Podcast by Terry Shakinovsky & Babette Gallard
30 October 2026
What if changing the world doesn't always mean fighting harder, shouting louder or working longer? In the first of our special Rethinking Activism in Africa conversations, activist and author Mark Heywood talks to Zandile Mqwathi about a radically different approach to social change. Drawing on her own journey from a young mother diagnosed with HIV to an activist and drama therapist, Zandile challenges the idea that commitment must come at the cost of exhaustion. She explores how rest can be an act of resistance, how theatre and storytelling can help us imagine a different future, and why kindness, joy and love belong at the heart of activism. It's a warm, thought-provoking conversation that asks us to reconsider not only what we're fighting for, but how we go about it.
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45:56
26 October 2026
After more than 40 years fighting for human rights and social justice, Mark Heywood is still angry about injustice — and still convinced we can do something about it. A co-founder of South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign, Mark joins us to talk about his new book, Rethinking Activism in Africa, and the remarkable people across the continent who are finding new ways to bring about change.
We talk about the worrying rise of xenophobia in South Africa, his determination to help fix the country's struggling healthcare system, and why activism shouldn't be left to the activists. But this isn't a conversation about everything that's wrong with the world. It's about the people doing something to put it right, why there's still plenty of reason for hope, and how making a difference can start right on your own doorstep.
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43:43
20 October 2026
Abandoned by her mother at the age of three, Angela Yeung grew up knowing what it meant to struggle, but never stopped believing in what she could achieve. From hiding beneath her father's office desk as a child to building a successful jewellery business and standing on the summit of Mount Everest, she has an extraordinary story of courage and determination. But Angela's greatest ambition isn't to conquer mountains. It's to change lives. Through her Impilo Collection Foundation, she is restoring dignity and hope to women affected by gender-based violence. She shares the deeply moving story of finding her mother after decades apart, the strength she has drawn from adversity, and her belief that we all have a diamond within us, waiting to shine.
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28:25
19 October 2026
Mandisa Jackson speaks openly about surviving an abusive marriage, imprisonment, having stage 3 cancer, and finding purpose in supporting others. Through Hillbrow Radio and the community volunteers she calls her GBV Warriors, she helps women facing violence, takes anti-bullying programmes into schools and brings neighbours together across nationalities. She tells us about her faith, the need for financial independence and what it takes to turn concern for your community into practical action.
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31:44
30 September 2026
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31:56
31 August 2026
In this episode, we hear from the amazing Joni Brenner, an artist helping a cooperative of women in Zimbabwe to produce beads that are not just beautiful necklaces but also an enterprise that sustains the livelihoods of women and their families. Joni shares how it all began with a “happy accident,” which led to collaborations with William Kentridge, among others, and how openness and serendipity foster creativity.
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24:39