#BeautifulNews: I am not my history. The ex-gangster with new goals

Words can only do so much. And with 11 national languages in South Africa, communication sometimes holds people back. But our bodies have the power to express universal thoughts and emotions. That’s why actress Jennie Reznek teaches theatre that focuses on physical expression. In a country where more than 50% of our youth is unemployed, she’s committed to improving education, uplifting people, and creating understanding. Read Reznek's full story...

Lindiwe Johnson, the skills development project manager of GreenCape and Genesis Cleveland’s regional project officer, FNF, discusses the Green Economy Decision-Makers course and why it’s so important to develop skills for the green economy.

“I know I’m going to be a star one day,” Macy-Rose Heuff declares. At the age of eight, this violinist is certain music will take her far. Heuff’s growing talent is already charming audiences. With the instrument in hand, she has the courage to pursue her dreams. “I feel calm, I feel brave, I feel soft, I feel love in the violin,” she says. Heuff knew she wanted to play the string instrument the moment she saw a performance on America’s Got Talent. Five years old at the time, she begged for lessons. Despite her initial reluctance, Heuff’s mother gave in. And it’s paid off. Read Macy-Rose Heuff's full story...

It took one question to change the course of Renier Coetzee’s life: “How can I help?" While volunteering with churches and children’s programmes, he saw the difficulties kids faced in the Cape Flats, from violence to inequality. After asking what role he could play, Coetzee gave up his intended career of becoming an actuary and decided to teach instead. “I believed I could make a bigger difference through this work,” Coetzee says. By offering holistic education to kids in Mitchells Plain, he’s unlocking their strength. Read Renier Coetzee's full story...

Classrooms just got a whole lot cooler. The Department of Basic Education recently announced that they’re introducing coding to the South African curriculum. But not every school has access to computers. While some students are equipped with the knowledge to contribute to the country’s technological growth, others lack the resources to study even the basics. The results of this dichotomy become more pronounced later in life. This was the experience for 17-year-old Nadine Maselesele. “I was surprised when I got to college and learnt that the learners did not know how to prepare a CV on a computer,” she says. To boost their skills, Maselesele went back to her alma mater. Read Nadine Maselesele's full story...

On her bike, Aphiwe Goge is unstoppable. The cyclist speeds through the pump track with coolheaded strength and razor-sharp focus. She’s here to win. Flying past the other cyclists, Goge commands the course. And she’s only 13 years old. Goge was hooked on riding the moment her grandfather taught her to balance on a set of wheels. Taking her talent to a bike park, Goge discovered unprecedented freedom to boost her skills. Now, she’s breaking the barriers to cycling with South Africa’s first black female mountain biking team. Read Aphiwe Goge's full story...

The clay horse towers over its creator. A life-sized artwork, it embodies the natural prowess of the galloping animal. Vincent Da Silva’s sculptures are testament to his deft handiwork. Though frozen in time, the statues have a movement to them. Unlike the smooth marble figures of ancient Greece, Da Silva’s art is cast in bronze and flecked with blemishes from his tools. With his textural monuments, the artist reflects a freethinking philosophy. Read Vincent da Silva's full story...

Jean-marc Johannes designs his own rules. On his skateboard, he carves a playground out of the city of Cape Town. “No one can define my capabilities but me,” Johannes says. His attitude is his eternal win. But it comes with a background of crashes and falls – one that goes much deeper than failed tricks on a board. Johannes initially wanted to be an athlete. But traditional sports just didn’t give him enough space to move. So at the age of nine, Johannes turned to skateboarding and took control of his destiny. Read Jean-Marc Johannes' full story...

Athol Williams’ life is a story of triumph. Growing up in Mitchells Plain during apartheid set him back from the start. In the township built to accommodate victims of forced removals, residents endured inferior resources at every level, from their housing to their education. The latter was about more than just separation – the aim was to keep people of colour from learning and progressing. But Williams has never been one to be left behind. At every opportunity, he took matters into his own hands. “I realised that to beat the system, I would have to take personal responsibility for my life and my own education,” Williams says. His starting point? The humble book. Read Athol Williams' full story...

Bolekwa Salusalu has no hands, but she sews every single day. The 62-year-old is a designer and creator of immaculately stitched wedding dresses, traditional outfits, and school uniforms. Draped around her modest studio are a range of colourful garments, each pattern more interesting than the next. Her friend Luluma Mnyute is perpetually bowled over by Salusalu’s talent. “Bolekwa, without hands she has done this!” Mnyute says. Salusalu works tirelessly to provide for her family from her home in the Eastern Cape, but she does it with style. Read Bolekwa Salusalu's full story...

The bell rings at the end of the day at Ikaya Primary School, and a carnival arrives. Multi-coloured ribbons fly above the dull concrete. A group of girls jump and twirl in the middle of the courtyard. The hard floor outside isn’t the ideal place to rehearse gymnastics, but it’s all they have. The team approach each practice with enthusiasm. Their teacher, Pinkie Yolisa, cheers them on. She is convinced that despite their lack of resources, their talent can be honed. “Sweat and hard work is the only way to victory,” Yolisa says. That and her secret weapon – improvisation. Read Pinkie Yolisa's full story...

As a young boy, Isaac Boshomane loved cars, motorbikes, even tractors – any vehicle that moved. He wanted to know what made them work. With his inquisitive nature, he saw how people took their cars to backyard mechanics, only to have them come back with more problems. Then it all fell into place for Boshomane: he was going to become a mechanic, one who solved problems instead of causing them. Boshomane trained at a technical college, but struggled. The course was theory heavy, without enough practical application. Yet Boshomane pushed through, and opened his own business, Kgabo Cars. High unemployment in his community of Soshanguve left many young people without purpose. So Boshomane started sharing his skills with them on the weekends, and eventually opened his own training centre. Read Isaac Boshomane's full story...

Hope Abrahams forgot about ballroom dancing before she even signed up for it. When the Grade 1 learner arrived for classes, something else caught her eye. Light sparkled off sequined dresses. White boots marched perfectly in sync. Drum majorettes deftly threw their maizes in the air, catching them with ease as they hurtled back to the ground. One girl in particular stood out. She displayed exceptional skill and courage as she led the team, a smile on her face. Abrahams was captivated, and joined drummies instead. Read Hope Abrahams' full...

Engines roar as jets land and take off from the tarmac. Fatima Jakoet steps into the cockpit, adjusting her hijab and pilot’s cap. To her, this is the sound of adventure. Jakoet used to work as a toxicology and narcotics specialist. But while conducting a drug bust at an airport, she became transfixed by a Boeing 747. The sight flooded her with nostalgia of watching planes cross the sky as a little girl. Jakoet realised that she didn’t want to work alongside the aircraft – she wanted to fly it. But it would take a turbulent ride for her to reach that dream. Read Fatima Jakoet's full story...

Hillbrow is a neighbourhood clouded by misconceptions. It’s had many lives over the years, from being a segregated area during apartheid to becoming the mix of nationalities and cultures it is today. Over time, it has developed a reputation for crime and violence. For Gerard Bester, it’s home. “There are many negative stories about Hillbrow,” he says. Bester uses theatre as a safe space for children to overcome issues they face, such as xenophobia and drug abuse. On stage, they take back the narratives surrounding their town. Read Gerard Bester's full story...