township

Recycling Life

A local man spreads a social gospel in Orange Farm.

By Andrew Esiebo - 27 July 2010 - Photo, Rich dreams, poor realities

The Red Stars

Former footballer sets up a soccer academy in the Orange Farm township to invest in the next generation.

By Ahmed Jallanzo - 14 July 2010 - Future stars and yesterday's heroes, Photo

Living Positive

A female social worker fights stigmatization.

By Andrew Esiebo - 1 July 2010 - Photo

Township Guesthouse

Alina Thonjeni, a 69-year-old single mother to four children, has exactly the sort of entrepreneurial spirit necessary to benefit from the influx of tourists during the World Cup. She retired from her job in order to convert her modest but well-kept home in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, into a guesthouse.

By Nikki Rixon - 28 June 2010 - Business and life, Photo

Pantsula Dancers

Pantsula was birthed in the townships of South Africa in the 1950s. Originally referring to a style of dress, it soon evolved into a cultural expression and later into a dance form. By the 1980s, when the townships were aflame and war had broken out between the Apartheid police and the young men in the area, Pantsula dance was a means of expression for many.

By Alexia Webster - 25 June 2010 - Business and life, Photo, Rich dreams, poor realities

Ice Cream Factory Fire

The former Chico’s Ice Cream factory on the outskirts of Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, which illegally housed more than 400 people, burned down after a fire on Friday. They had erected cardboard partitions and formed a second floor from wood to create a highly flammable ‘shantytown’.

By Nanama Keita - 21 June 2010 - Photo, Text

Ice Cream Factory

Alexandra is a poor, densely populated township that was established in 1912. It borders, and stands in stark contrast to, Sandton, the wealthiest suburb in South Africa. Situated in the industrial side of Alexandra is an old ice-cream factory that has been taken over by locals. They have built two floors filled with one-room dwellings made from recycled tin and wood, dangerously connected by narrow wooden planks.

By Nikki Rixon - 18 June 2010 - Photo, Rich dreams, poor realities

Street Parties in Soweto

There has been much talk of unity as the 2010 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in South Africa. After such a long history of division, has the Rainbow Nation been truly united across colour and race boundaries during the international soccer tournament?

By Simone Scholtz - 17 June 2010 - Africa United, Photo