The right to food is enshrined in the South African Constitution, yet millions of people are still food insecure. In Jo’burg, hunger does not manifest evenly– it is a consequence of inequality, the ghost that haunts this metropolis.
Johannesburg has always been a city of extremes. It was never intended to be an equal city and today it still tears at the seams trying to accommodate the two extreme ends of the economic spectrum – and all the people who fall in between.
As a city that contains such a wide array of lifestyles, from the moneyed elite to people just scraping by, our culture reflects a swathe of differences, all with their own traditions, values and tastes. Nowhere is this more evident than in our food.
Perhaps this is why Jo’burg was voted the second-best city in the world for food in May 2024. There is a wealth of restaurants in Jo’burg that display the city’s diversity with their creative and delectable cuisine.
Time Out, which bestowed Jo’burg with this ranking, gave special mention to Braamfontein, ‘the pulse of the city’, for its food. Time Out recognised the ‘innovative ventures combining the forces of food and culture’ in the area.
Indeed, Braam has an abundance of phenomenal places to eat. But the award does not acknowledge that this is not the Braam most people experience.
For most South Africans, food is a tool of survival, not something to be savoured. For 63.5% of South African families, food insecurity is an everyday struggle.
In the four square kilometers of Braamfontein, the city’s vast gap between rich and poor is quite clear in the pervasive food inequality.
How is it that being able to eat is still a major hurdle for people living in the city – even for those living around a prestigious university and in a gentrified urban area?
The many faces of Braamfontein: the suburb as a case study
Braamfontein is a stellar example of the past 30 years of democracy distilled into one place. In the late ’90s, Braam was run down and tired, neglected in the face of all the overwhelming reworking that needed to be done by the new government.
But in 2002, the Johannesburg Development Agency embarked on a multimillion-rand regeneration programme for Braam, recognising its importance to Jo’burg as an economic hub.
Since then, Braam has bloomed: R4-billion of private investment has been poured into the area, and it has become the place to be for many young professionals with cash to burn.
To many Jo’burgers today, Braam is synonymous with trendy bars, beautiful street art and, of course, delicious food.
But Braam is so representative of post-apartheid South Africa because this change, although real, is limited – and only certain people get to bask in its glow.
On the outskirts of this shiny, new Braam, struggling students and residents still live – and still need to eat. What they have access to reflects dire levels of food insecurity and the unequal nature of access to food in South Africa.
The award-winning Salvation Cafe, and the sophisticated Olives & Plates both sit within Braam’s perimeters, small enclaves of cosmopolitan cuisine that in no way align with the average Braam resident’s wallet.
Around the corner and over the way are the everyday food spots that Braam residents actually frequent: fast-food joints, spaza shops and feeding schemes.
These are the many faces of Braamfontein, all painting a picture of the complex and devastating way that food accessibility still stands as a major marker of inequality, starkly segregating South Africans even today.
One of Braam’s most visited food spots – the Mcdonald’s on Jorissen. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Where convenience trumps all – your average spaza shop near Wits University. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
School kids stop for something to eat at one of the spaza shops in Braam. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Savouring the city
Remko van Niekerk is the co-owner of Salvation Cafe, which was established in 2006.
Salvation Cafe is nestled in the heart of 44 Stanley, among boutique stores and coffee shops. Van Niekerk calls it “an artisanal destination” – a place where people’s creations, including food creations, are treated like art.
As he sees it, “44 Stanley has mostly remained an oasis in the urban jungle of Jozi”, despite the changes in the area.
The café is a popular brunch spot under the cover of trees, surrounded by hanging pot plants, and complete with an outdoor fountain. Everything about it is meant to attract patrons from Westcliff and other affluent Northern suburbs.
Salvation Cafe sign. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
A full house at Salvation Cafe, Braamfontein Werf. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Elevenses at Salvation Cafe, featuring their iconic salmon eggs benedict. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Although Van Niekerk says gentrification has increased in the area, he and his staff have also had to deal with the infrastructure issues that plague Braam, like power and water outages.
To combat such expenses while still maintaining a profit, he says the restaurant’s “prices will just have to keep going up”, particularly given the need to pay for alternative energy sources like generators.
On top of this, Van Niekerk’s boss (and wife), chef Claudia Giannoccaro, “is not keen on using lower quality ingredients, thus prices will have to go up accordingly”.
Indeed, Salvation Cafe meals are nutritious, fresh and tasty, loaded with greens and healthy carbs. Their prices reflect this. Burgers range between R130 and R150, salads between R90 and R138, and most lunches cost about R118 (unless you want the teriyaki salmon, which is Salon Qualitaire).
A five-minute drive away on the quiet end of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) West Campus, Olives & Plates Wits Club and Conference is housed in a Transvaal vernacular building, with a gorgeous courtyard surrounded by rose bushes and, yes, a fountain.
It is run by sisters Litza Frangos and Andria Neophytou and their husbands, Apo and Dimitri.
The owners of Olives & Plates, who declined requests for interviews, have grown their business into a successful chain of restaurants after originally beginning as canteen caterers for Wits staff. The business was shut down during the #FeesMustFall protests, after which the owners decided to take the business in a different direction.
Inspired by the owners’ Greek roots, the restaurant focuses on elevating classic meals like toasted sandwiches and salads while adding a Grecian flair. Lunches here cost between R150 and R200. Expensive fillet steaks seem to be a speciality and are regular menu picks.
Lunch time at Olives&Plates on West campus, Wits University. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
The pristine rose garden at Olives&Plates. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
The indoor decor at Olives&Plates. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Lunch fare at Olives&Plates. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
But a restaurant that charges R90 for a fruit salad is a bizarre sight on Wits campus, where students have little choice in what they eat and often go hungry.
So, although fresh food is delivered into Braam every day, the fridges of many students in residence sit empty. What this speaks to, and what the statistics reflect, is that food insecurity is clearly not an issue of supply, but an issue of access.
Walking the breadline
If you walk east from Olives & Plates for about 10 minutes, you will reach The Sanctuary, a beautiful white building that is home to the Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO) programme. Every week, the WCCO feeds about 1,000 food-insecure students, who must stand in a long queue to receive their daily meal. Three days a week, the WCCO hands out food parcels of basic groceries to students in need.
Karuna Singh, the WCCO manager, says that in five years the organisation went from handing out “20 parcels to 3,000 parcels” every week.
With ever-rising food prices and stagnant grocery budgets, many students need extra help now more than ever. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) grocery budget has increased only 10% (about R150) over the past four years, whereas food prices increased 50% during the same period.
Need far outweighs what the WCCO can provide, and even what it does offer depends on the tenuous supply of charitable donations. In fact, since 2017, the donations the WCCO has received have been halved as companies slowly pull back.
“The food bank is not sustainable; the hot meals are not sustainable,” Singh says. To mitigate this, the WCCO has set up food commons, growing vegetables around campus that give students food sovereignty and sustainable, fresh options.
One of the WCCO’s many mini veggie patches around campus at Wits. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
The Wits communal veggie patch on East Campus. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
The WCCO’s chronically low food stores. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
The WCCO building. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
The students at the food bank are not destitute. Mostly, they are young people skating along the line of functional poverty; children of single parents or oldest children having to send some of their NSFAS money home each month.
Rivaldo Jantjies, a fellow journalism student at Wits, survives each month from the money his mom can send him. “I can only buy essentials, you know – noodles, bread, peanut butter, milk, sugar – the basic things I need to survive.”
“When it got to the point [at which] I no longer had those basic things, I would go to [the] WCCO,” he says.
Walking past students on campus, you might not see it, but “a lot of students are struggling”, Jantjies observes. “The lines [at the WCCO] are always long.”
Kea Maphila, an international relations honours student, spoke to the all-too-common experience of students in desperate situations while awaiting NSFAS funding.
“My first year, I only got approved in September”, she tells me. In the interim, she says her mom ‘was paying for my res and giving me allowance… It wasn’t a nice experience.’
Maphila’s situation was manageable, but for many students this would have been catastrophic.
NSFAS provides a stipend for groceries, which is usually about R1,650, but subject to change. “My budget is around R1,000,” Maphila says, which is “enough for groceries, but only for groceries”.
For Maphila, food insecurity is a consuming force, forcing students to prioritise their basic survival. “It’s stressful not knowing when your next meal is, but you’re supposed to be at class at 8am, concentrating,” she says.
Thoughtfully, she tells me: “It seeps into every area of your life… you can’t go on with the rest of your day. It removes so much integrity from a person.”
Integrity is a major part of food insecurity, particularly in a social environment like a campus; inequality among students is often emphasised by the type of food they can afford.
This leads back to basic economic inequality – which, in South Africa, is a racial issue, due to the enduring effects of apartheid.
Food insecurity does not exist in a vacuum and food inequality does not sit squarely within the confines of Braam. It is a countrywide problem – an unsolved one, despite promises and attempts by the government.
Zooming out: the economics of inequality
If someone is shopping on a monthly NSFAS allowance of R1,650, a South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) pension of R1,280, a monthly domestic worker’s salary of R3,349, or receives the national minimum wage of R,4400 a month, groceries in today’s economy are almost unaffordable.
This is for a basket of 28 items. But for a basket of just nine basic items (maize, margarine, peanut butter, bananas, potatoes, IQF chicken, black tea, sugar and long-life milk) the prices are still egregious.
Low-priced items will always be the first choice for poor people when buying food. Grocery stores are aware of this fact, enticing them to make their own brand of cheaper products for mass sale.
Closely related to the food insecurity and inequality conundrum is the persistent issue of nutrition insecurity. Across these four major grocery chains, the same product, due to their varying product value and price, will ultimately hold different nutritional values.
Woolworths margarine has the clear nutritional edge: it is the most energising and fatty margarine, but not too packed with sodium. It costs R32.99, in comparison to R17.99 at Checkers, the least nutritious option.
A research paper from the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security explains the reason behind this unfair price leveraging. The research team found that “the minimalist stance of the government” regarding grocery price setting has granted food companies free reign, with “big retail chains [emerging] as custodians of standards, dictating what should be supplied, how and in what form”.
This leaves South Africans vulnerable to the whim of these profit-seeking companies, which can and will change their prices at any time.
Compounding the threat of artificial scarcity is food scarcity brought about by general government incompetence.
Although South Africa produces enough food to feed its population, making it one of the most food secure countries in Africa, millions of people cannot eat. Dr Tobias Doyer, chief executive of Grain SA, says this is because “food security stands on two legs” – the security of access to food and the ability to obtain food – which the government has not provided for poor citizens.
“South African farmers produce enough food. The problem is that millions of South Africans have become poorer with less ability to buy food – causing famine,” Doyer says.
Groceries cost more and money buys less. In an unregulated food market and struggling economy, it follows that food insecurity is an offshoot of inequality, the most pervasive problem in South Africa today.
Thirty years into our democracy, our leadership has still not transformed the lives of the poor or addressed wealth inequality in any meaningful way. The fact that food insecurity is on the rise in South Africa is not an environmental problem, a social failing or the side effect of a global crisis. It is a major systematic failure.
FEATURED IMAGE: Signpost outside the WCCO building. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Given how misleading period adverts can often be, it is easy to question what truly makes an advert effective.
Advertisers would have you believe periods are a dance party or a carefree stroll in the park. In reality, they are an emotional rollercoaster, and it is time we saw the truth.
Looking into what separates a good advert from a bad one. Graphic: Ofentse Tladi
The latest Always advert opens with five women in vibrant colours dancing energetically. As they dance, three boys dressed similarly appear, looking surprised by the scene. One girl playfully dances over one of the boys, heightening his surprise. The advert then wraps up with the product prominently displayed, highlighting the sanitary pad.
Instead of showing the reality of pain and discomfort, it presents an unrealistic and misleading image. Moreover, the scene where the girl dances over the guy feels inappropriate and out of touch with the true experiences of women on their periods.
The potential intention behind this advert is understandable as it aims to cast periods in a positive light rather than focusing on the negatives, perhaps to try bring hope to those who experience them. However, the reality of what one truly experiences during their period is more grim.
According to the National Institute of Health, many women and girls suffer from abdominal pain during their periods, a condition known as dysmenorrhea. This condition has psycho-emotional symptoms such as anger, irritability, and depression.
As a writer with a Bachelor of Creative Writing from AFDA, where I studied promotional writing and won the Undergraduate Discipline Merit Award in that field, I have substantial knowledge in promotional writing to decipher what separates a good advert from a bad one.
The basis of promotional writing and advertising is about connecting with your target audience. You want to make them feel seen, heard, and most importantly, you want a powerful call to action that compels them to take immediate action.
A recent Kotex advert titled “ProgressFeelsLike” exemplifies what I believe period advertising should be. The advert captures the often overlooked discomfort women experience during their periods.
It uses a narrative format, combining powerful voiceover with clips of women pushing through the sharp grip f cramps during meetings, discreetly checking for leaks on their pants in crowded spaces and fighting exhaustion while caring for their family.
The line, “being dismissed is being on your period,” underscores the frustration of having your struggles minimized simply because you are menstruating.
Another powerful line, “not comfortable, seen as not capable enough or as behaving enough,” captures the harsh judgements women often endure while on their periods.
These judgements manifest in different ways – being perceived as overly emotional or unreliable at work, having their capabilities questioned simply because of the natural biological process, or being labelled as moody or difficult to work with.
These assumptions can lead to women being dismissed or overlooked in both professional and personal settings, reinforcing the stigma and silence surrounding menstruation.
The world of promotional writing is really about storytelling. It is about using your brand to craft narratives that draw your audience into your world. Understanding your audience’s needs, desires, and pain points and then communicating how your brand can meet those needs in an authentic way.
Advertising is not just about making a noise and selling a product; it is about creating a melody that lingers in people’s minds long after the campaign is over.
FEATURED IMAGE: Ofentse Tladi, 2024 Wits Vuvuzela Journalist. Photo: File/ Leon Sadiki.
The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of sporting excellence, and these women athletes are the perfect example of South African sporting talent.
This year, South African Women’s Month coincides with the Summer Olympic Games, which makes it a perfect time to honour just some of the countless women who have made history in these prestigious games. From Penny Heyns to Caster Semenya, South African women have continued to showcase their skills at the highest level.
The Olympics are some of the oldest athletic competitions in the world, starting in 776 BC, but women only joined the competition in the 1900 games. South Africa has an interesting relationship with the Olympic games because of the nation’s Apartheid policy which had them banned from 1964 until the negotiations to end Apartheid began in 1990 (Olympedia). This means South African women only participated in the Olympic Games on a larger scale from the 1992 Summer Games, with 26 women at once, as opposed to the combined 31 between 1920 and 1990.
Since their readmission, South African women have proven to be worthy contenders, holding their weight in all competitions, from swimming to athletics and even hockey.
Penelope ‘Penny’ Heyns, one of the nation’s most successful competitors, won 3 total medals (two gold and one bronze), and became one of the world’s greatest swimmers after becoming the first woman in Olympic history to win both the 200m and 100m breaststroke events at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Despite questions about her gender, Caster Semenya won gold medals in Women’s 800m athletics at the London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. Semenya’s Olympics journey was cut short when World Athletics (formerly International Association of Athletics Federations) ruled in 2018 that she and other female athletes like her with high testosterone levels should take medication to reduce these levels. She remains one of the greatest South African women athletes to participate at the Olympics.
Tatjana Smith (formerly Schoenmaker) is yet another South African woman who continues to achieve phenomenal results at the Olympic Games. As of July 30, Smith received one gold medal in the women’s 100m breaststroke event, the country’s first of the tournament. This gold medal achievement is her third after winning two others at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she set a new world record for the Women’s 200m breaststroke.
These are just a few of South Africa’s amazing women athletes who have flown the South African flag high. Their passion, dedication, and skill serve to inspire generations of young women as the country celebrates women this Women’s Month.
FEATURED IMAGE: Tatjana Smith posing with her Olympic gold medal on TV. Photo: Kamogelo Kungwane
Sibusisiwe Manqele, a Wits alumnus, walks us through her journey as a prominent creative in the entertainment industry.
A powerful voice, creative vision and a vibrant personality are the qualities that make Sibusisiwe Gugu Manqele an innovative storyteller.
From doing voice-overs for numerous brands and writing scripts for popular South African TV shows such as Gomora, House of Zwide and currently Skeem Saam, Sibusisiwe continues to establish her as a prominent force in the industry.
Sibusisiwe grew up in Ulundi, Kwazulu-Natal which is where her love for storytelling began. Her upbringing involved long commutes from home to school with private scholar transport and the other passengers were her first storytelling audience.
“These were spaces for creating stories because we’d have 30 (minutes) plus commute when I wasn’t in boarding school, and they’ll just be stories. As kids you just find things to pass time and part of that is storytelling,” she said.
This passion for storytelling drove her to want to study at The School of Arts at Wits University. She applied for a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts (now known as Theatre and Performance), a position she had to audition for despite having no prior experience in drama. “I decided to adapt a novel that I was doing and it’s only now when I think about, oh my gosh, that was the writer in (me)”. This adaptation impressed the markers and got her into the programme.
Against the recommendations made by her course coordinators, Sibusisiwe also did Television and Film, which would often clash with Dramatic Arts classes. “My friend and I had this thought that, ‘No man, we can’t be waiting for acting. When acting is not moving we need to be behind the scenes’”.
Manqele found her first time at Wits as a journey that allowed her to understand the arts and provide her with a network of other creatives, especially as a person who did not have the same artistic background as her colleagues.
After completing her majors in 2012, she spent seven years in the industry trying to get into different types of entertainment, such as lifestyle and reality shows. In 2019, she decided to pursue an Honours Degree in Creative Writing at Wits University which she felt helped her get into more linear, fiction storytelling.
Sibusisiwe Manqele is more than just a script writer but also a businesswoman and innovator at heart. She is the founder of CONTENTWOOD, a production company which tells stories “That give voice to narratives that you don’t always see”, and a part of these narratives involve the empowerment of women.
The company’s first and only short film, Questions, was an experimental film taken from poetry, looks at mental health and the experiences of black women. Manqele had the privilege of presenting the film in Paris at the Communicating Multi-Modally: Research & Expressive Culture in May 2022.
Manqele has had an illustrious career which has been topped off by her being listed as one of Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Women in South Africa in 2023. When asked to share wisdom for Witsies and aspiring creatives she shared that knowing oneself is the secret and beginning of all wisdom. “And then knowing what you have to give to the world and leveraging that and making the world a better place through that service.”
In a time where the second semester is starting to get the ground running, Wits students can look to Manqele as a beacon of hope for what’s to come from hard work.
FEATURED IMAGE: Sibusisiwe Gugu Manqele. Photo: Skinnie’s Gallery.
While digital news thrives online, a devoted newspaper vendor from KZN remains a steadfast presence at a Wits bustling intersection, hoping to convince young and old to grab print copies.
In the centre of Johannesburg, at the busy intersection of Yale and Empire Road near Wits University, Phumzile Msani ,stands as a symbol of a bygone era.
Phumzile Msani engaging with a potential client at the intersection of Yale and Empire Road. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
As a devoted newspaper vendor, despite the drastic change in the print media landscape, Msani has continued to sell printed news for more than thirty years.
Hailing from KwaZulu-Natal, Msani stepped out of her comfort zone to seek employment in Johannesburg. Without fully completing her education, she could not secure a formal job, leading her to sell newspapers. The money she earned was sent back home to support her extended family. The 57-year-old and her family still rely on the ever dwindling income from her daily hustle.
From Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm, she sells newspapers on the busy intersection. Her selection includes The Star, The Citizen, Business Day, and Mail and Guardian.
The latest quarterly figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) show a further decline in circulation figures. The Star, which used to be one of Msani’s bestsellers has seen a 35% decrease in circulation in the last year alone, less than 6000 paid copies in circulation weekly.
However, Msani’s commitment goes beyond her sales of newspapers, she is a familiar face and voice to regular passersby, making sure to greet passersby with a welcoming grin and willingness to chat.
Msani said the Covid-19 pandemic severely hurt her sales. Despite more individuals using online news sources, sales have not returned to their pre-lockdown level. She told Wits Vuvuzela, “before Covid-19, I used to sell 90 copies every single day, now I only sell up to nine copies a day.”
Price increases have also played a role in decreased sales. For instance, City Press, which was priced at R20 in December 2019, now stands at R29, while Beeld, which was R12.50, has risen to R18.50. Similarly, Die Burger has seen an increase from R13.60 to R16, and Daily Sun’s price has more than doubled from R4.20 to R8 during the same period.
Msani is a monument to the lasting value of print media in an age when digital news is taking over the world. Her devotion, and steady presence beg the question of whether print and digital journalism can coexist, or will screen convenience eventually make the sound of newspapers rustling obsolete?
FEATURED IMAGE: Selection of newspapers that Phumzile Msani sells. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
Many traditions and cultures have subconsciously aided the wellbeing of one’s mind through music and sound.
A neurologist and music psychotherapist tackled the maze of the mind together on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Wits Origins Centre through a mental wellness and brain health seminar on International Museum Day.
Human brains have a potential that is unfathomable, and whilst people think we only use 10% of our brains at a time, they are mistaken.
Most of our brain is being used most of the time, even while sleeping, and over 85 billion neurons in our brains are always firing some sort of signal.
However, with all this brain power comes the largest emotional intelligence amongst all mammals. This EQ of humans is the area studied by neurologist and brain health specialist, Dr Kirti Ranchod, and music psychotherapist, Nsamu Moonga.
Music psychotherapist, Nsamu Moonga, leading the audience through a series of musical workshops to release their inner voice and learn to trust in a collective conscious. Photo: Victoria HillDr Kirti Ranchod during her seminar at the Origins Centre, speaking about all things brain health and wellness. Photo: Victoria Hill
Music is all around us — at birthdays, funerals, weddings, political rallies — and each scene sounds very different from the next, which is a subconscious understanding, Dr Ranchod explained.
Dr Ranchod said music is linked to both memory and emotion. When a person hears a specific song, they relive a specific experience, which leads to them feeling a specific emotion.
This is the basis from which Moonga bases his therapy techniques. He explained how humans forget things as a survival technique yet create rituals to ensure they do not forget what is important — the earth rotating completely around the sun, a human life ending, a life of two people beginning for instance.
Yet, Dr Ranchod said how music is exceptionally personal where one type of tune will relax someone whilst it will trigger another. .
To pay homage to International Museum Day, Dr Ranchod spoke about the San Trance Dance which is one of the earliest rituals known to date that used music to bind a group together.
The Trance Dance is a permanent feature at the Origins Centre — which traces human life back nearly two million years — because it sees the beginning of humans living in communities and activating their energies to connect with the spirit world.
With sound, rhythm, movement, and dance used to alter reality, shift consciousness, and change perception, this was the start of music therapy in practice.
Museums document the history we all share and allows for the interception of the past, present, and future. They allow us to understand who we are, where we come from and are the physical pallbearers of memory.
FEATURED IMAGE: Modern-day rock art as appearing in the Origins Centre to showcase how the past is still very much in the present. Photo: Victoria Hill
Fourteen days without electricity turned my academic ambitions into a harrowing experience.
On the night of May 1, 2024, Braamfontein turned pitch black, as a power outage plunged some parts of the inner city into darkness.
I was in the newsroom, situated at the E’skia Mphahlele building on Wits East Campus, writing a review of a theatre play I had watched. Living in a country where loadshedding and power interruptions have become the norm, I did not take the outage to mind, thinking the electricity would be restored in a couple of hours.
The next morning, Johannesburg City Power revealed that underground cables in the Braamfontein area had caught fire, due to suspected cable theft and vandalism. Knowing the city is overseeing the situation, I further relaxed, thinking the matter would be fixed swiftly, but that did not happen.
Since productivity was limited in my residence room, my daily routine changed dramatically — the library in Solomon Mahlangu House became my accommodation, where I rose early to charge my devices, eat, and do some coursework.
As a journalism student, I typically have one or two classes daily, allowing ample time for writing articles, research, and programme engagement. I spend most days on campus, occasionally returning to my residence to rest or prepare meals between classes.
By 10 o’clock in the evenings, I normally return to my room which is a walking distance from campus. I typically buy groceries and cook to save money.
As food prices have gone up due to inflation. I have resorted to only having one or two meals a day. I sometimes grab lunch provided by the Wits Citizen and Community Outreach (WCCO) programme but in most cases, this clashes with my classes, forcing me to improvise.
But on Saturday May 5, 2024, after a basketball game, I returned to find all my recently bought food spoiled in the fridge, just after I had stocked up for the whole month, a financial setback of note.
Due to only having borehole water at my residence as well as a scarcity of water when there are power outages, I then resorted to commuting to Wits Junction daily so that I could shower at my friend’s place before heading to class.
I felt hopeless and exhausted, unable to change my situation — fueling resentment for this place called Braamfontein. Without financial assistance or a food allowance, I had to dig deeper into my own pockets. I observed Darwinism firsthand as “survival of the fittest” unfolded in its ruthless and pragmatic manner.
This situation was a defining moment for me, the emotions I felt, made me look at things differently. Mainly, that challenges will come, but my resilience can see me through.
Finally, on May 13, 2024, the lights in Braamfontein flickered back to life after a long two weeks. Immediately when the lights came on, the joyous screams of students filled the air, and as if on cue, rain showers descend, bringing a sense of renewal amidst the chaos.
FEATURED IMAGE: Salim Nkosi Photo: File/Leon Sadiki
Frustration and petty arguments were the winners of the day, at summit meant to strengthen democratic practices among the youth.
On the morning of Saturday May 10 2024, a youth summit was hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) in the New Commerce Building at Wits University.
On the cusp of the 2024 elections, this summit aimed to host constructive political discussions between political party representatives about topics relevant to the more than fifty young attendees. However, said discourse quickly devolved into chaos as tempers flared.
The discussion devolved into a frenzy once Economic Freedom Front (EFF) representative, Nyakallo Mokoena derailed proceedings, by arguing that Anele Mda, an independent candidate, should not be given a platform, because she was late to the summit and “did not respect their time”.
This resulted in rage-filled arguments between Mda and the Mokoena, with representatives from the Democratic Alliance and the African National Congress drawn into the fray.
The summit was only able to continue after groups of the audience began to sing in unison, crossing political boundaries in pursuit of a singular goal – to calm the intense situation and get the summit back on track.
The representatives attending the summit, from right to left: Mark Surgeon (Freedom Front Plus), Nyakallo Mokoena (Economic Freedom Fighters), Henry Masuku (BOSA), Nicholas Nyati (Democratic Alliance), and Phathutshedzo Nthulane (ANC). Independent candidate Anele Mda is absent from the photo due to arriving late. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
A question-and-answer session followed these discussions, where grade 11 student, Precious Hadebe, stated that the audience was “not here for [the representatives] to throw shots at each other”. She specifically criticised the EFF for providing “no solutions” and for continuing to “attack other parties”.
Mokoena, again interrupted the summit, arguing that Mda’s tardiness was representative of how the country is running out of time to make necessary changes.
This resulted in another extended chaotic interruption, which resulted in the Build One South Africa (BOSA) representative walking out on the summit during the lunch break.
After walking out, BOSA’s Henry Masuku, told Wits Vuvuzela that although he “appreciate[s]” the opportunity to have these sorts of discussions, he is concerned about the political leaders who “deflect questions” and “don’t have a real plan of action”.
According to a media release from the AKF, this summit aimed to help “develop young leaders” who are politically “active” and “conscious” and understand their role in “strengthening democracy in South Africa”.
Despite the disarray, the AKF did achieve its goal and informed the youth about their pivotal role in South African democracy, but not in the way it intended.
The audience’s ability to quell the chaotic bickering that ensued by standing united in song is indicative of how these issues could be solved by the youth in the future: collaboratively and with a singular goal of helping one another in the face of adversity.
FEATURED IMAGE: EFF member holds face of women in the foreground, as audience floods the stage at chaotic Ahmed Kathrada Foundation youth summit. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Students live in Joburg, yet they hardly experience the city; here’s budget-friendly guide to places to help let loose and fall in love with the city of gold.
The University of the Witwatersrand is situated in the heart of Joburg’s CBD, with students from all over the world who enter its door. However, students, especially the ones that are novices to the area, do not know what is beyond the perimeter of their place of study — missing out on exciting spots to visit in the city.
Other students miss out as they get caught up in the hustle and bustle of city life and forget what is around them.
As today is National Tourism Day, which serves to commemorate all the aspects that contribute to a country’s travel and tourism allure; Wits Vuvuzela compiled a list of tourist attractions that students can try in celebration of the day.
The tourism sector took a beating during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is currently picking up. According to Stats SA, the volume of tourist arrivals increased by 152,6% from 2,2 million in 2021 to 5,6 million in 2022. The statistics agency explained that the national gradual improvement was observed in the number of tourists arrivals from January to December 2022; however, it is still 44,3% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Looking closer at the numbers, of the 5,5 million tourists in South Africa in 2022, 0,7% are students in the country, 4,7% are from other African countries, and 0,1% are international.
Beyond this, the sector is amongst the biggest contributors to GDP in the country.
Thus, one can see how tourism is a necessary sector in South Africa with predominant hotspots in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. Luckily for Wits students, they have the best tourist places within their fingertips.
An eagle’s eye view of Johannesburg showing bustling traffic and the hidden gems the city has to offer. Photo: Victoria Hill
Tourist hubs are made up of historical, cultural, environmental, and social aspects, which students can choose from. They also vary on a scale of affordability, which is vital to consider as students are always looking for fun outings that do not break the bank.
Under R100:
1. Wits Art Museum
2. Wits Origins Centre
3. Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
4. Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens
5. The Wilds Nature Reserve
6. Constitution Hill
7. South African National Museum of Military History
8. Johannesburg Zoo
9. Lindfield Victorian House Museum
10. James Hall Museum of Transport
11. Adventure Golf [one game = R36,67]
12. Sci-Bono Discovery Centre
Between R100-R200:
13. Apartheid Museum
14. Montecasino Bird Gardens
15. Multiflora Flower Market
16. Ice-skating
Between R200-R300:
17. 44 Stanley
18. Gold Reef City Theme Park
19. Maboneng Precinct
20. Melville
21. Parktown 4th Avenue
22. Illovo Muse
23. Rosebank Rooftop Market
24. Fourway’s Farmers Market
25. Neighbour Goods Market
26. Victoria Yards
27. Hashtag Escape
Independent ticket pricing:
28. Joburg Theatre
29. Wits Theatre Complex
30. Wits Chris Seabrooke Music Hall
No matter if you want to go from zero to one hundred, Johannesburg will always have something in store for you. These are just a few tourist attractions near or surrounding Wits University, but if you want an adventure beyond these borders, a road trip is always worth it.
Watch a Google Earth deep dive into each location:
FEATURED IMAGE: The skyline of Johannesburg as seen from the Wits Art Museum building’s 20th floor. Photo: Victoria Hill
How do bookshops on Wits campus compare as they aim to fulfil student’s academic needs whilst keeping prices affordable?
Buying textbooks can be a stressful exercise for most students; as most of these books do not come cheap. But what is the role of bookstores when it comes to the final price tag? Wits Vuvuzela investigated by speaking to two main bookshops on campus to find out how they set up their prices.
I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop, situated just outside of the Matrix, was founded in 1992 on Wits campus and operates as a sole proprietor. Van Schaik Bookstore meanwhile can be found at the heart of the Matrix. The original Van Schaik Bookstore was founded in 1914 in Pretoria, and currently operates as a private company.
Van Schaik has been owned by “a syndicate of private equity investors and a pension fund” since 2013. This Wits branch is one of 70 retail stores owned by Van Schaik across Southern Africa. I.H. Pentz, on the other hand, receives no outside funding and is therefore dependent on the business it generates on Wits campus.
When asked how they set up their prices, I.H. Pentz spokesperson said they look at public retail prices to determine their own. He said the business aims to supply students with a “specialised” service and attempt to “cater for everything”, from prescribed books to more obscure research and leisure reading titles.
I.H. Pentz carries 15 000 individual titles as part of its “curated collection”, and even holds books that they are aware “don’t justify shelf space” to provide students with as much variety as possible. They also deal with new, as well as second-hand books as a budget-friendly alternative.
On the other hand, manager of the Van Schaik Wits branch, Mmabosigo Makolomakwa said that they only deal with “brand new books”. The titles and the price they carry are determined by the Van Schaik head office and attempt to streamline student’s acquisition of prescribed books.
In 2019, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) abandoned their awarding of book vouchers as it found that students would trade these vouchers for cash. They dealt with the issue by giving students with a book allowance. Currently the allocation stands at R5 460 per annum. However, since NSFAS started giving students cash directly, I.H. Pentz said their “textbook sales have gone down”.
Figure 1: A comparative graph displaying how the NSFAS learning materials allowance has increased, versus the South African inflation rate as determined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2019 to 2024.
Meanwhile, Makolomakwa believes that the allowance is too low and makes students “opt for second-hand” books over more “expensive” new titles. Makolomakwa added that if you are an accounting student, there is a chance “you’re not going to get all your books”.
Depending on the type of subjects an accounting student decides to study, if they opt for brand new books, they could roughly be putting themselves in an R8 000 hole. This trumps the R5 460 learning materials allowance provided by NSFAS – and necessitates the purchasing of second-hand titles.
In some cases, however, buying second-hand titles may not be an option if new versions of textbooks are released every year. For example, if a student is doing tax accounting, they require South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Student Handbook packs that release new versions of textbooks every year.
Figure 2: A tabulated representation of the prices of the annually released SAICA Student Handbook: Volume 2 on online retailers Loot.co.za and Lexisnexis.co.za.
I.H. Pentz, on the other hand, believes that the allowance is “fair” because of the second-hand option they provide. For example, a brand-new copy of Biology: A Global Approach, Global Edition sells for R1 440 at I.H. Pentz, whilst you can buy it for R400 second-hand. The shop also regularly runs sales on second-hand books that can be bought for anywhere between R40 and R100.
Second-hand books on sale outside of I.H. Pentz for discounted prices. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Although Van Schaik Wits branch’s prices are dictated by their head office, Makolomakwa says she always listens to feedback from students and compares prices of online retailers like Takealot to make price their prices competitive.
Online retailers like Loot and Takealot appear to have cheaper textbook options than I.H. Pentz and Van Schaik for more widely accessible textbooks, but these initial prices do not account for delivery fees – and more obscure textbooks can be almost double the price.
Figure 3: Groupings of bar charts that comparing the prices of specific textbooks from different retailers: I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop, Van Schaik Bookstore, Takealot.com and Loot.co.za.
The prices of textbooks vary heavily across retailers; and there is no clear winner when it comes to the affordability of new textbooks. However, because I.H. Pentz sells second-hand books, they have the upper hand on Van Schaik when it comes to providing students with cheaper options.
FEATURED IMAGE: I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop and Van Schaik Bookstore on Wits Campus. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
The university’s Robert Sobukwe block is plagued by leaks, mould, broken windows, and water damage.
A downpour of rain has exposed the cracks in the facade of one of Wits University’s oldest buildings. Robert Sobukwe Block (formerly Central Block) is the heart of Wits and in many ways the face of the university.
It is also home to the university’s humanities faculty, the largest faculty by enrolment. Despite this importance, the building is in disrepair and disarray.
“[It] feels like a prison, or one of those scary boarding schools we see in movies,” says International Relations Honours student Neo Moliea. The building has long suffered from water damage due to unfixed leaks.
On March 8, 2024, Wits Vuvuzela observed rainwater dripping from the roof onto stairwells and seeping through decaying windows onto the floor. Walls throughout the building show extensive water damage, with peeling paint and exposed plaster.
Bubbling paint covers the walls in the stairwells of Rober Sobukwe Block. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Many of the windows in Robert Sobukwe block are shattered, and the windowpanes are often rotting. The buildings’ walls are spotted with mould, often concealed in darkness as lights randomly stop working.
To some students, Robert Sobukwe block does not reflect the Wits they were sold on. “For the Wits centenary celebration, they spent a lot of money on decorating,” says law student Talia Krishnan, “[but] some of their facilities are just not working.”
Students and tutors see issues inside classrooms too. International Relations Honours student, Kea Maphila says the plug points in classrooms throughout the building malfunction, making her wary of using them in case they blow and surge her laptop. As a tutor, this affects her ability to teach students and is an inconvenience no student needs.
Rotting windowpanes where water leaked in and pooled in the stairwell of the building. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
These issues compromise the integrity of the building, but also show a lack of interest in maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for students.
It may be a historic building, but students feel this does not mean it should not be renovated. “I am really against preserving history if it looks and feels so old and cold,” Moliea says.
Wits’ Property and Infrastructure Management Division (PIMD) logged a fault when questioned by Wits Vuvuzela but seemed unaware of the latest flooding incident.
FEATURED IMAGE: A smashed window in Robert Sobukwe Block overlooking the East wing of the building. Photo: Ruby Delahunt.
Approximately 20 000 men, women, and children flocked to the Johannesburg Zoo for birthday celebrations.
It was a sheer coincidence that Joburg Zoo’s birthday celebration fell on Human Right’s Day, March 21, giving them the chance to create awareness around everyone’s “right to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations” (Section 24b of the South African Constitution).
Executive Director, Louise Gordon, stated their priority has and always will be conservation and education. The zoo is involved in rehabilitation and exchange programmes on and off site to broaden their reach and ability in the environmental sphere.
She said “if people don’t know, they won’t conserve,”: therefore, the zoo has slashed their entrance fee from R120 per adult to just R20 during their birthday month to encourage affordable access.
Elephants enjoying all the attention at Joburg Zoo. Photo: Victoria Hill
A lazy tiger enjoying the view at Johannesburg Zoo. Photo: Victoria Hill
The concrete jungle, namely Johannesburg, has long said goodbye to preconceived ideas about animal treatment in zoos. Instead, they have evolved and revolutionised themselves into being one of a few zoos in an urban setting that homes the Big Five. As part of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Johannesburg Zoo has a high standard to uphold, putting animal welfare first.
Whilst strolling around the enclosures, the many animals seemed to be having the time of their lives, with many sleeping under the sunny skies. Local artists were blaring tunes on the main stage, but Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for Joburg Zoo, assured the animals were protected from any harmful decibels by a buffering system actively established.
Johannesburg Zoo plays an integral role in the Wits community, because of the educational opportunities it affords to environmental and medical students. Moodley said the ongoing exchange programme between the university and zoo, allows the youth of South Africa to learn from all angles.
“For example, if we are doing an autopsy on one of our big species […] we invite the students to observe,” said Moodley. The zoo, therefore, offers Wits students a privileged opportunity to learn amongst South Africa’s natural heritage.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela, Nathi Mvula, a senior environmental education specialist, shared his views on why he believes Johannesburg Zoo reaching their latest milestone is important:
An interview with Joburg Zoo’s senior educational environmental specialist, Nathi Mvula. Video creds: Victoria Hill
To have opened in 1904, and to still be open today, Joburg Zoo has proved itself a national icon and beacon for wildlife conservation.
FEATURED IMAGE: Joburg Zoo’s banner that served as a background for many pictures.Photo: Victoria Hill
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 […]
