By Ruvesen Naidoo On 7 November 2023, The South African Literary Awards (SALA) held its awards hand-over ceremony at the Snowflake Venue in Potchefstroom. The 18th annual South African Literary Awards featured many nominees, of which Dr Siphiwo Mahala was shortlisted for the Creative Non-Fiction Literary Award category for his book, Can Themba: The Making and Breaking of the Intellectual Tsotsi. The book had won its nomination and earned a creative non-fiction literary award. Mahala, who is from Makhanda, currently resides in Pretoria and is employed at the University of Johannesburg, shares that the inspiration for exploring creative non-fiction stemmed…
Author: Ruvesen Naidoo
Read More
By Ruvesen Naidoo Adaptive fashion is clothing specifically designed for people living with physical disabilities. In Makhanda, knowledge of adaptive fashion seems low amongst clothing stores, but those who know what it is under its importance in a society where people struggle to find clothing that suits them. An American August 2023 Adaptive Clothing Market Analysis report says the adaptive fashion market will surpass US$ 2,117.4 Million by 2023 because of a rising demand in adaptive clothing for patients in hospitals, and caregivers who have to dress disabled persons. Another reason for the expansion of the industry is to accommodate…
By Ruvesen Naidoo After an exciting eighteen years of working with the National Arts Festival (NAF) in Makhanda, Fringe Programme, Zikhona Monaheng is sadly bidding farewell to her team and moving on to the next era of her life. Grocott’s Mail asked Monaheng a few questions about her journey at NAF, which, according to her, started in 2005 as a Rhodes University student. What inspired you to become involved in the Fringe Programme at NAF in the first place? When did you start at NAF? I like to believe that the bug bit me while I was a Rhodes University…
By Ruvesen Naidoo On 31 October 2023, Amazwi South African Museum of Literature hosted the launch of the 2023 issue of the literary journal Ons Klyntij’ alongside their Reddit Poetry Night, which happens on the last Friday of every month. Ons Klyntji is an A6-sized publication that features 152 pages of South African creativity in the form of poems, short stories, cartoons and photographs. The contributions are either in English or Afrikaans. The evening celebrated the contributions of six Makhanda-based authors to this year’s issue of Ons Klyntji, which included Anton Krueger, Brian Garman, Jeannie Wallace Mckeown, Lilitha Boco, Marike…
By Ruvesen Naidoo Young Makhanda woman, Elam Magula (19), a Grade 12 student at Victoria Girls’ High School, has made the finals of the Miss Teenager South Africa pageant, which will be held on 8 and 9 December. Magula became interested in competing in Miss Teen South Africa because of her desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others, she told Grocott’s Mail. “[I have a] passion for making a difference in my community and inspiring other young people to do the same; I saw the Miss Teen South Africa pageant as an opportunity to do just…
By Ruvesen Naidoo The ‘Feature Friday’ series, which ended last week, included a competition run by Makana Tourism for a chance to win a trip to The Halyards Hotel and Spa and Mansfield Private Reserve. The competition was to find four of the missing words in the sentence: _____the_____behind_____and its extraordinary_____experiences. As entries closed on Monday, 2 October 2023, Makana Tourism would like to announce that the winner of the competition is Ntombekhaya Fundani. The sentence that won Fundani the prize was: EXPLORE the HISTORY behind MAKHANDA and its extraordinary AFRICAN experiences. Fundani won a trip for two at Eagle’s…
By Ruvesen Naidoo As our celebration of Heritage Month draws to a close, this week’s final article for the Feature Friday series spotlights the African-inspired cuisine and foods of Makhanda. LaVish Exclusive LaVish Exclusive was officially established in July 2023, after operating from the home of its manager, Caroline Mazvidza, since 2017. The restaurant sells a variety of “African home-inspired dishes” including Ulusu (trotters), tripe, Umpokhoqo, Idombolo (dumplings), sorghum pap, steamed bread and Amazgwinya. Mazvidza adds that the restaurant sells many other popular African street foods, including the Kota. When asked about the importance of tourists trying the local cuisine…
By Ruvesen Naidoo In this week’s Feature Friday series, we focus on the outdoors and getting involved in different recreational activities in Makhanda that reflect both the region’s history in South Africa and its many cultural, fun, and interesting offerings. These range from the annual Ghost Walk next month to a visit to the Observatory Museum located at 10 Beaufort Street in Makhanda. This week, Grocott’s Mail looks at ten things to do in Makhanda. Haunted Makhanda “For believers in the paranormal, Makhanda, (Grahamstown), is considered to be one of the most iconic towns in South Africa. Ghost stories abound…
By Ruvesen Naidoo In this week’s Feature Friday article, we focus on wellness, spotlighting three captivating destinations in and around Makhanda that not only enrich our understanding of our heritage but also provide a soothing escape. The first chosen place of interest for this week includes the Xhosa Plant Exhibition located at 40 Somerset Street. Dr. Phumlani Viwe Cimi, director at Albany Science Museum, said the exhibition is significant in the continued practice of rituals in the IsiXhosa culture and, ultimately, a celebration of heritage. Cimi, who was initially employed as a botanist at the museum, said, “We are concerned…
By Ruvesen Naidoo To celebrate Heritage and Tourism Month, Grocott’s Mail has partnered with Makana Tourism for a four-part ‘Feature Friday’ series. The articles will provide a description of different tourist attractions in and around Makhanda in honour of Heritage and Tourism Month. The series focuses on four key tourist categories: History, Wellness, Outdoors, and Food. Situated within the Makana region in the Eastern Cape, Makhanda (formerly known as Grahamstown) offers a wide range of tourist attractions. Makana Tourism Marketing and Communications officer Prudence Mini explains that there are hidden gems in the city, such as an actual stream of…