This month heralds a full year of living that lockdown life here in South Africa. And for me, a year of spending an inordinate (yet blissfully comfy) amount of time in my stretchy pants. So much so that since my outdoor yoga classes started up again, I hardly have a decent pair of leggings to wear that wouldn’t give my students an unprofessional peek at my underwear! So, I guess it’s high time for a little activewear wardrobe update. In an effort to stick to my resolution to shop local as far as possible, my search has been focused on proudly South African options… of which, the good news is,…

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit our shores, leading to the announcement of stringent lockdown measures and an almost total shutdown of the economy, many South African small businesses have been struggling to stay afloat. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to support and buy local. In the light of this, I’ll be doing a series of posts over the next few weeks, featuring my favourite South African makers and brands – from jewellery designers and artists to skincare products and shoes. Two weeks ago, I featured a few artists and illustrators whose work I dream of collecting. This week, I’ll be featuring 12 South African jewellery designers (presented in alphabetical…

As you might have gathered from some of my previous posts, I’m a huge fan of supporting local brands and makers. Also, whenever I need to buy an item of clothing, homeware or even consumables, I always try to check that it has been made in South Africa and preferably somehow supports small business. Of course, this isn’t ALWAYS possible, but I try… Anyway, since the coronavirus pandemic hit our shores, leading to the announcement of stringent lockdown measures and an almost total shutdown of the economy, many South African small businesses have been struggling to stay afloat. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to support and buy local. In…

It’s been a heady few weeks for us South Africans since the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup at the end of October. The team returned home last week and received a well-deserved heroes’ welcome at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, followed by more of the same in the various cities they’ve visited as part of their Trophy Tour. Today was Cape Town’s turn and, of course, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. After an early wake-up to get some work done, I grabbed my camera, got on the MyCiti bus and headed into the streets just before 11am. I wended my way from Strand, through St.…

With all the Bok-related patriotism in the air, it’s hard not to think about being South African. I’ve caught myself softly singing our national anthem a good few times since Saturday and, without fail, feel my eyes well up when reaching those last two lines. Earlier this year, I wanted out. I wanted to pack my bags and move somewhere safe. I wanted to escape the violence and the tension and the feeling of always looking over my shoulder. But what good would that do? In the name of safety, I’d lose so much. I’d lose living in a country where:

Every so often, when my schedule allows and deadlines aren’t coming at me as thick and fast as they normally do, I spend an hour or two volunteering at an urban farm close to my home in Cape Town. Sometimes, I help place tiny seeds in polystyrene planting trays and other times I clear weeds from the veggie beds. It’s nothing fancy and I love it precisely because of this. A couple of hours away from my laptop, feeling the sun on my shoulders and inhaling the scent of earth and soil.

There are many things Instagram has done wrong in recent years, most notably changing their algorithm and sneakily squeezing adverts in among stories. One thing they seem to be getting right, however, is hitting a target market bullseye when it comes to promoted posts. How do I know this? Well, the majority of promoted posts that have popped into my feed lately have been so enticing that I’ve clicked through and followed the relevant profiles. So doing, I’ve also discovered a whole new bunch of local makers to add to my favourites list. Here are eight rather diverse items I’m particularly in love with right now:

For a long time, the fashion industry slipped under the radar for its impact on the environment. I guess everyone was so busy focusing on the way it tends to warp women’s relationship with their bodies and a myriad of other social issues. But then, in 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed killing 1138 people. Not just any people. People who worked long hours and got paid less than minimum wage to create garments for fast fashion chains, such as H&M. For the first time since Nike’s sweatshops caused an outcry in the 1990s, the world received a sobering reminder that the clothes we buy with the change…

This year, I decided to buy locally-made products as far as possible. (Or second-hand, but more about that in another post – coming soon!) It’s been quite a fun exercise so far, as I’ve discovered all sorts of designers, brands and shops I hadn’t known about before. At the moment, I’m searching for a weekend bag. My old faithful has pretty much fallen apart, leaving me a choice between my proper travel backpack and one of my myriad little rucksacks or tote bags. The former is just a little too big, while the others are slightly too small for weekends away. So, really, I’m looking for the baby bear’s porridge…