Friday, March 22, 2013

I Stay in a South African Town Where I've Been Asked What an Internet Cafe is


Khuliso Nemarimela

Recently I started working as an intern in small town of Kuruman in the Northern Cape. I am from Venda. Growing up I would eat all the fruit that people know that part of Limpopo for. On completion of my schooling I then moved to Pretoria, where I am currently in the final year of my National Diploma in Journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). I never thought my journalism studies would bring me to this part of the world, where I have experienced the biggest under-development area I have ever imagined in South Africa.

Growing up in rural Venda one would expect that we don’t have modern day technologies, but we do. One can still be connected to the internet, there is a university in the area and big cities such as Polokwane and Pretoria are not too far to reach if there is something we cannot find nearby. We even have a football team in the Premier Soccer League. The Northern Cape, where I am working, has no university, Kuruman seems to be a deserted town and in my new home, the village of Maruping, I asked around for an internet café once and one young lady responded by asking me what an internet café is. I realised then that if I didn't have my mobile phone, I would be disconnected from the rest of the world. I also wasn't sure whether there was a lack of education in the area about such things or whether the young lady in question was just ignorant.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

African photographers for human rights

The People's Choice Award for human rights photography recognizes African photojournalists who inspire and change perceptions of life in Africa through the power of photographic storytelling.

Whether published in print or online, photography is a powerful medium and Africa has always been a magnet for the world's leading photographers. But it is African photographers who document life across the continent day in, day out - whether it is breaking news, business, development issues, human rights abuses, conflicts or simply portraying the lives of ordinary people.

For more information about this award, click on this link here.

Monday, March 18, 2013

What they don’t teach you in journalism school

While in the process of completing your studies, you reach a stage where you need to start applying for apprenticeship, in-service or internship programmes that would help you get your foot into the door of the industry.

Depending on how good your curriculum vitae or resume looks or how easily you’re able to talk your way in interviews, finding a job after university can be daunting if not a walk in the park. For some it could take a month, while for others it could take months if not years just to get that work experience.