Mvula

There’s a moment, just after the generator dies, where the silence hits harder than the power cut. No hum of electricity, no buzz from the fridge, no click of the Wi-Fi reconnecting. Just you, your thoughts, maybe the faint clatter of cutlery, and the distant bark of a dog confused by the dark. Loadshedding didn’t just rob us of electricity, it exposed everything else humming in the background. And when the lights went out, so did the distractions. In that first wave of powerlessness, people groaned. The WhatsApp groups lit up, ironically, while the lights didn’t. Neighbours swore in sync. Candles emerged from drawers like sacred relics. In some homes,…

You learn early in South Africa that a fridge is not just an appliance. It’s a battleground, a bank vault, a museum, and sometimes, a therapist. It hums quietly in the background of our childhoods, its contents a rotating cast of what’s left, what’s hidden, and what you dare not touch unless you’re brave or starving, or both. The real heroes of our childhoods were never Michelin-starred chefs. They were the women who could make a meal out of that one sad drumstick from Sunday’s braai, the last inch of pap, and whatever sauce was congealing at the back of the Tupperware drawer. And if you were lucky, there was…

South Africa has always lived in a space where belief and practicality overlap. You’ll see it in the small things, beaded charms tied to taxi rearview mirrors, a woman in Braamfontein rubbing her lotto ticket with holy oil before a draw, the quiet tap of a knuckle on wood before placing a sports bet online. Luck here isn’t just a concept,  it’s a craft, a daily companion. Gambling, in all its forms, whether it’s online bingo on Goldrush.co.za, betting on the Springboks, or standing in line for a Lotto ticket, often looks like a numbers game. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find a rich layer of rituals, superstitions,…

There’s a reason the light hits different just before sunset. Photographers call it the “golden hour”, that magic window when everything looks softer, richer, warmer. It flatters skin tones, deepens shadows, and turns ordinary street corners into film sets. On Instagram, golden hour isn’t just lighting. It’s a mood. A mood that many chase, filter, and frame in the hope of appearing not just beautiful, but successful. But in this golden glow, something murky often hides, something curated, crafted, and increasingly deceptive. We live in a time where perception is currency. And few platforms understand that better than Instagram. In South Africa, like elsewhere, this plays out in quiet cafés…

The signal always starts to fade after midnight. Not suddenly, not like a dropped call or a snapped wire, but slowly, like a story running out of breath. One moment it’s there, the voice smooth and steady through the static, and then it begins to unravel. A word swallowed. A sentence distorted. A favourite song clipped at the bridge. You twist the dial a little. Hold your breath. Hope the next hill doesn’t steal what’s left of the frequency. But it always does. Somewhere in South Africa, in a borrowed car or under a threadbare blanket, someone is listening. Not because there’s nothing else to do, but because they don’t…

There was a time when baby names were passed down through generations like family recipes, part tradition, part nostalgia, part whispered hope. Now, they’re being trademarked before the child even arrives. In an era where clout has a currency and followers have weight, the business of baby naming has spun into something stranger, shinier, and more calculated than anyone could’ve imagined. What once was a private act of affection between parents has become a branding exercise for the whole world to see. Scroll through Instagram on any given day and you’ll find a curated slideshow of ultrasound images, flat-lay baby clothes, and name reveals done with more suspense than a…

Walk down almost any main road in South Africa’s larger townships, Soweto, Khayelitsha, Mdantsane, and between the taxi ranks, fruit vendors, and spaza shops, you’ll see it. Not just walls. Not just street signs. Art. Layers of it. Mural work stretching across old school facades. Spray-painted slogans sliding beneath peeling posters. Sculptures welded together from scrap metal, standing like quiet sentinels in alleyways no tourist brochure ever mentions. For years, township public space was defined by a kind of utilitarian rawness. Corrugated iron fences. Concrete footpaths. Painted but mostly blank municipal buildings. Now, slowly and often unofficially, township artists are transforming that fabric, not in galleries, not in studios, but…

There’s a moment after a South African funeral when the real ceremony begins. Not in the church, not at the gravesite. After the priest has said his final prayer and the tombstone has settled into the red, sunbaked earth, people drift toward the house. The air is heavy with silence and simmering heat, the kind of humidity that makes dresses stick and emotions rise. Somewhere inside, the food has already been laid out,  warm pap that’s starting to congeal at the edges, chicken that’s gone cold and shiny, the occasional bowl of beetroot that stains the serving spoon purple. And standing in front of it all is a quiet expectation.…

Elon Musk’s journey from Pretoria to becoming one of the most influential figures in technology and space exploration is a story of relentless ambition. As the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has disrupted industries ranging from electric vehicles to private space travel, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy. His impact extends far beyond his companies—his innovations have redefined global transportation, communications, and the push for interplanetary colonisation. Yet, despite his global success, Musk’s South African roots played a key role in shaping his outlook. Growing up in Pretoria, he developed a deep interest in science and engineering, which laid the foundation for his later ventures. His story is not just…

As climate change continues to reshape weather patterns across the globe, South Africa has found itself increasingly vulnerable to drought and water scarcity. For rural communities already struggling with access to safe, consistent water sources, these environmental shifts are not distant threats, they are daily realities. Amid this uncertainty, a centuries-old practice is gaining new relevance, rainwater harvesting. Organisations like The Mvula Trust have recognised that resilience starts with local solutions. By equipping communities with the tools and knowledge to harvest rainwater, they are not just improving access, they are empowering self-sufficiency, improving health outcomes, and strengthening climate resilience. In 2025, rainwater harvesting is no longer just a backup plan,…