Beautiful News

24/03/2025

In a significant victory for African penguins, BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB have reached a High Court settlement with commercial fisheries operating near penguin breeding colonies.

The agreement establishes no-take zones for commercial sardine and anchovy fishers around six key African penguin breeding colonies, enabling penguins to forage for survival while still considering commercial fishing interests.

For years, commercial fisheries competed with penguins and other predators for their food sources. This food scarcity has contributed to the African penguin population’s significant decline, with numbers plummeting from an estimated 15,187 breeding pairs in 2018 to around 8,750 at the end of 2023, and the species predicted to be extinct in the wild by 2035. Urged by this rapid decline, BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB pursued legal action.

As a result of the high court order, closures will be in place during the full fishing season and will cover regions across South Africa from the West Coast to the Southern and Eastern Cape. A once temporary closure around Dassen Island will be permanently retained, while a 20km radius enclosure around Robben Island will be extended. An existing protected foraging range around Stony Point will remain enforced, while at Dyer Island a split-zone closure will continue – restricting some areas completely while others will be accessible only to fishing vessels under 26m. In the Eastern Cape, a 20km closure will continue to surround Bird Island, while a closure around St Croix Island in Algoa Bay has been negotiated.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has been given two weeks to ensure permit conditions of fishers are amended and these closures are implemented. These permits will be renewed by the DFFE every January for the next 10 years. Though only time will tell how successfully enforced and impactful these changes will be, the current decision proves the power of collaboration and persistence between conservation groups. It’s predicted that not only will African penguins benefit in the long term from this agreement, but many other marine predator species too.

SANCCOB saves seabirds

21/03/2025

At the age of 12, Phinius Sebatsane watched his stepfather violently attack his mother. Driven to end this cycle of abuse, years later Phinius began outreach to offer safety to women on the streets of Cape Town. He realised that many struggling with homelessness are also in abusive relationships with gang leaders. “They are using fear and drugs to control them,” Phinius explains. “I assist vulnerable women by building relationships with them and get them into a shelter or rehab with their permission or when they feel ready,” he says.

In his first year of establishing the Rea Thusana Foundation, Phinius assisted five previously homeless women reconnect with their families and at least nine men leave a life of gangsterism and find employment. That was in 2020 and since then, his focus has shifted to advocating for safe, affordable housing in Cape Town. “This time, we’re trying to balance outreach and creating safe spaces across the city, especially for women, hopefully children as well,” Phinius says.

With a dedicated safe house in Wynberg, the Rea Thusana team is rehabilitating, reintegrating, and providing relief for women who are victims of gender-based violence, homelessness, human trafficking and gangsterism. “We’re running a 6 to 12-month programme, providing life skills and psychosocial support programmes to make sure the ladies are healed from their trauma and addiction,” Phinius says. “Our hope is that we reintegrate the ladies back into society with a job, a place to stay, and good relationships with their children.”

The foundation also hosts community dinners to build relationships with their local homeless community and get the chance to refer them to safe spaces. The scourge of drugs and homelessness, and the ongoing abuse of women through human trafficking and gangsterism is a human rights crisis that cannot be ignored. But rather than turn a blind eye, Phinius is showing compassion to the most vulnerable members of society, and empowering them to turn their lives around.

Phinius Sebatsane | Rea Thusana Foundation

19/03/2025

Padel has taken South Africa by storm. But the balls for this sport only last two to four games before losing their pressure and bounce — after which they are binned and can take up to 400 years to decompose. To give new life to these balls, Lesley Waterkeyn and the Amazeballs team are upcycling them into padel-inspired furniture and home accessories.

Their statement range, which was officially launched at Cape Town Furniture Week this year, includes tables, chairs, ottomans, custom art and mirrors, and a distinct neon green sack for seating. The creation of these quirky pieces not only reduces the environmental impact of this fast-growing racket sport but also contributes to community development. Coming from an advertising background, and being a padel player herself, Lesley works with local artists, designers, and university students to fashion new designs and create opportunities in the industry.

If you or someone you know is an avid padel player, look out for the over 60 Amazeball donation bins throughout South Africa where you can sustainably discard your old balls and play your part in contributing to a circular economy.



Images supplied by Lesley Waterkeyn, with credit to Amazeballs.

Visit www.amazeballs.site/ or follow them at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570441358191 to stay up to date on Amazeballs. If you don’t have padel balls to donate but would like to contribute to this innovative startup, please find their banking details below:

FNB/RMB
AMAZE BALLS NPC
Platinum Business Account
63139672124
210554

14/03/2025

In his rural village where art wasn’t taught at school, Minenhle Nxele would find himself making sculptures from clay at the river – learning the craft through curiosity and experimentation. Recognising his natural skill, his mother enrolled him in art classes a 45-minute walk away. There, he began to hone his potential, eventually moving to the city to study art at the Durban University of Technology.

Since then, Minenhle has welded life-size dinosaurs from disused car parts and crafted a large portrait of Nelson Mandela entirely from scrap pipes. He now shares his skills and passion for art as a ceramics technician at the UKZN Centre for Visual Arts's ceramics department.

You can check out Minenhle’s latest works, currently on exhibition at the BAT Centre in Durban as part of the Unlearn to Learn programme which brings together local artists to ideate and create.

BAT Centre | University of KwaZulu-Natal | Durban University of Technology

Minenhle Nxele’s talent is unstoppable. As a young boy, he’d run to the river, grab a handful of mud, and shape it into a car, a cow, or any object he wanted...

10/03/2025

If you saw a rider go past on a unicycle wearing a cow kit at the Cape Town Cycle Tour, we assure you that you weren’t hallucinating. Ethan Simpson, the youngest unicyclist to compete in the world-famous race in 2024, has done it again this year – cycling the full 109 kilometres on the one-wheeled vehicle to raise funds for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa. The 15-year-old was joined by his family who rode on mountain bikes alongside him, and completed the race with a time of 06:05:36. This will not be the last mission for Ethan and the Simpson Herd as they continue to fundraise for the South African NPO that provides life-saving care for children with cancer and blood disorders, as well as support for their families.

Visit https://www.givengain.com/project/the-simpsons-raising-funds-for-the-cows-95916 to keep up with Ethan and donate to his family’s ongoing efforts.

Nicola Micklesfield Simpson | Oddwheel Unicycles | Cape Town Cycle Tour | CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA

Image via with credit to Dean Muller.

07/03/2025

From preparing meals in his mother’s kitchen in Soweto to Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris alongside the legendary chef Alain Ducasse, Wandile Mabaso has made waves in a notoriously difficult-to-crack industry. Today, he runs Les Creatifs – a fine dining establishment in Sandton that was awarded two plates in 2024 by the JHP Gourmet Guide. Wandile is also the recipient of the Haute Pride of South Africa award and was named 2024 Chef of the Year by the Luxe Restaurant Awards. He shares what inspires him to bring both Michelin flair and Mzansi flavour to the table.

Wandile Mabaso | Les Créatifs Restaurant | Gourmet Guide

The restaurant industry is notoriously difficult to crack. When Wandile Mabaso was still a teenager, he was told that being a chef just wasn’t a viable caree...

01/03/2025

It’s the countdown to the Academy Awards this weekend, and one of our own is up for an Oscar. The Last Ranger is nominated in the Best Live Action Short category for its moving portrayal of one ranger’s efforts to save a rhino’s life.

Based on true events, the isiXhosa film acknowledges the complexities of poaching and honours the people who risk everything for our wildlife. It was created as part of the ‘When The World Stopped’ series by Kindred Films, a non-profit organisation that collaborated with locals to document and raise awareness of their community’s challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Local viewers will recognise the backdrop of the Eastern Cape’s Amakhala Game Reserve in the film, and the voices of Khayelitsha’s Thanda Choir.

Directed by Cindy Lee, produced by David S. Lee, Darwin Shaw, and Will Hawkes, and starring Avumile Qongqo, Liyabona Mroqoza, and Makhaola Ndebele, The Last Ranger premiered at the Pan African Film Festival before being screened at multiple international film festivals over the past year.

The film’s recognition at the Oscars confirms the power of collaboration, the talent of local filmmakers, and the importance of sharing our stories with the world.

We wish the cast and crew all the best!



Images supplied by Darwin Shaw, with credit to Darwin Shaw and The Last Ranger film.

Cindy Lee | Cindy Lee Director | David Lee | Darwin Shaw | Avumile Qongqo | Makhaola Ndebele | Six Feet Films | Antiviral Film Project | Amakhala Game Reserve

26/02/2025

You might not think a ballet move could save your life. But when David Maluleka woke up in hospital, he knew it was his only way out. “Had it not been for dance, I don’t think I would have survived that,” he says.

Previously on Beautiful News, David inspired us with his journey as a performer, despite his late start and those who doubted him. In the video below, the dancer reveals the full story of overcoming abuse and how ballet gave him the strength to fight for his life.

David Robert Maluleka | Cape Town City Ballet | Dance for All South Africa

Every move from ballet dancer David Maluleka is a statement of courage. “My first performance, I remember being so nervous that I’d forget the choreography o...

21/02/2025

“I think, dream, and see things in Setswana,” Tiisetso Thiba says. When a language is such a huge part of your identity, you’d want to do everything to preserve it. But as schools and society focus on English as the norm, South Africa risks losing the cultural richness of its myriad official languages.

Inspired by his high school Setswana teacher, Tiisetso put pen to paper to ensure his heritage endures. Today, he’s a published writer committed to developing the literary resources of the language for the next generation. Tiisetso’s writing was celebrated at the Provincial Arts and Culture Recognition Awards, where his second book, Tlhabane Ya Makgowa, won the Literature Award.

This International Mother Language Day, he shares how embracing the magic of his mother tongue has transformed his life. “When I write, I feel free,” Tiisetso says. “There are no barriers or filters.”

Tiisetso M Thiba

If not for the inspired instruction of his high school Setswana teacher, Tiisetso Thiba might never have grasped the beauty of his mother tongue. Preoccupied...

19/02/2025

Through their mobile pet clinics, TEARS Animal Rescue supports communities of animal lovers who may not have the necessary resources but are still filled with love and compassion for their pets. The Cape Town-based NGO has, for 26 years, been going directly into low-income communities, including Masiphumelele, Ocean View, and Vrygrond, to offer free deworming, vaccinations, and sterilisation, as well as other medical assistance. Rescuing and treating hundreds of animals every month, they also assist with rehabilitation and rehoming.

Now their mobile clinics have undergone a complete transformation. In addition to cages inside to safely transport cats and dogs, the vehicles have basins, fridges for medication, and examination tables. The first-of-their-kind vehicles are also kitted out with LED screens and sound bars. The interactive and multimedia elements entertain and educate kids when TEARS rolls into communities, acting as engaging educational stations where they can learn about responsible pet care from a young age.

Every year, animal welfare organisations like TEARS investigate thousands of heartbreaking cases of animal abuse and neglect. These same groups bear the weight of unspayed animals, the ever-increasing numbers of strays and ferals, and countless abandoned pets. The antidote to this cruelty is instilling love and care for animals from the earliest possible age.

Through its innovative clinic and educational vehicles, TEARS is transforming how people live with and care for animals, empowering them to prevent animal cruelty and be part of a more compassionate future for all.

TEARS Animal Rescue

14/02/2025

If you’re still looking for the perfect way to say, "I love you", why not adopt a pair of African penguins from SANCCOB? The iconic birds are known to mate for life, making them a symbol of enduring love. And for every African penguin adopted any time this month, the seabird rescue organisation will let you adopt a second bird for free – perfect for gifting to a loved one and even naming in their honour.

These critically endangered birds are often rescued after suffering from physical injuries, malnutrition, severe feather loss, and the devastating effects of oil spills. Thanks to SANCCOB’s dedicated staff, volunteers, and donations, the penguins can be nursed back to health before being re-released into their natural habitat. This initiative to save them is vital, as African penguins have lost 97% of their population in the last century alone, a decline indicating that by 2035 the species will be functionally extinct in the wild.

Your adoption fee directly contributes to the food, medication, and essential needs of your chosen penguin before they are rereleased, and overall supports SANCCOB's work to protect the remaining seabird population.

In return, you’ll receive an adoption certificate with your chosen penguin’s new name, a letter of thanks, and the knowledge that because of you, our local penguins stand a chance of being saved from extinction.

To gift yourself or someone you love a pair of penguins, visit https://adopt.sanccob.co.za/get-involved/adopt-a-penguin/adopt-and-name-a-penguin/ to see the full list of birds available for adoption. Upon completing payment for your first adopted penguin, you will receive a promo code which can be used to complete your second adoption and share the love this Valentine’s Day.

SANCCOB saves seabirds

13/02/2025

Driven by love, Matt Trichardt is running 42.2km every day for 31 days straight, followed by a gruelling 100km run on his 32nd day – all to raise funds for The Secret Love Project.

The Cape Town-based NGO enables homeless people to earn a living by selling packs of multicoloured heart-shaped stickers, which are funded by donors like Matt and given to them entirely free of charge. Each pack of three stickers sells for R20, and sticker vendors keep 100% of the proceeds.

Since its inception, the project has transformed the lives of hundreds of people, taking them away from a life of begging, giving them the opportunity to earn money for food and shelter fees, and ultimately restoring their sense of dignity.

Matt initially began with a goal of R31 000 – a figure he’s since upped to R50 000 to benefit even more people – and over the past month has proven he will do whatever it takes to complete his mission. On weekdays, he’s split his running into 21.1km in the morning and 21.1km in the evening, with work in between, and doing the full distance in one go over weekends.

Today marks day 29 of his endeavour, and since starting he has battled multiple injuries, painful blisters, and even a bout of the flu. Yet not once has he considered giving up. “This isn’t about me,” he says. “This is for warmth, dignity, and hope. Every step, every ache, every moment of struggle is worth it.”

He’ll be running his final marathon this Saturday 15 February 2025, starting at 6:30am outside Cafe Caprice in Camps Bay. All are welcome to join him, for any distance, and cheer him on the home stretch. For the ultimate finale, he will begin running at 9pm that very same night, to complete 100km on Sunday 16 February 2025 at the Balwin Peninsula Marathon in Simonstown.

When he’s done, Matt will have run a staggering 1408.2km over 32 days. His body will likely be in pain, but his mind will be at ease knowing that thanks to his efforts and all those who supported him, someone who sleeps on the street today may have the chance to transform their life.

Matthew Trichardt | The Secret Love Project

Visit https://www.givengain.com/project/matthew-raising-funds-for-the-secret-love-project-npc-91723 to contribute to Matthew’s efforts to support The Secret Love Project.



Images supplied by Matthew Trichardt.

10/02/2025

His time had finally come. After years of intense training, mental discipline, and local titles under his belt, boxing champion Asemahle Sentile had been selected for the Olympic qualifiers squad. But little did he know that his Olympic dreams were about to be dashed due to Covid-19 and the subsequent nationwide lockdown.

Anyone else would have been crushed. But Asemahle, who had never aspired to titles, just the desire to be stronger mentally and physically, knew this was a necessary redirection. Boxing had taught him to roll with the punches, be ready for anything, and never hesitate to come back stronger.

For Asemahle this meant going back to the Khayelitsha Boxing Academy – the very same place he began his boxing journey at the age of six – to develop the next generation of champions. “I always believed that boxing would be how I change my life and the lives of those around me,” he says.

Under the tutelage of the academy’s founder – the late Ayanda ‘Ginger’ Mapasa – Asemahle was encouraged to find each person’s unique interests and skills that could be used to help others. “He [Ayanda] told us that every kid that enters that door, there's a purpose in him. If he's not a good boxer, maybe he's a good writer and can write proposals for us. Maybe he's good at sewing and can design a boxing kit,” Asemahle explains.

What started as 50 kids training in one shack is now a burgeoning initiative giving kids a safe and inspiring space to call home. Having witnessed the impact of crime and substance abuse on his community, Asemahle is eager to provide alternatives. “I think it's easier for me to train these kids because I understand their struggles, I understand where they're coming from, and I understand their pain,” he says.

By instilling in them a positive attitude, a sense of discipline, and the assurance that someone believes in them, Asemahle knows they will be destined for more. “My ultimate dream is for these kids to become champions,” he says. “Champions in boxing, champions in life.”

Asemahle Sentile | Khayelitsha Boxing Academy

“Softie”. That’s what Asemahle Sentile’s father called him as a child, and the reason he stepped into the ring at the tender age of six. He’d seen his older ...

09/02/2025

“Softie”. That’s what Asemahle Sentile’s father called him as a child, and the reason he stepped into the ring at the tender age of six. He’d seen his older brother earn respect as a young boxer and followed suit. “I wanted to make my father proud and prove to him that I was strong inside and out,” he says.

At Khayelitsha Boxing Academy, then a tiny initiative run from inside a shack, Asemahle threw himself into the sport. Within a few fights he’d started to rise through the ranks – eventually taking the title of Western Cape champion in numerous categories before making the South African National Boxing Organisation’s elite squad for the World Olympic qualifiers. “As much as I wanted to prove my father wrong, I didn't do boxing to win titles,” he says. “I did boxing to become better than what I was yesterday.”

And that’s exactly what he did. “At nationals, each day you’re fighting someone different. You need to up your game every day,” Asemahle says. “That's how life is – every day is a different challenge, and you need to face that challenge with a different strategy.”

On the path to self-improvement, Asemahle received a bursary to study further and qualified from the University of the Western Cape with a degree in Psychology. “Studying Psychology helps me a lot in boxing because as much as it's a physical sport, it’s 10% physical, 90% mental,” he explains.

“It’s human nature that when you get hurt, you respond to defend yourself, you get angry. But in boxing, you need to adjust,” he says. “So you will get hit, but it's how you respond to those punches.” Despite the financial challenges faced by the academy, as well as the impact Covid-19 and South Africa’s nationwide lockdown previously had on Asemahle’s Olympic dreams, he’s not about to back down. “When I'm about to quit, I'm like, ‘Nah, that's not me. I'm not soft.’”

Today Asemahle holds many titles. Boxer. Champion. Coach. Mentor. Leader. Role model. But “Softie” is not one of them. “Boxing moulded me into who I am today,” he says. Later on Beautiful News, Asemahle shares how he’s using the sport to shape the lives of others in his community.

Asemahle Sentile | Khayelitsha Boxing Academy

04/02/2025

To beat cancer, these bikers will need to fight more than just the disease. One of them is Raynolda Makhutle, who was diagnosed late after doctors never followed up with vital tests. She lost her ovaries – and her husband who left out of fear. “In our culture, when you lose a womb you’re stigmatised that you’re not a complete woman,” she says. Not long after, Raynolda’s mother was also diagnosed with cancer and passed away. It wasn’t just the disease killing people, but the misinformation about it.

“We need more people in black communities educating and providing support,” Raynolda says. Together with the national NGO Cancervive, she travels around South Africa on motorbikes to spread the message of early detection and offer the support once denied to her. In the past 13 years, Cancervive has covered more than 30 000km by bike and reached over 542 000 people.

Through the launch of THUTO, their Whatsapp ChatBot, the team is able to offer vital information even when they’re not there. Available in six languages, the bot’s messaging has been tailored to be as clear as possible for underserved communities who have limited access to reliable information. “This initiative seeks to dispel myths and break down stigmas, moving towards a South Africa where every person is empowered to take charge of their health,” Raynolda says.

When she’s not providing cancer awareness talks, Raynolda offers counselling to newly diagnosed patients and their families, guides them through the healthcare system and treatment processes, makes referrals to social workers and psychologists, collaborates with doctors to complete temporary grant forms, coordinates soup kitchens for people waiting long hours at clinics, collaborates with palliative care teams, and if necessary – supports grieving families.

“I’m changing lives across all races, ages, and genders. Every night, I go to bed with the reassurance that I’ve added value to someone’s life and helped to liberate them from fear or uncertainty. Most of all, I’m proud to have given people the courage to face difficult situations, turning hopelessness into hope,” she says.

Cancervive | Raynolda Makhutle

04/02/2025

No one wants to be an animal poacher. Yet in Africa, thousands of elephants and rhinos and millions of pangolins are killed by wildlife traffickers to meet the international demand for horns, tusks, scales, and other animal parts. In addition to working with anti-poaching units, photographer Adrian Steirn is going to the heart of the trafficking syndicates to understand what it will take to bring them down.

“As unpopular as this sounds, nobody grows up wanting to be a poacher,” he says. “We as human beings love to focus on the person pulling the trigger. But I’ve been in the jails, I’ve watched these guys being beaten. Watching grown men cry and say to me, ‘We don’t like what we do, we don’t want to kill these animals’, this is not the narrative that has played out.”

Visit youtube.com/watch?v=GVR_No0kHSA to watch the full film, where Adrian reveals the reality of what drives poachers and the complex approach required to solve our wildlife crisis.

02/02/2025

The fight to protect wildlife is rarely as simple as a battle between heroes and villains. With an eye for seeing beyond surface-level narratives, documentary photographer and Beautiful News founder Adrian Steirn is capturing the complex realities of conservation.

In addition to his striking visuals of animals in the wild, Adrian has documented critical environmental issues, from the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest to the threats facing tigers in Nepal's mountains.

Having spent many childhood holidays in Africa before making South Africa his home, the Australia-born photographer holds African conservation particularly close to his heart.

He’s ventured to Virunga National Park in the DRC – an area marred by violent conflict – to document the threat of oil drilling to its resident gorillas, captured rhinos in South Africa brutally maimed for their horns, and photographed over 90 tonnes of elephant tusks in an ivory fault in Zimbabwe – all to expose the enormity of Africa’s poaching crisis.

Despite witnessing such horrors, Adrian remains hopeful. Nowhere is that clearer than with his Pangolin Men series, which profiles Zimbabwean conservationists dedicating their lives to rehabilitating rescued pangolins who are trafficked for their supposed medicinal value. His images of men tenderly cradling the little-known creatures are a beacon of light in an otherwise grim conservation landscape.

Even after witnessing the devastating impact of poaching firsthand, Adrian believes that no one is born wanting to be a poacher. His photography highlights the intricate web of trafficking and the people entangled within it, showing that complex challenges require holistic solutions.

For his impactful work, Adrian was previously named Nikon Africa’s Professional Photographer of the Year, as well as Photographer of the Year at the Africa Photographic Awards.

A selection of his images is currently featured in the MOVING PICTURES exhibition, hosted by the environmental NGO BOS Schweiz at Photobastei Zürich, Switzerland.

Visit BOS Schweiz to learn more about the exhibition and the organisation’s efforts to support conservation.

01/02/2025

It’s impossible not to be moved by the images of fire-ravaged forests, or amused by the photo of a Japanese macaque relaxing in a natural hot spring while holding up a cellphone. Currently on display at Photobastei Zürich, an independent art gallery in Switzerland, the MOVING PICTURES exhibition features 142 photographs carefully curated to not only highlight the beauty and wonder of nature, but turn the spotlight on animal abuse, poaching, and the destruction of our natural world.

Featuring the works of 18 contributors from across the globe – which includes South African-based photographers Neil Aldridge and Adrian Steirn – the exhibition brings Africa and its conservation successes and challenges into focus. Photos of majestic African elephants in the wild are juxtaposed with an image capturing a room piled high with stacks of ivory tusks. A close-up of a dehorned rhino is displayed alongside an image of an animal carcass – showing the potential fate that awaits Africa’s most endangered animals if action isn’t taken.

The exhibition is curated by BOS Schweiz – the Swiss branch of nonprofit organisation Borneo Orangutan Survival – who is working to save orangutans and their habitat in Bornean rainforests. It opened to the public last week and has since garnered praise for its deeply poignant content.

The travelling exhibition will be on display at Photobastei Zürich until 16 February 2025, before moving to the University of Vienna’s Botanical Garden as part of its journey through Europe for the rest of the year.

Visit BOS Schweiz to discover the photographers behind the images and learn more about the exhibition as well as the organisation’s efforts to support conservation.



All images supplied with credit to BOS Schweiz.