<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Normal is getting dressed in clothes you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car you’re still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”<cite>– Ellen Goodman (an American journalist and syndicated columnist)</cite></blockquote>

Quote 1

Quote Of The Day

In the two days since he advertised&nbsp; “unprocessed toilet paper” for sale on Facebook Marketplace next to a photo of logs, David Traichel says the response has been better than expected. No actual buyers, just hundreds of views, laughs, and “you made my day” from other users browsing through the online classifieds.



“So many people are so freaked out about the idea of not having toilet paper,” says Traichel, 39. The aerospace technician and welder from Northford, Connecticut generally uses Facebook Marketplace to sell vintage car and bicycle parts. He decided to offer his oak and cedar woodpile (price, $1) to jog users out of their shopping panic. “Maybe those people would see the ad and think, ‘OK, maybe I’m overreacting.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Homebound Americans have turned to scavenging on ecommerce sites like Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace for the boring household goods that have become hot items during the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/coronavirus/#18de6a4120dd">coronavirus pandemic</a>. The shortages have inspired some mercenary sellers to excessive pricing (say, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/03/04/149-for-purell-the-coronavirus-sparked-wild-price-hikes-and-amazon-and-others-are-cracking-down/">hand sanitizer for $149</a>) and prompted the tech companies to crack down on price gougers. The hoarding frenzy has also been catnip for armchair humorists, who have found an unlikely platform to yuk it up in the free classifieds of Facebook Marketplace. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="679" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-43777" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0.jpg 960w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-300x212.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-600x424.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-768x543.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption> You snooze, you lose. KIM MARIE/FACEBOOK </figcaption></figure>



 On the social network’s 800 million-user shopping site, one Internet standup is offering “toilet paper, extra long roll” for $69,4202—it’s a CVS receipt wound around the toilet paper dispenser. Another wants to sell you the “last roll of toilet paper in the world,” marked at $10,000. As a last resort, yet another smart aleck is advertising $90 toilet paper alongside a photo of sandpaper. “Don’t go without during this crisis,” it reads. 



In reality, there’s no toilet paper crisis. Unlike imports such as iPhones and flat-screen TVs, most U.S. toilet paper comes from domestic factories, buffering supplies from a drop in production in China, where the viral outbreak started. Georgia-Pacific, maker of AngelSoft and Quilted Northern, is boosting its U.S. production. Proctor &amp; Gamble, which makes Charmin brand toilet paper, Bounty paper towels and Puffs facial tissue, says production at its U.S. plants is at record highs. “Demand continues to outpace supply, but we are working diligently to get product to our retailers as fast as humanly possible,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/03/16/the-national-toilet-paper-scare-why-our-supplies-are-safe/#7309524869a4">says P&amp;G spokeswoman Loren Fanroy</a>.&nbsp;



Which makes it all the more absurd that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2020/03/05/the-economics-of-panic-buying/">anxious shoppers stripped supermarket shelves</a> of every last double-ply roll. Relishing the irony, Kim Marie, a 42-year-old naturopathic practitioner from Manorville, New York, decided this week to flog “vintage toilet paper” on Facebook Marketplace. For just $55,990, she’s showcasing a water-damaged and rotting roll mounted on a rustic wall, closing with the Craigslist battlecry of overpriced junker listings, “no low ballers, I know what I got.” Marie, who regularly sells vintage housewares on the site,  says she has received no serious inquiries. Just as well, since the item listed isn’t actually in Marie’s possession— it was a funny photo texted to her by her husband. She threw it up on Marketplace “to lighten the mood.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="909" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-43778" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-1.jpg 960w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-1-300x284.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-1-600x568.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/960x0-1-768x727.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption> See more of Liz Stoppiello&#8217;s work on her Facbook page, @Stitchizbyliz.   LIZ STOPPIELLO/@STITCHIZBYLIZ </figcaption></figure>



It was the “organic toilet paper,” a $10 baggie of leaves listed on Facebook Marketplace by her brother’s girlfriend, that inspired&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/lizzie80892/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Liz Stoppiello</a>, 27. The stay-at-home mom usually sells items like car seats and books on Facebook Marketplace. This week she’s offering “washable crochet toilet paper! Been used only a cpl times”&nbsp; for a cool $100. The advertised off-white crochet squares, wrapped around a cardboard tube, look worthy of an Etsy storefront. It took about 30 minutes to make. She just wanted to “get a good laugh” from people and to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/lizzie80892/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">promote her crochet-oriented Facebook page</a>. “You never know if anyone will start to desperately need handmade items in the near future lol,” she said via email.&nbsp;



Her fellow Marketplace posters might be in on the joke, but Facebook’s bots are not. The social network, which uses artificial intelligence to help monitor content and warned Monday that its systems may have removed some<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/03/17/facebook-deleting-coronavirus-posts-leading-to-charges-of-censorship/#77ec53e05962">&nbsp;COVID-19-related posts in error</a>, had flagged&nbsp;Traichel’s toilet paper ad for unprocessed wood as “under review.”



Facebook “must be so flooded they don’t know what to do,” Traichel emailed, adding an “lol.” He isn’t interested in making a profit, at least not on his firewood. “If people really need toilet paper, I’ll give ‘em a roll.”



&#8211;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/helenpopkin/">Helen A. S. Popkin</a>, Forbes Staff, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/innovation">Innovation</a>

Panic buying and stockpiling toilet rolls…

‘Toilet Paper, Gently Used.’ How Facebook Marketplace Has Become An Unlikely Platform For Comedy

From humble beginnings to the limelight in  Hollywood, their success is for every ordinary African with big dreams and a bigger mission.



From the dusty rural Moutse village in South Africa’s
Limpopo province to the bright lights of Hollywood, the Ndlovu Youth Choir have
proven there can be no impediment to global glory if your ambition is great and
your passion greater.



When this group of young boys and girls came together, little did they know the world would rise in unison to applaud them. Late last year, their turn as the finalists of America’s Got Talent, a televized American talent show competition in the United States created by Simon Cowell, earned them prowess and praise.



So when an opportunity came to meet them at popular South
African restaurant Nando’s in the suburb of Lorentzville in Johannesburg,
during a launch event last month, I seized it with conviction and my camera.



The choir’s co-founder and choirmaster Ralf Schmitt started from the beginning, about how he got involved with the group at the opening of the amphitheater in the village of Moutse.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/06/26/three-heavy-grammys-and-a-world-singing-their-praise/">Soweto Gospel Choir: Three Heavy Grammys And A World Singing Their Praise</a> 



What started out as a mission to serve the community ended up becoming an even greater force – on the world stage.



“This is the same village that raised the Ndlovu Youth Choir powered by the Ndlovu Care Group. The group was doing amazing work with HIV awareness and treatment in the early 2000s and the amphitheater was built for the community to gather, receive information and do drama workshops around HIV/AIDS.”



Schmitt was contacted to do music for the opening in 2008 because of his track-record in the industry, as he was also part of the internationally-renowned Drakensburg Boys’ Choir.



“I’ve always loved choir and singing. I went on to study music and it worked from day one. I started conducting school choirs and worked with young people. I love composing, I love conducting, I love performing and I love teaching and the medium of a choir allows me to do them all,” he enthuses. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> These young people can be the beacons of what’s possible in a rural community. <cite>Ralf Schmitt</cite></blockquote>



He had originally suggested they start a brass band but
because of their location in Limpopo, far from big city Johannesburg, it would
have been difficult for the teachers and trainers to regularly access and
develop them.



The choir became the obvious choice as part of the orphans and vulnerable children’s program at the Ndlovu Care Group.



The horrific HIV pandemic had left many orphaned and the program was meant as a healing curriculum for the community. It became so successful that when it came for the participants to leave school, they were not willing to leave the program as they were unable to find employment or afford secondary education.



Schmitt says thus an idea of transforming the choir into a platform to generate an income for unemployed youth was born.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2016/07/01/choirboy-inspired-criminals/">The Choirboy Inspired By Criminals </a>



Today, the choir boasts about 40 members and includes a job creation program for the older singers who do most of the performances.



The choir has also started a home schooling program for learners – a full-time tutor travels with them locally and internationally.



“When we turned professional in 2018, it took about six months to get us going. I called a few people I knew in the industry and bookings were coming in slow,” recalls Schmitt.



“We needed a product and the arrangement we did of a Zulu version of Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran, brilliantly translated by Sandile Majola and Sipho Hleza, went massively viral on social media and had 25 million views and that got the nation’s attention and that was the first time we got serious publicity and bookings started flooding in.” 



Soon after, the choir performed live for a South African radio station and that’s where America’s Got Talent heard the Zulu arrangement and made contact and asked for videos. 



He remembers he couldn’t get the videos out to the producers
because of service delivery protests in the area. The choir conductor was
blocked by an angry mob with burning tyres and rocks, but that didn’t stop the
choir from performing at the Derby Theatre miles away from home. 



“I am so pleased that these young people can be the beacons
of what’s possible in a rural community, every single one of them are from that
community and not anyone went and studied music at tertiary level, all that is
produced is raw talent and they never had a music lesson in their life. As the
artistic director, I try very hard at preserving that talent because that’s the
magic,” he says. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-43250" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1336.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The first time they got on stage, he recalls thinking that
the audience didn’t know them; they probably just saw the group as kids from a
rural community in South Africa. 



However, the warmth they received was unforgettable.
Whereas, in comparison, the experience at America’s Got Talent was intense and
draining, but exhilarating, he recalls.



“It was nerve-racking when the music went down and the lights dimmed and Gabrielle Union [American actress] screamed ‘you are going through!’ and everyone just lost their minds. It was special we were through to the live finale.”



Thulisile Masanabo is one of the senior members in the choir
who also assists with wardrobe. She has been with the choir since 2013 when she
was 16 and very shy. 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2020/02/25/dont-be-afraid-to-bend-the-rules-miss-universe/">‘Don’t Be Afraid To Bend The Rules’ – Miss Universe</a>



“I used to stand at the back of the row at the beginning. As
the years went, I began to gain confidence and moved to the third row, then
second, now, I’m in the first row,” says Masanabo.&nbsp; 



She opened the song Africa by Toto wearing bright yellow
garments to a noisy and ecstatic American crowd. 



Looking back, she chuckles saying she had auditioned singing
the South African national anthem. 



“I was on my way back from school and Sandile called me in.
He was standing outside and just calling people in to audition. He didn’t want
to know if you can or cannot sing,” Masanabo says of her recruitment into the
group. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-43247" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_1339.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



All members of the choir are under the age of 30; among
them, is 25-year-old Majola who helped arrange the Zulu version of Shape Of
You.



He joined when he was a 14-year-old school boy accompanying
his sister to the auditions. 



“I was invited inside to try my luck on August 23, 2009,” he
recalls vividly. 



“I first traveled internationally with the choir in 2011 to
Holland and the performance was average, it was not as nice as we perform
today.”



He says the choir upped his self-esteem and he now can
communicate better with people and perform more effectively on stage. 



One of the songs instilled in him was written by Schmitt
titled Believe dedicated to the choir.



 “The message was for us, but now, it’s for other young people as well. They should never stop dreaming,” says Majola. 



This young group of music-lovers is testament that believing
and dreaming big can indeed make you cross borders. 



Their journey was from a tiny village, to grabbing the
limelight in one of the globe’s biggest talent search shows. The world is now
truly their stage.

America’s Got Talent – Season 14

The Talented Choir That Never Had A Music Lesson

Kirk Semple, a professor of environmental microbiology at Lancaster University, was in South Africa recently sharing ideas on how waste and water can be components of the circular economy.



IN AN UNPRETENTIOUS SUIT, TIE and glasses, Kirk Semple looks every bit the academic he is.



Flying in to South Africa from a visit to Ghana for the first time, to speak at the annual Future Of Education Summit, organized by the ABN Group on December 4, this professor of environmental microbiology at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom is part of the institution’s Recirculate project, exploring different ways in which waste water can sustain communities.



“My original love is to do with how we can use microorganisms to deal with pollution in the environment, particularly from hydrocarbons in the soil,” he says.



Born and bred in Scotland, he is the Director of International Engagement at the Lancaster Environment Centre, Associate Dean International of the Faculty of Science and Technology and Interim Director of the Future Cities Research Institute at the university.



Seated in FORBES AFRICA’s offices in Sandton, Johannesburg, Semple takes us to the complex and captivating world of microorganisms.



“They still pose that metabolic versatility to degrade or decompose [waste] and we have been using them for hundreds and thousands of years,” he says.



As part of the Recirculate project, the key focus is to protect humans from contaminated water and disease using a sustainable water treatment system.



“As a population, we produce a lot of waste so it’s about taking that waste and using it to produce energy, the so-called bio-energy. And bio-energy is a sustainable off-grid system where you can convert bio gas, which is the product of this process and is combustible, into energy, whether heat or whatever.



“What we have discovered is that waste is actually nutritionally rich. But we are not alone in this. We have been looking at ways in which we can take that waste and use it instead of inorganic fertilizers in crop production.”



This, in turn, would offer an opportunity for farmers to possess sustainable and affordable solutions to grow crops. Semple says there are huge opportunities for this project in countries like South Africa.



Together with researchers from Stellenbosch University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in the country, he has submitted several grants for the “waste-energy-food nexus”.



Water from toilets and taps end up at a water treatment plant and a big part of this nexus is to use microbial activity to decompose this waste into cleaner water.



“I’ve always been an optimist and I see lots of opportunity to work together and fortunately, at the moment, there’s a lot of funding opportunities, whether it is from government, business, the World Development Bank, the African Development Bank or charities,” he says.



They have since received £78 million ($101 million) from the Global Challenges Research Fund, to support the Recirculate project to develop a safe circular water economy.



Semple insists collaboration is key to solving some of the world’s biggest problems.



“What is really good is how people from different African countries are trying to work together to make life better and that for me is really important given what is going on in the world politically, and given what is going on in the world in terms of the environment.”



Looking back at his journey at Lancaster University, Semple did not always see himself in the world of academia. After working at a research institute as a post-doctoral researcher in 1995, he wanted to figure out what he really wanted to do.



“I was still adamant I didn’t want to be an academic,” he says. He chanced upon a vacancy for a position at Lancaster University which was in his area of interest. However, he dismissed the thought. A couple of weeks later, he saw the same post again, but did not pursue it. The third time he saw it, destiny had its way. Semple applied for the job and the rest is history.



His fulfilling assignment in West Africa has allowed him to collaborate with more researchers across the continent and teach post-graduation students, creating better solutions for the planet’s water crises.

recyclable waste,broken bottles, many broken glass bottles from waste separation factories for recycling.

‘Waste Is Rich’

In the coastal country’s capital Accra, the South African musician savored street food and a different kind of music, in tandem with the sound of the waves.



For Unathi Nkayi, life is all about investing in experiences, be it in her music or her travel sojourns.



The popular South African musician and Idols South Africa judge has lived in and visited several countries around the world, but one of her most abiding memories of a holiday was last year in the coastal African country Ghana.



“I felt the beauty of the continent in Ghana and her pride and respect and her anointing,” Nkayi tells FORBES AFRICA.



In December, she accompanied a friend who was traveling to the West African country, and spent six days in the capital Accra, well into the New Year.



They stayed at the Mövenpick, situated on a busy street down the road from the military base, the presidential house and in close proximity to the beach.



“I’m a beach person so wherever I travel for leisure, I have to be on the coast,” says Nkayi.



On New Year’s Day, she was at one of Ghana’s most popular beaches, Labadi Beach, and it was the most beautiful she had seen – and what attracted her to it more, were the Afro beats emanating from it as she arrived at the parking lot.



The air was spiked with a medley of music, from Burna Boy to Tiwa Savage to D’banj and Wizkid.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG-0332-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-46761" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG-0332-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG-0332-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG-0332-600x450.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG-0332-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG-0332.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



As she sauntered closer to the white sandy shores, the music got louder and it became apparent it came from the restaurants serving food to serpentine queues of visitors on the beach.



With music in the air, and the clear blue waters of the ocean under her feet, Nkayi experienced a serene calm as she closed her eyes and shut out her city life in far-away Johannesburg.



The two-hour professional spa massage she received on the beach, with the sound of the waves in her ear, made her de-stress totally. After that, it was time for some soul food on the busy streets of Accra.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-46759" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-100x100.jpg 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-600x600.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-171155842-80x80.jpg 80w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Busy Nima area.</figcaption></figure>



“You park on the streets and your table and chairs are on the street. And then, they bring you a tank with live fish and you choose,” she says of the unique experience savoring local delicacies.



She relished her fish with jollof rice and some plantain, the local staples that took her on a culinary journey.



“It was very multicultural in that sense, and experiencing the vastness of Ghana which is absolutely beautiful.”



Apart from the food, the culture and the scenery, Nkayi greatly appreciated the people.



“They are the most gracious people I have met,” she says of their welcoming nature.



Nkayi grew up in Namibia, England and Wales, studied in the Netherlands and Spain, has traveled to France and Belgium, but says nothing compares to visiting countries like Ghana.



“There’s a grace and respect I feel that I don’t feel in the rest of the world,” she says. “It is almost royal.”



She was especially impressed with the way Ghanaian men treat women.



“They adore women… there’s a deliberate acknowledgement of the feminine presence of power,” she says.



Hailing from a country where the femicide rate is one of the highest in the world, she was struck by these genteel attributes.



“For example, there are certain things I do not wear in South Africa. There are certain parts of my closet I only go to when I go on holiday [to places like Ghana], and that is because I know that the West African man will not whistle at me, and he will not call me ma bhebheza [meaning ‘my baby’ as a form of cat-calling].



“There’s an adoration West Africa has for women that I don’t get to experience in any other part of the world,” she says, adding this is something all countries could learn from.



More on Ghanaian hospitality: on one particular morning in Accra, she and her friend visited a local couple who cooked them a three-course meal for brunch.



Alcohol of every kind was offered, including some of the finest from Nkayi’s home country, South Africa.



But what she loved most was the sauce that accompanied her meal.



“There’s a Ghanaian fish sauce I love called shito,” she says.



It’s a hot pepper soup that consists of fish or vegetable oil, ginger, dried fish, prawns, crustaceans, tomatoes, garlic, peppers and spices.



The couple gifted her with three jars of shito that they made, which she carried back home, and thrust into her freezer, so she could enjoy them for longer.



And what can South Africa learn from Ghana?



“Everything!” says Nkayi.



“We need to be more open, and we need to be more hospitable. We need to look at our own continent the same way we marvel at traveling to America or Europe… Africa is beautiful and I marvel at how complex she is.”



Nkayi hopes to visit Ghana again, but not just yet.



Her next trip is to another pristine beach, at Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, for the carnival in February 2020.

H&M reveals collaboration with African brand Mantsho

#ExecutiveTravel: Unathi Nkayi’s Ghana

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would like to “become financially independent,” they announced Wednesday—and that may have to happen sooner rather than later, as Prince Charles, Harry’s father, is&nbsp;<a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/01/10/prince-charles-threatens-to-cut-off-funding-to-prince-harry-and-meghan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly threatening</a>&nbsp;to pull the millions he gives them each year. How they plan to replace those funds remains a subject of feverish palace intrigue about which the couple remains mum.



But what is clear: By stepping away from their duties, they likely are no longer prohibited from earning income the way senior members of the royal family are, clearing the way for them to take real jobs. What will those be? And how much will they actually need to make in order to live in the style to which they’ve become accustomed?



Annual Costs: Roughly $3 Million A Year (Not Including Renovations)



It’s hard to pinpoint the exact amount that Prince Harry and Markle earn from the various royal mechanisms each year—and a spokesperson for the Sussexes did not respond to questions about on the couple’s finances—but 95% of their annual income comes from Prince Charles, Harry’s father, via the Duchy of Cornwall. A trust that consists of 131,000 acres of real estate and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://duchyofcornwall.org/assets/pdf/DuchyOfCornwallIAR2018.pdf" target="_blank">more than $450 million in commercial assets</a>&nbsp;within the United Kingdom, the Duchy of Cornwall was established in 1337 to support the direct heir to the throne.



That estate paid a combined $6.5 million (or £5.1 million) to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate Middleton) and to Prince Harry and Markle in the fiscal year ending March 2019, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/annual-review/2018-2019/income-expenditure-and-staff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">latest financial report</a>. The funding for the princes and their families didn’t change much from 2018 to 2019, although both reports were prior to the birth of the Sussex couple’s son, Archie. Let’s assume the brothers split that income from the Duchy (though William and Kate, with three children, are likely taking a bit more). While the Duke and Duchess did not immediately surrender this income, reports surfaced Friday that Charles is threatening to cut them off completely.



The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did announce that they will “no longer receive funding through the Sovereign Grant,” which we know covers an additional 5% of their income, and used for their official duties. It covers official business such as international tours, travel to official events and the upkeep of their homes and offices, and comes from about 25% of the revenue from the Crown Estate (£85.9 million or $112.2 million for the 2020–2021 fiscal year), a portfolio of investments controlled by the monarchy—though not by the royal family or the government—and includes properties across the United Kingdom. (For example, the Queen herself does not own Buckingham Palace.)&nbsp;



In 2018 and 2019, the couple used money from the Sovereign Grant to travel across the world,&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/media/final_sovereign_grant_for_website.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fiji</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzN8VdOlsbk/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South Africa</a>, on official royal business. While the royal annual reports don’t detail how much the Sussex’s travels cost in total, their trip to Fiji and Tonga cost $105,000 (£81,000), according to the latest Sovereign Grant financial report. (While it may seem that travel costs could go down as the couple steps back from royal duties, they say they plan to split time between the British Isles and North America, which will lead to new expenses.)&nbsp;



Based on what we know, we estimate the total of the couple’s funds from the Duchy and Sovereign Grants to be a (very conservative) $3 million—again, not including security costs.&nbsp;



And that’s not including the cost of their home and renovations: The Sovereign Grant covered last year’s $3.12 million (£2.4 million) refurbishment of the Frogmore Cottage, the four-bedroom plus nursery home in Windsor where the couple lives when they are in England. The home’s maintenance began before the couple decided to move in and was covered by the Queen, under existing commitments to maintain the upkeep of certain historical buildings, while the couple privately paid for the furniture and decor. Even though the house is property of the Queen, the couple plans to continue using it as their official residence when they are in the United Kingdom—meaning less rent to pay.&nbsp;



None of this takes into account the cost of their security, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-51047186" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;covered by the Metropolitan Police, and which the family is expected to continue to accept.&nbsp;&nbsp;



With all of these expenses and their easy access to funds facing a precarious future, the questions remains of how, exactly, the couple plan to earn the millions that their lifestyle demands.&nbsp;



What Could Make A Royal Gig: Books, Speeches, SponCon?



They do have some money to live off of: Thanks to her seven-year stint on the television drama&nbsp;Suits, Forbes estimates that Markle has a net worth of about $2.2 million. Prince Harry has money of his own as well, as he and his brother received the<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/denizcam/2019/05/10/baby-archie-queen-elizabeth-royals-net-worth-prince-harry-meghan-markle/#6c676ba33b82" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;bulk of Princess Diana’s $31.5 million estate</a>&nbsp;upon her death in 1997.&nbsp;&nbsp;



But it is likely that they will join other royals, like Harry’s cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and actually take paying gigs (the former works in finance, while the latter works at an art gallery). While no announcements have been made as to how exactly the couple plans to make money, it would seem natural that they take up work in the entertainment and media fields.&nbsp;



Markle has said that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a13943777/meghan-markle-prince-harry-quitting-acting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">she was giving up acting for good</a>&nbsp;once she joined the royal family; maybe this is an opportunity for her to change her mind. At the height of her acting career, she commanded up to $85,000 per episode of&nbsp;Suits,&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;estimates, a number that would likely shoot up thanks to her royal title if she decided to return to the screen.



But it is more likely that the pair will take up shop on the speaking and book circuit. High-profile speakers like former president and first lady Bill and Hillary Clinton&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2016/11/08/how-bill-house-hillary-clinton-made-240-million-how-much-earnings-rich-white/#61817fce7a16" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">can earn up to six figures</a>&nbsp;per speech to corporations and universities, while even B-list celebrities like&nbsp;Jersey Shore’s Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2011/03/snookis_advice_to_rutgers_stud.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">command $32,000 per oration</a>&nbsp;during the height of her fame.&nbsp;



A hit book has the potential to earn the couple even more. A seven-figure advance is typical for celebrities like Amy Schumer and politicians like Elizabeth Warren, with some high-profile authors earning even more. In 2017, former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama signed a record-breaking $65 million book deal with Penguin Random House, while Hillary Clinton scored a $14 million advance for&nbsp;Hard Choices&nbsp;in 2014, and Bruce Springsteen got $10 million for 2016’s&nbsp;Born to Run.&nbsp;



There’s also talk that the couple,&nbsp;<a href="https://sussexroyal.com/media/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">which favors</a>&nbsp;new media and direct lines of communication with their fans, may even start a podcast, which could be a lucrative endeavor. Last year, advertising spend on podcasts reached an estimated $680 million, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iab.com/insights/third-annual-podcast-ad-revenue-study-by-iab-and-pwc-reports-significant-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PricewaterhouseCoopers report</a>, and that number is supposed to shoot up to $1 billion by next year.



And in the unlikely chance they’re ever interested in following the footsteps of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/g16355260/kardashians-royal-family-similarities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the royal family of Calabasas</a>, the Duke and Duchess could surely earn an enormous sum doing sponsored content on their widely popular (10.4 million followers)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sussexroyal/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram account</a>. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian West and her half-sister Kylie Jenner earn up to $500,000 per post.



Of course, the details of the couple’s future, and their future earnings, are all in flux, as Buckingham Palace’s&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.royal.uk/statement-discussions-duke-and-duchess-sussex" target="_blank">curt statement</a>&nbsp;on the matter made clear. And the wording of their own statement made sure that they can work toward financial independence on their own time. One thing is for certain: It doesn’t seem as if the Duke and Duchess will be hurting for cash anytime soon.



By&nbsp; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/">Madeline Berg</a>, Reporter, Forbes Staff and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/denizcam/">Deniz Çam</a> , Wealth Reporter, Forbes Staff.

dollars_flying_flickr

Harry And Meghan Need $3 Million-Plus To Be ‘Financially Independent.’ Here’s How They May Do It.

[Compiled by Motlabana Monnakgotla, Gypseenia Lion and Karen Mwendera]



Image 1: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42403" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kabelo.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Kabelo Mpofu, an entrepreneur, took over
his mother’s shop in Meadowlands, in the South African township of Soweto. He
is hopeful of making the family business a success despite big retail stores
opening up in the townships and swallowing up the corner groceries.



Image 2: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42404" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Youth-883.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Africa is the youngest continent in the
world. Every year, South Africa observes June as Youth Month, honoring the
anniversary of the Soweto Uprising on June 16. In this image, the country’s
sprawling township of Soweto comes alive with youth dancing in the winter
weather to local and international music at the Soweto International Jazz
Festival, an annual confluence of history, art and culture. 



Image 3: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42405" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-hold-up-placards-stating-their-grievences-on-gender-based-violence-994.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Women hold up placards against
gender-based violence during a ‘Shutdown Sandton’ campaign; this after a spate
of brutal rape and killings in South Africa.



Image 4: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42406" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Car-dealerships-were-among-the-businesses-that-were-set-alight-in-Jules-Str.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Car dealerships were among the businesses
set alight in Johannesburg’s Jules Street, during the spate of xenophobia
attacks in South Africa in August this year. The spark that fueled the raging
fire began in Pretoria, the country’s capital, when a taxi driver was shot dead
by a foreign national who was selling drugs to a youngster in the central
business district.



Image 5: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42407" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatt-694.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Sibusiso Dlamini, the co-founder of Soweto
Ink, works on one of his regular clients at his tattoo parlor founded in 2014
with his long-time friend, Ndumiso Ramate. In 2019, Soweto Ink held the fourth
annual tattoo convention, and for the first time in partnership with BET
Africa, to break tattoo taboos in Africa.



Image 6: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42408" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-525.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Mmusi Maimane, the former leader of South
Africa’s opposition party, Democratic Alliance, is about to cast his vote in
front of local and international media houses who had wrestled to get the
perfect shot in his hometown in Dobsonville, Soweto, during the elections in
South Africa in 2019. 



Image 7: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42409" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-862.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The brother of South African journalist,
Shiraaz Mohamed, begs for government intervention after Mohamed was kidnapped
in Syria on January 2017 by a group of armed men. The group demanded more than
$500,000 for his freedom. 



Image 8: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="681" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42410" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cyril-being-escorted-by-his-body-guards-out-of-the-conference-room.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
with his body guards at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South
Africa, where the three-day South Africa Investment Conference was held in
November.



Image 9: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="681" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42411" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DSC_0100.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



In a world that’s embracing new
technology, inspiration is being found in bug behavior. The hard-bodied dung
beetle is now key to robotics research, in Africa too. Astounded by this
discovery early this year is Marcus Byrne, a researcher at the University of
the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg who has been studying dung beetles for over
20 years. He holds up a metallic replica of a dung beetle in his hand in his
office at the university.



Image 10: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42412" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Elections-923.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Mzimhlophe Hostel, a hostel among many others in Soweto, erupted with service delivery protests prior to the elections in South Africa. In the same vicinity, an informal settlement was also allegedly set on fire. Brothers Mduduzi (32) and Kwenzi Gwala (22), pictured, had arrived in Johannesburg looking for employment. They sold African beer, but their shack was set alight while they were still at church. They lost all their stock and possessions. 



Image 11: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42413" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/opener.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



A thrift market in the heart of Johannesburg’s central business district, not too far from a busy taxi rank, known for its pavement robberies. Despite the crimes, thousands of small entrepreneurs trade in this raucous market every day.



Image 12:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42414" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/dps.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



ANC, DA and EFF supporters dancing and chanting outside the Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto, South Africa,
as they await South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to cast his vote in his
former primary school.&nbsp; 



Image 13:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42415" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/VanninBalcony.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Tenants in the discarded Vannin Court in
Johannesburg look on from their balconies as jubilation erupts on the ground
floor.



Image 14: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42416" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vestine-Nyiravesabimana-makes-money-weaving-baskets-to-feed-her-nine-children.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Vestine Nyiravesabimana makes money weaving
intricate baskets made of grass to feed her nine children in Kigali, Rwanda.

Cow 603

Forbes Africa’s Best Photographs In 2019

The world of comic books is dominated by stories from the West. Two South African brothers are helping reshape that narrative with a central character inspired by the iconic hero.



Nelson Mandela had his own following at the recent Comic Con Africa convention at the end of September in Johannesburg.



At the center of all the organized chaos at the event at the
Gallagher Convention Centre attended by 71,000 visitors over four days was a
comic book bearing the late South African president’s name created by brothers
Phemelo, 28, and Omphile Dibodu, 25.



The comic book, Young Nelson, features an African superhero,
for readers in the continent and beyond.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="819" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42302" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-300x375.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-600x750.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/69712219_2127595184208556_1696296882583633920_n.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure>



Co-founders of Rainbow Nations Comics, a black-owned comic book and publishing company established in 2018, the Dibodu brothers were born and bred in Rustenburg, known as ‘platinum city’, in South Africa’s North West province. 



Far from their hometown, the duo were in the big city for
the event, showcasing their creations to an adept audience – people dressed as
superheroes, cyborgs and zombies – who crowded around their stand and were as
colorful as the comic books they were thumbing through. 



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/07/12/marvel-money-how-six-avengers-made-340-million-last-year/">Marvel Money: How Six Avengers Made $340 Million Last Year</a>



“Wow, that looks cool, who is Young Nelson?” asked a curious
bystander.



Phemelo was ready with his answers even as his brother
assisted with more queries.&nbsp; 



“Young Nelson is a proudly South African black comic book inspired by the late Nelson Mandela,” responded Phemelo.



In front of him, on the table, a large poster of Young Nelson, featuring a young black male with the South African flag over his shoulders and a gold-colored map of Africa emblazoned on his shirt.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="960" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42307" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n.jpg 960w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n-100x100.jpg 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n-600x600.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/70915590_2143969049237836_5672567550701993984_n-80x80.jpg 80w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></figure>



This day saw the launch of the very first issue of Young Nelson titled An Act of Kindness, for R20 ($1.3) a copy.



Phemelo, the writer, and Omphile, the illustrator, say they
were inspired by Mandela and some of their own life experiences growing up.



“I think I wanted to pay tribute to the old man in a way
that it would hopefully inspire others to look at him in the way that many
South Africans see him,” says Phemelo to FORBES AFRICA.



In the story, ‘Young Nelson’ gets his nickname when he volunteers at a local boxing gym. The people watching him witness his skills and ability to solve problems, so they equate him to the young Mandela, who was famously a boxer in his youth.



“[The lead character] doesn’t like the nickname at first but
once he sees the significance of it and his heroics, how they are taken up by
the community to represent who they are, he takes the name and rolls with it
and that’s his superhero name going forward with the series,” Phemelo explains.



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/technology/2019/04/11/how-disneys-investment-in-entertainment-brands-like-marvel-and-star-wars-will-power-the-launch-of-its-new-streaming-service/">How Disney’s Investment In Entertainment Brands Like Marvel and Star Wars Will Power The Launch Of Its New Streaming Service</a>



Young Nelson’s real name in the comic is actually ‘Thabo Mo
Afrika’, inspired by South African president Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded
Mandela.



“ ‘Mo Afrika’ is a generic surname [which] translated into
English is ‘an African’. So I wanted to see every African seeing themselves in
Young Nelson,” Phemelo adds.



The young writer’s plan is to take his product to bigger markets, but for now, the African comic industry is a tough market to capture for lack of any funding.



“Imagine getting paid for what you are doing. That would [make a] big difference. Once people realize that their art can be compensated, more of us will actually start creating content the world would want to start reading,” he says. 



Bill Masuku, a speaker at the Comic Con event and who is
also a digital artist, shares the same sentiments.



“In Zimbabwe, where I am from, it is pretty grassroots.
Everyone is self-publishing and if you don’t really have a passion for it, the
book won’t come out,” says Masuku, who has been a part of the African comic
industry for over three years. He is the founder of Enigma Comix Africa, and
creator of Razor-Man and Captain South Africa. 



“As much as new creatives are coming out every day, what
really makes the comic book industry is distribution. And seeing that [Young
Nelson] has such widespread potential really makes me hopeful for where we are
going,” says Masuku.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42303" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-100x100.jpg 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-600x600.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n-80x80.jpg 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/53559971_409471066265829_2304970625718228030_n.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



For comic books to thrive on the continent, they need a big
financial push from publishers, distributors or investors, unlike any other
medium.



The Dibodu brothers were fortunate to have been sponsored by
the Rustenburg Herald, a weekly local newspaper in Rustenburg.



“The problem with creating by yourself is that you can only
create at a certain rate and you do burn out. So you find people who have been
making comics who have three or four issues out and it’s easy to forget about
them as a consumer,” he adds.



Globally, platforms like Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan make it
easy for Japanese creatives to publish their work as the comic book and manga
industry is thriving there, making it one of the best-selling magazines. Weekly
Shōnen Jump has sold over 7.5 billion copies since 1968.



But the African comic industry has a long way to go.



Kugali, a digital platform founded by three entrepreneurs
and friends from Nigeria and Uganda, is designed to help people find and share
the best African narratives and comics. It is an entertainment company that
focuses on telling stories inspired by Africans, offering much-needed exposure
to young creatives such as Masuku and the Dibodu brothers. For now, the
reception the Dibodus are receiving give them some hope.



“It’s been awesome and inspirational. I didn’t know people
felt the same way as me. It’s amazing when people are [reading] the story of
the character and people are saying ‘you know what, that’s what we need’,” says
Phemelo. At the end of Comic Con, they managed to sell over 300 copies of Young
Nelson.



“People are catching onto the culture. I think it might even
grow bigger than the American industry only because I think we are a very
artistic community… Whether you look at the hieroglyphics in Egypt or the cave
paintings by the bushmen in South Africa, we draw,” he says.



He also plans to sell his comics to local book stores in the country.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1018" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-1024x1018.png" alt="" class="wp-image-42306" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-1024x1018.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-300x298.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-100x100.png 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-600x597.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-150x150.png 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-768x764.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-1536x1527.png 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster-80x80.png 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Young-Nelson-Poster.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The team is currently working on their next creation – a
black African female superhero called Imbokodo.



“We are looking for new creators we can partner with and
create our own justice league, our own Avengers, to actually have young kids in
South Africa look at their heroes the same way Americans look at their heroes
in the Comic Cons to come.” 



Young Nelson is a refreshing reminder that not all heroes wear capes.

RNC – Phemelo Dibodu (left) and Omphile Dibodu (right)

Colors For Mandela

Fashion is about creating beauty, but its ugly side is the carbon emissions. Designers are now looking to play it safe, even if it means going to dangerous lengths for the sake of greener fashion.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



In South Africa, the fashion industry is now starting to do
its bit to negate the effects of climate change, with some designers going
green, in interesting, creative and even lucrative ways. 



Ayanda Nhlapo, a stylist and entrepreneur, is one of them. 



She hosted and co-produced her own TV fashion show, Ayanda’s
Fashion House, where she explored the work of some of South Africa’s most
prolific designers and creatives in the fashion industry. The fashion aesthete
says the influence of the industry is far-reaching, and therefore, must be more
responsible about the environment and preservation of resources. 



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/economy/2018/12/19/no-christmas-cheer-for-fashion-firms-in-never-ending-sales/">No Christmas cheer for fashion firms in never-ending sales</a>



“I’ve always had a knack for creating, whether I’m creating
from scratch or recreating something that already exists,” says Nhlapo. So,
upcycling, or repurposing, is what she is into. 



“However, recreating or upcycling has always given me much
more excitement and a deeper sense of purpose. 



“Upcycling can be challenging but rewarding in the sense that it’s not just about the creativity but it’s more so about contributing to solving the effects of fast fashion on the environment and the economy. It is very important that we preserve our culture, identity and resources,” she says. 



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2018/12/28/in-pictures-the-business-of-african-fashion-nigeria-takes-a-slice-of-the-pie/">IN PICTURES| The Business Of African Fashion: Nigeria Takes A Slice Of The Pie</a>



Fascinated about culture as well as traditional wear, some of her design ideas are fairly unconventional, such as Zulu sandals made of tyres. Besides clothes, she also designs accessories, such as earrings and key-holders. One of her designs is earrings shaped like water droplets to highlight the importance of saving water, whilst also bringing forth the beauty and importance of recycling and upcycling.



Her market is largely young women, but the brand is also for
those who love and consume fashion consciously. Nhlapo uses fashion as a tool
to influence people and encourage them to think carefully about how they use it.




“Fortunately, through traditional media and social media, I
am able to reach thousands and thousands of people, not just in South Africa
but across the world. If we consume fashion correctly and consciously, we have
the power to reverse certain cycles and change the direction of our future,”
says Nhlapo.



&nbsp;She goes on to say
that the fashion industry is among the highest polluters&nbsp; in the world, however, thankfully, it is
gradually moving towards a more responsible way of operating. 



“In fact, green fashion is the next big thing. Designers and consumers are finally becoming more and more aware of the damages and negative, rippling effects of fashion and are now beginning to take such issues seriously. We are starting to see more sustainable fabrics on the runway and more eco-friendly brands launching into the market, while well-established brands are also moving in the direction of going green. Before we know it, green fashion will be the only thing we know.”



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/7-questions-with/2018/08/03/fashion-fame-and-finances-with-sa-designer-david-tlale/">Fashion, Fame and Finances With SA Designer, David Tlale</a>



South African designer JJ Schoeman elaborates on ‘fast
fashion’ and ‘green fashion’.



“I think we need to still go on a robust campaign on the
implications of fast fashion, where we create more awareness around its
consumption, as I feel that most consumers are still a little blasé about their
purchase.



“There was a call for green fashion, because of the wasteful
nature of production lines within our industry. This call was made to encourage
designers like myself to use environmentally-friendly fabrics and methods in
the production line.”



One of the ways he implements this in his production line is
to cut material in a way there is less wastage. 



“Over and above this, I also found ways in which to ‘get rid’ of the waste we accumulated over a season – these included donating to the trade, for reuse. I also try my absolute best to use fabrics that are more environment-friendly, but of course, I always need to take into consideration what the client wants.”



Schoeman opines the green fashion trend is growing.



“Absolutely, if we just take into consideration the amount
of international names that have agreed to not using real fur in their
collections. Recently, I read about the #G7Biarritz movement, which saw the
Prada Group, Ralph Lauren and 30 other fashion industry brands sign the pact.
The Fashion Pact is going to change the game in sustainable fashion all over
the world.”



Yet another trend is ‘thrifting fashion’ that has become the cornerstone of shopping trends popular among the youth. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thrift-326-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42170" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thrift-326-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thrift-326-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thrift-326-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thrift-326-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thrift-326.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Vathiswa Yiba is an employee at a vintage thrift store in
the lively Braamfontein area of Johannesburg. She has immersed herself in the
culture of thrifting. 



The store is one of several thrift stores in the city, and
among the popular ones at the thrift market not far from Africa’s largest
railway station, the Johannesburg Park Station. 



“Thrifting is buying clothes that people think are not good enough anymore and those that they have discarded,” says 22-year-old Yiba.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> “It’s interesting with thrifting because the most dangerous places are where you find the nicer things&#8221;<cite>&#8211; Vathiswa Yiba</cite></blockquote>







The lower prices also offer financial reprieve and more options for the buyer. 



Yiba has been thrifting since her high school days when she
started with her own clothes.&nbsp; 



“I don’t step into retail stores unless I am buying shoes,” she says.



“My first thrift was buying from people who sold from their
bags, then from their car boots, then I leveled up and started going to the
biggest market in the&nbsp; Johannesburg
Central Business District; MTN Taxi Rank, known for its pavement crimes,
despite the danger in that part of town, they have the best clothes.” 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-145-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42173" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-145-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-145-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-145-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-145-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-145.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The street-savvy Yiba offers advice to those who are novices
in the industry.&nbsp; 



“It’s interesting with thrifting because the most dangerous
places are where you find the nicer things, and here is a tip when you are
going thrifting – make sure you have loose change and put it in safe pockets,
away from pick-pocketers. That way you will be able to shop safely. However,
you can find good-looking items but it’s not in your size; which is where the
community comes in. 



“We have tailors to alter the garments for you and it will
be exclusive because it’s thrifted, no one has the same clothes. There is so
much more you can do with discarded clothes. With the littlest things, you can
make an amazing thing and you’ll be the only one who has it.”



Of course, there is a tinge of stigma associated with
thrifting. Yiba says people think the clothes could also have belonged to those
who have passed away, but she’s of the view that thrifting creates other
opportunities. 



“The [thrift clothing] may look messy and seem dusty, but once cleaned or altered, they will look retail. So it’s not just the connotations, it can be something perfect and the next person wouldn’t even know.” 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-132-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42175" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-132-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-132-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-132-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-132-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/recycled-fashion-132.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



These are sentiments also echoed by Leago Nhlapo, a content
creator for fashion brands like Adidas, Sportscene and Skechers, who began his
journey as thrifter. 



“It started with thrifting because it makes you unique;
there is no similar garment, every single garment is different from the next.
So, I jumped from really cheap clothes [recycled clothes] to really expensive
clothes,” he says.



However, Leago encourages green fashion because he says the
fast fashion industry is the second-highest contributor to carbon
emissions.&nbsp; 



“The more people buy clothes, the more we contribute to
global warming and we all know the global crisis, so if we recycle clothes,
there will not be a need to make clothes, there are enough clothes for everyone
existing. I am proof that second-hand clothes are cool and look better than
people paying tons of cash.” 



Seventy kilometers south of Johannesburg’s Central Business
District is Nokwakha Qobo, who was born in the squatter camps of Phuma
Zibethane in Sharpeville. And in the garbage dumps of these camps, the fashion
designer in her emerged.



Qobo currently has a clothing line with an international reach. She fashions garments out of wastepaper she collects from rubbish dumps. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> &#8220;I’m a self-taught designer from a dump in Vanderbijlpark, that’s where I learned everything <cite> &#8211; Nokwakha Qobo </cite></blockquote>







As a young girl, Qobo had to walk to school, and through the course of her journey home, she would pass a garbage site where old fashion magazines and newspapers were discarded. 



It is often said that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s
treasure’. This adage was not lost on her because she took inspiration from the
articles in those magazines and now creates pieces that are sought after.



“That’s where I learned about fashion trends, that’s where I
learned about different colors for different seasons, that’s where I learned
about the body structure of a woman, actually, I’m a self-taught designer from
a dump in Vanderbijlpark, that’s where I learned everything,” she says.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="681" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093-681x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42174" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093-681x1024.jpg 681w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093-300x451.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093-600x902.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nokwakha-093.jpg 1277w" sizes="(max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px" /></figure>



Inadvertently, she too is contributing towards a shift in
culture based on conscious consumption. 



Perhaps, with the benefit of time, green fashion will be the norm as many believe we already have all we need.



&#8211; Motlabana Monnakgotla

Nokwakha 022

Conscious Fashion: ‘So Much More You Can Do With Discarded Clothes’

Brought to you by Hugo Boss



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HUGO BOSS and Porsche have partnered to bring an action-packed racing experience to the streets of the world’s major cities through Formula E. 







Formula E is known
for its fascinating races globally. The partnership will have a strong focus on
the future of motorsport. In doing so the races will host a unique series for
the development of electric vehicle technology, refining the design,
functionality and sustainability of electric cars while creating an exciting
global entertainment brand.



HUGO BOSS which boasts a long tradition of motorsports sponsorship – has been successfully engaged in the electric-powered racing series since the end of 2017. 



In
this collaboration, HUGO BOSS brings its 35 years of experience and expertise
in the motorsport arena to Formula E, as well as the dynamic style the fashion
brand is renowned for.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N4022.3065143FORBESAFRICA/B22341404.245922753;dc_trk_aid=442353181;dc_trk_cid=115471848;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/HB_Formula_E_01_CMYK-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40367" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/HB_Formula_E_01_CMYK-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/HB_Formula_E_01_CMYK-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/HB_Formula_E_01_CMYK-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/HB_Formula_E_01_CMYK-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/HB_Formula_E_01_CMYK.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption> Alejandro Agag (Formula E CEO) and Mark Langer (HUGO BOSS CEO)</figcaption></figure>



Mark
Langer HUGO BOSS, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) says that though they have been
working successfully with motorsports over the years, he is exceptionally
pleased that as a fashion brand they are taking the cooperation to new heights.




“As a fashion brand, we are always looking at innovative approaches to design and sustainability. When we first encountered Formula E, we immediately saw its potential and we are pleased to be the first apparel partner to support this exciting new motorsport series,” he says. 



The fashion group is also the official outfitter to the entire Porsche motorsports team worldwide. 



The
fascination with perfect design and innovation, along with the Porshe and Hugo
Boss shared passion for racing, inspired Hugo Boss to produce the Porsche x
Boss capsule collection.



Its
standout features include premium leather and wool materials presented in the
Porsche and HUGO BOSS colors of silver, black and red. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Porsche x BOSS: introducing a new collaboration | BOSS" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fx-BDDA-FOM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption> Porsche x BOSS: introducing a new collaboration | BOSS </figcaption></figure>



Since
March, a range of menswear styles from the debut capsule collection is
available online and at selected&nbsp;BOSS stores.&nbsp;In South Africa the
first pieces of the capsule will come as a part of the FW 19 collection.



Alejandro
Agag, Founder and CEO of Formula E says he is confident that the racers will put
their best foot forward on the racecourse. 



“This new partnership will see the team on the ground at each race dressed with a winning mindset and ready to deliver a spectacular event in cities across the world. As the first Official Apparel Partner of the series, we look forward to seeing the dynamic style and innovation on show that BOSS is renowned for,” says Agag.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N4022.3065143FORBESAFRICA/B22341404.245922753;dc_trk_aid=442353181;dc_trk_cid=115471848;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40376" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption> Hugo Boss x Porsche&nbsp;&nbsp; </figcaption></figure>



Oliver Blume CEO of Porsche AG says Formula E is an exceptionally attractive racing series for motorsport vehicles to develop. 



&#8220;It offers us the perfect environment to strategically evolve our vehicles in terms of efficiency and sustainability. We&#8217;re looking forward to being on board in the 2019/2020 season. In this context, the renowned fashion group HUGO BOSS represents the perfect partner to outfit our team.&#8221;

SR19_HugoBoss_Porsche_04_sRGB

HUGO BOSS Partners With Porsche To Bring Action-Packed Racing Experience Through Formula E

Hungry in London with a stomach dreaming of home? From the smoky to the sensory, the city offers distinct African culinary encounters.

The unfussy algorithm of a well-known review website has decided there are 105 ‘African’ restaurants in London. Search for ‘European’ restaurants, and you’ll discover 2,654 – now your gut might be telling you something is amiss in the capital’s gigantic foodscape.
‘European food’ seems rather a strange and empty phrase (bouillabaisse and chips, anyone?), but an equivalent suspicion of categorization seems not to apply to dishes from Africa, a continent boasting 54 countries to Europe’s 50. London may indeed be aggressively cosmopolitan, but it might be a while before this ravenous city can really consider itself fully ‘woke’.
Thankfully, word-of-mouth is still a solidly reliable guide to the thousands of eateries in the city, so let this small slice of recommended eats from the African continent – Ghanaian, Senegalese and South African – serve as a modest appetizer, should you find yourself hungry in London with a stomach dreaming of home.
“For me, it should be seamless – the tradition is in the flavor profile of the dish,” says Zoe Adjonyoh, author of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, of the challenge of reinventing Ghanaian flavors for a new audience.
“The reinterpreting is in the creativity of how to rebuild the dish through different cooking methods, or blending its inherent ingredients in new ways.” Try her ‘Suya Cauliflower Florets’, featuring the smoky notes of the Nigerian and Ghanaian suya spice blend, by way of tasty example.
<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2018/10/22/the-foodies-with-a-drive-for-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: The Foodies With A Drive For Business</a>
Through her increasingly popular pop-ups and residencies, Adjonyoh tries to avoid “preaching or teaching” what Ghanaian food should or shouldn’t be.
“I’m highlighting what’s possible, and giving people the motivation to do more with these amazing flavors and ingredients to maximize their taste and longevity,” she says. The cookbook features “traditional Ghanaian recipes remixed for the modern kitchen”.

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“I’m very keen to champion and promote the next generation of female chefs cooking cuisines from across Africa,” she says. “I see it as part of my challenge and responsibility to keep encouraging them to fall in love with their heritage again through food, and tell their own cultural stories – to be the masters and makers of this food revolution.”
A short bus ride through East London brings us to Little Baobab, a monthly food and music pop-up above a vibrant corner grocery in Hackney. It’s a bright late afternoon, and Senegalese chef Khadim Mbamba is making his ‘Lamb Mafe’ – lamb in a tomato and peanut sauce (a traditional base sauce in Senegal), with rice and salad. It is creamy and tangy-sweet; hearty, but fresh on the palate. He makes me a gift of a home-made chilli paste that celebrates the spice’s medicinal punch but marries perfectly with the roasted umami of the nut gravy.
The events are themselves a marriage of music and food; guests share starters, and then choose from ‘Thiebou Dienne’ (fish casserole), ‘Chicken Yassa’ (chicken with onions and olives), ‘Lamb Mafe’, or ‘Vegetarian Thiou’ (tomato-based vegetable stew). Mbamba’s band – he plays bass – rounds out the sensory smorgasbord while the guests tuck in. It’s an experience close to Mbamba’s heart, full of the joy of community so integral to the Senegalese culinary encounter.
“There is a lot of soul in our food,” he says. “The love you have, making the dish – when people eat that dish, they will feel that love.” Little Baobab began life as a restaurant, with live music every night, but Mbamba and his team are now focussed on pop-ups and catering (especially for weddings).
Westward now towards the financial center, and Etienne Pansegrauw’s Hammer &amp; Tongs braai restaurant in Farringdon. Braai dishes seem perfectly suited to British culture: the locals crave an evolved barbecue civilization of their own, but wage constant war with a climate that seems hell-bent on wrecking any carefully-planned Sunday afternoon cook-out. What better, then, than letting a South African do it all for you?
Pansegrauw, from South Africa’s Eastern Cape, has invested in state-of-the-art extractors that allow chef Rodrigo Navarro to prepare a succulent array of locally-sourced fresh meats, vegetables and seafood on fires fed with sickle bush wood imported from Namibia.
This elevates the food to much more than barbecue (indeed, South Africans might argue that braai and barbecue are not the same thing at all; that the braai is closer to something like a cultural state of mind). ‘Mutton Chops in Cape Malay Curry’ are tender and sweetly charred; ‘Prawns with Lime Salt’ are juicy and moreish; and ‘Pork Belly with Apple Cider Compote’ gains most from the sickle bush smoke, the layers of pork fat richly infused with the fragrant nuttiness of the wood. The surprise star of the menu, though, is the ‘Honey Fried Carrots with Chilli’ – the plump, crunchy carrots are cooked in honey before being finished on the grill, giving them a caramelized meatiness equal in textural complexity to anything fish or flesh. These are the big, bold flavors of the camp fire, but prepared with panache and an attention to the subtle combinations of flavor and aroma that are the hallmark of great grill cooking.
“If you go back five years, even, if you had opened up a wood fire place, I don’t think that many people would have gone,” says Pansegrauw. “So the timing has been important. I wanted to see if British people would be receptive to this kind of food; that’s why I opened up in an area near the city, rather than South West London for example, which has a large South African community. For every group of 20 Brits that come, there’s usually one South African that drags them here! But then they all come back.”
Our final destination is two miles west, but a galaxy away. Ikoyi is the first ‘African’ restaurant in London to have earned a coveted Michelin star, but the continental label seems even more incongruous here – the irony is that the Ikoyi concept plays with the African association as readily as it flirts with the aesthetics of costume design, science fiction and pop art. This thrilling challenge to expectations is almost an affront – one isn’t completely sure if the menu, and the intensity of its creators, Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, isn’t just some bizarre but delicious practical joke (chef Chan likens his food in the press pack to the paintings of Mark Rothko, a correlation that some will think pretentious &#8211; I found it endearingly ballsy and appropriate).
The ‘Plantain, Raspberry &amp; Smoked Scotch Bonnet’ starter is like something from an Eiko Ishioka fantasy costume sketch: there is a magenta slash of plantain, encrusted with a tart-sour raspberry salt, and a saffron-yellow quenelle of citrusy chilli mayonnaise. The plantain is dense and sugary, the raspberry salt reminiscent of a child’s fizzing candy powder, but with a bass note from the emulsion of Scotch Bonnet warmth. It’s odd, exhilarating and a little bit Star Trek – you might be served this if you were an alien ambassador at a private function on the USS Enterprise.
“The dishes have to lure you in,” says Chan. “You have to look at the dish and think – I want to destroy that! So, for example, a pork chop that looks more like a pig than the animal did – a cartoon version of itself. It’s about aesthetics and deliciousness, but unified. This dish is your kill, your prize!”
<div id="attachment_37673" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37673" class="wp-image-37673 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ikoyi-Jeremy-and-Iré-photo-by-P.A-Jorgensen.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="987" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ikoyi-Jeremy-and-Iré-photo-by-P.A-Jorgensen.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ikoyi-Jeremy-and-Iré-photo-by-P.A-Jorgensen-300x400.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ikoyi-Jeremy-and-Iré-photo-by-P.A-Jorgensen-600x800.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ikoyi-Jeremy-and-Iré-photo-by-P.A-Jorgensen-225x300.jpg 225w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ikoyi-Jeremy-and-Iré-photo-by-P.A-Jorgensen-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />Ikoyi Jeremy and Iré. Photo by P.A Jorgensen</div>
Childhood friends Chan and Hassan-Odukale were inspired to open the restaurant by a visit to Lagos (Chan is from the north-west of England, Hassan-Odukale is Nigerian-born), but Chan insists that these are “purposely not Nigerian dishes. They have to be completely innovative. That’s the rule”.
The ‘Smoked Jollof Rice’ is a sensuous love song to the crab – the perfect al dente rice has been cooked in a crab broth, and is finished with an unctuous crab cream; the entire crustacean is used in the preparation. It’s sophisticated comfort food, demonstrating Chan’s instinctive understanding that juxtapositions tradition and experimentation at the core of everything good emerging from 21st century multiculturalism.
“The dishes have to be driven by a creative interpretation of the ingredients,” says Chan, in a suitably enigmatic coda to a week of great eating from Africa. “It’s about a primal connection with the guest. Everything is stripped of any preconceptions.”
&#8211; By Alastair Haggar

Khadim-Mbamba-from-Little-Baobab

Taking A Bite Out Of Africa

The glamorous world of private jets is no longer the domain of the super-rich. Private aviation is set to soar in Africa as business keeps checking in.

Well-heeled women glide in and out of an opulent mansion in a leafy suburb in Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile.
The champagne-colored granite of the stairway meets the elegant tips of their Manolo Blahnik stilettos.
This is a medical aesthetic and holistic wellness center called Anti-Aging Art in the posh suburb in Johannesburg.
It is a home-turned-medical center belonging to Reza Mia, a doctor and co-owner of the clinic patronized by the rich and famous. Mia also happens to design jets, as the founder and CEO of Pegasus Universal Aerospace, an aviation company based in South Africa with the sole purpose of creating innovative aviation solutions.
Between surgical facelifts and building sophisticated jets, Mia finally makes time for an interview at 5PM on a Friday afternoon.
Dressed in navy blue scrubs, he sits on a luxurious leather sofa as he tells FORBES AFRICA about his connection with aviation.
Mia is currently designing a vertical take-off jet that he says will add to the convenience of private travel.
The aesthetic surgeon has been developing the Pegasus One Vertical Business Jet (VBJ1) since 2012, which he says will be completed in three years.
It’s an attempt to revolutionize luxury air travel in South Africa.
“It can land and take off like a helicopter anywhere a helicopter could, in fact more places because it doesn’t have a spinning rotor blade and it is quieter especially for built-up areas and neighborhoods. It can accelerate and fly at the speed of a business jet which is almost 800km/h so that is about four times the speed of a helicopter,” he says.
Cool-air fan technology allows the jet to take off and land anywhere, he adds, which means it’s less hassle for customers.
<div id="attachment_37666" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37666" class="wp-image-37666 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="494" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets1-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets1.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />Photo by Gypseenia Lion</div>
Privacy and convenience count as currency in this business.
Business aviation company, ExecuJet Aviation, currently operates and manages four bases for private jets in Africa.
The Johannesburg base is located at Lanseria International Airport, about an hour’s drive from the city.
The flashy cars in the parking lot speak about the kind of travelers taking off from here.
Staff meander in and out of the private terminal on this busy day, yet there is no millionaire in sight in an expensive Armani suit jetting off for his next business trip.
You never see them, they are that discreet about client privacy.
On a global scale, the company manages and operates about 260 aircraft and is also in Kenya and Nigeria, with the newest entrant in Seychelles.
With almost three decades in the aviation industry, the company has kept a close watch on the rising market of business aviation in Africa.
Stationed on the apron is a white Bombardier Challenger 300 worth about  $26 million.
The nine-seater aircraft boasts a bathroom and features glossy cherry-wood surfaces.
This gloss is all-pervasive and there is not a speck of dust in sight.
The soft, plush carpet is a shade lighter than the grey leather seating decked with comfy cushions that enhance the elegance.
ExecuJet’s Africa Vice President, Gavin Kiggen, says despite the demand and increase for private travel on the continent, perceptions of the industry can be misleading from both a business and client perspective.
“The margins are extremely low and the competition is very strong because you have new entrants who are trying to get market share.
<blockquote>“The perception is that it’s lucrative because of the kinds of tools and services we offer but it is a tough industry to be involved in,” he says.</blockquote>
As a developing region, Africa needs to prioritize infrastructure while attracting sales to uphold the competitive edge in the global business aviation market.
This can be achieved through innovative ideas. Promoting the economic benefits of the market will lure investors from all over the world.
Time waits for no man, and Africa’s elite, exclusive travelers know that only too well.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-37665 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Interior_Supplied-1024x668.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="483" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Interior_Supplied-1024x668.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Interior_Supplied-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Interior_Supplied-600x391.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Interior_Supplied-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Interior_Supplied.jpg 1654w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />
According to a review by Mordor Intelligence, Global business jet market &#8211; growth, trends and forecast (2018 &#8211; 2023), the exclusivity of private jets has ceased to be the domain of the extremely wealthy.
This change is owing to time-share and fractional ownership of aircraft.
ExecuJet reports Africa has 481 registered private jets and the year-on-year growth for the business aviation industry in Africa is 44%.
Private aviation is still a growing market in Africa in comparison to the regions where it is fully developed.
Approximately three quarters of the sale of business jets is in the west, mainly in North America and Europe.
<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2018/10/02/moments-before-an-air-crash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Moments Before An Air Crash</a>
Predictions are that India and China are well on their way to become market leaders by 2020.
With continued industrial growth in Africa, consequently, there has been a rise in business travel.
Despite the lag in competitiveness on a global scale, private aviation in South Africa, which is Africa’s second-largest economy, has the potential to take the continent to new heights as business keeps checking in.
Private jets are commonly used by high-net-worth individuals, business executives, sports teams and government officials.
Time efficiency is the core reason why these jetsetters prefer private aviation over commercial planes. Greater control over flight schedules and operation of the aircraft forms part of the package.
Add privacy and a dash of luxury and the high-flyer is ready for take-off.
The Jet Traveler Report 2018, the global perspective on who flies privately and how, by Wealth-X, categorizes high-fliers into three types to make a comparison based on their flight preferences. These include owners, members and the wider ultra-high-net-worth audience.
Unsurprisingly, 35% owners of private jets are worth more than $500 million as per The Jet Traveler Report. 
The majority are over 60 years old. ‘Members’ are frequent fliers on membership programs.
Private jets have now also become more accessible and appealing to the wider executive population.
The report states that on-demand private fliers are the youngest and least wealthy ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
In comparison to the wealth of members and owners, these jetsetters have average wealth of $67 million.
Editor and publisher of SA Flyer and FlightCom magazines, Guy Leitch, says although the South African market is showing signs of recovery, there are shortcomings.
<blockquote>“Poor on-the-ground infrastructure for aviation, poor access to aircraft finance and the lack of aircraft does not ensure adequate support for development,” he says.</blockquote>
The same can be argued for the rest of Africa.
According to the Mordor Intelligence review published in April, lack of infrastructure is one the biggest limitations that affect business jet sales in South America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
The costs of building the much-needed infrastructure are so high operations may not be feasible.
Regions like Europe and North America with higher private aircraft demands have lower costs. Flying privately in the regions is charged on a one-way basis, therefore costs are reduced as opposed to Africa where charges are doubled.
“In those regions, there is always an aircraft available that’s going to your destination and you can pay a reduced rate because it is considered an empty leg. Our industry is unfortunately not that far ahead yet,” says Kiggen from ExecuJets.
Industry data by Global Jet Capital released in 2017 indicates that 2025 will witness more than 25% growth in the market.
<div id="attachment_37664" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37664" class="wp-image-37664 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets6_GL-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="494" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets6_GL-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets6_GL-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets6_GL-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets6_GL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PrivateJets6_GL.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />Private Jet. Photo by Gypseenia Lion</div>
The influx of new aircraft on the continent is forecast to have a value of $3.9 billion, or just under $500 million per year.
The emergence of the “African affluent” demographic on the continent has become an important emerging segment for the private aviation sector.
These individuals are younger than their European counterparts and are on average 40 years old, according to a report by ExecuJet called The Evolution of Charter Into Africa 2018.  
Smartphones and technological mobility make it easier for young flyers on the go, and as a result, gives the market more visibility and mileage.
“Social media has also brought a phenomena called the influencer; these are rich kids or media personalities who document their travel through social media (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter),” says Kiggen.
These jetsetters snap the glitz and glamor of private flying and share it with other influencers. This also makes it easier for private charter companies in Africa to attract clients from different spheres of life, thus changing the perception that jets are only used by the ultra-rich and famous.
In addition, an increase in enquiries for hiring the jets, from even car manufacturers for their marketing events, shows the market is paving the way for more diversified business.
Jeremy Nel, the CEO of Luxury Brands, a South African luxury marketing group based in Cape Town, argues that although high-flyers use their mobile devices to source best rates and most direct routes, the reputation of the private charter as a brand is something potential clients continue to look out for.
“The branding of the aircraft is also aligned to be the best fit, most clients who outright purchase an aircraft will take the plethora of advice as to the most suitable model for their needs and then choose from the best breed of operators,” says Nel.
Inner-circle referrals and the relationship the client has with the company, in addition to the preference of a specific pilot, can further influence decision-making.
Back in the richest square mile of Africa, Sandton, in a modern office adorned with waterfalls and earthy décor, a tall man dressed in a blue shirt walks in.
When he is not flying over the shimmering turquoise waters of the Maldives, South African pilot Jack Coetzee is the Managing Director at Quintessential Aviation.
With over 1, 500 flying hours to his credit, Coetzee has seen private jet passengers with requirements ranging from Egyptian cotton linen to Kentucky Fried Chicken on the flight.
“It is aircraft-orientated; they like a specific type of aircraft.
“[The customer] knows how the seats work, he knows the pilots invariably that are flying the aircraft are competent,” he says.
As for aspiring owners, Leitch emphasizes they understand the importance of the technicalities of owning an aircraft, to avoid losing money.
The first step is to determine what it will be used for, and then take the size, range and price parameters into consideration.
“New or used [aircraft], it doesn’t matter. Make sure you can crew it, maintain it, afford it and then order it,” he says.
Much like commercial aviation, owners and private charter companies must comply with air laws and the strict regulations set by the civil aviation authorities.
Odette Basson, Charter Manager Africa, at ExecuJets, says some laws are airfield dependent.
This is based on where you are traveling in and out of, so compliance is critical.
“Yes, you can be an owner of a private aircraft but it doesn’t mean you can just do what you want. There are laws that govern the flying,” she says.
In addition to overseeing operations above the ground, regulators keep a close watch on the hours the crew fly, which aircraft they are flying and how frequently they go for training.
“Your crew must be trained specifically, the aircraft must be maintained specifically and according to the operator’s specifications. You must have a commercial license to operate and you must have an air service license. It is actually very well-regulated and governed to death,” says Kiggen.
And thus it is that millions of dollars fly over the richest and poorest cities of Africa.
The sky is a commodity. How much are you willing to splash out for a piece of it?

PrivateJets_GL

Champagne And Caviar In Private At 30,000FT

Durban’s farmers markets are a magnet for consumers and small businesses alike, boosting the informal economy in the sunny South African city.

Be it the cosy market at Umhlanga or the expansive variety market at Shongweni, the coastal city of Durban in South Africa seems to be the sunny hub for farmers markets and small business owners setting up impromptu trading venues.
Within minutes of arriving at the Umhlanga Farmers Market, it’s easy to see why it attracts a steady stream of shoppers, despite the cold, penetrating drizzle on a Durban morning. There’s a good selection of fresh produce and specialty foods, the vibe is lively and cheerful even sans music or entertainment, and traders offer friendly, personalized attention. It helps that the market is centrally located and in the open air, fringed on one side by coastal dune forest. A woman trading home-baked date muffins and peach tarts chats away as she holds down a tent flap until the wind fades long enough for her to tie it down, and her customers happily banter on until she’s able to serve them. Dogs drag their owners across the clearing to greet other dogs. And everything on display looks oven-fresh and appealing.
“There’s a great variety of food we wouldn’t normally get in supermarkets – like the special cheeses or the vegan cupcakes,” says the market’s owner Alexa McWilliams.
<blockquote>“These are traders who are working from home and have a talent.”</blockquote>
She took ownership of the market several years ago and maintains its “charismatic, informal feel” because she considers it an important platform for small businesses. She explains that the market is a success because of its regular traders. “We see some traders come and go because they expect to buy a Ferrari after one morning, but it’s the regular traders who have their regular customers. Consistency is the most important thing for a market”.
Kirsten Hughes, who trades fresh farm butter and specialty cheeses, relies almost entirely on markets for her income.
“Markets appeal to me because of the freedom – there’s a lot of work with sourcing the products but it’s not a nine-to-five job,” she says, while cutting a slab of a special artisanal wash-dried cheese. “I have regular customers, and they can’t get my products easily.” Her main trade is at Shongweni, with a significant proportion of it at Umhlanga.
The latter market’s newest trader, Houda Abiet, began to trade her homemade Mediterranean foods here only a few weeks back, as a marketing exercise. “It’s very interesting to see what people like and don’t like, and they’re inquisitive because they don’t know all my products. I always tell them – just taste, you don’t have to buy.”
McWilliams herself started her marinated olive business at this market. She says: “Markets worked better because it’s a niche product [I sell] – I make it by hand and I have a passion for it.” She grew her business over the years and now has a full-time shop, Olive-A-Twist in Ballito, but does not think she would have got to that level of sales if it were not for the markets.
“The markets will give beginners with a great idea a phenomenal platform,” she says.
“You get a diversity of people from all over, so it’s also a great testing ground. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Across the city, the Westville Farmers Market enjoys a steady flow of customers on Thursday mornings. Traders set up shop at the Jimmy Bellows Sports Field, alongside a protected riverine forest, with expansive trees shading their stalls. It’s a friendly space, and traders and shoppers are casually familiar with each other.
Here, there are only seven or eight stalls selling vegetables, eggs, home-baked cakes, honey and biltong. Clint Govender, owner of the market, trades organically-grown vegetables, eggs, and homemade biryani. It’s a family business, with his wife supplying the biryani, and the vegetables sourced from his uncle’s farm.
“Customers are looking here for the quality and the freshness, especially the eggs,” Govender says. “And we’re 40% cheaper than the shops.”
The market is about 20 years old, and several stallholders and shoppers refer to its “better days”, when there were many more traders and a wider variety of products.
Govender explains that over the years, many of the old stallholders passed away or relocated, and he hasn’t had success attracting new businesses.
“The traders don’t always understand that it takes time to build their clientele. Jaco, over there, has been here two years, but it took him maybe six months to build up his client base, and now it’s worth his while to come every week.”
Jaco Buyleveld sells plants and provides a blade-sharpening service. He keeps his business small by choice, operating only at the Westville and Umhlanga markets. Westville’s customers seem to be mainly pensioners dropping by in between their grandchildren’s school rounds, and Buyleveld speculates that this is because most of the younger residents are working outside of the area. He is not optimistic about the future of the market, saying, “Unless you get a younger customer base, the market is doomed.”
A few kilometers up the hill, also on Thursday mornings, the St. Agnes Fresh Produce Market is noticeably devoid of customers. It’s well-situated at a major intersection, with its stalls looking out onto the St. Agnes church’s gardens. There’s a better variety here than at Westville, but it feels like the traders are here for reasons other than hard cash.
Although he hasn’t made a sale yet today, John Phiri says that this market is worth his time for building a longer-term client base through orders. He trades leather products that he makes – caps, belts, wallets – here and at Umhlanga market as well as at Golden Hours, Bluff, and Durban’s craft/flea markets. Phiri’s income is mainly from these markets.
<div id="attachment_37654" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37654" class="wp-image-37654 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-1024x615.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="444" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-1024x615.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-300x180.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-600x360.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-768x461.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-1000x600.jpg 1000w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-590x354.jpg 590w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams-400x240.jpg 400w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Umhlanga-Farmers-Market-by-Alexa-McWilliams.jpg 1241w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />Umhlanga Farmers Market. Photo by Alexa McWilliams</div>
He says: “Since I started my business, I’m enjoying the markets – I do enjoy talking to the customers. For sales, I prefer Bluff and Golden Hours. Flea markets are best because we expect thousands of people and we sell well.”
Sidney Oerter is the only trader who reports good sales here today. He trades specialty cheeses he sources from around South Africa, with the occasional import. He started his business a few months ago, and although he supplies a few restaurants, his main customer base is at the markets – Litchi Orchard, I Heart, and the brand-new Drummond Farmers Market. He explains: “Markets are an easy way to get into sales. We want to expand the business, maybe offer monthly hampers, but the markets are our entry point.”
Georgina Erasmus, who trades honey, eggs, organic coffee, and Madagascan bags, at a number of different markets, says that she will normally trial a new market for six to eight weeks before deciding whether to come back, although she’s been coming to St. Agnes since it started a year ago despite poor trade because, “it gets me out of the house and we love the church, and we also like some of the people who come here”. Her main trade is at Shongweni and she says confidently: “If you’re not selling at Shongweni, then there’s something wrong with your product.”
The line of traffic winding along the hills west of Durban every Saturday morning is testament to the popularity of Shongweni Farmers Market. Its customer base is around 4,500 on regular weeks, swelling considerably during the holidays.
Owner Christine Standeaven believes that it’s the variety on offer that makes it worthwhile for people across the age and income range to make the trek across the city. There’s also food, crafts, entertainment, as well as areas for relaxing.
“People come here to find items that are unique, and they love supporting people who are making a living for themselves,” says Standeaven. “They might get things cheaper in the stores, but they’ll rather come to a crafter and take the time to look for a special gift.”
She explains that the market started as a space where local farmers could sell directly to the public, with a bit of breakfast food, but she incorporated crafts and expanded the food section after five years when she found that they weren’t increasing their customer base. The intake doubled at that point. Just over two years ago, the market moved to its current location, with Standeaven building undercover stalls for every trader and concrete walkways to keep feet mud-free when it rained.
As she speaks, it becomes obvious that the market is successful because of her high sensitivity to the needs of both her traders and customers.
She says: “I can walk 15 to 16 kilometers on a Saturday morning. I greet every single stallholder, I look at what people are bringing in, and I check everything.” For example, Standeaven makes sure that catering equipment is clean on arrival, food vendors are constantly washing their hands, and there is cold storage for meat products. She has a team of cleaners speedily picking up litter and cleaning up after children and dog accidents.
And on the product side, she keeps an eye on trends and fashions, so that she can make sure that there are traders who can cater for the full variety of customers.
Standeaven says that about two thirds of Shongweni’s stallholders rely only on markets for their income. “I watch what people are bringing out of the market, and I like to see them carrying bags because I know the stallholders are happy. I need to create the best platform for my stallholders to want to stay in the market, so that I have an amazing outing for the people who are coming to buy at the market. And I want it like that every week.”
The I Heart Market in central Durban is also proving to be a strong platform for small businesses. It’s an arts and crafts market at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on the first Saturday of each month.
The market itself is a success story, having begun with 12 stalls outside the St Mary’s Church Hall in Windermere in 2008, and growing rapidly to 120 or so traders at its current location.
Says owner Anna Savage: “We knew a lot of creative people who were doing really interesting work – ceramicists, fashion designers, jewelry designers – but they didn’t have anywhere to sell. So the idea was to put together a market where for a small fee you could set up a mini shop, and start to build your customer base.”
<div id="attachment_37653" style="width: 693px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37653" class="wp-image-37653 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn-683x1024.jpg" alt="" width="683" height="1024" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHeart-AnnaSavage-by-Erin-Wolfsohn.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" />I Heart&#8217;s Anna Savage</div>
Savage curates the market strictly: “It’s about maintaining a standard of quality of product, and also a particular type of aesthetic. We accept only locally-produced products, but we also wanted products that are exceptional – things that are dynamic and interesting, that are ahead of the trends, but also that are viable, with appeal for a larger public and in the right price range.”
The market’s customer base is about 4,500, and collective sales for all traders average R460,000 ($32,500) at each market.
For about a quarter of the traders, sales at I Heart account for over 60% of their monthly income.
Duduzile Ngubane, a resident trader, says that it was through I Heart and other markets that she was able to grow her fashion business, which started as a hobby. Although she has a full-time shop, markets still account for about 40% of her income. Her line of fashionwear, Du Confidence, is made for “women who are confident”, as she says proudly. The range is casual and formal plus-size modernwear.
She explains: “I am bold, bright, feminine, and I’m a warm woman, so the work I do is mostly in bright colors. It’s a confident woman who can wear bright colors.”
Just recently, demand has grown enough for her to be able to focus on her business full-time.
Says Savage: “I do really think that by providing this platform, the market inspired people who wanted to do something different from their day jobs. It’s providing a place for small businesses to launch, and it makes me really excited when I see people doing well.”
&#8211; Rehana Dada

I-heart-Fresh-Box-by-Erin-Wolfsohn

Crafts  And Camaraderie On The Coast

The small-town designer dressing up the rich and famous.

Matome waga Seshoka wants to take African haute couture to the world.
I meet him at his studio in the leafy suburb of Northcliff in Johannesburg. On this Monday afternoon, everything is running behind schedule. First, I am slightly late for the interview, and then, the model is delayed by an hour and the makeup artist has the wrong call-time.
Delays have always played a big part in Seshoka’s entrepreneurial journey.
He came to Johannesburg 14 years ago to study credit management at Technikon Witwatersrand, (TWR), now called the University of Johannesburg.
“It was difficult for my mother to understand this whole fashion thing. She questioned how fashion can be a career. Where we are from, you have to be a teacher, a doctor, or one of those careers. So I went to study credit management,” says the proud Sepedi-speaking designer.
Seshoka says he disliked it. He dropped out three years in. Although delayed, he swapped it for an education in fashion and has never looked back.
<div id="attachment_37600" style="width: 693px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37600" class="wp-image-37600 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842-683x1024.jpg" alt="" width="683" height="1024" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antherline-842.jpg 1366w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" />Matome-waga Seshoka with model, Tholakele Mutjideni, in his studio in Northcliff Johannesburg. Photo by Motlabanna Monakgotla.</div>
<blockquote>“Straight out of school, I started my business. The first few years were a bit hectic, now things are starting to look up,” says Seshoka.</blockquote>
Born and raised in Ga-Matlala, a rural area in Limpopo, 370km from Johannesburg, Seshoka has defied all odds to build a successful fashion brand and dress the who’s who of the entertainment industry.
He named it Antherline Couture, after his mother. She raised three boys as a single parent.
It wasn’t easy. Seshoka had to walk about 45 minutes to school every day.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2018/05/07/from-football-to-fashion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: From Football To Fashion</a>
At the beginning of his journey, he says he didn’t know where to specialize. He started off doing everything, from street wear to menswear, until he fell in love with African print and haute couture. At the time, African-inspired wedding gowns were in demand. He grabbed the fabric with both hands.
“When I was doing my third year, I received an order for a December wedding. The client saw my work at the Sew Africa fashion show. By the time I graduated, I already had an order. It was a quite a big order and ended up having to ask people that I went to school with to help me, so I hired them. By the time it was done, I had a startup.”
The job paid Seshoka $2,805, enough to buy three sewing machines, one overlocking machine, pay the deposit and rent for a shop and staff salaries for two months.
Kamogelo Rankoko was one of his first employees.
“We were still struggling a little, we used a domestic machine and it wasn’t strong enough for the kind of work we were doing, but we got the wedding done, and they were happy,” says Rankoko.
After this exciting job, more delays. The next three years were the hardest. There were no clients and pockets were empty.
“I ended up having to look for a job, lecturing fashion in parts of Gauteng for a year. With my salary, I could cover rent and staff salaries, because [earlier], I would come back and the lights would be off or the doors would be locked because I didn’t pay rent. If there wasn’t a plan, there wouldn’t be a plan because I was the plan,” says Seshoka.
The big break came when he got his first celebrity client, Tokelo Rantie, a South African national and international football player.
“I remember my first celebrity wedding, I did Tokelo Rantie, then I did Sello Maake kaNcube’s wedding. That’s when people started knowing about us. From there forth, I started doing celebrity weddings,” he says.
The brand blossomed and everybody wanted to work with him.

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				Model Tholakele Mutjideni. Photo by Motlabanna Monakgotla. 
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The business grew through word-of-mouth and nine years in, it has over 37,000 followers on Instagram and his clients have been named Durban July’s best dressed celebrities for the last four years.
His client list is rich with local and international stars such as Anthony Hamilton, Kenny Lattimore, Oleta Adams, Julius Malema, Nhlanhla Nciza and Khanyi Mbau.
“I met Matome through a friend a year ago; ever since I met him, I have been very loyal to him and he is the only one that dresses me for the red carpet. Matome is one of the people who believed in me when everybody thought I wasn’t big enough of a star to be dressed by them. But he welcomed me into his arms. So it’s Matome or nothing,” says Motsoaledi Setumo, a South African soapie star.
Seshoka’s career may have encountered delays but there is no stopping this small-town lad with international dreams.
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Antherline-876

Taking African Haute Couture To The World

Swipe left or right for love at first site? While dating apps make money playing cupid in cyberspace, some users have burned their fingers flirting with danger.

A serendipitous meeting at the gas station, a chance encounter at a bar on a rainy Saturday night or divine intervention during church service on Sunday…
This is certainly not how the millennial generation finds love these days.
American artist Julie Dillon says: “Our universe grants every soul a twin, a reflection of themselves. The kindred spirit, and no matter where they are or how far away they are from each other, even if they are in different dimensions, they will always find one another. This is destiny; this is love.”
But that was before dating apps played cupid in cyberspace. Today, the smartphone-obsessed generation would rather enter the world of dating online.
Love too has officially been disrupted. The once-taboo subject is an online trend and businesses are cashing in.
According to Statista, revenues in the online dating segment are expected to show an annual rate of 3.9%, resulting in a market volume of $1.6 billion. And for those confident enough to enter this world, it has its own lingo that you need to master first.
Ghosting, for example, is the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone suddenly and without warning or explanation, withdrawing from all communication.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2017/09/01/watchdog-sniffing-deception/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: The Watchdog Sniffing Out Deception</a>
Breadcrumbing refers to the act of sending out flirtatious, but non-committal text messages (i.e., ‘breadcrumbs’) in order to lure a sexual partner without expending much effort. Zombie-ing is when someone you thought had ‘ghosted’ you shows up unexpectedly again in your life (usually through texts or social media).
Benching is when you start dating someone you think is nice and who has potential, but you&#8217;re not crazy about him or her.
Orbiting is the term attributed to a form of behavior where you&#8217;ve been ‘ghosted’, but the person who ‘ghosted’ you still engages with you on social media. The latest new word is fishing, a practice where you send messages out to a whole lot of your matches on a dating app, wait and see which ones bite and then you select the one you want to pursue.
The online dating vocabulary is just as varied as the number of platforms to go ‘fishing’ on.
Tinder is perhaps one of the most popular dating apps, with enough takers across Africa. The app has a simple user interface that allows users to share real-time photos as they chat with their matches and swipe left or right to select who they are interested in.
Other apps include Bumble, Grindr, Speedate, Benaughty, Are You Interested (AYI), Tagged, Ok Cupid and many more providing singletons a never-ending stream of possible suitors.
“Do you swipe left or right? That is all it takes to find that perfect someone on Tinder. There are billions of people in the world and quite frankly, it is very unrealistic to think that you might magically bump into the one you are destined to be with without taking matters into your own hands,” says Ola (who did not give his full name for privacy reasons).
He has been an avid user of dating apps for the past five years. During this time, Ola has been on about 20 dates and had two relationships that lasted six months and eight months.
<blockquote>&#8220;I turned around to leave and he pushed me back into the room and locked the door behind me.&#8221;</blockquote>
“It all started out as something fun to do with my friends. At the time, we were looking for nice girls to hook up with and the idea of having a selection of girls who are also looking for boys at the touch of a button was perfect,” he says.
A couple of years ago, you would be scammed for dating online. But according to Ola, times have changed. This is now one of the best ways to meet singles in your area in part thanks to Tinder. These websites and apps widen the choice and provide a convenient way to match people with their ideal mates.
“If you were to meet a girl in a bar today, you will have to spend a fortune on drinks for her and her friends and she will probably still not give you her phone number. Why waste your time meeting someone who is not even interested in you. With online dating, they get to see your picture, read a little something about you and get in touch if they find you interesting. By the time you meet, you are no longer meeting a stranger but someone you have been talking to for sometime,” says Ola.
The business is flourishing. According to eharmony.com: “There are 40 million Americans using online dating websites and users range from young to old. Young adults account for about 27% of users, up 10% from 2013 due mainly to the influx of dating apps on smartphones.”
<div id="attachment_37468" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37468" class="size-medium wp-image-37468" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635-250x300.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635-250x300.jpg 250w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635-300x360.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635-600x720.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635-768x922.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635-853x1024.jpg 853w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GettyImages-183824635.jpg 1654w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />Computer keys with heart connected by a cable.</div>
According to the Pew Research Center, the overwhelming majority of Americans suggest that online dating is a good way to meet people. Subsequently, more than 15% of adults say that they have used either mobile dating apps or an online dating site at least once in the past.
“There is no stigma attached to online dating anymore. Everyone is doing it: some people are lonely, some have hectic schedules so do not have time to meet suitable partners and many are just curious to see what they might find out there,” says Ola.
Online dating services are now the second most popular way to meet a partner. Another factor for the popularity of online dating is time. Online dating presents an effective solution by providing users the ability to browse profiles, which is not as time-consuming or scary as mixing with people in real life. According to Psychology Today, about one in five relationships begin online nowadays, and by 2040, 70% of us will have met our significant other online.
However, with the growing popularity of online dating, comes a darker side most people do not hear about.
It is 46 degrees in the residential neighborhood of Lekki in Lagos. The oppressive August heat hasn’t stopped my rendezvous with Miriam (real name withheld) this afternoon outside Harvest restaurant here.
“I first used Tinder three years ago. At the time, I had been single for about five years and after countless failed matching sessions from my friends, a friend introduced me to Tinder. I was initially hesitant but I decided to give it a try anyway. That is when I saw his profile,” says Miriam.
Her profile matched her to her ideal mate; a six-foot tall, dark and muscular man who had a well-paying job, loved kids and was ready to settle down within the next two years.
“He also lived on [Victoria] Island so it was perfect. We spoke online for about a month and moved the conversation onto WhatsApp and started video-calling each other. We finally decided to meet and he invited me to his place to meet his family for dinner. I was initially hesitant but he assured me his sister and her kids were also in the house so I had nothing to worry about. So I agreed,” says Miriam.
On arrival, she was warmly greeted by her date who escorted her into the house. Immediately, Miriam sensed danger.
“There were two other guys in the house and no sign of his sister or kids. I immediately felt like this was a mistake. I turned around to leave and he pushed me back into the room and locked the door behind me. One of the men held me down and they took turns to rape me,” she recalls.
The tragic ordeal has forever scarred Miriam. Her cries for help were heard by a neighbor who brought other security men to the house. Unfortunately, for Miriam, it was too late. The harm had already been done. The men were arrested and charged with rape and are currently serving 10 years for the crime.
“This is a serious problem that affects most of these women who look for love online. Even Uber drivers sometimes attack their passengers so you are really risking your life by meeting a stranger online. Most of these men lie about their profiles. They know what type of language will attract their prey and unfortunately, those who fall victim to this are sometimes very young inexperienced girls,” says Victor Oppong, a freelance investigative journalist in Lagos.
According to statistics from datingadvice.com, there are about 16,000 abductions, 100 murders and thousands of rapes committed by online predators. Also, in 2011 alone, online con artists duped their victims out of more than $50 million in money and property.
“I did a story last year on a man who was duped into sending over $20,000 to a girl in London who claimed she was using the money to pay her debts and return to Nigeria to marry the man. He sent the money and never heard from the girl again. I always tell anybody who is using online dating sites to be very careful and only use trusted sites,” says Oppong.
According to research by Michigan State University, relationships that start online are 28% more likely to break down in their first year, than relationships where the couples first met face-to-face. And to make matters worse, couples who met online are nearly three times as likely to get divorced as couples that met face-to-face.
But no matter the perils of online dating, its popularity cannot be ignored. It offers something important for the millions of registered followers and that is the possibility of finding your soul mate in a crowd of 7.6 billion people.

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