Sunday Tribune 2025-08-31

Two years into a BCom Accounting degree at the University of KwaZulu- Natal, Sashyn Moodley felt his life wasn’t on the right track and dropped out. “I realised that it wasn’t for me and chose to leave university,” he said. That decision would unknowingly change his life and eventually send him to the Shoprite Group’s Home Office in Cape Town. His parents, Shan and Sharon Moodley, were disappointed when he left university in 2008, but still supported his decision. Back home in Tongaat, Sashyn came across a 12-month Retail Apprenticeship Programme offered by the retailer. He applied, was accepted in April 2009, and was placed at Shoprite Tongaat. “The apprenticeship exposed me to all aspects of the business, and I was eager to learn as much as I could,” he…

As Women’s Month draws to a close in South Africa, the fiscal load that women shoulder in silence and often alone, have been revealed in the insights from the latest Debt Rescue survey. While people across the country brace themselves for job losses in the wake of the US Tariff hike, with households already stretched by record levels of debt, more and more South African women, of whom 40% are single mothers, bravely carry the baton of financial responsibility for themselves and their families. Debt Rescue’s recent survey revealed some disturbing results and painted a grim scenario where women from all walks of life are being forced to make difficult financial decisions just to keep going, with 54% of those polled attributing their failing physical health to financial stress,…

Actress and DJ Thuli Phongolo has sent the internet into a frenzy, sparking a conversation online after using her Instagram stories to vent about men who spend on designer clothes but neglect their personal hygiene. Phongolo, who often shares glimpses of her own luxury lifestyle on social media, admitted that she is baffled at how some men in this day and age still lack the desire to take care of themselves. She even revealed plans to start a page dedicated to giving men “step-by-step” hygiene tips, saying women are the ones left to deal with the consequences. “I just don’t get it … why would a person have so much access, information, social media, Google, family, friends, etc. and still lack personal hygiene or the desire to fix things that…

I’ve watched my fair share of phenomenal to awful documentaries. Generally, I’m drawn to the subject matter. When it includes never-before-seen material, coupled with unheard-of testimonies, it heightens interest. Some of these offerings had me flitting from being in an emotional chokehold to utter shock. They include Surviving R Kelly, Allen vs Farrow, Phoenix Rising, The Menendez Brothers, My Name is Reeva, Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star, Tracking Thabo Bester, The Tinder Swindler and even Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Of course, these are simply the ones at the top of my head. My point is, when the subject matter is so compelling, there is an eager audience on standby. That doesn’t mean that peddling Googleable information and slapping a clickbait headline will work in favour of the…

I feel like I’ve been duped by false promises this week. Aside from the Jussie Smollett documentary on Netflix, I happened upon One of Them Days. It had all the hallmarks of a fun comedy with Keke Palmer and SZA as the leads. And it had Issa Rae on the producer credits. Now, when it comes to Rae, the actress, writer, and producer, she can do no wrong in my eyes after Insecure. Boy, was I mistaken – no disrespect to Rae, though. The film is a spectacular failure on multiple fronts, which I will get to shortly. Let’s first unpack the premise. Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are besties as well as roommates. While Dreux is the more responsible one of the two, Alyssa is more easygoing. After a…

As Women’s Month draws to a close in South Africa, the conversation goes beyond celebratory breakfasts and hashtags. It’s a chance to ask ourselves deeper questions about empowerment: What does success mean to me now? For many women, especially mothers, this question isn’t just about work or home, but about how we hold space for ourselves in a world that doesn’t always make room. For decades, fitness has been marketed as a man’s domain – iron-heavy gyms, mirrors and an energy that often leaves women feeling out of place. When women did show up, it was often framed around “bouncing back” after childbirth or chasing an “aesthetic” goal. But times are shifting. Strength training, safe gym environments, and conversations about resilience and feminine energy are carving out a new reality…