Sat, 19 May 2012 08:38:32 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/full-on-life/374-in-conversation-with-loyiso-bala.html You have managed to totally hold your own as an artist next to your brother. Was not wanting to be under his shadow part of your motivation to succeed?Not at all; he played a big role in launching my career. It wouldn’t have taken off as speedily if it weren’t for his success in the industry. For a long time he was my mentor and with his help I quickly got over some stumbling blocks that took him years to figure out. Now I’m in a position where we advise each other through most things.In wh... Profiles Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:46:59 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/367-tsotsi-in-the-boardroom-gabriel-magomola.html What was it like growing up in Venterspost and then in Bekkersdal? What are your favourite memories from that time?Memories about Bekkersdal centre around my late mother who never had a chance to nurture me as she died when I was 15. My parents were lay preachers and faith healers so growing up we had lots of people coming in and crowding us out. At times I had to sleep in the kitchen under the table. But having said that I didn’t grow up in what would typically be seen as a poverty-stricken fa... Profiles Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:31:11 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/354-tsotsi-in-the-boardroom-j-j-tabane.html    A man that has been hailed as one of South Africa’s leading media and communications specialists, JJ Tabane is also a community activist and business executive. He owns Oresego Holdings, a company that specialises in international business support and communications advisory services. Oresego recently partnered with Hope Africa, the social development programme of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, and leadership-development organisation Sacord to launch the Youth and Graduat... Profiles Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:50:39 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/corporate-responsibility/335-working-towards-sexual-diversity.html The Project was founded just over three decades ago by GASA 6010, and it was initially only a small support group for gay white men. It now tackles diverse social issues confronting LGBT people of all races. The definition of sexuality is almost irrelevant to the organisation, which focuses on advocating human rights. The Triangle Project’s mission is to challenge prejudices targeted at communities that live outside the conventionally accepted norm of sexuality. The organisation has evolved and... Profiles Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:46:22 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/324-tsotsi-in-the-boardroom-lulu-letlape.html     Lulu brings the weight of her experience to how she tackles her work every day at Sanlam, where she is responsible for sustainability reporting, establishing frameworks and compliance with regard to the JSE index, communications and public affairs. She also represents Sanlam in various committees and forums. She took time to share with us some of the lessons she has learnt in her life’s journey up to now.   WOMEN AND THEIR RIGHTS   As a woman, she has had to overco... Profiles Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:07:52 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/corporate-responsibility/322-when-we-walked-with-lions.html     This surreal occurrence was part of an initiative set up by Lion Encounter, an active conservation programme organised by passionate people wanting to secure the future of the African lion.   In centuries past, lion were the most widespread animals on land after human beings. In 1976 more than 200 000 of these magnificent creatures roamed the plains of the African continent. Sadly today paints a drastically different picture. The latest estimates show a frighteningly alarmi... Profiles Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:27:56 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/317-company-profile-an-african-brand-with-global-vision.html     The Mosa group of companies represents a diverse collection of businesses in the engineering, retail and minerals sectors. Mosa also has an established Ugandan operation and an international division.   Christopher is nothing if not pragmatic, yet his successes to date are founded on his ability to dream and a desire to empower himself and others. The group’s vision embraces the dream of a self-sustainable continent. For Christopher this is not a lofty ideal, and his own ... Profiles Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:33:05 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/316-afroprofiles-city-of-johannesburg.html     The City continues to follow a policy of upgrading its facilities and as such requires funding the normal levels of replacement capital expenditure while ensuring a smooth flow of its normal service delivery operations. The Treasury division – the City’s central banker - is tasked with ensuring that our municipality is financially sound and committed to excellence and service delivery, and always strives to ensure that budgeted funds are made available in time to support the C... Profiles Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:44:33 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/full-on-life/305-questions-for-kabelo-mabalane.html     Your career goes back to the beginning of TKZee. How has Kabelo the man changed over the years? Wow… I was an arrogant, self-centred, angry young man who made lots of mistakes. I crashed cars, fixed them, sold them and bought more cars [laughs]. I took too many drugs and chased too many women… everything was about me. I even thought at one stage that the moon was following me around as I drove around at night! But I’ve come to realise it’s actually not all about me. The wo... Profiles Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:08:55 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/full-on-life/264-conversation-with-kopano-matlwa.html     When did you discover your passion for writing?I’d always read a lot from a very young age, and writing was almost a natural extension of that for me. I never knew it was anything special. I thought everyone wrote! It was so normal, so necessary, so it was quite a surprise when I got a little older and realised that there may be something there. When was your “light-bulb” moment, when you realised you could make your dreams come true? [Laughs.] I don’t really know if ... Profiles Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:10:30 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/254-tsotsi-in-the-boardroom-alex-okosi.html     All this began with a dream and the unwavering dedication of the senior vice-president and managing director of MTV Networks Africa, Alex Okosi, the man at the helm of business operations of MTV Networks International’s emerging markets group.   A passion for success   Alex was only 12 years old when he moved to the United States from Nigeria. A young boy inspired by his parents from an early age, he grew up focused on becoming a successful and positive role model ... Profiles Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:22:05 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/corporate-responsibility/252-bean-there-more-than-just-mocha.html     As you partakes in one of the many indulgent offerings on the menu, including the usual cappuccinos and lattés as well as the lesser-known piccolos, harios, and aeropresses, many thoughts and scenarios come to mind. For many lovers of Java, these thoughts include side-walk cafés and after-dinner conversation. Only for the coffee enthusiasts would the origin and journey of the bean, the environment from whence it came and the hands that planted it, be of interest. The owners of ... Profiles Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:59:22 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/248-rose-francis-the-belle-of-south-african-literature.html     This, she says, enhances the narrative experience and excavates the contextual nuances of text.The writing of Edward Said, Lewis Nkosi, Es’kia Mphahlele and Can Themba comes to mind.   “African writers, it has been said, are too immersed in political experience. I hardly find that surprising for a nation that is still finding itself,” says Francis. Francis knows all too well that even a narrative on, say, football, told through the socio-political landscape of our tim... Profiles Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:24:44 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/247-tribute-albertina-nontsikelelo-sisulu-1918--2011.html     Ironically, while the law was white, educated and politically enlightened black men also denied their womenfolk equal status. In 1918 women were denied membership of the African National Congress (ANC). But women, who were already playing activist roles by 1914 when they demonstrated against pass laws, were not prepared to take these insults and discrimination lying down. In 1918 they formed the Bantu Women’s League, a forerunner of today’s ANC Women’s League and a forum the... Profiles Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:12:45 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/223-profile-dada-masilo-queen-of-dance.html Her unconventional and iconoclastic approach is clearly pronounced in The Bitter End of Rosemary, which is based on Ophelia, the tragic heroine figure in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The 2008 Standard Bank Young Artist winner certainly pushed boundaries of old-world modesty when she performed this dance in her birthday suit. She explains that it was a decision that was not taken lightly, but she saw it as an authentic way of giving artistic expression to the madness of Shakespeare’s tragic heroine w... Profiles Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:52:13 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/191-africas-queen-of-letters-.html This book was so popular that it featured on the Exclusive Books Top 10 best-selling business books in South Africa. It was also selected for the Exclusive Books Homebru promotion, which showcases the best of South African writing each year. Last year the sequel, titled South Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs, was launched. It is a profile of dynamic business visionaries who have built super brands for the South African economy.After a production process of three years, Makura’s company, MME Me... Profiles Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:41:04 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/tributes/190-fela-anikulapo-kuti-1938-1997-iconoclastic-king-of-afrobeat.html The late iconoclastic originator of Afro-beat music, Fela Kuti was the kind of artist who certainly spoke truth to power. In fact, he demonstrated it with such dramatic courage and exceptional dare-devilry that those who knew and understood the brutality of Nigeria’s military regimes would have been forgiven if they thought he was a suicidal maniac. His defiant and confrontational stance in the face of the raw power of the Nigerian police and the military confounded mere mortals.Many artists wi... Profiles Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:44:47 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/features-a-columns/tsotsi-in-the-boardroom/167-an-independent-black-voice.html These challenges have brought into sharp focus just how fragile our democracy is, and I began to question the role of the growing educated black middle class in shaping the future of the country. Like so many African countries, South Africa’s black middle class is growing, yet we seem to have taken a back seat to the public discourse while we go about the business of paying off our townhouses and Porsche Cayennes. At times, it’s easy to feel quite powerless against the avalanche of government... Profiles Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:23:55 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/tributes/166-the-unsung-hero.html In 1925, just a year after the death of Lenin, the year when Gandhi took a break from challenging British colonial rule and started focusing on forging unity between India’s warring political parties, a revolutionary was born on South African soil. His name is Andrew Mlangeni, and he would become a member of the Young Communist League and a secretary of the Communist Party of South Africa. Raising a revolutionaryMlangeni’s revolutionary politics were forged in the crucible of township povert... Profiles Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:14:01 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/165-uju--mellifluous-honey.html She holds her own as a gifted singer with spiritual panache. Her telling lines and cutting lyrics are seamlessly complemented by Wandile Molebatsi (26), rapper and percussionist, who brings into the UJU repertoire a refreshing hip-hop element. Molebatsi is also a talented actor whose TV credits include the drama series When We Were Black and Rhythm City, in which he plays the part of a young activist during the Soweto Uprisings and a troubled gospel star respectively. Bassist Mosebetsi Nzimande (... Profiles Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:07:00 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/164-ternielle-nelsons-talents-unearthed.html After carefully listening to Durban-born Ternielle Nelson’s debut album, Unearthed, I’m convinced that her executive producer, Selaelo Selota, has unearthed a musical gem that won’t fade. After all, the precocious 22-year-old’s crisp, evocative voice and song-writing abilities are truly exceptional.Melodic and lyrical, every song in this album is an exquisite work of art that tells the story of her journey in appropriate emotions – most significantly the loss of her beloved mother, the ... Profiles Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:02:22 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/profiles/people/154-music-profile-vuyo-tyolo-and-putuma-tiso-two-of-a-special-kind.html Sharing the Dinaledi stage with United States veterans of smooth Fourplay, songstress Lallah Hathaway and American-born trumpet virtuoso Chris Boti, Pu2ma astounded music lovers with her classy and sophisticated stage artistry during last year’s Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival. Last year also saw her gigging at JZ Club – the internationally renowned jazz club in Shanghai, China – to critical acclaim. Pu2ma was destined to sing. Born in KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth, she was raised by her gr... Profiles Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:03:29 +0100