Use Social Media for Personal Branding

Sthembiso Sithole 

@sitholeexpress

Social media is now part of our daily activities and some users use it for personal branding. Personal branding is all about marketing yourself and what you do in terms of your career and skills. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos breaks it down well when he says “A brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room”.

It’s no secret that most students in higher education institutions spend a lot of their time on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Students spend time online doing research for assignments and to communicate while others use social media because it’s accessible.

These platforms are used in different ways for different reasons, but I believe it is high time that students both in universities and colleges use them for personal branding. Times have changed and employers want to be associated with people who have good profiles on social media.

South Africans & Race - It's the Norm Here

Siphumelele Zondi

@SZondi

Recently I spoke to a mate who studied in China and then the UK when I was also at university there. We’ve both been back for the same amount of time and it seems as much as we love our home country, we realise that there’s that big struggle of race. The mate I am mentioning here is a white woman. She said to me, “In South Africa politics is in your face, race is in your face, inequalities that are a result of race are in your face.”

I am a black man and I realised in UK middle class societies that I found myself in, my race didn’t matter to a lot of people. I was once in a casual conversation with two women who were convinced I was British, they never mentioned my race but were trying to find ways to prove that I am in fact British and South African. These were white women. Their race is important because I am writing this in South Africa where race seems is the “thing” that people judge you on before they realise that you are South African, a good television producer, Zulu and are a generally nice guy. Yep you are black first in South Africa and as a result you have to predominantly interact with other black people and there will be certain perceptions made about you when people meet you for the first time, before you open your mouth.

Why are SA Women told to Compromise for Marriage?

Lindiwe Maphumulo

@lindymaphumulo

Women are shrinked everyday of their lives. As women, we’re made to think that marriage is the most important goal we should aspire to. Men, on the other hand, are told to have other dreams and ambitions like heading up organisations, becoming presidents and making millions. When will we, as women, live a good life without settling for less and limiting ourselves?

My friend and I were having a discussion about this the other day. She was saying that it would be fascinating if a woman was hit on by a guy and then declined, but not just with a simple no but gave a thorough list of reasons of her decision. One of the reasons she could give is that she would like to get a career going and make her own money. My friend and I were thinking that in the society we live in, this woman would be called a gold digger and other names just because of her goals.

We discussed this to a point where a man who had been eaves-dropping decided to join in and turned it to a huge debate. He mentioned that he would have a problem with a woman who can do things for herself, he would feel that he isn’t needed.

We Probably Grew Up in Different South Africas

Siphumelele Zondi

@SZondi

Sitting in an airport in Hong Kong, I had a chat with an Afrikaans South African woman who is about the same age as I am. The woman and I are pretty similar on tastes in music and other interests. We both pretty much grew up in post-apartheid South Africa, but are vastly different on our knowledge of South African movies. One would think we live in two different South Africas when they analyse the movies we watch. I spoke about Jerusalema, iNumber Number and The Forgotten Kingdom. She told me about Grens Pos, Skoonheid and Leon Schuster movies.

We also differed on our views of employment equity laws as she told me she was changing jobs so she could work for an organisation that is opposed to Black Economic Empowerment as she feels her white skin never gave her any privileges. She told me about how she grew up poor in Bloemfontein and she and her brother had to get student loans and bursaries to get through university. I asked her how many white school children in her school or university were going through what she had gone through and that’s when she admitted to me that she realised her views could be biased to her situation at home, but still didn’t think that capable black South Africans should get preference over white South Africans.

Share a positive Migrant or Refugee Story

Refugees are migrants who have been forces to flee their homes. They are like you and me who want a safe place to live, to be able to support their families, have access to education and to be healthy.   South Africa hosts some 65,000 refugees and 250,000 asylum seekers. Many of them fled their countries with no idea where they are going, leaving their entire life behind. Many lost everything including loved ones and livelihoods and have had to start all over again in a new place.  Each year, on the 20^th of June, the world celebrates the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. 

Born in the 1990s With No Memory of Apartheid

Khothatso Madisa
@kgmadisa

It saddens me at times when I hear stories of how wonderful it was when people cast their votes for the first time in 1994 when all I can remember is being 3 years-old and playing with sand.


The saddest thing is that I cannot even remember people, not even my parents, coming back home in joyous celebrations  from voting stations. All I remember is that I loved plastic toy cars and I probably spend the whole day imitating the likes of Michael Schumacher.

Maybe its just jealousy speaking since I would have given everything to be in those long queues with the excited masses eager to cast their very first vote. Everything my generation, the generation of 1990s, know about when South Africa found democracy relies solely on what we've seen on the television or heard on radio.

It's Been 20 Years, But The Racist Mind Still Has Much Work To Do

Siphumelele Zondi
@SZondi

My first memory of apartheid in South Africa was the murder of Chris Hani in 1993, I even barely remember that. At the time my age was in the single digits. I remember my parents watching all news reports about it. I remember his daughters and wife Limpho crying on television. I also remember TV news anchor Noxolo Grootboom crying on television as she was an eye witness who had seen what had happened from her house which was next door to Hani's. I don't remember much else from that day and I didn't really know who Hani was until the day he was brutally murdered. I also remember his massive funeral that made me think that's how big all funerals are supposed to be.As I grew older I obviously learnt who he was and how his murder could have changed South Africa's road to democracy.

A year later I had a conversation with my father. It was the evening of the 26th of April in 1994. My father was preparing to vote for the very first time the following day. I asked him who he would want to win the election. His response was, "Anyone, just not the National Party."