As a platform dedicated to centring young people and the voices of people not typically centred in the media, we have created and grown as a community since 2014. However continuing to operate as a business is unfortunately no longer feasible.

Keeping a small, independent media company afloat over the last four years has been increasingly challenging. We remain passionate about what we have achieved, the space we’ve created in South African media and the voices we’ve managed to amplify. But now it is time to take a little break. It is time to go back to the drawing board and find out what is the next step for us and how we can best serve the journalism profession while still remaining true to our audience and supporters.

There have been so many wonderful, impactful moments that we can’t even begin to express our gratitude for. The support we have received since the very beginning has truly been overwhelming in the best way. We want to wholeheartedly thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with us. While this chapter is ending, we hope that the spirit of what we proved possible over nine years will live on with you all.

All the work we’ve done and the wonderful people who make up The Daily Vox family have created will be available as archival content.

The post Announcement: goodbye for now appeared first on The Daily Vox.

Cape Town, June 2023

Lynn/Ling Sheperd

This story was produced as part of Story Grants to Report on South Africa Pathways to Net Zero, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.

READ PART ONE: Solar plant outside Cape Town is one step towards carbon reduction goals, says city

Voices from Atlantis

A resident, Llewellyn L, 37, walked across the site when approached about what he understands net zero to mean. He was hurrying along to one of the many odd jobs he said he does around Atlantis to earn some money. He is semi-employed when work becomes available but for the most part he is not formally employed. A past participant in a skills programme from the COCT in 2011 expressed disdain for city programmes. He never received his completion certificate along with many others and feels ‘it’s about who you know not what you know’ to get employed in Atlantis. 

As a resident of a local informal settlement in Atlantis, he said communication from the local government is sparse. He said he has only ever seen the site as a bushy area and used it as a thoroughfare to get to town.

He expressed in his mother tongue: 

“Ek wiet wat solar panels is, maar ek wietie van ‘n gebou nie. Ek het nog nooit gehoor van dit nie tot vandag.’ (I know what solar panels are, but I don’t know about the solar plant. I have never heard about this plant until today).  

He explained that we need to conserve more water and be mindful of litter, but that net zero is something he had never heard of. Perhaps he would have shown more interest in this project had the COCT consulted locals regarding their plans. 

The COCT has promised the solar plant will have significant economic benefits for the community of Atlantis. According to the 2019 Ikamva case study, Atlantis has succumbed to high levels of unemployment through the years. The unemployment rate per the 2011 census indicated an unemployment rate of 26.6% and only 32% of residents 20 years or older had completed high school (matric) or a form of higher education. This is why it doesn’t come as a surprise that not many locals are thrilled about the solar plant, as they feel there are more pressing matters at hand that take precedence over net-zero. 

Not far from the site we spoke to another Atlantis resident, Thabo Ndom, who lives in a new settlement called Covid. Ndom had been crossing the road with a bucket of water on his way to his home when encountering him. The area around the Covid settlement had many illegal electrical connections hanging from the streetlights on Chris Hani Road in Atlantis. The bucket of water is one of many he carries on any given day to make sure he and his family have enough access to clean water. He gets it from a communal municipal tap in the road. The Witsand primary school is close by and is the school to many of the settlement’s children. 

“It’s difficult for our kids. They can only use the toilets at school, or they go into the bushes. It is not safe for anyone. Electricity is a problem, but we need toilets and running water. I can’t be worried about solar things. I didn’t know about this solar plant. Usually, ward councillors tell us about new projects, but we know nothing.”

He said that he too has a limited understanding of what net zero means, and that his most important concern is access to clean water and sanitation in the area. Again, the oversight on the COCT’s part neglected to inform and include locals. Perhaps they could have alleviated the unemployment problem by employing locals to assist in water and sanitation projects—kill three issues with one project or however the saying goes. 

Local ward councillor Anastatia Davids said the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) invited the community to attend presentations about building the solar plant. However, the land was already made available by the city. In essence there was no public participation about the solar plant development according to Davids. Once the meeting occurred and a few people saw the newspaper clipping and they were very disgruntled about not knowing anything, Davids said.

Solar plant vs Indigenous plants

The site of the solar plant is also a very rich area of Cape Fynbos (endangered indigenous vegetation) that has been signed off to be cleared for the construction of the plant.  

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning granted environmental authorisation for the construction of the Atlantis PV plant in April 2022. The plant’s construction will result in the clearance of more than one hectare of indigenous vegetation. This includes the clearance of more than 300m² of critically endangered Atlantis Sand Fynbos and endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld.The authorisation notice states the loss of indigenous vegetation will be mitigated by an offsite biodiversity offset.  

This means compensating for vegetation that will be cleared because of the proposed development. The city has purchased properties on the urban edge and to the east of Atlantis. This is for the loss of terrestrial vegetation that will occur, said Van Reenen. 

Zoleka Maphanga a horticulturist in the Faculty of Natural Science at the University of the Western Cape said offsets are a common strategy used in development projects to compensate for the ecological impact and biodiversity losses. The city is aiming to preserve natural habitats. There is also the possibility of negative consequences for local ecosystems and biodiversity. 

“Indigenous vegetation is indeed integral in removing harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere through a process called carbon sequestration. Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and store it in their tissues, effectively reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Preserving or restoring indigenous vegetation can play a vital role in mitigating climate change and maintaining ecosystem health. By ensuring the preservation of vegetation outside of Atlantis, the city is likely aiming to maintain or enhance the capacity of the local environment to remove harmful gases, promote biodiversity, and provide ecosystem services,” Mphanga said. 

The concept of biodiversity offsets is widely used as a mitigation measure in development projects, to minimise environmental impacts. Further investigation into the offset activities is needed along with wider consultation. This includes extensive dialogue with local residents, and more research on offset projects. 

Mphanga concluded that while balancing developmental and environmental effects, factors like transparency and effective mitigation methods are needed to reduce adverse effects on native plants and larger ecosystems.

This story was produced as part of Story Grants to Report on South Africa Pathways to Net Zero, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.

The post PART TWO: Zero Interest in net-zero, Atlantis community members say appeared first on The Daily Vox.

Cape Town, June 2023

Lynn/Ling Sheperd

READ PART TWO: Zero Interest in net-zero, Atlantis community members say

The solar PV plant in Atlantis is one of the ways the city of Cape Town hopes to insulate itself from the failure of the national power grid. It is one of the many Lego blocks for how the city plans to meet its climate-disrupting carbon pollution. 

In September 2022 the city announced it will build the 7-megawatt (MW) PV solar plant in Atlantis. This is part of its plan to be the first municipality in South Africa to be less dependent on Eskom, the country’s main energy supplier that mostly runs on burning coal. More load shedding has already occurred in South Africa in 2023 than in the entire year of 2022. The nation has experienced an unbearable amount of load shedding in just six months. Currently the city uses 2 000 MW of power per day. 

This story was produced as part of Story Grants to Report on South Africa Pathways to Net Zero, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.

Continued blackouts are an immediate concern in South Africa with ailing coal-energy provider Eskom. South Africans are going without electricity for up to ten hours a day, and sometimes to 12 hours. This can go even longer with vandalising of substations as neighbourhoods are plunged into darkness. The COCT has embarked on a climate action strategy to counter the electricity crisis, with the Atlantis plant being one in a series of small-scale interventions. These are one of many strategies needed to achieve the net zero goal of less carbon pollution by 2050.  

During a May 2023 interview, councillor Beverley Van Reenen, the city’s mayoral committee member for energy, said the tender process to build the solar plant had closed and the city’s supply chain management process of finalising appointing a contractor had begun. Once a contractor has been appointed construction for the plant will commence, van Reenen confirmed. The city’s media office also confirmed it will release a media statement about the development’s timelines and completion date once its tender process is complete. 

The plant is slated to start generating electricity in 2024 Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said.There is no definitive start date for either the completion of the plant, nor the commencement of construction as yet. 

The facility will be connected directly to the city’s electrical network. Currently COCT purchases most of its electricity from Eskom. In reducing this dependency, the city can also develop and explore more climate-friendly power sources,Hill-Lewis said.  This project is a small diversity project with larger impact-scale ones in the pipeline. This will form part of the City’s efforts to build a diverse energy supply.  According to Eskom, a megawatt (MW) of coal power can power an estimated 650 average homes. 

South Africa’s largest PV plant in the Northern Cape generates 175MW, providing electricity to 75 000 homes each year. By this measurement, the 7MW Atlantis plant has the potential to power up to 3000 homes a year. 

What is net-zero?

Net zero is a phrase to describe the goal of balancing carbon pollution. Think of the atmosphere as a floor in a house. The flooring is our air and the dirt we walk onto it is harmful pollutants. Our coal-energy providers, agriculture, transport, and other systems create those pollutants. A mop would be the natural sponge that absorbs the pollutants, like vlei’s, marshlands, wetlands, and forests etc. A vacuum cleaner would be the newer technology to clean up the floor. This would be carbon capture and carbon storage. This is the process of trapping the carbon dioxide from the pollutant systems in a way that it doesn’t harm our atmosphere any further. The global goal is to reach this state by 2050 and keep working at it. 

Net zero is a strategy that countries around the world aim to achieve by mid-century. In simple terms, this means lowering carbon emissions to the level that they are balanced by the amount of carbon absorbed from the atmosphere by natural systems such as forests, soils etc. A recent study by Dr Andrew Marquard, senior researcher at the Energy Systems Research Group at the University of Cape Town, offers some ways in which South Africa can do so. Marquard finds the most cost-efficient way to meet the net zero target is with large scale investment in wind and solar PV generation. A decline of coal use in the electricity sector would mean coal plants being replaced with low or zero carbon electricity technologies as the coal plants retire. 

The City’s interventions

The COCT’s contribution towards the national net zero goal has culminated in their development of a climate change strategy and climate change action plan. They have committed to achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2050.  There are four major areas where transitions to achieve these targets have been earmarked: in urban form, energy sources, transportation, and resource efficiency. Achieving clean grid power and electrifying transport is integral to the latter. Van Reenen explains the city speaks to the context of people’s daily lives of its residents. So instead of using terms like climate action only they speak about energy efficiency and/or managing water usage. The citizenry needs to be active to bring about meaningful change and the resilience needed to achieve net zero, Van Reenen said. 

The objectives of this net-zero goal need to be understood. In the first instance it is to ensure that City facilities are net zero. This is to be achieved by a combination of energy efficiency, on-site renewables and bringing new sources of renewable energy supply into our grid. This project in Atlantis being one of those.

This story was produced as part of Story Grants to Report on South Africa Pathways to Net Zero, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.

The post Solar plant outside Cape Town is one step towards carbon reduction goals, says city appeared first on The Daily Vox.

Responding to this, last week Tuesday 18^th of April 2023 the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa hosted the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa at Milkplum Café – Pretoria National Botanical Gardens.

Ms Ahunna was in South Africa to participate in several engagements, and further strengthen the partnership between UNDP and South Africa. As part of her program in the country, she engaged with key stakeholders in the development sector, including youth in a youth-led dialogue themed “Leaving No One Behind: Role of Youth as Agents and Drivers of Africa’s Transformation to Achieve Agenda 2030”. 

The objectives of the dialogue were to learn more about the grassroots opinions of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) and how young people in Africa can be used as a tool to transform the continent and inform UNDP on how best to accelerate its youth empowerment interventions.

Youth development and empowerment is not a foreign concept to the UNDP as it is central to the organisation’s Strategic Offer in Africa, as well as the South Africa Country Program, which is anchored on Youth and Women Employment and Empowerment, as the bedrock and pathway for reducing poverty and inequality. 

Youth in Africa

‘Not a small fish in the pond, Africa is the world’s most youthful continent, and Africa’s youth population is projected at 460 million by 2050. This necessities recognition of the centrality and agency of youth as a driving force for equitable socio-economic transformation’ – Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, Dr Ayodele Odusola highlighted. 

Youth Dialogue 

The dialogue was made up of youth drawn from several civic society groups and number who had been beneficiaries of UNDP programmes. The youthful dialogue began on a heated note. The panel members representing several sectors of society such as climate change, the arts, civic society as well as the digital divide, held no words back as they reiterated the plight of young people in Africa and the need for intergenerational knowledge sharing as well as representation in key platforms of influence and decision making.

Civic Education

National youth network’s Executive Director, Ms Tebogo Suping challenged the room to not leave anyone behind in the quest to change the world which should begin young in our communities.

“Next year is the general election. Do not use that day as a holiday to catch up on sleep because your collective vote alone as young people can determine the outcome of the elections. So take every family member with you to vote on Election Day young people alone could turn the scale and outcomes of the elections if they go and vote in numbers. 

Suping added that young people have direct obligations in their communities. “I always say to school kids that I mentor that if you have two pens, share one with a kid in your class you see is without. Access to just that one pen will change their reality. If you have two loaves give one away.” 

Digital Divide

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey Mdaswifi CEO, Songezo Mhambi, described how he chose the narrow road filled with uncertainty and responded to a need in his community for access to information and the Internet. “Someone has to do it”, that deep belief was to give way to a long and difficult journey paved with risk and personal sacrifices. But the resolve and perseverance resulted in the township of Mdantsane giving birth to its first ISP (internet service provider) headquartered in the Mdantsane, by a team of young, vibrant professionals, a majority of which came into the company straight out of varsity and, underwent vigorous training to become the winning team looking after the needs of their clients through their 24/7 customer support centre, keeping hundreds of homes, schools and businesses connected to high-speed internet and other ICT services. 

Climate Change

Ms Shamile Reid, South Africa Country Coordinator for 16^th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth, Shamiel Reid emphasised how Climate Crisis can be traced to every corner of society. Reid passionately pointed out how it can be identified in every sector of society. Reflecting on the views from the Secretariat of the UNFCCC estimates that US$ 220 million per year will be required by African countries to adapt to climate change by the year 2030, Reid emphasised how throwing money at a problem is not the sole solution to resolve the climate crisis, but literacy and engagement with it from a cultural and behavioural point of view was critical. 

Creative Industries

Tendaishe Chitima who is an actress and contributor to the UNDP ‘The Futures Report’ highlighted the opportunity the arts present the content with. To offer an alternative approach to development through wealth creation potential, socioeconomic development, employment opportunities, and promotion of cultural diversity and knowledge sharing, first within the continent and to the globe. 

The conversation was opened to the floor where several youths raised their hands and grievances directing the room to several matters they felt had been ignored including mental health and the downfall of the entrepreneurial journey.

Youth voices 

Also addressing the elephant in the room one of the young people in attendance asked why such a dialogue was been held in a closed-off space instead of a public area where all youth can afford to reach it and access the opportunity to learn and teach the space about their lived experience.  

Another young person in the room reminded attendees that mental health plays a critical role in the competency young people carry,  to transform their content. ‘If our mental health is being impacted by the decay in the continent we have to understand that the moral to lead transformation will be low’.  

Several young people raised the energy crisis in South Africa, causing load shedding and how this has impacted day-to-day activity for young people across racial and social classes. The youth pleaded with Ms Ahunna to raise this in her engagement with the leadership of the country.

Responding to the room Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa referred to the dialogue as having been the highlight of her visit. She said she walked into the room hoping to get energised, and indeed she got energised.

“I was hoping to arrive here and meet young people and be revived and energised as I have spent the entire trip in boardrooms and meetings with several dignitaries, listening to you all this afternoon has simply done just that, it has revived and energised me.”

Ms Ahunna is deeply passionate about equality, inclusion, reshaping narratives on Africa, and mobilizing for youth entrepreneurs and the dignity of Africa’s people. 

Her vision “Africa’s Promise: The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa” employs an opportunity lens to development practice in Africa. She established the Africa Influencers for Development (AI4D) to ensure that Africa’s Money works for Africa’s Development; the Africa Young Women Leaders Initiative; Africa Innovates Magazine; and the Africa Borderlands Centre.

Ms Ahunna reiterated how young people are not likely to experience an unchallenged handing over of opportunity or the country to them and that they must take up space and use their vote as their voice. 

‘You are telling me to speak to your ministers, I can’t do that, and you have a voice use your voice. This room is filled with passionate, educated, informed, skilled and eloquent young people. You guys have won the mental nights and are liberated mentally. You must organise as a youth cohort who lives in the most unprecedented of times and alive with possibilities because you have already won the first war, mentally.’

‘Failing forward is a reality that you will encounter, we have created grants that if you were to look at you will see the success rate and return on investment is not high and we have made provision for that’, she added. 

It was resolved by the entire room who commented on the challenges with the limit of time that a secondary dialogue of this nature was needed and a more inclusive youth cohort needed to be in attendance and that the UNDP must give a thought to this.

Responding to the engagement Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, Dr Ayodele Odusola, thanked the young people in the room for reaffirming the opportunities the UNDP still has to contribute to the development of youth in Africa and emphasised how the realisation of transformation in Africa will happen with young people. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Daily Vox.

About the author

Zamayirha Peter is a Communications Practioner, Speaker, Journalist and Social entrepreneur

The post “There is no sustainable development without the youth of Africa” appeared first on The Daily Vox.

Mudau Phathutshedzo, who hails from Tshikuwi Village in Vhembe has sought to be a problem solver in the midst of a staggering youth unemployment in South Africa which is having severe effect on young people’s belief with prospects of finding employment and mental health.

Unemployment among young people in South Africa remains a major concern. According to Reuters, the level of youth unemployment is recorded to be at a staggering 43.4% which cripples young people’s ability to actively participate in the economy by living sustainable lives and unleashing their potential and be a source of hope for their families.

But, in contrast of this gloomy and disappointing state of affair about youth unemployment in South Africa, Mudau Phathutshedzo’s eagerness and ability to soar above the storms has meant that his company has created 12 jobs for youth in his local community.

And, the processing of the goods in his business involves the essence of preserving the environment by using waste plastics to produce bricks for paving and building, and also production and creation of outdoor furniture and fence poles using plastic waste.

Interestingly, the processing of the goods further involves the usage of biomass waste like sawdust and cow dung to produce eco briquettes for cooking and heating. The briquettes don’t produce smoke and they last longer compared to charcoal. The briquettes are called HASHA MULILO eco-briquettes. Furthermore, his company produces biochar based organic fertiliser using waste biomass. The organic fertilizer is used in agriculture for soil application.

Without question, Mudau Phathutshedzo’s company stands out cut above the rest through addressing three sustainable development goals which are listed and paraphrased below as following;

• No poverty, because 12 jobs have been created for young people in his community.
• Affordable and green energy because of environmentally free briquettes.
• Climate change which comprises the efforts of his company to be based on mitigating climate
  change related issues and making efforts for people to adapt.
  
  As a result, the efforts of Mudau Phathutshedzo’s company’s main objectives are centred around the idea of freeing the environment from waste materials like plastic and biomass while creating jobs for young people – which automatically translates into shaping a new narrative of young people being key catalysts of redefining what freedom day means to them.

With this in mind, while Freedom Day is approaching, Mudau Phathutshedzo urges the South African government to support young people in their projects because eventually job creation in process gets to be implemented, and his closing statement to young people in South Africa is for us to see innovation as a closing gap in the market to address current astronomical challenges which South Africa is currently grappling with, and this does not require any degree.

Young people in South Africa need to see difficulties as opportunities – remembering in every opportunity there is a difficulty identifying the problem and coming up with solution – and this will redefine what Freedom Day means to young people in 2023 in South Africa.

All images provided.

The post Mudau Phathutshedzo: founder Of Dziphathu Green Tech rewrites Freedom Day through job creation appeared first on The Daily Vox.

An extract has been republished below with permission from the publishers. The book is published by NB Publishers and is available at all good bookstores and online.

The crash
21 July 2013: Trento, Italy
The speed of the start took my breath away. Flying through the cobbled streets, desperate to keep up with the leaders, I gripped my handlebars for dear life. The tiniest of margins – a slip of my 23 mm tires, a corner taken too tight, the slightest of clips to the wheel in front – was all the difference between triumph and tragedy. It was out of control, terrifying, nerve-shredding . . . and absolutely intoxicating.

Moments earlier, I’d been standing with my bike, chatting in the early-morning sunshine with the other cyclists in Trento’s idyllic Piazza Duomo, sharing our relief that the overnight rain had spluttered out. Couples wandered arm in arm past Neptune’s Fountain and I looked up in awe at the Wheel of Fortune Rose Window, a stained-glass window calling me to account from the Cathedral of San Vigilio. My red number 744 pinned onto my blue and white vest signified I had been placed in the fastest group of the 140 km race through the Italian Alps, a pole position I was proud of until my butterflies on the starting line became pure terror. This was the moment I trained so hard for. Twelve months of total commitment and dedication to get here in the shape of my life: a lean, strong 69 kg, 44 years old, my resting heart rate a comfortable 41.
I had trained with a high-performance sports centre at a major South African university; I had a nutritionist, a physio and my friend Justin Erasmus, who’d taken me motor pacing behind a scooter for 50 km after I’d already cycled 100 km. I was super fit, super strong, super confident. Nothing but keeping pace with the wheel in front mattered. Maybe it was a metaphor for my life, maybe not, but I was not going to allow myself to drop back into the peloton of also-rans. I was determined to win my age category. I just didn’t expect the start to be that fast. The friendly banter was over the second the chequered flag dropped, and a stream of grim-faced riders flooded out of the historic old town towards the verdant lakes and vineyards of the Valle dei Laghi towards Monte Bondone ski resort, the finish line at the summit of a 21 km climb. It’s a stunningly beautiful, iconic ride intersecting fields and fields of Chardonnay grape. Not that I noticed much – I was too focused on staying upright. For 10 km through the Trento suburbs, we were riding so fast we were bunny hopping over roundabouts rather than going around them.

Nobody was giving an inch and I was right there in sight of the leading riders. I’ve watched YouTube videos of my race and others to see smiling riders giving thumbs up and chatting as they cycle in groups past the lakes. But my experience on 21 July 2013 was nothing like that. I was being pushed along by a hurricane of hopes, dreams and thwarted ambition.

Taking no prisoners, full on – or ‘full gas’ in cycling speak – the entire way. The competitive nature that had quietly defined my entire life exploded to push me to the very limit and, I couldn’t help thinking, a little beyond. The pace was unrelenting, unlike anything I had ever experienced, even in my younger days as a professional cyclist. The intervening years, when my path had led away from my dreams, slipped into the past as I focused on the road ahead to see the race squeeze into a single lane climbing up through the green vines clinging to the hillsides. My heart rate was off the charts. My legs felt heavy, swollen by lactic acid. I’m usually a good climber and expected to have time to feel my way into the race and gradually step up the power, but it was full gas from the start. I never expected the racing to be so violent. I could see a village at the top of the climb and knew I was just 100 m behind the lead group. Head down, push, push, push, legs burning, lungs bursting. This is racing, Grant, I said to myself.

This is racing. Into the tiny Alpine village of Palù del Fersina, home of legendary Italian cyclist Gilberto Simoni, who won the Giro d’Italia twice, in 2001 and 2003. The tarmac gave way to cobbles, the street a car’s width and no more. Then it was up and over the peak like a bat out of hell, a lemming over a cliff. A leap of faith.The blinding sun made it almost impossible to pick a line. The villagers were a blur as they cheered and stepped back to evade the waterfall of rainbow jerseys pouring through their streets. Relief as we left the narrow lane behind for the tarmac that snaked down the mountain for 9 km, leaving the crowds in our slipstream. Some sections of the road had dried out in the sun, but some patches were still wet. It was hard to read, and I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was out of my depth, but there was no time to process the thought. Every brain cell, every muscle, was devoted to fighting for position and keeping me in touch with the leaders. I was in a group of seven or eight guys – the elite –coming into the Valle di Cembra, the Dolomites towering high above us. A road sign came into sharp focus through the noise and excitement: a blazing red 17 per cent gradient caution sign.

I hung on. I glanced down at my bike computer: my speed was 66 km/h on the twisting, zigzag road. Looking back up, I saw the left-hander coming fast. Too fast. Wrong line, Grant. I saw some water on the right and a drainage ditch coming for me head-on. Suddenly everything slowed down. I was going to crash, there was no doubt, and I could see it unfolding as if I were watching it in slow motion on TV. The bike twitched when it hit the water and went straight. I managed somehow to bunny-hop the ditch and for a split second I thought it wouldn’t be too bad. The end of my race, certainly, but with little more than bumps and scratches and a bruised ego. Then I saw the embankment. Don’t hit your head! was my last thought before I slammed into the rock like a sledgehammer. That was the moment, right then, when everything changed. The end of my first life.

The shattering impact when I hit the rock embankment 45 minutes into the race should have been fatal and final. The fact that I turned my head at the very last second saved my life for sure. My helmet wasn’t even scratched but the force of the collision had a devastating effect on my body. I didn’t know the extent of the damage at the time. I couldn’t even tell where it was because the pain was so excruciating. I remember crying out in agony, blood spraying out of my mouth and into the concrete ditch next to my head where I lay in the foetal position facing the oncoming cyclists, my lower body and legs on the tarmac. I didn’t lose consciousness, which was maybe both a blessing and a curse. I was aware of everything that was happening to me and I truly believed that it was the end. I remember screaming for help but could not inhale air back into my lungs. There was blood everywhere and I couldn’t move. Then another competitor came around the corner, crashing straight into me, snapping my femur in half. It’s one of the hardest bones to break, but it was sticking right out of my skin. By now, my screams of pain had turned into cries for help: I could not get air into my lungs and blood was still spurting from my mouth with every shout. Luckily, the other rider wasn’t badly hurt. Even luckier, he turned out to be a doctor and he stayed with me. I was losing so much blood. At some point in this terrifying chaos, another cyclist stopped to help. His name was Uli Fluhme, from New York, a cycling race organiser and experienced cyclist.

Together, they did what they could to help. Uli told me later that he’d had to keep his hands on the severed arteries in my neck and right arm to try to stop the bleeding. I can vaguely remember his American accent trying to calm me down. But I absolutely knew I was going to die.

The post Extract – Riding Life: A South African who survived death to inspire millions appeared first on The Daily Vox.

In December 2020, Yoon left South Africa after resigning as CEO and president of Samsung Africa. He had worked for Samsung for many years starting at the bottom in South Korea before moving to America. Yoon was instrumental in building the brand globally. Yoon said he never thought he would ever write a book about his life and experiences. 

However, on the day he was leaving South Africa, he got the idea for the book. There wasn’t supposed to be any get-togethers as it was the pandemic. But a few of the employees from Samsung came to the hotel he was staying at before his departure to say goodbye to him. They brought for him little gifts including a pair of socks which he was wearing to the interview. 

They asked me, “Hey, please write your book and tell outside of South Africa because you are kind of a unique CEO from Samsung Korea,” Yoon said the employees told him. He gave them a half commitment and promise but then after the long flight and 14 days of quarantine, Yoon grew more attached to the idea. 

And thus the idea for the book was born. The book is a memoir of kinds with short, funny, moving and memorable anecdotes from Yoon’s career. He talks about his start with Samsung and the valuable advice he got from his seniors. Yoon manages to provide lots of behind the scenes takes on how deals are made and how product development happens. The book goes on to his time in the United States and how he helped propel Samsung TV to the top of the game. The book ends with his time as head of Samsung Electronics Africa. 

It was in the drafting of the book that Yoon’s wife really helped him. She is a university professor who made many sacrifices in her own career to allow his career to flourish. While he was writing the book, she would help correct him and ensure he got all his facts correct. 

Yoon said he wanted to put her name alongside his on the book cover but the publisher advised him against it. 

The book was first published in Korean and then later into English. The title had to be adapted for English as it wouldn’t have been able to translate well. However, Yoon said the meaning and connotation of the titles are similar. 

The book has been out for awhile in South Korea and Yoon had gotten a number of positive responses including from the people living in his community. He has also given talks about the book which have been greatly received in-person and online. 

Another story Yoon related about his wife was related to when he got the promotion to CEO of Samsung Africa. He said he got called in by his senior at the company and had initially thought it was bad news. However, the senior told him that he was getting the CEO position. He said he was in a bit of a dilemma because his wife had just gotten a job at that point. During their time in the States she wasn’t able to get a job because of their laws but also because she was looking after their sons. But at that point, his sons were at university so he felt bad to ask her to make another sacrifice. However, his wife told him to take the job and they came to South Africa for his next adventure. 

Yoon is currently on the board of Telkom and has returned to South Africa several times since 2020. In April, he was here for the book launch. He said he also wanted to use the time to catch up with some old friends. 

Lastly, Yoon gave some advice for young people in South Africa. He said risks and challenges will always and that sometimes people give up without confronting them. Yoon said South Africa can become a top-tier country if the challenges are confronted and dealt with instead of people just giving up. 

Published by NB Publishers, the book is available online and at all good bookstores. 

The post In Conversation with former Samsung Africa CEO, Sung Yoon appeared first on The Daily Vox.

I had worked very hard all through my high school years, so in my final year I decided that I didn’t really want to study further. I wasn’t really looking at colleges or universities – I was fixated on getting work and ‘making it’ in the real world. So while my classmates and some of my friends talked about their plans for studying further, I was searching for and researching work opportunities. Just as I was weighing up my options, my first boyfriend got a job at Montecasino in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, and suggested that I apply for a job as a dealer. We had been dating for two years.
‘You can make a fortune in tips,’ he told me.

So I applied. I prayed so hard that they would call me, because I wanted to earn my own money and help my family. I could barely leave the phone. As the days passed, I did my best to remain optimistic. A few weeks later, as I was helping Mama Moipone to pack stock onto the shelves in the spaza shop, my brother came to tell me that there was a call for me. I rushed inside and answered, my heart pounding.

‘Koketso Sylvia Moloisane,’ the caller said, ‘we want you to start an internship on Monday. You will have to learn the ropes, but you will get a stipend of R3 500, with lunch included.’
I screamed with excitement. I ran back to the shop to tell Mama Moipone, and my entire family celebrated with me that day. I moved in with my boyfriend until I could get my own place.

After three months of training, they offered me a full-time job at R7 000 a month. I shared a two-bedroom apartment with another staff member, and we split the rent of R5 000 between us. Including tips, I was actually earning about R12 000, which was a lot of money back then. I had become a self-reliant adult. I used much of the rest of my income to help my family, particularly my brother.

For a casino dealer, looks and image are everything. So I made sure that my hair, nails, shoes and everything else about my appearance was on point. I loved buying beautiful clothes, and I could afford it. I was never without my lip gloss or my trademark short hairstyle, modelled on one of my icons, Halle Berry. Two years later, at age 20, I was still working at Montecasino and felt I had achieved a degree of financial independence. I was still entering beauty pageants, and my heart was set on entering the biggest one of all – Miss South Africa.

Even though I enjoyed working in the casino, I felt there should be more to my life. On some days my eyes were red from the hours spent under artificial lights, and I wanted a new challenge. The glamour was starting to wear off, and the casino felt small, familiar and cloying. I wanted to move on and up.

The next day, after being on the tables for 75 minutes, I went to lunch with a few of the other dealers. A supervisor sat down with us with a newspaper in his hand.
‘You ladies are sitting here with your glamorous jobs, make-up and heels,’ he said. ‘You think this is a way to live? You are stuck here in this casino. There are great opportunities out there, and you are going to miss out if you sit here all day.’
‘What are you talking about?’ we asked. He then told us an American cruise ship agency had opened an office in Cape Town and were interviewing people for jobs on cruise ships in various parts of the world.
‘You can make so much money on those boats.’ His comment struck a chord in me. But a cruise ship? I had never even been near the sea. But I knew I was on a dead-end street. My relationship with my boyfriend was rocky, and this might provide me with a way out and a brand-new start. It didn’t take me long to make up my mind. During my next break, I went to the supervisor and asked him for more details. To my surprise, he told me I was the only casino dealer who had done so. He also encouraged me to apply.

‘Do it, Sylvia,’ he urged me. ‘You’re too good to get stuck here. You are young, and this is your time to go for it. Look at you! You are beautiful, smart and ambitious.’ The very next day I called the agency in Cape Town and told one of their agents that I was interested in applying for a position as a casino dealer overseas. He told me the last day for interviews was the very next day.

‘No exceptions. Can you fly to Cape Town for an interview tomorrow? Otherwise, you won’t be able to make it.’ The answer, as I knew to the depths of my very being, was yes. The next day, I didn’t show up for work, and I used an entire month’s rent money to buy a plane ticket to Cape Town. I took my first flight ever, and I made it there just in time. There were lots of people in the interview room, and my heart sank. I joined them
and waited in line. The rumour doing the rounds was that they would
take only 20 of us.

When it was my turn, I walked into the room and saw a very beautiful woman with blonde hair, blue eyes and red lipstick. She looked like the American actress Sharon Stone. She also had a heavy Texan accent. ‘Tell me more about yourself. Who are you, Sylvia?’ she asked. I had been up all night researching all sorts of questions. I knew everything about the ship, their routes and the company. But I didn’t know how to answer that question. It’s the one question no one can prepare for.

I took a deep breath, smiled, and said: ‘Well I’m 20 years old –’
Before I could finish, she cut me off: ‘Wait, how old?’
I repeated: ‘I’m 20.’
She looked surprised, and she asked me: ‘Did you look at the advert for this position?’

I admitted that I hadn’t because I had heard about the job through a referral. Somehow the agency hadn’t checked my details when I had called them the day before. She then told me I had to be 21 or older. This was the age limit for working in casinos in the US, and it applied to American cruise ships as well. At that time, the age limit in South Africa was 18. My heart stopped. I think she could see I was devastated. However, she was nice enough to say, ‘Anyway, this is your slot, and I know you flew all the way here for it, so let’s make use of it.’ We continued talking. She asked me what I would expect to earn. Since I was under age in any case, I felt free to throw out big amounts in dollars. She laughed, and we had a good time. Given that I had already paid for the trip and lied to my work about being sick, at least I could enjoy chatting to an interesting woman from overseas.

I may not have qualified for the job, but the interview fuelled my ambitions. On my flight back home, I thought about her, laughing and talking to me with such confidence. I was out of my league, but it felt as if I had received a confirmation of the future I wanted to create for myself, of the life I wanted to lead. One day, I would be just like her – poised, confident and powerful. I returned to work with a new attitude, inspired by my conversation with my very own Sharon Stone. I didn’t regret spending my money on that plane ticket, even though the rest of the month would be tight.

A week later, as I got ready for work, I stood in front of the long mirror
in my bedroom and looked at myself. I leaned forward and touched up my signature bombshell red lipstick. I shuddered, as a powerful thought came into my mind. ‘I’m going places. I know it and I can feel it. One day, I’m going to make a lot of money and live the life I’ve always wanted.’ I nodded in silent affirmation and smiled as I lashed on even more lipstick, touched up my pixie hairstyle, and blew a kiss to the sassy woman in the mirror.

I got inside the taxi in my black heels and formal attire and headed off for another day in the noisy, dark casino. I felt impatient for my 21st birthday, which was still nine months away. The missed opportunity weighed on me, and I prayed silently that they would recruit more casino dealers the next year. Added to that, 21 was also the age at which I could enter the Miss South Africa competition. It was the year in which my life was going to start in a big way.

Two weeks later, I was getting ready to go home on a Friday afternoon. It was my weekend off, and I was at the taxi rank waiting for a taxi to Ga-Rankuwa when my cell phone rang. It was the cruise ship agency. ‘Congratulations, Sylvia!’ I heard. ‘You’ve been selected to become a dealer on a cruise ship.’ My heart started pounding. I was excited, but also confused.

‘Did I really get the job? How come?’
‘She liked you. She really did,’ the agent said. I screamed with excitement, and gushed, ‘I am so happy and so grateful.’

The agent laughed, but she told me I had to turn 21 before I could start work. She also told me they had already hired 20 other people and had created one more spot for me as candidate number 21. I could hardly wait. Five months before my birthday, I left my job at the casino to spend time with my family. I packed up my flat and got ready for my new life.

Just a month before I had to leave, the agency contacted me again to make arrangements and give me details about my long-awaited trip. I was to fly to Brazil and from there to Miami, where I would board the ship. Flying overseas for the first time was scary, but also very exciting.
‘Look out world,’ I thought. ‘Here I come!’

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One: Main Stage 

As you walk into Comic Con Cape Town, the main stage will catch your attention. This is the centre of the con where fans will be able to interact with celebrities through Q&A sessions, watch cosplay competitions, see winner announcements, special panels, all while partying alongside American con resident DJ – DJ Elliot as MC. 

Be sure not to miss the opening ceremony for the event on Thursday 27 April – which is a live orchestral recital of Star Wars music by Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre. 

With four international film and series celebrities set to make an appearance on the Comic Con Cape Town main stage, fans have shared their excitement online over the announcement of Ross Marquand and Tati Gabrielle so far. 

Ross Marquand is an American actor who first gained widespread recognition for his role as Aaron on the hit television series, The Walking Dead. Marquand has also made appearances on numerous other TV shows such as Mad Men, The Mindy Project, and Brockmire. For superhero fans, Marquand also portrayed Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. 

Tati Gabrielle’s big break came when she was cast as Gaia in the hit Netflix series The 100. She went on to star in the supernatural drama The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Prudence Blackwood, a character that quickly became a fan favourite. Aside from her work on television, Tati Gabrielle has also appeared in several films, including the movie adaptation of the video game Uncharted.  

Comic Con Cape Town is set to announcement more international movie/series stars in the coming week, be sure to keep an eye on the Comic Con Cape Town social media platforms for the announcement of the full programme. 

Two: Cosplay 

From store bought costume to larger-than-life animatronic outfits – Comic Con Cape Town is expected to welcome the pros and the casuals, both of which can win for dressing up. 

Cosplay is a staple of any Comic Con experience – leading to a welcomed colourful overload of the senses. For fans who are interested in competing at the highest level, there is the Comic Con Cape Town Regional Championships of Cosplay, sponsored by Brother Sewing, which houses four categories – The Regional Champion (overall winner), Masters Champion, Champion of Needlework, and Champion of Armour. Entries to compete can be found here. 

For more casual fans, there is the daily Casual Cosplay Competition, hosted on the main stage at 13H00 daily – where fans can sign up on the day to compete. Noteworthy international cosplayers joining the festival include Elizabeth Rage and Leon Chiro, with local multidisciplinary artist Odidi Mfenyana joining as a judge too. 

Stepping in to the South African cosplay scene is also Ubisoft – the international video game publisher. With R20 000 up for grabs, fans are encouraged to dress up as a character from a Ubisoft title to stand a chance to win. Entry is required, and fans can learn more and sign up here. 

Three: Gaming 

Get excited to level up with Comic Con Cape Town this April! Join in on soon-to-be-announced gaming tournaments from top brands that focus on top tier competitive gaming with thousands of rands up for grabs, even for casual players. 

The Comic Con Cape Town gaming offering is set to satisfy the gaming itch of avid, competitive, and casual gamers this April – be sure not to miss out on the opportunity to shop for merch from your favourite titles. 

Four: Artist Alley 

With the floor curated by FanCon, Comic Con Cape Town is excited to be welcoming over 60 artists in the Artist Alley. As the heartbeat of any Comic Con, this a place on the show floor that is devoted to celebrating local and international artists of comic book, original pieces, fan fiction, and more. Here fans can admire artwork, get inspired, exchange over techniques, or even purchase and commission artwork from vendors. 

At the Con this year, Comic Con Cape Town is excited to highlight the work of several local artists who have done work for major comic book publishes including Marvel Comics and DC Comics – including, but not limited to, Karl Mostert, Warren Louw, and Sean Izaakse. 

On an international front – American artists Mark Brooks (Ultimate Spider-man) and Afua Richardson (Black Panther World of Wakanda), will join British artist Ian Churchill (The Avengers). 

More information on the Artist Alley and all announced comic book artists can be found here. 

Five: Shopping! 

With dozens of vendors on the Comic Con Cape Town floor, fans are able to browse their way up and down the halls of the show across two floors of CTICC 2. With merch for sale, and show exclusives throughout the event, fans are reminded to set some budget aside for this shopper’s paradise. 

Some noteworthy exhibitors include Cricut, GunplaSA, Symbiote, and Funko  

Six: StreetCon 

Step into the zone on the con floor that highlights the perfect collaboration between urban culture and pop culture. Having successfully launched in Johannesburg at Comic Con Africa 2022, SteetCon is now coming to Comic Con Cape Town. With retailors and activations at the forefront of the zone – fans can also watch “Sketch Battles” where street artists are given limited time to fulfil a head-to-head brief, as well as “Custom Wars” where artists are tasked with customising sneakers that will be on display for the entire weekend. 

StreetCon will also spotlight the works of local artists including Bushy Wopp, Keith Vlahakis, Wayne Bks, and MacClements. 

Learn more about StreetCon here. 

Seven: StreamerCon 
Taking all the online magic and giving it to fans in real life, StreamerCon is a content creators paradise. This feature area will give content creators a space to meet up, exchange ideas, learn more about the industry, and rub shoulders with local content creators. 

Also joining in the fun is Scottish YouTuber MarleyThirteen, who is a Call of Duty streamer boasting over 600 000 subscribers. 

Learn more about StreamerCon here. 

Eight: Photographs and Autograph Opportunities 

As the perfect opportunity to get face-to-face with the international celebrities and comic book artists at Comic Con Cape Town, fans can purchase a professionally taken photograph with an actor or actress of their choice. 

With autographs, fans can either purchase something at the show for the star to sign, bring something from home, or even get a photo print out. 

With these opportunities in high demand, fans are encouraged to keep an eye on the Comic Con Cape Town social media for pre-orders as availability at the show for all sessions is not guaranteed. 

Nine: Side events 

Comic Con Cape Town does start and end at the CTICC, more than the main event – the show has several side events. These include a Cosplay Pirate Sunset Cruise with the proceeds going to CANSA, a session where fans get a comic book artist to doodle on their coffee coaster in support of help2read, a Star Wars quiz at Beerhouse, and even an exclusive screening of The Incredibles at Galileo Theatre. 

At CTICC, fans can expect to see the second incarnation of the Sew-a-thon – a 6-hour challenge where fans are tasked with creating an outfit. Additionally, the Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) is taking place alongside the con, where fans can access screenings on the Thursday and Friday with a Comic Con Cape Town ticket, and/or purchase tickets to world-class workshops with top international animation talent on the Saturday and Sunday. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Daily Vox.

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According to Stats SA, youth in South Africa remain disadvantaged in the labour, with unemployment of young people in South Africa being above national average. Considering such factors, there’s a growing concern that graduates in South Africa currently face a lower unemployment compared to those of other educational levels. As such unemployment among the youth continues to be a burden, irrespective of educational attainment.

Despite ramping efforts by the education department, there remains a huge gap of disparity between graduates and young people who are unfortunate enough to obtain a formal education qualification. Due to their inability to obtain financial assistance to further their studies or to even consider pursuing an education in South Africa. These is existing and deepening socioeconomic challenges which bring a barrier in young people finding their feet with education.

A question must be asked to the South African government. When will hopeful, enthusiastic non-political, and unbiased (favouritism) decisions be made by President Cyril Ramaphosa on behalf of all South Africans and not those who are party aligned with the African National Congress, for sale of access to resources and access to tap into opportunities which benefit all young people in South Africa?

For instance, the situation which recently occurred with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration – accusations have been ramping up that he is an indecisive leader  when he was delaying the announcement of his cabinet reshuffle.

As it stands, questions and concerns which have been holistically raised bring to our attention an existing need for a call to action by young people in South Africa are tabulated below:

• Increased voter education

• Public participation and public awareness on issues of national importance to our close relatives and families, and how these matters have direct impact on our existence and survival on an already ailing economy

• Accountability measures on local governments progress on addressing youth unemployment

• Accountability – check and balances on why there’s an existing gap on resource mobilization, youth capacitation

• Urgent reinvigoration for youth to be called to be part of tables of decision making – for us as youth to find expression in representation on masters and issues of national importance

Closing in on this important subject, are we heading into Easter holidays with South Africa facing an abyss of indecisive, incorrect and corruption-wrecked leadership and state of municipalities.

Or will we be seeing an optimistic outlook which South Africans and youth are going to be tapping into come the general elections year which is in 2024?

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