Diving into South Africa’s "Village of Death"
In this remote corner of South Africa, eleven people have been murdered in one year. About once a month, with clockwork regularity, the village has earned itself the disturbing nickname of "Village of Death".
Shot for AFP
South Africa's Zulus fete young women's purity at Reed Dance ceremony
Young women, known locally in the KwaZulu-Natal province as "maidens", participate in the traditional Reed Dance, an age-old annual ceremony in celebration of sexual purity and promotion of sexual abstinence among young girls. It is the first time the dance is taking place since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shot for AFP
Mural art brings central Johannesburg to life
Street artist Dbongz Mahlathi puts the finishing touches to one of his murals in Johannesburg. For him, street art like his "has changed the landscape and how people deemed the city, they now see the city as bright because it used to be dull, mundane", adding that "people start seeing it as a place they can go into." Street artists, developments, events and pop-up stores have become integral to making the city an attraction for tourists and locals alike.
Have you ever been catcalled?
Women are catcalled, sexualized and objectified every day. These four interviews share the experiences of people being sexualized throughout their lives; a reality most women face. Experiences should be shared and voices heard, that way we see how we are not alone.
South Africa’s new fast-growing sport known as ‘mermaiding’
Mermaiding is the sport of using a monofin with a fabric tail, and learning how to 'move like a mermaid'. The sport is a full-body workout and has other health benefits, since "it's for fun, it's for fantasy, it's therapy," says mermaiding instructor, Izelle Nair. The sport is becoming increasingly popular with its own mermaiding school in South Africa's Johannesburg: Merschool.
Shot for AFP
Pimp my ride, South Africa's vintage car makeover shop
A Johannesburg-based workshop that specialises in vehicle wraps and auto detailing. This classic 1967 Ford Galaxie was stripped, restored, and transformed into a head-turning retro car. Owner Zeblon Vilakazi explains his childhood association with these vintage cars, 'I remember even as a youngster we used to drive from Katlehong in Germiston to Pretoria with lots of kids in the back so I have fond memories as a kid.' This American car was one of the few cars, in its time, to have electric windows and was known to be very luxurious.
Shot for AFP
The Rhino Whisperer
Pierre Bester is among the first specialist rhino veterinarians in South Africa. His work over the years, alongside the Rhino Orphanage in the Waterberg region of Limpopo, includes rehabilitating and rewilding many orphan rhinos. His mission is to help people understand the motives and consequences of rhino poaching, as well as how to stop it, "if we don’t do something, nobody will do something" he adds. AFP follows Dr. Pierre as he relocates three young rhinos, one being just two months old.
Shot for AFP
South African unions march in protest of the rising cost of living
Hundreds of people block roads in the capital of South Africa as they walk toward the Union Buildings, where the presidency is located, demanding the government prevent economic collapse and tackle rising living costs. Unions accuse the government of putting profits for the elite and corporate interests ahead of the interests of the average South African.
Shot for AFP