Author: Ruda Landman
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A life of dreams and drama for Kim Cloete, the troubled teenage runaway who became a TV star
Growing up as a bright and ambitious child in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, Kim Cloete had her future all figured out.
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Laughing through lockdown with Schalk Bezuidenhout, SA’s seriously funniest man
Schalk Bezuidenhout is the kind of comedian who makes you laugh before he even opens his mouth.
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Faith, Hope, & Fighting Covid: Iman Rappetti’s epic journey of change & discovery
Her name, in Arabic, means “faith”, a testament to her life-changing decision to embrace a culture and religion different to her own, in a land far away from the comforts of home.
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How Liezel van der Westerhuizen turned a lofty jibe into a tall story of fame & success
With her natural loftiness accentuated by a pair of high heels, Leizel van der Westhuizen, MC, public speaker, radio and TV presenter, and entrepreneur, was hard to miss at the high-society party. But when a newspaper columnist called her a “giraffe” in his report, she was hurt at first, having been teased for her tallness…
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The amazing story of Marlene Le Roux, the Wellington Meisie who was able to rise above
“Krippel Marlenetjie,” they called her, in the township where she grew up, outside Wellington in the winelands of the Cape. Little crippled Marlene.
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How Zola Nene, the Law-School Dropout, found the Love of Her Life in the Kitchen
Arguing came naturally to Zola Nene as a child, so, naturally, when she went to university, she studied law.
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Aimee Barrett-Theron, the shy little girl who grew up to be an Olympic rugby ref
Aimee Barrett-Theron was 12 years old, watching the Sydney Olympics on TV, when she turned to her mom and said: “One day, I’m going to be there.” Never underestimate the power of a childhood dream, especially when it’s expressed as a goal.
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Jonathan Kaplan, SA’s best-loved whistle-blower, on the agonies and joys of life after the game
It’s the loneliest position on a rugby field. In the heat of the battle, surrounded by opposing forces whose mission is to storm and conquer, the referee must maintain law and order with sharp eyes, deep knowledge, swift reflexes, intense fitness, and a skin thick enough to withstand a barrage of catcalls from the crowd. …
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SA’s empress of hype spills the beans on the art and science of going viral
Hype is the art of whipping up interest, stirring up buzz, concocting the fusion of elements that conspire to make a person, a brand, an event or a trend worth talking about in the public arena. In the always-on age of social media, the quest is to achieve the level of instant, fleeting fame –…
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The constantly busy life of SA’s number one champion of arts and letters
Art is long, the ancient Romans used to say; life is short. Proof of this can be found in the abundant statues and frescoes you can still find in Rome, left over from those imperial days, while you’ll battle to find any actual ancient Romans. In Africa, birthplace of humanity, the evidence of art’s longevity…