Gauteng

Alain Proust/Hidden Pretoria Johan Swart, University of Pretoria Apart from Pretoria’s legacy of grand institutional buildings, South Africa’s capital city and historical seat of the apartheid government, also contains some unique architectural masterpieces that have been built and cared for by various religious communities. These buildings reflect the stories, traditions and resilience of diverse community groups. Also made visible are the precarious conditions that have threatened the conservation of these special places over time. And the continuous efforts of community groups to preserve their buildings and their cultural identities. A number of these sites have recently been documented by architect Johan Swart and photographer Alain Proust in a publication called Hidden Pretoria. This is an edited extract from the book. Among a variety of remarkable religious buildings in Pretoria’s inner city are the likes of the iconic Gereformeerde Kerk Pretoria …

Two young women from Laudium have won high-profile international accolades for their exemplary skills and entrepreneurship this week. They are Rabia Ghoor and Sumayya Vally. Beauty products businesswoman, Rabia Ghoor, received the Forbes Woman Africa ‘Young Achievers’ Award for 2021, while architect Sumayya Vally, was pne of those featured in the 2021 Times100 list that acknowledges leaders who are shaping the future. Rabia Ghoor is a 21-year-old entrepreneur and Sumayya Vally 30-year-old architect respectively. Swiitch Beauty – Rabia Ghoor Ghoor’s award was announced during a virtual Forbes summit to celebrate African women leaders. Especially those who are committed to economic and social transformation on the continent. Ghoor started ‘Swiitch Beauty’, her make-up and skincare online beauty store at just 14. She dropped out of school two years later to concentrate full-time on the business. She was inspired after she identified …