‘A winner is a dreamer, who never gives up.’ – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela former president of South Africa. On 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, former American president Barack Obama reminisced about how peacefully Mandela guided his nation through negotiation and reconciliation and how his generous attitude towards his former enemies saved the country from more violence and war.

Many different elements have influenced the evolution and development of South African jazz, the most conspicuous and significant being the rich cultural diversity of the country’s inhabitants and the influence of the African-American culture. South African jazz is dynamic and it has always been evolving, creating an exceptional musical mélange.

We dive into the universe of Nash Records – a non-profit recording studio that works with interns from around the globe, to help uplift local South African talent that’s been hidden for far too long.

When exploring Cape Town’s City Centre, if you head towards Signal Hill, you will discover a unique little neighbourhood, full of colourful houses all in a row. Go on journey to Bo Kaap with Yuri Okubo…

When I walked through the front doors of the TEDx Cape Town venue at 9:00am, it was already bursting with people. The theme of the conference, Pause and Effect, was clearly displayed and volunteers were handing out lanyards so attendees could write their name and a ‘conversation starter’.

An inclusive and dynamic language policy plays an important role in South Africa’s mission to embrace linguistic and cultural diversity. Within the education system, the nation has developed goals for multilingualism. However, this can be especially challenging to implement in a country like South Africa, where –since 1994 – there are 11 official languages.

This year marks the tenth anniversary since floods of xenophobic violence swept across the country in 2008. But even recently more people were killed in Johannesburg after angry protestors looted and destroyed foreign-owned shops – bringing conversations around the treatment of foreigners back to the fore.

For generations, across cultures and continents, people have used music as a form of protest. Lyrics and melodies transformed into mediums for communication that in any other context would be suppressed and unheard. Musical activism has cemented its crucial role in history as being a way to unite individuals in their common goal to end war or oppression.

Cape Town is known for its vivid landscapes and vibrant architecture. During my walks through the Bo-Kaap area, Muizenberg and the townships, however, I realised that there is especially one element that reveals the true colours of the city: the people. It is hardly surprising that Archbishop Desmond Tutu coined the term ‘rainbow nation’ in order to describe South Africa’s multicultural diversity. It is a reflection of the assorted colours and animated personalities that make up the Mother City.

Since they first started in 1994, township tours have become extremely popular. A quick Google search will reveal plenty of township tourism companies all around Cape Town. However, although the tours promote cultural exchange, many critics describe them as ‘poverty porn’ – a sad reality of society looking in at another’s less fortunate life and leaving with little more than a few photos for Instagram.

Learn how a free walking tour in Cape Town can teach you about the liberation of South Africa from Apartheid, along with some interesting stories from this period of institutionalised racial segregation…

The Dutch first settled in Table Bay in 1652 after a shipwreck and off the back of the slave trade the Dutch East India Company flourished. We take a look at early Captonian slave trade and how it has shaped the City and it’s culture.