LocalPlaces

LocalPlaces - Johannesburg & Cape Town. Explore and learn with us.

[Wandile Mthiyane @wandileubuntu]

In almost every city I’ve walked through, I’ve tried to meet the mayor. And almost every time, I’ve been bumped.

Not in Swellendam.

The Mayor of Swellendam cleared his entire afternoon to sit down with me and have an honest conversation about housing.

We spoke about the housing challenges facing the municipality, where they’ve made progress, where they can improve, and how Ubuntu Home could support the implementation of the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP).

One thing we both agreed on is the urgent need for a digital housing registry. People deserve to know where they are on the housing waiting list, be able to update their details, and have greater transparency in the process.

We also spoke about a difficult reality: government simply doesn’t have enough money to build a house for everyone. But government can provide serviced land, and platforms like Ubuntu Home can help people design, plan, finance, and build homes of their own. That combination could unlock dignity, ownership, and faster housing delivery across South Africa.

Before leaving, the Mayor gifted me a Swellendam umbrella and promised to introduce me to the Mayor of Cape Town (@geordinhl) so we can continue the conversation about how technology and innovation can help bridge Cape Town’s housing deficit.

We also discussed the story of the gentleman I met whose home was flattened by the recent storms. I’m grateful that James, a Harvard alumnus who hosted me in Swellendam and arranged this meeting, will be following up with the Rotary Fund to help ensure he receives the support he needs.

This walk started as a journey to raise funds for Harvard and advocate for housing. Along the way, it has become something more. It has become a series of conversations with South Africans from every walk of life about what it will take to build a more dignified future.

Thank you, Swellendam. 🇿🇦❤️

#WalkToHarvard #UbuntuHome #HousingForAll #Swellendam #EPHP

[Wandile Mthiyane @wandileubuntu]

Today I met a pensioner in Seabrook whose home was completely destroyed by the storms three weeks ago.

His furniture is gone. His house is flattened.

But he can't stop to rebuild because he still has to go to work. Weekends are the only time he gets to slowly put his home back together.

This is why I'm walking 1,600km from Durban to Cape Town and why I built Ubuntu Home.

Housing isn't just about buildings.
It's about dignity.
It's about safety.
It's about opportunity.

Today we're meeting with the Mayor of Swellendam to explore solutions and help families like his access housing support and future subsidies.

No one should have to rebuild their life alone.

Link in bio to support the journey. ❤️🇿🇦

#WalkToHarvard #UbuntuHome #HousingForAll #SouthAfrica #AffordableHousing #ClimateChange #HousingCrisis #DignityForAl

[welearnSA @welearnSA]

She Held Citizenship and Passports from Nine (9) Different Countries.

​When the apartheid government officially revoked her South African citizenship and banned her records in 1960, they attempted to render her a stateless person without a home or a voice. The international community responded with a stunning act of solidarity. To ensure she could travel the world freely as an ambassador of liberation, nine different countries, including Guinea, Algeria, Ghana, Belgium, and Cuba, granted her honorary citizenship. She traveled internationally carrying multiple diplomatic passports, effectively operating as a citizen of the world.

[MaMhlanga Nompumelelo @Mpumiln]

From Soweto to Pretoria. Oh wow, what a save. We need more trains 🙏🏾

[History ZAR @HistorySAZAR]

Miriam Makeba celebrates first visit to Cape Town after exile, c 1992. Credit: Steve Gordon

[Geordin Hill-Lewis @geordinhl]

WATCH: I celebrate Lungelwa Ciliba, a librarian at Dunoon library, and many others like her - dedicated, passionate staff members who are committed to making Cape Town the City of Hope.

This is a wonderful video testament to her work. 📚👏

[🎶𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 ✨ @Old_But_Gold50s]

Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest duets of all time, this 1987 archival footage from Ibiza captures the iconic song "Barcelona." It stands as a vivid testament to the perfect fusion of Montserrat Caballé’s sublime operatic vocals and Freddie Mercury’s captivating stage presence—a masterpiece that left an indelible mark on music history and went on to become the official and defining anthem of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

[Wandile Mthiyane @wandileubuntu]

Hey @RassieRugby 🇿🇦

I'm Wandile Mthiyane, an architect and Obama Leader currently walking 1,200km from Durban to Cape Town to advocate for affordable housing.

We'll finish in Khayelitsha, helping families rebuild storm-damaged roofs with the Ekhaya Elisha community.

If you're available, it would be an honour to have you walk the final kilometre with us. 🏠🚶🏾‍♂️

#WalkFor

[Wandile Sihlobo @WandileSihlobo]

https://t.co/aUvRmzdFjN

[Helen Zille @helenzille]

Here I explain why the Joburg Budget is a fairy-tale. You need to know when a pie from the sky hits you in the face.

https://t.co/6qFHujHXul

[Cindy Poluta @CindyPoluta]

Guys. Can we just go back to humans creating posters on Canva.

I can’t do these AI posters anymore…. please stop. Honestly.

[Cape {town} Etc @CapeTownEtc]

A 46-year-old resident of Strand, has regained the ability to walk independently after undergoing a pioneering bilateral osseointegration procedure at Tygerberg Hospital:
https://t.co/PbUpbKwO0N

[Tiempo De Tenis @Tiempodetenis1]

Presten atención al saludo de Djokovic con Fonseca.

Nole perdió luego de ir 2-0 en sets y tras casi 5 horas, pero se toma todo el tiempo del mundo para abrazarlo y felicitarlo.

Estos son los gestos que lo hacen el mejor de todos.

❤️🥹

[History ZAR @HistorySAZAR]

June 16: A photographer in a police helicopter captured this view of the student's march, before the shooting started. Source: Doing Violence to Memory - The Soweto Uprising

[The Tennis Letter @TheTennisLetter]

THE MOMENT JOÃO FONSECA BEAT NOVAK DJOKOVIC AT ROLAND GARROS.

The first teenager to ever beat Novak in a Grand Slam.

And he did it on his mom’s birthday.

We just had a front row seat to history.

The superstar has arrived.

🇧🇷🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[Geordin Hill-Lewis @geordinhl]

Extraordinary. Important to read.

[Wandile Sihlobo @WandileSihlobo]

The EU was South Africa's second-largest agricultural market, accounting for 26% of exports.

Grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, wine, apples and pears, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangos, fruit juices, sugar, nuts, and citrus juices were amongst the primary agricultural products South Africa exported to the EU in the first quarter of 2026.

South Africa's agricultural exports totalled US$3.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 11% from the same period a year ago.

[Cape {town} Etc @CapeTownEtc]

American skateboarder Jason Vanporppal has announced he is leaving South Africa after completing his 5,500km skate from Uganda to Cape Town:
https://t.co/LWOLhShiyY

[Runner's World @runnersworld]

Eliud Kipchoge has shifted from elite marathoning to being an ambassador for the sport and "inspiration." Among those inspired by him to run 26.2 miles? His wife, Grace Sugut.

Sugut completed her first marathon at Sunday’s Cape Town Marathon in South Africa. She crossed the finish line in a time of 4:29:59, placing 2,353 out of the 6,914 women in the Cape Town field, and was met by Eliud at the finish with a hug.

https://t.co/wcZm2kWzcA

[Jordan Griffiths @JordiGriff]

Is this some kind of sick joke? How can you switch streetlights off that are never on?!🤣🤣🤣