Mvula

South London doesn’t usually wake up thinking about Chris Brown, but today the rhythms of the city shifted a little. Southwark Crown Court’s steps were lined not just with press but with fans, some of them holding up phones, others holding quiet hope that their favourite singer might glance their way. Chris Brown, two-time Grammy winner, global hitmaker, had arrived to face yet another round of serious legal questions, this time connected to an alleged nightclub assault. It wasn’t the usual loud tabloid circus. The energy felt more muted, maybe because this story has played out before, in different courts, in different countries. But for many in the UK, this…

In Mathibestad, a small town in the North West province of South Africa, something extraordinary unfolded this past weekend. The air was thick with nostalgia and love, the kind that only accumulates after a lifetime well-lived. Family, friends, and fans gathered not just to mark a single milestone, but to honor a man whose life has been a tapestry of music, marriage, and enduring impact. David “Mainline” Ngobeni, a jazz virtuoso and community stalwart, turned 70 this year. That, on its own, would be reason enough to celebrate. But the festivities held on July 6 carried even more significance, this year also marked his 40th wedding anniversary and his 40th…

There’s a photo somewhere on an old phone, cracked screen, SIM long gone, of a birthday cake lit by candlelight during loadshedding. It was never posted, never liked. Just a flickering moment trapped in pixels, buried beneath a gallery of screenshots and forgotten memes. In a world obsessed with the visible, that forgotten image might be one of the most honest things we leave behind. We talk about digital footprints like they’re permanent. But maybe it’s time to talk about digital heirlooms, the soft, human scraps of ourselves left behind in ones and zeroes. Scroll far enough through anyone’s timeline and you’ll see more than selfies and celebrations. You’ll see…

Walk into any South African supermarket, and you’ll see the queue at the Lotto counter. Scroll through your phone, and you’ll find a dozen online casinos promising you a shot at instant riches. The language is always the same: “Your chance to win big!” “Life-changing jackpots!” “It could be you!” But here’s the thing—most South Africans don’t actually know the difference between buying a Lotto ticket and placing a bet on the Springboks, spinning the reels on Gold Rush casino online, or playing blackjack at Sun City. The lines are blurred, and the industry likes it that way. But if you’re putting your hard-earned rands on the line, you deserve…

For many South Africans and cinema-goers around the world, the first introduction to Presley Chweneyagae came in the form of a quiet, intense performance that needed no bravado to leave its mark. As the lead character in Tsotsi, South Africa’s first film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Chweneyagae brought an incredible depth to a troubled young man navigating the fractured streets of Johannesburg. His portrayal of a hardened gangster softened by an unexpected moral awakening resonated across cultural and geographic lines. The performance was so raw and so intimate that it elevated the film to international acclaim and marked the arrival of a new talent…

Across the rolling plains, dry veld and scattered villages of South Africa’s rural provinces, women hold families and communities together with quiet strength. They nurture children, tend livestock, manage small farms, and navigate complex social and economic pressures, all too often with little support. Their emotional resilience is formidable, but not limitless. Depression, anxiety, and trauma are widespread, yet the mental health services required to address these challenges are practically non-existent in the places where they are needed most. Recognising this dire gap, the Mvula Trust, in partnership with several grassroots health organisations, has launched a groundbreaking initiative,  a mental-health hotline designed specifically for rural women. The Rural Women’s Mental-Health…

It’s a crisp evening in Cape Town, and more than a million viewers around the world are chuckling along to a story that feels intimately South African. Meet the Khumalos, Netflix’s latest local comedy, dropped on April 11 and rapidly climbed into must-watch territory. On screen, Grace Khumalo, played with zesty flair by Khanyi Mbau, welcomes a high school rival next door. What ensues is a perfect storm of suburban style wars, teenage heartaches, family drama and generous doses of humour, a show that reflects South African life with warmth, sass and just the right amount of spit. For directors like Jayan Moodley, who brought us the original Meet the Kandasamys…

When an 88-year-old Ndebele artist collaborates with one of the world’s leading car manufacturers on a colour-changing electric vehicle, you know the rules of luxury are being rewritten. And when that artist is none other than Dr. Esther Mahlangu, South Africa’s most iconic living painter, the fusion isn’t just stylish, it’s seismic. Earlier this year, BMW unveiled its new i5 Flow “Nostokana”, a futuristic electric car wrapped in programmable e‑ink panels that pulse with colour and pattern. But the real star of this show wasn’t the battery tech or German precision engineering. It was the unmistakable hand of Mahlangu: bold lines, geometric symmetry, and the vibrant palette of Ndebele heritage.…

In the bustling of Cape Town this winter, an inspiring initiative is quietly revolutionising how young South Africans engage with the future of technology. A new AI-focused Winter School Bootcamp is opening its doors to high school learners from under-resourced communities across the Western Cape, offering more than just a holiday distraction. Instead, it promises a life-changing immersion into the world of artificial intelligence, coding, and future-focused career paths. As technology rapidly reshapes the fabric of modern life, it is often the case that rural and township communities are left trailing in its wake. Access to high-speed internet, digital devices, and quality STEM education is patchy at best, and the…

This coming August, Pretoria will be transformed into a living tapestry of tradition and modernity as it hosts the highly anticipated Indigenous Craft and Music Festival 2025. The event is poised to be a landmark in the country’s cultural calendar, offering an immersive journey into South Africa’s vast artistic heritage. From the delicate weavings of ancestral artistry to the pulse of traditional and modern music, the festival promises to be a deeply human celebration, rooted in history, and alive with future possibilities. The festival will span multiple days, threading its way through Pretoria’s central parklands, historic sites and public squares. In doing so, it underscores an essential message, culture is…