ESG & Sustainability Multimedia South Africa

The township of Masiphumelele is nestled between the rolling hills of the Cape Peninsula. This is where Songezo Jim restarted his life after loss. Orphaned at the age of 14, the road ahead didn’t look good. “I kind of felt hopeless in a way,” Jim says. Until one day, the Cape Town Cycle Tour riders flashed past his house. “I didn’t even know how to ride a bicycle,” Jim says. Yet something stirred inside him. Inspired, Jim picked up the sport and started racing towards a better path. Read Jim's full story...

Mario van Niekerk was eight years old when his family fell apart. His father died in a gas explosion, and his mother was struggling to make ends meet. Van Niekerk was angry, alone, and without mentors. At the age of 11, a gang in his community offered Van Niekerk the sense of belonging he was yearning for. In trying to forge a family, he lost his childhood. Years later, when Van Niekerk became a father, he saw himself in his son’s eyes. He couldn’t allow his child to grow up the same way he did. Van Niekerk knew he had to end the cycle of gangsterism....

When William Baartman was three years old, his family’s home was petrol bombed. It was 1976, and protesting students targeted Baartman’s father, an Afrikaans teacher. The fire took Baartman’s sister, Grace, and left him with burns across 75% of his body. He never finished school – the bullying was too much. Baartman was ashamed, and chose to stay home, hidden from the world. But today he walks with confidence. When Baartman visits children who have also suffered burns, he sees his younger self in them – strong survivors. But what the children see is their future....

Of the millions of children living in South Africa, only a minority are taught to swim for recreation and for safety. The rest are at schools without pool facilities and teachers, unable to afford private instructors. During the festive season, many of these kids will head off to the sea, braving the waters for the very first time. As a result, the National Sea Rescue Institute reports 600 children drowning every year. Those who stand on the sidelines might be safe, but they’re left out of the fun. With a love for both children and swimming, Carol Esterhuizen realised that she could contribute to saving lives by teaching children the skills and confidence they need to participate safely....

In the Cape Flats, gang violence is part of life. Normal activities stop when shootings begin. Wesbank local Edith van Wyk lost her only son and her brother to gangsterism within three years of each other. Her grandson, Tyrese, stopped going to school because it was too dangerous, along with other children in the community. In the face of increasing violence, Van Wyk chose to take action. Rather than allowing children to live in fear, she decided to walk kids to school every day, taking on hardened criminals by bringing laughter back to the streets....

The seventh annual 5 For Change Black Tie Gala debuted in Joburg on 27 October. The event raised funds and awareness for five social enterprise beneficiares: Dlala Nje, Olico Maths Education, Hustlenomics, CRSP Dsgn and enke: Make Your Mark. Read more about the event here.

Kelly Grevler was a student when she saw firsthand how a new skill could change your life. Performing as a guitarist in a band, Grevler met new people, explored different places and discovered further career opportunities. So she took to the streets of Johannesburg to empower others through music. With her guitar in hand, and a few extra to spare, Grevler began teaching interested children how to play – at no cost....

Nicholas Dlamini’s first bike represented more than just recreation. It got him around the township where he grew up. It took him to school when he couldn’t afford taxi fare. And it set him on a journey of transformation from a young kid to professional sportsman. Read Dlamini's full story here..

Annelissa Mhloli wanted to try her hand at catching a wave. But the sport made her conscious of her weight. Mhloli was afraid she wasn’t like the other surfers. “I saw that a lot of them were in great shape,” she says. “That was a setback for me because I felt as if I wasn’t going to fit in.” Stereotypes of what plus-size women can and can’t do invaded Mhloli’s mind, threatening to hold her back. Then she got offered her dream job. The only snag? It involved surfing....

Patricia Mudiayi misses her home. She misses the beauty, the games, the energy. At the age of 29, she had to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although she had a degree in Chemical Engineering, Mudiayi couldn’t find work besides tutoring. It wasn’t the life she wanted. People told her South Africa was a place of possibility. Unable to speak English, five months pregnant, and alone, she took a risk and left. But the road to a new life was not paved in gold. Mudiayi had to pave it herself....

The Management College of Southern Africa (Mancosa) provided the Philena Primary School in Olievenhoutbos, Centurion with three mobile libraries.

At least 26,000 South Africans participated in the inaugural World Clean-up Day on 15 September 2018.

Check out some images from the from the second SheSays Cape Town event which took place on 23 August 2018 at GetSmarter's offices.

The Tsogo Sun Silverstar Casino donated more than 189 staff hours and over R700,000 in various upliftment projects in celebration of Mandela Day. Its beneficiaries include the Bethany Trust House, which has several homes and centres under its care in Krugersdorp, as well as the Tower of Life, which shelters for men and women, and several others.

Sponsors, donors, and volunteers gave back this past Mandela Day and the days thereafter by doing a wide variety of activities at Afrika Tikkun's Centres of Excellence in Cape Town and Johannesburg.