We Should Be Writing

‘Pricey food costs lives’ is a podcast that focuses on wholesale and the sale of fresh produce by various actors in the market ranging from the street vendors to the Joburg Market. The narrator, Malaika Ditabo, explores the effects of climate change, inflation, and unemployment on the general South African population. In this episode salesman & acting manager Prijesh Patel, explains the significance of the market and the impacts of climate change on produce. Derek Swart, a pensioner shares the effects of inflation on his life and businesswoman, Regina Mthimkhulu also speaks on the impact of inflation on her business including her reason for being a street vendor.

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Today we will be unpacking the significance of preserving water. Climate change is a threat to the sustainability of water supply furthermore temperatures continue to increase globally thus causing water to evaporate at a high rate. According to a Green Peace report of 2012, South Africa has insufficient and unreliable rainfall. The country has a mean annual precipitation average of 464 mm/year which is 54% less than the global average of 860mm/per year. American scientist and inventor, Benjamin Franklin once said, “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” Does it have to get to the point here there is little to no water for people to understand the importance of saving water and playing an active role in saving it.

This bonus episode of the We Should Be Writing podcast explores the very present climate crisis and the impact this crisis has on commerce, the environment and people. The host, Tannur Anders, defines “climate change” and considers how South Africa, home to 80% of global platinum group metals (PGMs) reserves, can aid in mitigating this crisis.

Legal and mining experts chip in to explain that the PGMs industry poses potential threats to the environment and communities living near platinum mines. Gilbert Moela, a local of the Monametse Village in Limpopo, shares his experience of what life is actually like, living just one kilometre from the Bokoni Platinum Mine.

You can listen to the We Should Be Writing podcast on your preferred music streaming service. We Should Be Writing is a podcast brought to you by Wits Vuvuzela.

In the sixth and final episode of the 'Confessions' series, we unpack weight and body shaming, as we dissect confession 2216 from UniversityConfessions.za. Here, we discuss and exchange advice that aims to tackle ways to deal with and heal from toxic parenting and harm to self-esteem.

In this episode of We Should Be Writing Season Three, the second episode of the two-part chat cast series, “K-Pop Mania!”, we explore the heart of BTS’s success – its fandom. The fandom, called ARMY, are some of the most dedicated fans around, and fans Omnia Hassan, Bianca Mdhluli and Kiara van Wyk, share their experiences of BTS. You will also get to know the production crew better as we share our fangirl experiences.

Euphoria and Gen Z, in this episode of We Should Be Writing, the Vuvu team has teamed up with UniversityConfessions.za on Instagram, we listen to and unpack confession number 1773 where we have a person reminiscing on how messed up Gen Z is after they finished watching Euphoria. Our hosts take a look at the hit HBO show and attempt to dissect whether it is a true representation of our generation. We discuss our partying pasts or lack thereof and look at the things the generations before us got up to in comparison.

Hello and welcome back season three of “We Should Be Writing”, this season we unpack your scandalous and not so scandalous university confessions in association with University ConfessionsZA on Instagram. In today’s episode we are taking a deep and non-judgmental dive into confession number 2216 which focuses on weight, body image and parenting skills. Hopefully in this episode you can learn a thing or two about money within relationships especially as university student.

In this episode of We Should Be Writing Season Three, we delve into the wonderful world of K-Pop, the South Korean entertainment industry taking the world by storm. This is the first of a two-part chat cast series, “K-Pop Mania!”, where we examine how K-Pop started, how it gained momentum and how it has grown in conjunction with South Korean culture.

Show Notes

You can listen to Wits Vuvuzela’s We Should Be Writing podcast on your preferred music streaming service. 

In this season of our podcast, We Should Be Writing, the Wits Vuvuzela team has partnered with UniversityConfessions.za on Instagram, to explore some of the student confessions posted on their feed. In this episode we listen to and unpack confession number 964 where we have someone putting the Plan B pill in their mother’s morning coffee to avoid having and being a sibling. Our hosts discuss the pro’s the con’s and everything in between when it comes to having siblings or staying an only child. From only child stereotypes, to how traditions and cultures play a role in family building, we cover it all.

On this podcast episode, current female learners and students describe what they can remember being taught about Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and how they translate that into their lived experiences as young adults. Parents also offer their understanding and perspectives on the purpose of CSE.

‘Textbooks, toddlers and tantrums’ is a podcast that explores the intersection of being a student and a parent simultaneously. The narrator, Karabo Mashaba, explains some of the challenges faced by this student demographic. Mbali Mazibuko, a Unisa student and mother to a toddler, explains her story and some of obstacles she has had to endure. Social worker Claudine Ribeiro also offers her insight into some of the psychological implications that this may have on both the student and child.

The covid-19 pandemic has completely changed university student life and culture on campuses, which has taken major social and cultural aspects out of the university experience for current students. In this podcast episode, three university students discuss how the pandemic has affected their personal involvement in student culture over 2021 regarding socialising, joining clubs and societies, and playing varsity sports. Featuring the voices of Roeloff Boettger (Stellenbosch University), Camdon Watson (University of Pretoria) and Chisom Uduezue (Wits University).

Show notes:

The episode looks at South Africa’s tobacco ban during the 2020 covid-19 lockdown. With an array of interviews done, the focus is on behavioural changes, withdrawal symptoms and why it's more difficult to stop smoking when you start at a young age.

In this episode, some first year's from Wits University talk to Wits Vuvuzela journalist, Sumaya Mamdoo, about their day to day life as students who have had an entire academic year off-campus. First years were not able to have a normal university experience during the covid-19 pandemic. Remote learning comes with many consequences such as not being able to interact with people or keeping a strict routine. The group also speaks about working in isolation, pandemic fatigue and seeking mental health support. 

Join Zano Kunene in this podcast episode where fifth-year Wits medicine student Moyo Lawal-Solarin narrates her experiences as a student studying medicine during a pandemic. From the daily fears and anxiety she and her peers had, to the effect working in a hospital has had on her mental health. The hospital is a site that most people want to avoid due to fears around the global pandemic that is, covid-19, but medicine students had no choice but to face the situation head-on for professional practice.

Show notes:

In The Grind Don’t Stop, episode 3 of this season of the We Should Be Writing Season podcast, we discuss ‘Hustle Culture’. This ideology reinforces hard work and no play; a lifestyle of glamour and “trusting the process”, often driven and preached by world-class entrepreneurs, celebrities and influencers. Co-hosts Mhlontlo Geleba and Karabo Mashaba interview Wits University student-entrepreneur and self-acclaimed hustler, Lesego Mpumelelo “Eggboy” Nzuza, who sells eggs to students in and around the bustling streets of Johannesburg, addressing student food insecurity while paying for his tuition fees and groceries. This episode takes on a hybrid format, to inform listeners about the motivational, financial, psychological and other aspects of Hustle Culture, while supplementing and contextualising these concepts with snippets from Lesego’s interview about his own hustle.

Show notes:

Adulting, it does not bang! Welcome to the second episode of the second season of the #WeShouldBeWriting podcast. Our host, Gloria Motsoere asks us tough questions on how we made the transition from being a teenager to a young adult in university. We cover topics such as budgeting and losing friends when everyone is busy. Another topic that was fun to record was that of new-age dating. Join us as we have a friendly conversation with each other about our life experiences and the lessons we have learned from them and hopefully lessons you can learn from us!

Show Notes

In this podcast episode, we delve into the world of social media addiction and how it affects different aspects of our lives. We cover topics such as friendships, mental health, spirituality, finances, and relationships in an engaging chat cast. We also get insight from Fatima, a social worker and founder of the black womxns caucus, into social media addiction in the current climate and how to use it in a healthier way.

Show notes

We're back with another season of We Should Be Writing. In our new season, #teamvuvu 2021 take a deep dive into popular culture through their four-part series. With episodes that deconstruct hustle culture, social media addiction, 'adulting' and even a throwback to trends that took the internet by storm.