News Brief

Sibabalwe Gcilitshana is the First Openly Queer Woman to Enter the Miss South Africa Pageant

The young officer of parliament is one of 16 finalists in South Africa's biggest annual beauty pageant.

The Miss South Africa pageant is the country's biggest annual beauty pageant. Thousands of young South African women from various backgrounds submit their applications to be considered for an eventual spot on the shortlist of 16 finalists. These finalists then go head-to-head for the crown and 1 million Rand (approximately USD 72 000) as well as entry into both the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.


There have been exactly 62 Miss South Africa winners since the pageant was launched in 1956. Rolene Strauss, Anneline Kriel and Penelope Coelen went on to win the Miss World titles while Margaret Gardiner and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters took home the titles at Miss Universe. Not until this year, have any of the contestants ever expressed that they are queer. Cape Town-based Sibabalwe Gcilitshana,who works as an officer of parliament, is the first Miss SA finalist to be openly queer.

Speaking about the groundbreaking moment, Gcilitshana says, "I'm very happy to be able to share what I think is an important aspect of my identity as also as a proud South African woman." She goes on to add that, "I hope that I can use the platform to just empower other young women who see themselves represented in me. I in no means intend to represent anyone else, I just have my experience and my truth to share."

The Miss SA pageant will take place on August 9th, Women's Day, at the Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria.


Image: single artwork

Tiwa Savage Teams Up With Ayra Starr & Young Jonn For New Single 'Stamina'

The Nigerian trio are here to make sure you can keep up!

Nigerian songstress Tiwa Savageis back, ladies and gents! This time around the star has assembled some of the faves to bring fans single "Stamina." The amapiano-inspired tune features fellow Nigerian superstar Ayra Starr and record producer-turned-singerYoung Jonn. The Magicsticks produced single comes via Empire records as Savage's first release of this year.

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Photo by Nicolas Daumas/EyeEm

Chad Ranked Last in Global Air Quality Report

Air quality in Chad shows levels of pollutants 17 times higher than the World Health Organization's guideline, according to the 2022 World Air Quality Report.

Chad has replaced Bangladesh as the country with the most polluted air in the world, according to the 2022 World Air Quality Report, published on Tuesday. The report, by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, analyzed data from 131 countries and compared it to the World Health Organization's global air quality guidelines (AQG). Data collected from Chad last year shows air pollutants at a level more than 17 times higher than the WHO guideline. In last year's report, Chad ranked just under Bangladesh as the country with the second most polluted air.

"Air pollution continues to be the world’s largest environmental health threat," this year's report began. "Worldwide, poor air quality accounts for 93 billion days lived with illness and over six million deaths each year... Exposure to air pollution causes and aggravates several health conditions which include, but are not limited to, asthma, cancer, lung illnesses, heart disease, and premature mortality."

The report also notes that the data for Chad is only collected from a single monitoring point in the city of N'Djamena. Of Africa's 54 countries, only 19 even have sufficient air quality data to be included in the report. However, that number is up from only 12 countries in the previous year. This underscores how the lack of access to monitoring stations in Africa and the Middle East has heightened the air pollution problem. From 2021 to 2022, the quantity of air pollutants (weighted by population) rose by 18% in Chad.

In an effort to reduce air pollution-related deaths and overall threats to global health, in 2021, the WHO set more strict guidelines by reducing acceptable amounts of the fine particulate matter used to measure air quality. The change was based on new data that showed increased evidence of the detrimental health effects of poor air quality.

"Improving air quality can enhance climate change mitigation efforts, while reducing emissions will in turn improve air quality," the WHO said in a news release about the new guidelines. "By striving to achieve these guideline levels, countries will be both protecting health as well as mitigating global climate change.”

This year, only six countries met the WHO guideline — an annual average of 5 micrograms of pollutants per cubic meter, or less. They were Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand.

"Citizens in only 10% of the global countries, regions and territories are breathing air that does not pose a risk to their health," reads IQAir's 2022 report.

Photo Credit: Sjava

Sjava: The Man In the Mirror

Breaking down the South African hip hop artist’s latest album, Isibuko.

Sjavas third studio album Isibuko raked in more than 7.7 million streams in its first week. This was done without a lead single, just a well-planned and well-executed rollout and a loyal and ever-growing fanbase that had last heard from the BET Award-winning artist in 2021 with his previous project, Umsebenezi.

Isibuko is Sjava’s most personal album to date. Sjava lays his vulnerabilities bare. “Till today, my life is a mess, because of what I do. I was happier before I put out the music,” the South African artist is heard saying in the album’s trailer. “But now I’m happy because I finally understand that it doesn’t matter what another person says.”

Through a Broken Mirror

The album's trailer reveals a man in the process of self-reflection. Isibuko’s provenance was a minor accident. “I bought this mirror at Game,” Sjava said, explaining the album title is IsiZulu for “mirror,” during the album’s listening session in Rosebank, Joburg. “But then when I was walking down the stairs, I dropped it and it broke. But it was still in its packaging, so I just kept it as is. I would look at myself every time when I was getting ready, checking out my swag nam’ saying. And where I live, it’s quiet, so sometimes I’d just look at myself in that mirror and just think.”

From that reflection was born the concept of Sjava taking a moment to examine himself. “So,” he says, “I decided, let me make this album, an album for someone who will listen to it by themselves and it speaks to them. The music you play when you’re alone is usually not what everybody plays. I wanted to create that kind of music.”

Sjava - Isibuko (Album Trailer)youtu.be

“This is an album you can listen to when you are at home on your own or you are driving, music that will uplift you. Whenever you feel like a failure, you have a song that will encourage you, tell you that you are just pushing pressure on yourself, you are on the right track.”

The last sentence is a quote of the hook to the poignant “Amavaka,” a song on Isibuko where Sjava speaks of disliking who he sees in the mirror. “Ngay'buka es'bukweni ngay'zonda / Ngathi, ‘uwena omosh' impilo yami,’ ngaz'khomba,” (which directly translates to: “I looked myself in the mirror, and hated myself, and said, ‘you are the one who’s messing up my life’”) he sings as a lo-fi instrumental hisses under his hoarse alto.

YouTube Lo-Fi Beats

The lo-fi production is one of the elements that set Isibuko apart from Sjava’s previous three projects — Isina Muva (2015), Umqhele (2018), Umsebenzi (2021) which were almost exclusively produced by his long-time producer Ruff. About 30% of Isibuko was produced by lo-fi producers Webmoms and Delayde who are both from the U.K.

Sjava found their music while listening to lo-fi beats on YouTube after a stressful day, he says. Some beats caught his attention. “I saw the names, went on IG and DM’d them saying, ‘I’m Sjava from SA, I fuck with your shit.’ I sent them links to my music, they liked what they heard, they sent me a beat and "Umcebo" was born.”

He recalls having one beat on loop as he drove and started freestyling what would later become “Grounding,” a song about a conversation between Sjava and his mother, who is asking him to settle down and get married. Sjava lets his mother know that the game today is different from dating during her time. “Uthando lwamanje sel’hlukile, lugcwele udlame (love today, is violent),” he sings.

Sjava #Isibuko Live Medleyyoutu.be

Webmoms and Delayed also produced “Ubuhle Bendalo,” a song about the necessity for humans to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and reconnect with nature and their roots. “We went to Emtshezi on a camp,” says Sjava, “I was just walking around and the chorus came.”

Webmoms and Delayed are among a number of producers who contribute to the 18-track album. Bassist and guitarist Vuyo Manyike produced “Ungavumi." Manyike, who’s also an instrumentalist, played the guitar on “Ubuhle Bendalo” on Isibuko and "Winter Nights" on Sjava's 2015 album, Isina Muva.

A Personal Body of Work

While some songs draw from observing the lives of others, a majority of the album feels personal because of the amount of detail in his writing. From the story of an ex who drunk texts him at 3 a.m. as she listens to too much Summer Walker (“Amaphiko”), to a song like “Amakhehla,” where he sings about walking around guarded by his ancestors, or a song like “Isoka” where he warns his woman that haters will talk shit about him, but she shouldn’t be bothered as no one is flawless.

“But, I was talking about the public more than intombi (a woman) because there have been situations where I was portrayed negatively so that the girl, who’s you, would dump me,” Sjava says. He was likely referring to the sexual harassment case that was opened by his ex-girlfriend Lady Zamar, a case that was later dismissed by the court due to a lack of evidence.

On “Ithuna,” a song featuring maskandi legend Shwi, Sjava sings from the perspective of a womaniser reflecting on his ways, which he equates to digging himself a grave. “I’m encouraging amajongo (gents) to slow down and settle down,” Sjava says. “After recording it, I felt like I had said my piece but the song needed an elder’s voice. Then I went to uBab’uShwi and broke the idea down to him." The maskandi legend introduces himself through backing vocals on the hook before dropping gems on his verse.

“It’s important to go back to our legends because they are the ones who inspired us to get here. If you listen to my music, you hear a lot of Shwi,” Sjava says.

Late kwaito legend Mandoza offers inspiration to Sjava in the song “My Life,” which features fellow ATM (African Trap Movement) member Emtee and Emtee Records signee, Lolli Native. “People who know me know how much I look up to Mandoza. He motivated me,” Sjava says. “That song was inspired by his vibe and aura. When I was making it, I remember saying to Ruff I’m not sure if it will sound the way it does in my head, but let me try.”

In the song, Sjava and his collaborators express that their lives aren’t perfect, which is a misconception people tend to make when looking from the outside. One can’t be blamed for thinking that. Sjava has fought some battles since his introduction to the game in the 2010s, but he has effortlessly maintained momentum in his thriving career.

With the release of Isibuko, Sjava further settles into the hearts of South African music lovers’ hearts and the annals of contemporary South African music.



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