Craft is an innovative tool and platform transforming financial management for creative freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. To bring their upskilling techniques to another level, they’ve developed an in-person session as part of their ‘Crafted Conversations’ series—a dynamic workshop designed to inspire, connect, and equip creative creatives and freelancers with essential financial insights.

Following a successful debut in September, the next Crafted Conversations workshop will take place on Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 11:30 – 16:00 at Mamakashaka and Friends in Johannesburg.

The event will be hosted by Bathandwa Ngwendu, also known as Gorgeous Bushman, a renowned storyteller and founder of Maak ‘n Plan. Bathandwa brings his expertise in moderating impactful discussions that uncover each panelist’s unique journey,

making the conversation accessible, engaging, and insightful for freelancers and entrepreneurs aiming to enhance their business skills. His work emphasizes the rich tapestry of South Africa’s diverse heritage, showcasing the beauty and complexity of its people and places.

Crafted Conversations aims to simplify financial management for creatives and gig-workers through interactive, experiential learning. This series offers hands-on advice, personal stories, and valuable insights from leading creative entrepreneurs who have navigated the complexities of building successful careers. November’s workshop will include panel discussions and networking sessions with an impressive lineup of speakers, who will share their journeys, challenges, and strategies that have enabled them to thrive in their creative ventures:

Dr. Anesu Mbizvo and Banesa Tseki, co-founders of The Nest, imagery courtesy of Craft

Anthony Bila: As a visual artist, filmmaker, and creative director for Indie Village, Anthony has worked with top-tier clients such as BMW and Apple. His work has earned him international recognition, with exhibitions spanning Asia, Europe, and the US. His contributions to major publications like Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and T Magazine Highlight his unique approach to storytelling, making him a compelling guide for freelancers seeking to make a lasting impact in the industry.

Mpho Phalane: A self-taught chef and founder of Food, I Love You, Mpho’s journey is one of resilience and transformation. Her culinary space at Constitution Hill reclaims a historic site as a place for community and connection. Mpho’s inspiring story underscores how creativity, purpose, and community can convert challenges into impactful work that resonates with people on a personal level. Mpho Phalane shares a unique perspective on South African cuisine at ‘Food, I Love You’, fostering community through the power of food. She believes in creating spaces for connection, emphasizing that “we need places where there is an element of pause.“

The Nest Space: Co-founded by Dr. Anesu Mbizvo and Banesa Tseki, The Nest Space Yoga Studio and Wellness Center is a trailblazer in inclusive, sustainable living. Committed to decolonizing wellness and promoting conscious lifestyle choices, The Nest Space has garnered recognition from CNN Inside Africa, Netflix, and The Mail & Guardian. They’ll share insights into building a purpose-driven, community-focused wellness business that thrives on inclusivity and sustainability.

At Crafted Conversations, attendees will have the chance to explore how Craft’s suite of digital tools can streamline operations—from invoicing to financial goal setting—freeing up more time for creativity and growth. This workshop series promises an enriching experience for creative entrepreneurs and freelancers, offering practical knowledge, inspiring connections, and guidance from industry leaders. Participate in the workshop on November 30, 2024, for an afternoon of learning, sharing, and growth.

Key Event Details:

Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024

Time: 11:30 – 16:00

Location: Mamakashaka and Friends, Johannesburg

Register for Craft Financial and RSVP for the event here.

Learn more about Craft Financial here.

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Do we really need more newness? The short answer is no. When you think of advancements in technology, overconsumption and consumerism in excess, my guttural response is to shut down. However, if newness is born with a human-centric and strategically sustainable lens, the answer to my question is yes – we need this type of newness. When Margot Molyneux founded Design Week South Africa powered by Yoco, she perhaps unknowingly initiated a wave of creativity which unlocked individual and collective capacity for expansion, for good, which lasted long after the festivities.

We take a tour of some of the highlights from both Johannesburg and Cape Town Design Weeks, which were part of the inaugural fair which ran this October. 

Parklet Cape Town Station, Photography courtesy of the Young Urbanists

Connect Everything Collective Panel Discussion: “Mapping South African Archives For The Future”

On 26 October, CEC hosted a panel discussion as part of Design Week South Africa. With an incredible venue sponsored by Belmond Mount Nelson, it was more than just a conversation on the Mapping of South African Fashion Archives for the Future, but about design and archiving as a means of progress and equity. As we shared in our monthly mailer (subscribe here) and will continue to reiterate: this is our non-negotiable perspective on storytelling – heroing insights from local advocates including Wanda Lephoto, Andile Dlamini, Yamkela Mahlelehlele and Alexa Schempers, in conversation with Holly Beaton and facilitated by the CEC team and Editor in Chief, Candice Erasmus. 

In light of this discussion, Wanda Lephoto shared: “South Africa has a very complex history, how our relationship with each other is very nuanced and we have to take accountability for the shared histories of this place in a way that is very conscious of the kinds of futures we would like to create for ourselves. 

One of the things I believe in is us being brave to confront the uncomfortable conversations about where we are as an industry and where we still need to go and often times we can hide in the shadows of seeming being brave but actually being complicit in the further development of the kinds of new histories we are creating that further contribute the complexity of our situation in this country.

For people, brands and corporates that have huge amounts of resources or access that have created platforms that want to show South African art and design in its best light, sending out invites isn’t enough anymore. An invite without the right kind of access, tools and resources to support the people you have invited isn’t brave, it’s cowardly. We have to start recognizing that in an industry like ours, with the shared histories like ours, not all of us can participate at the same capacity and it’s collectively up to us all to support each other and make efforts to support everyone where their needs need it the most. 

This is very complex and it will take some time to figure out but it has to start and in many ways it already has because we are having the conversation.”

Design Week Joburg Open Street Activation, Imagery courtesy of Design Week South Africa, polaroids by et al studio 

Young Urbanist Discussion: South Africa’s Future Townships, Dunoon, Khayelitsha & Langa

On Friday 25 October, visitors were able to take a tour and observe the community work that was carried out in Dunoon by the Young Urbanists team. Their initiative and focus is to improve housing, reduce waste and tackle the struggles of mobility planning in the city. Dunoon is one of Cape Town’s most rapidly evolving urban areas and the  excursion provided a firsthand look at how public transport connects the city’s centre to lesser developed, fast-growing areas. It was a unique opportunity to engage with the challenges and opportunities of urban development in a space that showcases a mix of formal and informal structures. ​Roland Postma of Young Urbanists shared that the visit, hosted from the international award winning Dunoon Library, was “designed to inspire and inform urban planners, architects, policymakers, and anyone interested in the challenges of sustainable urban growth and development. It’s an opportunity to explore Dunoon’s current landscape while gaining insights into potential future improvements in integrating infrastructure, community spaces, and resource management.” 

Further to the community and social development work Young Urbanist is doing, on Friday 25 October, the event directed towards exploring “South Africa’s Future Public Transportation Interchange: Cape Town Train Station”, was part of Design Week South Africa and Transportation Month. It focused on the R1.5 billion redevelopment of the Cape Town Station Forecourt, exploring the future of transit-oriented development (TOD) and public-private partnerships (PPP). The event looked at the importance of making public transport hubs safe, efficient, and accessible, with Cape Town Train Station serving as a blueprint for future transport interchanges across South Africa.

Roland Postma, founder of Young Urbanist and integral team member of Design Week shared with us about the event, “Design Week South Africa showed the power of design being diverse and versatile, with many overlaps between furniture makers and architects, using design to make South Africa a better place. The other big drawing factor for exhibitors, change-makers, and designers was that instead of being confined to a single building or space, Design Week South Africa took place across Johannesburg and Cape Town, where the public was invited to real spaces by real people solving real issues through design. 

This experience meant better conversations were had, more synergies, and a truly inclusive platform that covered a wide array of design sectors. In Johannesburg, we got to see the future South African neighbourhood with no walls and streets for people, not private cars that boasted big economic returns in Rosebank by Intraprop. 

Whereas in Cape Town, we saw the City of Cape Town’s modular, state-of-the-art library in the heart of the Dunoon Township, talks about how Urban-Think Tank Empower is upgrading Khayelitsha Site C with new housing and public spaces, new third spaces like the modular parklet at the Cape Town Precinct by Flatrock Studio, and experienced a car-free Bree Street on the last day of Design Week.”

Soweto Caracas Community Centre, Render Courtesy of Urban Think Tank

“Museum of the Brave” by Yoco

Over the past ten years, Yoco has celebrated the courage of business owners – the people who’ve taken bold steps to follow their dreams, transforming their ideas into thriving businesses. To mark this ten-year journey, Yoco, in collaboration with Design Week, created “The Museum of the Brave”, an installation at OnePark, which ran from 24-26 October. The immersive exhibition that brings to life the stories of courage and determination that define the journey of business owners. Seeing the face of an entrepreneur, picking up the telephone and hearing their story is an inspiring way to acknowledge what is possible when supporting small businesses.

‘The Travelling Eye’ Exhibit at The Manor 

The first night of the Joburg leg of Design Week South Africa (Thursday 10 October) kicked off with a store activation and a Beijing Opera dinner celebration at 44 Stanley’s The Manor. Including an in-store and window activation that featured local brands and curated artworks, the event was put together, and hosted, by the teams at The Manor and Lookbook’s House and Leisure. 

‘The Traveling Eye’ at The Manor, Photography by Thabo Mthombeni

Further highlights and exhibitions show how an entire design community was able to plugin to the platform created by Design Week. To mention a few: (but this is by no means an exhaustive list), the ‘African Chair’ exhibition, a collaboration between House and Leisure and interior architect Marlon James; Demo Projects in collaboration with The MAAK showcased “Clay, Library, Land Studies” which was a cross-disciplinary exhibition told through the lens of a new library being built in District 6; ‘BROKEN PEOPLE FIXED POSITIONS,’ by Kooooooos and Ex.Hotel; and an in-store summer refresh at 43 Bree by Klûk CGDT. Wunders exhibited the products and artworks of their ‘Waste Workshop’, where local artists and creatives upcycled waste in collaboration with breakroom. Et al. studio curated ‘Some Things’ Exhibition with a range of local designers and artists at Gorgeous George Hotel. Brands and designers, such as Hoi P’loy, Cape Cobra and N I S H, each launched brand new products and collections over the weekend. 

We encourage you to explore what each brand and creative began over this week and show continued support for their development. This week of activities, activations and showcases lives on and proves what can be done, that design is not limited or exclusive, that more can indeed be more – towards betterment.

A huge congratulations to each collective, the individuals who participated and facilitated – wrapped up in the generosity of funders and sponsors. Time to start that project for Design Week 2025. 

Written by: Grace Crooks

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

When I was 11 years old at a small girls’ school in Cape Town, we had a ‘lifestyle day’ for the grade 5, 6, and 7 students. For this event, various teachers offered mini classes on self-care and hygiene habits. In retrospect, I think it was a thoughtful way to impart valuable tools to us, especially for students who, perhaps due to their home circumstances, might not have been aware of such. I was chosen as the class volunteer to demonstrate a simple skincare routine: cleanse, tone, and moisturise, and it’s suffice to say — I’ve never looked back and maintaining some kind of routine has felt as critical for my existence as drinking water or eating food.

It’s interesting to look back on this moment, in the context of researching this piece and understanding just how instinctively young girls are socialised to prioritise skincare and beauty — even in the most noble, helpful pursuits by a group of well-meaning, female teachers. The expectation is embedded so deeply that it feels non-negotiable; we grow up understanding these routines as ‘self-care,’ essential acts tied to our sense of worth and identity. 

Caring for oneself is framed as fundamental to our being, making these routines feel less like choices and more like intrinsic responsibilities. This idea connects self-care to our very core, subtly reinforcing that, with these actions, we’re both caring for our skin *and* validating our place in the world. The girlies know (even my husband knows, too, thanks to my encouragement of his own simple routine) just how invigorating and livening it feels to purchase, arrange and apply skincare products. But like everything in this deeply consumerist culture founded on excess, skincare and the pressures of the pursuit of perfect skin, largely implored by the internet and beauty influencers, can become a dangerous obsession. We’re witnessing this occur in leaps and bounds.

‘Injectables’ photographed by Cottonbro, via Pexels

The beauty industry’s relentless marketing machine whose legions of influencers, all touting the perfect skin with each new product in an effort to gather us all in the pursuit of perfect skin, features, and body, has given rise to a troubling new term: dermorexia. Hesitantly coined by beauty journalist Jessica DeFino in her Substack newsletter The Review of Beauty, Jessica writes that, “ I previously used the term ‘dermorexia’ to describe a number of obsessive behaviours enabled and encouraged by the skincare industry today: teens devising multi-step anti-aging routines for fear of future wrinkles; adults going into debt to needle and laser their faces; a frantic, cross-generational preoccupation with retinoids and acids and glazing. I hesitated to suggest such an illness-coded word at first, but as Clein said in an interview for Mental Hellth, “it’s useful to have diagnostic categories so that people can get medical care.” And in the case of disordered skincare use, medical care is sometimes necessary; many of the above behaviours negatively affect skin health and mental health, especially for younger users.” 

It’s important to note that ‘dermorexia’ is a cultural term at this stage and in using it as a term, sensitivity must be practised in terms of its association to very complex bio-psychosocial disorders such as anorexia. 

The rise of such a term captures a growing obsession with skincare that is transforming once-healthy routines into compulsive, sometimes harmful rituals. While these routines may initially yield visible results, they often become insatiable, fueling an endless cycle of insecurity masked as self-care. This cycle can lead to damaged skin barriers, near-fatal allergic reactions, and psychological impacts that leave us feeling isolated and never fully content in our own skin – with every fix and trick meant to become the very thing that will reveal the most idealised, perfect version of ourselves. Our self-esteem is always under scrutiny and that’s not to mention the financial impact of buying things we can’t afford (racking up debt for costly procedures, too).

I can relate, given how often I’ve asked an aesthetician if I’m a candidate yet for treatments like PRP Vampire Facials or Sculptra—or the fact that I once went on an active-ingredient spending spree with niacinamide, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid that nearly destroyed my skin barrier. PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Vampire Facials involve using your own blood’s plasma to promote collagen production and skin rejuvenation, promising smoother, more youthful-looking skin. Sculptra, on the other hand, is an injectable that stimulates collagen growth gradually, aiming to restore volume and reduce wrinkles over time. Both treatments, known for their natural-looking results, highlight our push toward increasingly complex—and costly—solutions in the pursuit of so-called ‘perfect’ skin.

‘Skin Deep’ photographed by Daniel Farò, via Death to Stock

There’s a fine line between diligent skincare and dependency, one that the beauty industry often blurs with clever marketing. By constantly introducing new products, driven by science, and encouraging multi-step routines the industry drives an insatiable need for ‘more’. There’s what you should be doing at home – 6 to 12 steps and no less – to the constant rotation of appointments at aestheticians, facialists and so on.  Exclusive ‘must-haves,’ and intricate product layering fuel the promise of perfection, and somehow leave many of us constantly feeling as though our current routine is always incomplete. Rather than promoting balance, these practices reinforce a cycle of dependency, in which skincare can become less about care and more about keeping up with an ever-evolving standard. 

As evidenced by the ‘Sephora Tween’ phenomena, the age at which this is occurring is becoming younger and younger; with Parija Kavilanz writing for CNN that, “tweens are obsessed with skincare. Their curiosity for all kinds of creams, gels, face masks and facial peels has even earned them a viral moniker: “Sephora Kids,’ and skincare experts are applauding the fact that kids as young as eight years old appear to be invested in taking care of their skin. The evidence is all over social media. At the same time, they’re concerned these young consumers are going about it in a risky way – from what they are buying to where they are buying it – and causing unnecessary damage such as rashes, allergic reactions and even skin burns.” 

Can’t a girl just have a childhood, free of the onslaught of self-perception? 

A few months ago, I sought out my darling friend and founder of skincare studio Edra, Liana Colvin, to help me with the weight of choice and lack of direction I felt with my skin. I had been told by a few specialists that I had what appeared to be mild rosacea – a chronic skin condition that primarily affects the face, characterised by redness, visible blood vessels – which I’d always put down to being a redhead with a natural ‘red’ undertone. Liana has been on her own journey to heal years-long, debilitating acne and found herself, too, overwhelmed and lacking actual help available. She has developed Edra as a resource and service that cuts through the noise and strips away the pretens around skincare and while not intended as medical advice, Liana’s help with a few adjustments to my products and routine, has been some of the most help I’ve had in years with my skin. “In my opinion, skincare solutions don’t begin with getting the most expensive or newest products,” Liana says, “in fact, I usually suggest people cut down on products. If your skin is inflamed or breaking out, adding too many products will likely aggravate it more. Sometimes, it’s just a few ingredients your skin doesn’t like, but often there’s a deeper issue. If your skin is a ‘problem,’ it’s giving you information about what’s happening in your body. It’s asking you to take a look at your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.”

In a culture of excess, even wellness is not immune, as the wellness industry has spawned its own medicalized term: ‘orthorexia’, which describes an obsession with health and wellness that can lead to disorder. I asked Liana about how she has approached finding healthy boundaries in her journey to transform her skin and her relationship with it, to which Liana says, “for me, the journey to healthier skin began with looking inward. I had an unhealthy relationship with myself, food, and exercise—I was so out of touch with what my body was asking for, jumping from one fad to the next, like kale and running (which I actually hate). I’ve learned to trust my gut; my body intuitively knows what it needs, and since I started listening, a lot has improved. You don’t need the trendiest products—just a few essentials, like an antioxidant, sunscreen, and retinoid. You don’t need the most expensive oil or cleanser, just ones with balanced pH that avoid harsh fillers and sulphates.”

Recent films like The Substance, featuring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, portray deeply problematic issues surrounding ageing and beauty standards in Hollywood—standards that, as we’ve seen with the ‘Kardashian era,’ quickly permeate the wider culture. The story follows Elisabeth Sparkle, who, on her 50th birthday, is abruptly dismissed from her long-running aerobics show due to her age. Following a car accident, she encounters a black market serum called ‘The Substance,’ which allows her to transfer her consciousness into a younger version of herself, leading to relentless and horrifying consequences. 

As Bee Beardsworth discussed in her piece for Dazed titled ‘We Are Entering the Undetectable Era of Beauty,’ the recent comeback of Christina Aguilera, with seemingly 20 years shave off her physical age, demonstrates a shift that we are entering even more unchartered territory with beauty. As it turns out, many of these supposed procedures are skincare related — with Bee writing that, “Responsible for this move towards work becoming “undetectable”, Dr Trapathi explains, is a shift of focus towards skincare, with cutting-edge procedures like growth factors revolutionising the technology. “Growth factors used to be something we would get from our patient’s blood, but now we’re able to source them from things like bone marrow, umbilical cords, and are even bioengineering them in the lab. These treatments can dramatically improve the ageing process of the skin. It’s taking the aesthetic skin world to an entirely new level.” Dr Trapathi says that his assumption is that, rather than going under the knife, everyone in Hollywood is getting continuous skin treatments. “These skin boosters, skin treatments, growth factors, all of that stuff, they’re just readily available at their fingertips with little downtime.”

It will be harder and harder to find balance as we quantum-leap in advancements; and who’s to say this is even a bad thing? We are at the precipice of great change as a species, with some people even proposing that we will start to live much longer as a result of our scientific and technological revolution. The point is that we’re aware of the relationship of our actions and behaviours in relation to ourselves; does our skin care routine amplify our everyday experience and are we making safe choices? Do our skin appointments truly help us? Only we can determine that for each of ourselves — and if you ever get irritated with the ceaseless pull of the skincare industry, just know that you’re not alone. As Liana points out, “I truly believe this hyper-focus on our appearance creates a void designed to never be filled. Don’t try to fill it. Focus instead on connecting to your lifeforce—your body, your mind, and your connections with others. There are far more important things in life than what we look like. Healthy skin is necessary, and it can tell us a lot about our health, sometimes even indicating underlying chronic issues. But the industry has taken something valuable and turned it into a new unhealthy obsession.”

Featured image: “The Substance” Licenced by Alamy 

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za