In its first 15 years, the Academy has trained over 320 students, 93% of whom are now employed in conservation work, including guiding, research, and anti-poaching. All students are selected from rural communities, often located near protected areas.

“These students become pioneers in their communities,” says Hannah du Plessis, Camp Coordinator at Tracker Academy. “They go from having few opportunities to becoming breadwinners, role models, and protectors of the land.”

The North West Parks and Tourism Board manages a tapestry of protected areas, each as distinct as the next. Think: Kalahari thornveld at Molopo, rare Magaliesberg wetlands in Kgaswane, the broken topography of Pilanesberg, and camelthorn-studded grasslands at Bloemhofdam. Together, they protect endangered species, fragile ecosystems, and vital ecological processes like predator-prey dynamics and water catchment integrity.

Hydra, in Greek mythology, is a serpentine lake monster eventually slain by Hercules. It was said that when you cut off its head, two would appear in its place. I fear that the prophecy has fulfilled itself for the island. 

Otis is one half of Australian indie-pop duo Royel Otis, best known for their covers of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor and The Cranberries’ Linger, as well as their own hit Oysters in My Pocket. The band recently released their sophomore album, Hickey, which earned them their first Billboard No.1 with the song Moody.

I was thinking about how everyone says we all have groupthink, but what about group talk or group speak—where we all sound the same? And I’m not talking about ChatGPT; it’s more like therapy-speak meets social-justice-speak, where the same slogans and words get repeated in an ever-expanding bubble where everyone thinks they’re clever and saying the right thing, but actually they just sound like everyone else.

We met Eddie and chatted over tapas and drinks for our first-ever in-person Ten Things interview at Espai Puntal in El Born. Eddie runs our favourite burger spot in Barcelona (and the world), Fast Eddie’s. From the Virgin Islands, he arrived in Barcelona about a decade ago, working on yachts by day and in restaurants by night, before swapping the deckhand life for the kitchen.

“Mphathi” derives from the verb “ukuphatha,” meaning “to manage,” “to handle,” or “to rule.” Thus, the name signifies “manager,” “administrator,” or “leader,” often bestowed upon individuals who are expected to exhibit strong leadership qualities or assume positions of responsibility.

Lebo Kekana is a self-taught artist, curator, and gallery director from Johannesburg. In 2020, founded FEDE Arthouse, a nomadic gallery and research-based practice that staged its first exhibition in a Cape Town home (hence the "Arthouse"). FEDE sits at the intersection of art, design, and culture. Soft-spoken, thoughtful, and a natural listener, Lebo brings that same sensitivity into his work and collaborations.

Some thoughts on free speech

An A.I. company that specialises in using real-time data to find underutilised talent and build high-performing teams across global workforces approached us to create attention-grabbing ads specifically targeted at COOs and Managing Directors.

The Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit—the world's first all-women anti-poaching unit—on a video call from the Olifants West Nature Reserve research facility in the Greater Kruger, we spoke to Craig, Collet, and Vongani.

Fran Summers is a Yorkshire-born model who’s graced the covers of British Vogue, Vogue Italia, and American Vogue. She’s walked for Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Prada, Chloé, Burberry, Miu Miu, and Céline, and fronted campaigns for Bottega Veneta, Versace, Marc Jacobs, and more.  But honestly, we’re more impressed by her pool skills.

We met Juan Pescador, a Mexican chef, his partner in business (and life), Oriana Abzueta Unda, who is Venezuelan, and their son, Gael, over lunch at a friend’s house outside the city. They made us an ensalada rusa and a refried bean stew slow-simmered in pork lard, and we were instantly obsessed. Later, we discovered that my surname (Visser) and Juan’s (Pescador) both translate to “fisherman”—destiny (and friendship) sealed. 

Some more words we’ve seen around town recently.

We're honoured to share the second in a series of stories we're writing for Jim Green Footwear as part of their Boots For Rangers initiative, in partnership with Game Rangers' Association of Africa.

Jim Green donates one pair of boots to a ranger for every ten pairs sold from their Ranger range. These boots support conservation teams at sites across Africa, with over 6000 pairs already on the ground.

Some words we’ve seen around town recently.

We're honoured to share the first in a series of stories we're writing for Jim Green Footwear as part of their Boots For Rangers initiative, in partnership with Game Rangers’ Association of Africa.

I’m a big fan of Jana Babez—one of my favourite people and my lockdown housemate during an insanely strict period of South Africa’s lockdown (the selling of alcohol and cigarettes was prohibited). Jana Babez is a Director at Southern Guild Gallery in Cape Town and a Michaelis (UCT) grad who majored in performance art.

We just got married. It rained on the morning of our wedding day…

We should be at Glastonbury with our friends, but instead, we decided to start a business and get married. So here’s a love letter to the festival and everyone there.