Absa donates running shoes to township running club ahead of Absa Cape Town 12K CITYRUN
CAPE TOWN, 19 November: Ahead of the Absa sponsored
RUN YOUR CITY Series, the Proudly Pan-African bank, Absa, partnered with
the Langa Running Club as part of their role in society strategy to
create a meaningful impact and develop communities it operates in. The
purpose-led bank hosted a brief handover of much needed running apparel
to athletes from the running club in the township of KwaLanga, outside
of Cape Town.
Absa Managing Executive, Relationship Banking for Western Cape and
Eastern Cape, John Tshabalala, says the bank wants to play a leading
role in the upliftment of its customers and communities across the
country through key partnerships and initiatives that unearth, foster
and profile Africa’s greatest talent.
Elite runner Paige Mackenzie receives new running shoes from Absa Photo:Supplied
“Absa prides itself in making possibilities come to life and as part
of the Absa Cape Town 12K CITYRUN, we wanted to empower runners with
assets they need to achieve their performance goals. The Langa Running
club has 380 members and our ambition is to see every member of this
club participate in the next Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series and hopefully
represent the country in this sport in the future,” says John
Langa Running Club Chairman, Aubrey Isaacs, is elated by the visit
from the bank and mentioned that it augurs well for the development of
running in the township.
ASA president James Moloi
“Many of our club members are juniors who still have a long way to go
in the sport of running. This gesture by Absa will inspire not only
them but their peers to take the sport seriously and use it to better
their lives,” he said.
“We would also like to thank Absa for donating running shoes to our
four elite lady athletes who will be taking part in this weekend’s Absa
Cape Town 12K CITYRUN, the impact that such a donation has on a township
club goes a long way in boosting their confidence and hopefully they
will deliver some stellar results this weekend,” he added.
The Absa Cape Town 12K CITYRUN will take place this coming Sunday 21
November from the Woodbridge Bus station until the Cape Town CBD. For
more Information go to https://www.thecapetown12.com.
John Tshabalala announces donation to the Langa running club Photo: Supplied
On
a colourful day pumped up with BMX, hot pink catsuits, “smileys”
(cooked sheep heads) and car washes, Cape Town-based rapper/producer Boolz took over the Langa township to shoot the video for "Aphe Kapa." The single comes from his latest EP, Bring Tha Hate, the follow-up to his 2013 debut, SOS/Straight Outta Skom. The EP, which was produced alongside Terrasoul, resulted in Boolz being signed earlier this year by Cape Town label Rude World Records. With a new single, "Ekasi," set to drop on the 15th of this month, Boolz is rising fast in the city and beyond.
The "Aphe Kapa" video, shot by audio-visual heavyweights The VCG, features cameos by some of the city’s most notable and talented creatives, such as the outspoken Dope Saint Jude, director Chris Kets, art sexpert Laura Windvogel (aka Lady $kollie), Swiss beatsmith import Maloon TheBoom and graffiti champion Skubalisto.
Like the video, Boolz's new album is fresh, clean-and-concisely put
together with hints of trap, kwaito, electronic downbeat and rap true to
the artist’s no-fear personality. Read our short Q&A with the
video's director, Takezito below, and see above for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look on the set of "Aphe Kape" with Boolz and the VCG.
Shiba for Okayafrica:
What's your take on Cape Town as a creative space for musicians like
Boolz and the people who make things happen for the scene such as you
guys at the VCG [The Visual Content Gang]?
Takezito:
Cape Town is a great place to come up with ideas, but not that great
for executing them. There's lots of meetings and networking sessions,
but not any financial or productive assistance– just a lot of talk.
We're tackling this by taking a guerrilla/street approach to producing
material that speaks to the masses in Cape Town. There is a lot of
circle jerking in this city but there are underground platforms like Cold Turkey and YOH! that give a platform to up-and-coming talent and keeps the music scene innovative.
OKA: What was putting together the overall production like? Who was involved and how do you feel about the finished product?
Takezito:
It was a really smooth, but tough process – lots of hard work but all
the stars aligned to make it happen. I did a lot of the work myself, as
is common with any passion project I undertake (I like to get my hands
dirty) but I had a great core team working with me who helped the hustle
and everyone played their part. My Assistant Director, Chris Kets,
helped me push the concept and did a lot of hustling. Lady$Kollie
made sure that we got the right aesthetic feel in the video by sourcing
and producing the props and casting key people such Jana 'Babez'
Terblance who plays the unusual video vixen. Tracy-Lee Rosslind did an amazing job of getting and making the freshest styling. My business and creative partner Zunaid The Editor annihilated the edit and second camerawork. Skubalisto did a dope job on the graf. Zahier Isaacs, founder and maker at Fly Wheel Chariots
supplied his hand-made bikes, which made the video pop. Also, when
you're in the kasi, there's always someone who has what you need and is
willing to help out - this video would not be possible without the help
of Boolz' clique who were basically the crew and cast of the video. Last
but not least, Zunaid's wife, Angelique, did the catering because at
The Visual Content Gang it's always a family affair - we like to keep it
#GangRelated. We are all extremely proud of the outcome of our combined
efforts.
OKA: Lastly, what would you like viewers to take from the track and video once they've seen it?
Takezito:
That Cape Town is more than just pretty scenery – there's a lot of real
life going on too that sometimes gets lost in the touristy vibe.
There's a bit of underlying meaning or thought-starters in the video for
people to consider if they want to analyse it, which I hope some do.
There's a bit of race and gender concepts in there. A bit of cultural
dichotomies, maybe. But at the end of the day, this is a music video so I
want people to be left thinking: Boolz is the shit and Cape Town is the
shit and we're having fun doing what we want and love. "Aphe Kapa
Sizpholele, Aphe Kapa Sizmamele!"
Watch DJ Fosta & DJ OD lay down an uptempo kwaito track at their home studio in Langa, Cape Town.
Written by Themba Kriger
1 min readPublished on
4 minProducer's POV: DJ Fosta & DJ OD
Heading
up 021 Records out of Langa, Cape Town, DJ Fosta and DJ OD are helping
shape Cape Town's house, kwaito and sjoko joko scene. Rooted in
musicianship and live performance, the two create tracks for the dance
floor using a combination of live samples and synthesis. Watch as they
show their thought process as they put together the track "It's a Party"
and listen to the full track below.
Cape Flats residents across Cape Town now have access to unlimited free WiFi through Google.
Over
100 WiFi towers, called Google Stations, were launched by Google South
Africa across Langa, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Delft, Elsies River, and
Philippi on Thursday.
Google
Africa director Nitin Gajria said the areas represent some of the most
under-served communities in the country, with high unemployment and
crime rates.
“By gaining access to information via the internet,
we hope that people in these communities will get a more equal
opportunity to learn and develop and live more empowered lives,” Gajria
said.
@Google
4 South Africa Event "Google Station" free public wifi access 24hrs in
SA in 100 locations including townships & remote areas @thinkfreewifi partners to this incredible project pic.twitter.com/zrje27vBYs
Google said the WiFi will be accessible in residences, public areas, universities, transportation hubs and shopping malls.
Alongside
its WiFi rollout, Google also announced a $1 million (roughly R14.7
million) investment in South Africa to support the economic empowerment
of girls and women.
Business Insider South Africa previously
reported that Cell C is hoping to use lamp posts, bus stops, transport
hubs and council-owned buildings in Cape Town as WiFi hotspots.
The
telecommunications company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
with the City of Cape Town last October, but no timelines for the
project were given.
CAPE
TOWN - In 1960, the eyes of the world were on South Africa during the
political turmoil, which saw many lives lost in townships such as
Sharpville and Langa.
Sport has played a pivotal role in helping Langa overcome its challenges since those dark days of apartheid.
Today the battlefields of the past have been turned into playing grounds by teams like Langa Hockey Club.
The club is also proud of being the only one in a township in South Africa that has an astro turf.
Hockey was first introduced to Langa by the late South African cricket coach Bob Woolmer in 1987.
Woolmer,
who used to run cricket coaching clinics in the township, wanted his
cricketers to stay active during the cricket off-season.
He achieved a real coup by introducing a sport which is rarely played in most of South Africa’s disadvantaged communities.
The
Langa hockey club&39;s story is one that brings hope to a community
that continues to strive for a positive future despite many of its past
and present challenges.
Its aim now is to continue striving for excellence in a sport that is still unknown in many of the country’s poor communities.
As eNCA reporter Ronald Masinda shows, there’s a plethora of hockey talent in Langa - watch his video report in the gallery above.
Line Ups, Schedules, Tickets And Concert Events In Langa
Music to ears is like a soul to life. Escape the monotonous life
and find pieces of you by attending live music events, festivals and
concerts in Langa. From classical music to jazz to pop to heavy metal to
EDM to rock concerts in Langa, it is a much complex classification
lineup, yet a religion that unites all. Love to groove on the thrilling
number of your favorite artists?
Embark on a musical journey with your dear ones. Explore music events in Langa.
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Afrikaanse Taalmonument
Sat Feb 25 2023 at 06:00 pm
Top Music Concert Places in Langa
Music lovers who always seek for some amazing concerts and music
festivals, we have listed concert venues to make it easy for you to find
music events. Explore Concert Venues in Langa that host music festivals & concerts:
The Novalis Ubuntu Institute
Guga Sthebe
WPCCAvenue DeMist Rondebosch, 7700 Cape Town, Western Cape
Vusa Rugby Academy in Langa is helping youngsters stay away from social ills with the game. Photo: Supplied
Published Mar 30, 2019
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There is an awakening happening every day in Langa – and it is as stimulating for the mind as it is heart-warming for the soul.
It happens at the Vusa Rugby Academy, where the Langa Stadium has been turned into the field of dreams.
Langa
is a township whose people know hardship, know struggle and know gang
violence. In 2017 the township was hard-hit by ‘Gurans’, which is a name
given to a fight between two feuding gangs.
Youngsters were
targeted and remain a target. The streets, at certain times of the day,
scream danger. The destructive gang influence is an ongoing presence.
Vusa
gives boys an escape from those streets where gang fame so often turns
to shame. Vusa every year upskills 120 youngsters, aged nine to 13, from
five primary schools in Langa.
These boys, instead of
being vulnerable to the elements on the streets, are strengthened by a
structured post-school rugby and education programme.
Vusa means
to awaken - and that was exactly the intention of Bishops Prep’s Brendan
Fogarty when he launched an Academy, whose mission statement was to
change a life more than to exclusively improve a rugby skill.
Fogarty
is the inspiration for the Vusa Academy but he attributes the success
to Langa community leaders and the passion from within these leaders to
invest time and energy in each boy.
The
rewards are obvious because so many of the young boys who arrived as
nine and 10 year-olds are still involved with rugby in Langa. As many as
12 former Vusa Academy players are playing for the local Busy Bee RFC
under 18s.
It’s a statistic which delights Fogarty.
“To see
the likes of Mahle Mgqoboka, Lingelihle Ndabaninzi, Mbongo Sophasa,
Siyamanga Sam, Sanele Mdumata, Thabo Tyantsi, Yanga Wambi, Thembile
Justice, Aphumelele Sithole, Anga Nobetbe, Likhona Jezile and Nzwana
Manentsa revelling in the U-18s just makes it all so worthwhile,” says
Fogarty. “And then there’s a player like Siviwe Kewana who is on a
scholarship at SACS and plays for the U-16As.”
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Fogarty
insists the rugby component is a snapshot of the true value of the
Academy because education and the opportunity to change lives is
fundamental to the motivation of the Vusa leadership.
Vusa is
about creating opportunities for the boys. It’s about rugby and
learning. For the group who train on the Monday, there’s a group in the
Leap School classroom being tutored in Maths and English. On the Tuesday
the respective groups trade places, and so it goes for Wednesday and
Thursday.
The Fridays are traditionally about an activity outside
of Langa and an emphasis is on social growth. Saturday is match day and
Sunday is the only day the Academy isn’t operational.
Fogarty’s
Bishops Prep is aligned closely with Vusa and learning opportunities
take place in Langa and also at Bishops Prep. The essence of Vusa is to
develop structures and people within the community. It’s about making a
community proud of their community.
It’s about showing there is
more to an environment than hardship, struggle and violence. Vusa is
about excellence and reward. It is about change and reward.
Youngsters in action for for Vusa Rugby Academy. Photo: Supplied
Fogarty’s dream is to create hubs of excellence in communities where talent can be nurtured in a safe stimulating environment.
“From
creche to tertiary and beyond Rise by lifting needs to be our mantra in
South Africa,” says Fogarty, who believes no programme can succeed
unless education is coupled to the sporting component.
He has
experienced the transformation of those nine-year-old boys, who have
prospered into fine young teenagers; youngsters who give back to the
next generation of nine-year-olds through mentoring, example and
presence at training sessions. “Vusa could not work if the community
didn’t believe in it,” says Fogarty. ‘It’s an Academy that had to speak
to the community and operationally be driven from within the community.”
The
vision may have been his, but the execution of that vision is a
collective. Corporate inclusion is non-negotiable because of the
financial considerations. Investec Asset Management, KEPU Trading, and
Shoprite are among the financial and product partners.
Bishops,
UCT and African Impact share facilities and human skills. Capitec
covers part of the academic programme. Regular attendance is essential
to the Academy and no boy is ever turned away. Rugby isn’t the only
consideration: the boy who may not have the best pass, may have the best
academic mind.
It’s about promoting safety and comfort. It’s
about giving a home to boys after school. It’s about them knowing that
there is a life beyond the streets.
“The more the youngsters see
the older boys succeed and create something magical, the greater the
desire from each new youngster to be that older boy. Critically, it’s
about them having an environment in which everything is done to make
each boy a better human being.”
Several boys have been
offered bursaries to traditional rugby-playing schools. It’s an
inevitable consequence of any Academy, but the primary motivation for
Vusa is to make rugby in Langa stronger and to keep the players in
Langa. It is about building strength from within and not necessarily
being a nursery for wealthier and more privileged schools.
It’s about giving those boys hope, as much as it is about opportunity.
Vusa
recently thrilled at the Paarl Boys Primary’s rugby festival. The Langa
Academy won 14 of their 16 matches in the U-11 and U-13 divisions. They
were awarded the trophy for the most enterprising team and also the
most attractive rugby played.
For all the boys, it was their first ever visit to a rugby festival in Paarl.
For Fogarty, it is only the start.
He
wants to take them to Port Elizabeth later this year, along with
Springbok captain and Vusa ambassador Siya Kolisi. He wants them to
experience the cultural side of touring and playing rugby against
schools from another province.
Mostly, he wants to show each boy what is possible when you dream big and work hard to make those dreams come true.
![Cape Town Rapper Boolz Takes Over Langa For 'Aphe Kapa' [Behind-The-Scenes]](https://www.okayafrica.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=10391840&width=980&quality=85)
