ESG & Sustainability Multimedia

Cape Town may be known for its coffee culture, but Valerie Steinmann’s café offers more than a freshly-brewed espresso. Instead, servings of plain milk or water are the order of the day, with a side serving of catnip. That’s because the patrons here are mostly feline. Inspired by her travels to Asia where cat cafés are a trend, Steinmann returned to open South Africa’s first. But rather than exclusively indulging the novelty of being surrounded by kittens while enjoying a meal, she decided to expand on the idea for a greater purpose. Read Valerie Steinmann's full story...

Hope Abrahams forgot about ballroom dancing before she even signed up for it. When the Grade 1 learner arrived for classes, something else caught her eye. Light sparkled off sequined dresses. White boots marched perfectly in sync. Drum majorettes deftly threw their maizes in the air, catching them with ease as they hurtled back to the ground. One girl in particular stood out. She displayed exceptional skill and courage as she led the team, a smile on her face. Abrahams was captivated, and joined drummies instead. Read Hope Abrahams' full...

Charlie Jacobs was keeping silent. He’d discovered he was HIV positive by accident, and remained in denial for years, refusing treatment. When he found himself close to death, Jacobs realised he had to face reality if he wanted to live. He started taking ARVs – a major step towards accepting his status. But it wasn’t enough. Jacobs needed to speak out against stigma, and he found a way to do it with a T-shirt. Read Charlie Jacobs' full story...

It’s a long walk from Smangaliso Nyoni’s home to join his pack. His canine friends await his arrival, eager for treats and play time. Since Nyoni brought his own puppy to the SPCA, he hasn’t stopped returning to volunteer. “When I’m with dogs my troubles don’t exist,” he says. But Nyoni’s bond with them made him the target of bullies. Children in his community mocked him for his loyalty. They didn’t understand why he cared so much for the creatures. The bullying continued, getting progressively worse, until they burnt down his shack. Nyoni lost his school books, uniform, and clothes. Read Smangaliso Nyoni's full story...

Olona Mjakuca draws the bow across her violin, a look of sheer concentration on her face. The instrument is almost as big as her. But the seven-year-old plays with confidence, balancing the violin on her shoulder with the poise of a seasoned performer. It’s a far cry from the introverted girl she was not so long ago. The sound of the strings has transformed Mjakuca, bringing the magic of music to her life. Her teacher, Tembisa Ntshongontshi, has been influential in helping Mjakuca come out of her shell. Read Tembisa Ntshongontshi's full story...

Engines roar as jets land and take off from the tarmac. Fatima Jakoet steps into the cockpit, adjusting her hijab and pilot’s cap. To her, this is the sound of adventure. Jakoet used to work as a toxicology and narcotics specialist. But while conducting a drug bust at an airport, she became transfixed by a Boeing 747. The sight flooded her with nostalgia of watching planes cross the sky as a little girl. Jakoet realised that she didn’t want to work alongside the aircraft – she wanted to fly it. But it would take a turbulent ride for her to reach that dream. Read Fatima Jakoet's full story...

Rhinos may look tough with their double horns and thick skin. But the iconic creatures have sensitive souls. Jade Aldridge didn’t expect to fall in love with the gentle beasts. When the veterinary nurse came to South Africa to volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation, she was confronted with the realities of rhino poaching. She began to take care of calves whose mothers had been killed after seeing the life-threatening position the orphaned animals were in. “I wanted to make a difference,” she says. Aldridge made a decision to put down roots here and fight for their lives. Read Jade Aldridge's full story...

Nonhlanhla Joye was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. While chemotherapy challenged her strength, her immediate concern wasn’t her health. Too sick to return to work, Joye’s priority was finding a way to put food on the table for her family. So the daughter of a farmer turned to what she knew best and started planting vegetables outside her home in Cato Manor. But what Joye hoped would be a solution turned into a disaster. The chickens roaming around the township got to her garden, destroying her harvest. If Joye was to succeed, some creativity was needed. That’s how she started farming in a plastic packet. Read Nonhlanhla Joye's full story...

Before the game ends, Nokulunga Mvandaba’s netball team already know they are winners. The coach has taught them to build up each other’s self-worth, not just how to score goals. She knows the difference support can have. While at university, someone Mvandaba trusted sexually assaulted her. Like many women who go through this, she was emotionally vulnerable and unable to deal with what had happened. “I felt like I had no one to speak to,” Mvandaba says. “It resulted in a lot of self-destructive behaviour.” Turning to alcohol and drugs to cope, her life spiraled downhill as she moved further away from her family. The experience had robbed Mvandaba of her sense of purpose. That changed when she picked up a netball, and her life. Read Nokulunga Mvandaba's full story...

When she was just nine years old, Jacky du Plessis’ parents divorced. She started horse riding to get over the break, finding solace, comfort and safety in the bonds she formed with the animals. As she grew older, her love for them developed, as did her desire to create positive change. Wanting to use her passion for these animals and her knowledge of their therapeutic characteristics to make a difference, Du Plessis started working with horses as a form of therapy and rehabilitation for people with disabilities as well as victims of abuse and emotional trauma. Since 2009, she has used her work to help horses heal humans. Read Jacky du Plessis' full story...

It’s 2002. Dallas Oberholzer, champion skateboarder, sets foot in Isithumba, in the sprawling Valley of a Thousand Hills. He has a vision for something unheard of in the area: a skate park. But in the face of uncertainty, he turned his idea into a reality, and opened Indigo Skate Camp, a place for vulnerable youths to try their foot at the sport and grind a new path in life. Read Dallas Oberholzer's full story...

Liesl Hermanus didn’t plan to fall pregnant at university. She struggled with the experience. After giving birth, she went through bouts of unexplained tearfulness. Hermanus couldn’t breastfeed, which provoked extreme anxiety. She felt like a failure. But today, Hermanus understands that as one in three people in South Africa to experience depression or anxiety, mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of. Pregnant women in particular are at high risk, which is why she is working to create a safe space for them to speak up and be heard. Read Hermanus's full story...

The first time Happiness Gutshwa picked up a soccer ball, she held her future in her hands. Not that she knew it at the time. Just 11 years old, she couldn’t have imagined how far the sport would take her. At first she played with anyone willing to join. It was only as she got older that Gutshwa noticed the gender bias on the field. But this has only served to motivate her further. Despite the fact that men still get the lion’s share of sporting coverage and support, Gutshwa is determined to make a difference with Khayelitsha’s first women’s club. Read Happiness Gutshwa's full story...

Hillbrow is a neighbourhood clouded by misconceptions. It’s had many lives over the years, from being a segregated area during apartheid to becoming the mix of nationalities and cultures it is today. Over time, it has developed a reputation for crime and violence. For Gerard Bester, it’s home. “There are many negative stories about Hillbrow,” he says. Bester uses theatre as a safe space for children to overcome issues they face, such as xenophobia and drug abuse. On stage, they take back the narratives surrounding their town. Read Gerard Bester's full story...