getting a bargain, as average book prices in-store range between R400 and R800.
“I love reading and I just love the escapism of it. Unfortunately, as a student, it’s not very affordable to buy books every single month. So, this is really nice! To be able to get five books for the price of one,” said final year BCom management student from Varsity College, Tatenda Mudzwana.
Fourways Mall’s crowded centre court reflected Mudzwana’s sentiment.
“There are actually people who come from as far as Limpopo and even ones who cross the border from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Kenya,” said Exclusive Book’s manager, Mapula Mlikhwa.
Fourway’s Mall patron looking at the warehouse sale. Photo: Sechaba Molete
Despite the attention the sale has garnered thus far, some customers do not think that Exclusive Books can be credited with equaling the playing field for literature lovers in South Africa’s unequal economy.
A customer who refused to be named believes that the sale being in Fourway’s is an inherently exclusionary decision.
“Not everyone can get here. A guy from Thembisa can’t easily get here. A barrier to access still exists because of its location. The concept is good, but if you really want to reach people who can’t buy a book for R650, you also need to get to where those people are situated,” he explained.
Exclusive Book’s prepared paper crates for the customers who could afford to fill them. Tomorrow morning will be the last day the trestle tables will be restocked, a window sales manager, Mlikhwa suggested is best for the final shop.
FEATURED IMAGE: Exclusive Book’s customers looking for books during the sale. Photo: Sechaba Molete
As South Africa’s graduate unemployment climbs, students and experts question whether education is still the bridge to a better future.
Graduate unemployment rose from 8.7% to 11.7% in the first quarter of 2025.
Students from top universities say passion-led study choices often clash with harsh job market realities.
Experts warn of rigid hiring practices and a lack of state-driven job creation.
Picture this – you’re sitting in a lecture hall waiting for your final class of the year to begin. The lights cast uneven shadows on tired faces, some bored, others gripping pens a little too tightly. Your thoughts drift to unanswered job applications, the ones you stayed up late to finish, the ones that vanished into inboxes with no reply. As you walk out and pass the campus library for what might be the last time, the weight of uncertainty settles in. Soon, this place won’t be part of your daily life anymore, and then what? It’s not just you. Across the country, graduates and students alike are facing the sharp edge of South Africa’s job crisis.
A Degree, But No Guarantee
The latest data from Statistics South Africa shows graduate unemployment has climbed from 8,7% to 11,7% in just three months. For those with only a matric or less, the odds are worse. These are the everyday struggles of young people who hoped education would be the bridge to a better life. Their ability to find work is not just about personal success, it also shapes whether the country sees a return on its investment in higher education. When graduates work, they don’t just earn a living, they help fuel the economy and expand what the state can provide. Right now, many are left standing at the edge of that promise, unsure of what comes next.
Holding a tertiary qualification amplifies the chances of finding work in Africa’s most industrialised economy, but even that is starting to slip. According to the World Bank, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with joblessness hovering at 33%, second only to Eswatini.
Wits University’s Great Hall stands as a symbol of academic excellence in Johannesburg, but for many graduates, the path beyond its steps remains uncertain. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
Education vs Reality
Wits University sits in the heart of Johannesburg, a city often described as the engine of the country’s economy. Matshinye France Richia, a final-year postgraduate LLB student, walks those campus corridors with a quiet mix of confidence and caution. “I was honestly naive to the employability of the career I was choosing,” he says. Like many others, he chased a dream, to become a lawyer, without fully grasping the realities of the field. He believes that being at a top university and maintaining a strong academic record could give him an edge, but he admits the legal profession is crowded. Still, switching courses was never an option. “All I told myself is that I would do things differently so as to stand out.”
In Bloemfontein, the country’s judicial capital, known as the city of roses, for the blooms that line its streets, Juanique Botha is nearing the end of her social work studies at the University of the Free State. She walks the campus knowing she’s close to the finish line, but unsure of what lies beyond it. Like Matshinye, she followed her passion without thinking too deeply about what came after. “I knew social work was in demand back then,” she says. “But later I discovered that social workers don’t get paid a lot and work is scarce.” Her worry runs deeper than the paycheck, it’s the silence that follows graduation, the long wait for calls that never come. “Most graduates need connections to get a job,” she says, a quiet truth many young people know too well. Still, she’s not ready to turn away. For Botha, social work is not just a degree, it’s a calling. “It’s not for the money, but for the services you provide,” she says, holding onto the reason she started, even as the job market grows colder.
In the heart of the Cape Winelands, where vineyards stretch toward the mountains, Ave Konkwane is completing a master’s degree in general Linguistics at Stellenbosch University, one of South Africa’s top institutions, Ave had high hopes when he enrolled. “I thought as soon as I finish my degree, I will be very much employable,” he says. Now, close to the end, he finds himself staring into a narrow job market where most options seem limited to academia. “It seems as though there are no jobs that specifically require a Linguistics degree,” he explains, unless one becomes a lecturer or researcher. He once considered switching to law, but age, money, and practicality kept him on the current path. Despite his fears of joining the growing list of unemployed graduates, he holds on to hope. “If not employment, then I’ll equip myself with the skills to start a business,” he says.
Former UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng engages Wits students in a guest lecture. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
At the University of Cape Town, recently ranked 180th in the world by Times Higher Education, Dr Emma Whitelaw is one of the researchers working to unpack the deeper story behind South Africa’s graduate unemployment crisis. As a Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), she studies inequality in post-school education, and what it really means to be a graduate in today’s economy. According to Whitelaw, graduate unemployment must be seen in the context of the broader labour market. “Graduates still face the same adverse conditions as other workers,” she says, “but degree holders continue to have the lowest unemployment rates when compared to other education levels.” The recent uptick in graduate unemployment, may simply reflect the seasonal influx of new graduates into the labour force each year, rather than a structural shift. There are still concerns. “It could signal that there are too many graduates with qualifications in specialisations that are not in demand,” Whitelaw notes.
She also points to a shift in who is graduating. As more students from disadvantaged backgrounds earn degrees, they may not have the same access to job-seeking networks or support. “Previously, graduates were more likely to come from families where those networks could help them find work,” she explains. Now, despite equal qualifications, some graduates, particularly black women, are more likely to remain unemployed. “From the data we have, it’s not yet clear whether this is due to labour market discrimination or the kinds of qualifications and institutions different groups are sorting into,” Whitelaw says.
Global Perspective on a Shrinking South African Job Market
Now based in the sunbaked heat of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a Middle Eastern powerhouse ranked 19th globally in GDP with an economy exceeding $1 trillion, Dr Martyn Davies watches South Africa’s graduate job crisis from afar with a mix of concern and frustration. A former senior partner at Deloitte, Davies now serves as Vice President of the City Excellence Division and Head of the Retail and Citizen Engagement sectors at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Speaking from his new home, Davies doesn’t mince words. “In a slow, no-growth economy, opportunities are not being created,” he says. “And that’s largely as a result of a lack of government initiative.” Without a proactive state creating an enabling environment for job growth, he warns, everyone pays the price, from high school dropouts to university graduates. “No good news here,” he adds. Even graduates who make careful, pragmatic choices face a rigid and limiting employment system, according to Davies. “South African HR departments are very, very narrow-minded,” he says. “They see your potential only through what you studied, not who you are or what you can become.” In his view, this culture stifles mobility and creativity. A journalism graduate, for example, is only seen as a journalist, not as someone with transferable skills, multilingual ability, or a strong work ethic. “They ignore all of that,” he says. “They don’t see the person, only the piece of paper.”
Degree of Uncertainty
Even students like Katleho Senyane, an honours Chemical Engineering student at Wits with a job lined up through a bursary, admit the system is fragile. “It’s no secret that the graduate unemployment numbers are scary,” he says, pointing out that even doctors and engineers aren’t spared. He believes the public sector could unlock mass employment, if the government steps up. As graduates flood a shrinking job market, one question remains: will the system catch up, or keep leaving even the best-prepared behind?
FEATURED IMAGE: Wits students sit attentively during a lecture, holding onto hope that their education will still open doors in a tough job market. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
The gathering served as both a sombre memorial and a rallying cry, amplifying demands for stronger protections for women.
Wits University held a candlelight vigil for Olorato Mongale on May 29, 2025.
Speakers called for action against gender-based violence.
A national study shows that 1 in 3 women in South Africa have experienced physical or sexual violence.
Students, staff, and community members stood shoulder to shoulder, their candles casting a glow over the Great Hall Piazza in remembrance of a slain student.
The Wits Students’ Representative Council held a candle lighting ceremony on May 29, 2025 to honour Olorato Mongale, a Master of Arts in ICT Policy and Regulation student, whose body was found in Lombardy East after she went missing following a first date on Sunday.
Students gather in solemn silence, candles in hand, during a nighttime vigil at Wits University. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
The event brought together the university community to demand justice and action against gender-based violence, following reports that Mongale was brutally killed within two hours of leaving on a date. Speakers included student leaders, Dean of Student Affairs Jerome September, and Dr. Lucienne Abrahams, director of the LINK Centre at Wits University, who condemned the ongoing violence faced by women and demanded urgent action from university management and government.
“It is a very somber moment, as we come together to celebrate Olorato’s life but also speak out against GBV,” said September. Abrahams echoed the urgency, saying the frequency of such violence reflects a deep and systemic failure that requires immediate attention. She added, “There are many takeaways, and those takeaways are going to unravel themselves over time.”
According to Wits student Amu Botes, who attended the vigil, the tragedy highlights the limits of vigilance by. “Even today, my mom called me and said, ‘Please be safe.’ But the truth is, we try — we cover up, we stay sober, we stay on campus or at home — and still, it’s not enough,” she said. “We face harassment daily, and no one cares until we’re raped, killed, or turned into a headline. This is a call for men to hold themselves accountable and for the justice system to act.”
Wits SRC President addresses students during a solemn candlelight vigil held on campus. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
Mongale’s death is not an isolated incident — it is part of a much deeper crisis facing women in South Africa. A pivotal study released in November 2024 by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) offers an unwavering look at the scale of gender-based violence in the country. The First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study reveals that 35.5% of women aged 18 and older — about 7.8 million — have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, while more than 1.5 million faced such violence in just the past year. The report underscores how GBV continues to devastate individuals and communities, with its impact felt in homes, on campuses, and across society.
SABC reports that Philangenkosi Makhanya, the prime suspect in Mongale’s murder, was killed in a confrontation with police in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, on Friday morning. Two additional suspects have since been arrested in connection with the case.
FEATURED IMAGE: With candles in hand, attendees listen intently to the speaker during a moving candlelight vigil at Wits University. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies.
In episode six of We Should Be Writing season 7, the team unpacked the evolution of music as a form of expression and protest, through four decades in the South African context. The episode explores the journey of South African music and its consumers from the 80s, 90s, early 2000s and contemporary listeners. From the […]
