A uniquely South African diet.

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Picture: Mujahid Safodien 20 07 2010

A uniquely South African diet: This one is here to stay.

A healthy eating plan is important, a diet that provides the necessary foods that supply the correct amount of nutrients needed for a healthy body. A balanced diet is required to maintain a healthy mind and body. Enter the new balanced and realistic diet that has food and dietary enthusiasts licking their lips dry to try the new diet proudly brought to you by South Africans. This diet is no fad diet that will wither with time, matter of fact this minimalistic diet is now being followed by millions if not billions across the world. The unique aspect of this eating plan is that it is easily accessible and people are dying to get their hands on it.

To put things in context healthy eating according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is “Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of non-communicable diseases. (NCDs) and conditions.” The importance of a balanced diet is further elaborated upon by The National Health Scotland (NHS) which points out the benefits of a balanced diet as being energy you need to keep active throughout the day and the nutrients you need for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy and help to prevent diet-related illness.

According to the latest Household Affordability Index compiled by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD), more than half of SA’s population live on less than R41 a day. Yet somehow they still are contributing to the well-being and prosperity of the economy.  The  recently released September 2019 Household Affordability Index shows that more than half of the population are living on less than R1 230 a month. The Index goes on to further to show that a quarter of the population, approximately 13.8 million people, are living on less than R19 a day.  With a total of 56% of South Africans (roughly 30.4 million people) are living on less than R41 a day.

The R41 Diet

The R41 diet is believed to be a product of more than twenty years in the making. More and more South Africans are crossing the poverty line to get their hands on this diet. This R41 diet consists of few tips to follow in order to maintain a healthy body and mind.  

Drink a lot of water, water is recognized as a basic human need and right. Water plays a pivotal role in the development of the human body from early childhood.  The UN-SDG (United Nations –Sustainable Development Goals) goal 6 states that “Water sustains life, but safe clean drinking water defines civilization” This statement finds resonance with what this diet emphasizes, when drinking water, it keeps you fuller for longer thus you will not feel hungry instantaneously when you have to go about your everyday work and most importantly it contributes to weight loss as your body functions on less calories. Furthermore, staying hydrated is important as water boosts your energy. If you do not have access to piped water you can purchase at a local store though it will set you back a R10 if you are purchasing a liter of water.

Buy processed meat, though many critics might argue against this recommendation it has proven to be quite the help to R41 diet users.  Livers, chicken feet, gizzards, hearts, tripe and all the surplus meat supply in the market is just what you need to stay afloat. Apart from the obvious nutritional value, Chicken livers are high in protein and a rich store of folate, which is important for fertility and helps prevent certain birth defects. Gizzards are also loaded with iron to give you energy and a treasure certain B vitamins, most notably B12 Protein.  These basic foods usually retail from R10 and pack would do wonders for the protein intake that is required for a working class South African.

Walk, instead of taking public transport. The Automobile Association recently disclosed that Taxi fares, increased by 7.7% in August 2019. This means that you get an opportunity to save R20 that would otherwise be the standard daily return trip. Usually waking up earlier helps one get to their destination on time and that is what this diet takes into account. Apart from the financial gain, this also has health benefits for the individual as activity increases brain activity and a healthy heart.  Nothing brings peace of mind more than walking to save money so that money can be used for something meaningful such as buying bread or other household requirements. Apart from that walking has real health benefits, schools around the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal still have children that walk kilometers to school and still pass proving the prowess of walking as a healthy activity.

Flavour is important, nothing is more inconvenient than having to deal with stomach cramps and not knowing what to do. Look no further with the remaining R1 than to your nearest street vendor, they usually sell mints and packaged cheese snacks. These are important in the R41 diet as they give you the opportunity to mask the feeling of hunger with a flavor that suits you. For adults’ chips do not make much headway but provide the necessary nutrients for children during school hours. Not eating for a while causes bad breath and that is why it is important to always chew gum or have a masking mint.

Following these four steps will ensure that you learn how this R41 diet works and why it has worked for many South Africans living in poverty. It is actually remarkable how the diet is simplistic and caters for even the lowest income bracket. It is well balanced and ensures that you get the necessary nutrition from all that you have at your disposal.

Many South Africans have been following this routine for some years now, with the increasing cost of food it is no wonder that South Africans have resorted to taking up a diet that best speaks to their conditions and material requirements. From the shack dwellings of the familiar township set up, to the many overcrowded gang ridden Cape Flat schools, to the untouched Transkei and KZN rural voting population this diet is here to stay. The food prices represent a fraction of the overall costs for South Africans that have increased, the costs of transport to get to work and back home eats away at the value of the low wage, leaving very little money to secure food and other critical expenses.

Many critics have dismissed the diet as to minimalistic and does not provide the necessary nutrients for a functional body, quite the contrary as the R41 diet has been among us hidden in the trenches of poverty, that time has gone as more South Africans are starting to experience the pleasures of living below the poverty line. With an increase in unemployment this will see many more South Africans adopt this wholesome diet. This dietary trend is gaining popularity around the world with countries in Africa believed to be among the global leaders in making this poverty line diet plan work.

VOTE, but not for the ANC.

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Niyazz/Shutterstock via The Conversation

The answer to most of the problems that we face as a country is removing the ANC from power the same way that we got them into power by voting. The upcoming by elections provide the opportunity for South Africans to exercise their democratic right of electing competent leaders that will provide much needed leadership in this country. For far too long we have been subjected to the mediocrity that is the African National Congress and its cronies.

“If the ANC does to you what the Apartheid government did to you, then you must do to the ANC what you did to the Apartheid government.”~ Nelson Mandela

The current government led by the ANC has lost its legitimacy and no longer has the interest of the people it once served. Instead the ruling party functions for the sole purpose of self-enrichment and working for those affiliated with the now disgraced liberation party. In these unprecedented times it is fitting that we do what is in the best interests of the country and that mandate extends to removing the ANC from power. It is unfathomable as to how a party once a sweetheart has become what we must rid ourselves of in our identity as a people. The African National Congress and its rule has become the antithesis of freedom in South Africa.

While we can question of how it is that we ended up where we are, one thing cannot be disputed is that we will be better off without the ANC. Our tolerance for corruption and poor service delivery needs to go like the party that sponsors it. We are at crossroads and the road less travelled is our only alternative for a better future for the millions of South Africans that have endured so much under this hapless excuse of a government.

 Party first, Country second

“The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others” ~Chinua Achebe

There is no imaginable place where the cancer that is the ANC has not reached. Party interests in the ruling party have become more of priority as opposed to serving citizens. This is what has characterized the ANC over the past decade as it has entertained factional politics within its ranks while running the country down. It has collapsed not just itself in the process but state capabilities and functions. The decay of governmental institutions is a consequence of treating public funds as a personal purse to appease warring factions. The ANC and its elites who pretend to be business people loot State coffers at will and face no repercussions for their actions. The Police and state security resources are now guard dogs to the interests of the ruling party and are deployed to silence legitimate concerns of communities while crime runs rampant on the streets. The ANC’s recent history is that of corruption, incompetence, lack of accountability and indifference in government. This attitude has trickled down from the highest office in the country to local authorities.  

The people of this country come second to mind, their needs are considered after The ANC has quenched its thirst for looting. The on-going Corona virus pandemic has only served to highlight the nefarious nature of the ANC. Millions of South Africans watched in awe as pandemic relief funds were once again used to enrich members of the ANC and their friends while people died. Funds that could have benefitted health care workers (who bemoaned lack of resources), the unemployed youth and vulnerable persons (elderly, children) somehow found their way to people who did not need it.  Yet again, the ANC proving that its members come first and the people of this country second. In true Orwellian fashion others are more equal than others despite our very colourful constitution that asserts otherwise.

Youth Last

The NYDA (National Youth Development Agency) recently demonstrated the blatant nepotism and bias when nominations seemed to feature only ANC affiliated individuals who barely pass as youth themselves.  It is simple If you are not in the ANC then you are not accounted for. The ANC has no interest in the youth evidence in the fact that they did away with their own youth league. What has become apparent that it is a country of old men and the youth is a distraction when it comes to clinging on to power. In true ANC fashion the solution is to blame Apartheid legacies and ignore two decades of opportunity to address the inequalities.

Youth unemployment has soared and this can only happen when the elderly have stopped paying attention. In the case of the ANC they’ve lost interest in what the youth have to say. No amount of University protests, marches to Union Buildings and Twitter hash tags will make them any more interested in addressing the challenges faced by the youth.   The youth often laments the economic difficulties which they face which include unemployment, poor service delivery and poor pay where employment is found. It has become apparent that the youth is being deliberately left out from the plans of this country.

 If there was ever a time to make you heard it would be by voting. The youth in this country always dismisses the opportunity to vote because they find it a futile exercise against the mounting challenges that they face. That belief is correct to some degree, however the little power that we have is what we need to use to make this government take us seriously. As people positioned to inherit this country we need to be mindful of what it is that we will inherit if we do not make our voices heard. The corruption we face doesn’t only harm our chances but that of generations to follow and if we do not take a stand we will find ourselves in a point of no return if we are not already there.

6 Chances too many

The ANC lifespan as an organization has come full circle. From the armed struggle, the defiance campaigns, to exiles and winning the first democratic elections. The ANC has done it all and the best years are past them. The last half two decades have seen yet another liberation movement fail to transition effectively to governance. Perhaps that is the story of the ANC.

 The ruling party has been given chance after chance to self-correct and deliver on the endless list of promises it made since its ascension to power. That has not yielded any results to date instead corruption is running rampant, crime is an everyday occurrence affecting women and children in particular.  The ANC has done the bare minimum and expects applauds. It is time for them to go.

To a new democratic reality 

The strength of a democracy is not tested on the ruling party but the presence of opposition parties. The Democratic Alliance and The Economic Freedom Fighters need to accept the challenge that is coming and structure themselves as opposition parties turned government. The ANC has failed South Africans and the opposition is our only way to a new democratic reality. Sure there can be divisions on the direction to take but The ANC is in our past and we need to ensure that it remains that way. We cannot continue looking for solutions for problems from the same people who helped create them. The sickness of the ANC doesn’t have a remedy. The ANC does not care, but it does not matter. They are crooks, and one wouldn’t expect crooks to care.

SA Media: Changing Gears

Media Shift

Technology is to be understood as something that seeks to improve the quality of human life on earth. With every invention and innovation there comes intended consequences which justify our use for a said technology, however undesired consequences do take effect and dealing with them has called upon for creative approaches to dealing with these technological changes.

The South African Print industry is dealing with a rapid shift from magazines and newspapers to a digital environment which has come as a result of new technological developments around the world such as Artificial Intelligence in the newsroom and an increasing interest in the online news sector. These changes require adaptation and innovation from the media industry in the pursuit of redefining themselves in a rapidly changing news and information environment. These developments in the traditional media landscape have shaped the direction in which SA print media is heading and the ongoing pandemic has forced their hand in speeding up that process of digital migration.

What does this mean for the industry?

The South African media industry has been subject to fundamental changes that have seen digital technologies emerging as mainstream processes at the expense of conventional media production in particular print. Technology has had a disruptive impact on the industry particularly to traditional media. Some printing companies have had to deal with the prospect of being obsolete as a result of digital migration with fewer people buying newspapers and opting to read the news on their phones. Digital migration is the movement from analogue to digital broadcasting. This phenomenon has baffled various sectors of the industry as they have to relook their positioning in relation to these new developments. Consequently, the printing industry has invested heavily in staying relevant and promoting perceived growth in the sector.

In the past decade, the academic literature has yielded a picture of new media’s growing incorporation in the newsroom. The sudden and rapid digital evolution has made for a changing time for journalists and media producers alike. In society the appetite for new technology is ever increasing and with the world globalizing it would be appropriate that the traditional media producers in South Africa keep up with the times and still be able to reach their consumers. That requires massive investment in bolstering growth in the industry and at the same time be mindful that an introduction of technology does not mean the traditional media should be forgotten rather it has to be thought of in mind with the changes.

Digital Migration

The digital migration is a new buzzword that even has government migrating in terms if of their broadcast preferences. This in an attempt to bridge the digital divide in South Africa. Media companies have taken the same level of enthusiasm in regards to attracting a readership online as print continues to stagnate. This leaves a lot to contemplate as to where is the way forward from here on. In South Africa the shift indicators started around 2015 with the University protests and how that shaped news consumption not only for students but journalists alike.

The manner in which the students used online platforms for communication suggested that there is opportunity to be ceased by South African media producers, this enforced companies to try to tap into that potential which was immense considering it managed to get hundreds and thousands of messages across the world. This monumental shift in information consumption on the part of the consumer led to an increased investment in online platforms and publications by producers which in hindsight are justified considering the pandemic enforced work adaptations.

All of these developments bring about challenges to the world of journalism in South Africa and that is a result of the casualization of magazine journalism.. There are very valid fears that the print industry is dying in South Africa and jobs are on the line as a result. For one there is no need for some publications to hire a full team of journalists as people can be contracted as content writers and work from anywhere in the world which is significantly impacting the level of employment in the journalism industry, moreover there is a skills shortage that has developed as a result of these new changes with newsrooms facing an almost unprecedented training and development challenge. Some sectors of the local industry are becoming more vertically integrated, with work that would have been outsourced in the past, increasingly being performed in-house.

Challenges on Journalists

This challenge arising because of the demands placed on journalism. Nowadays journalists are no longer afforded the luxury of being simply journalists. As the time and key developments in the industry require multi-skilled journalists. The South African press is undergoing financial strains no different from other parts of the world as a result of the growing attraction of social media and new technologies. The circulation figures have dropped thus the inevitable fall-off in revenue, staff numbers have been cut and the scope of news coverage has contracted. These challenges extend to the financial stability of a company. In an attempt to save profits companies are hiring less and completely restructuring their model.

The gig economy has significantly changed in South Africa as specialists in new technologies are preferred to actual journalists which has an impact on journalistic standards and ethics. People that are skilled in utilizing critical software are tasked with producing news which undermines years of experience provided by senior journalists who are not as technologically savvy. This is indicative of the kind of challenge that journalists in the industry have to contend with. There is an international trend towards making writing for magazine seem more casual as opposed to the intense skill level it actually requires. With online publications gaining momentum South African publication face stiff competition from international publications that have better resources to contend with the changing world of online consumption.

New Opportunities

An analysis of the local media landscape demonstrates that there is a movement toward consumption of ‘New Media’ platforms. This means that the industry will have disruptive changes which I have already outlined as part of the challenges; however there are positives to take from this migration as there are opportunities for the industry to grow with the use of technology. Employment opportunities are created by the necessity for skilled employees in a rapidly digitizing world.

New jobs that never existed before are now on the market such as content creators, social media mangers and website managers. This means the more technologically literate an individual is the more advantageous it will be from them. Companies now look for people that can produce, edit and distribute their own work meaning that freelancers need enhance their skill levels to be able to be employable in this day and age.

New markets are being tapped into as a result of these innovations. The more connected the world gets the better it is. South Africans can write for publications in other countries or produce content for magazines both online and traditionally. This indicates the flexibility in terms of the working conditions as well as the benefits of short term contracts which have become increasingly popular as content changes all the time and so do ambitions of both contributors and publications. With mass media finding its way to online platforms it has created new opportunities such as consumer participation which a feature of this emerging industry. This has seen the growth of auxiliary jobs that have been bolstered by this participatory culture.


Blogging has reemerged something that has to do with keeping audiences interested. This participation between the consumer and the producer has made for a much more concentrated effort at luring people online as it would be fitting because of the fact most people rely on getting their information through their digital devices which means there will be more significant developments. Developments that will most certainly alter the make-up of how the media industry is organized in South Africa.

In conclusion the industry is changing and that puts pressure on journalists and the availability of jobs in traditional media houses. This should not be reason to despair as the industry can still experience growth provided that it is backed by investments that secure its sustainability despite the changes. South African Print has taken a knock with closure of leading publications and concerns are understandable however the is an emergence of smaller companies and online publications that creates optimism around prospects of success of the industry which will recover, and reposition itself to adapt to the changing times.