When 26-year-old Shacky called his friend at midnight from a Johannesburg park, he was ready to end it all. For years, both young men had carried their struggles in silence—unemployment, family pressure, and the weight of being told to “man up” no matter what. But that night changed their friendship forever. In this deeply personal story, 23-year-old reporter Kabir Jugram explores what happens when South Africa’s sky-high youth unemployment meets the toxic expectation that men must suffer alone. ________Support the work of Radio Workshop by donating today.
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Young Africa. One story at a time.
Forget the Africa you think you know. This is Radio Workshop.
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This is Radio Workshop
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Zim's Got Talent
At just 21, Linda Mudzenda carried the hopes of Zimbabwe—and much of Africa—onto the Britain's Got Talent stage. Her show-stopping vocal performance earned her the Golden Buzzer, but it also represented something bigger: African talent claiming its place on the global stage. We sat down with Linda to hear her story and what this breakthrough means for her future.Show Notes:Sign up for Radio Workshop’s newsletter on Substack, and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.Support the work of Radio Workshop by donating today.Acknowledgements:Luminate, the Constitutionalism Fund, the Shin Creek Trust, the Anne Levy Charitable Trust, the SCP Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Pam and Bill Michaelcheck. Special thanks to Rob Byers, and to Hindenburg for supporting our projects across Africa with audio editing software.
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Adulthood is Knocking
The clock is ticking for 17-year-old Nonhlanhla Mashabana. For months, she’s buried herself in her textbooks. Now, instead of enjoying her matric dance like any teenager should, she can't shake her anxiety about the make-or-break final exams. They're just weeks away. In South Africa, the odds are against her: just 12 out of every 100 students who start Grade 1 will ever reach university. As Nonhlanhla prepares for her greatest challenge yet, the question is: Can she overcome a broken education system, or will it bring her down with it? Show Notes This is episode two of a series from Radio Workshop that explores the transition to higher education in South Africa. Listen to Episode One, Finding the Right Words.Support the work of Radio Workshop by donating today.Sign up for Radio Workshop’s newsletter on Substack, and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.Sources: Youth Capital Education BriefPublic Servants Association of South Africa - Fixing Higher Education in South AfricaBusiness Tech - University FeesStats SA - Income and Expenditure SurveyNews24 - Campus crisis: 337 158 matrics qualify for university admission but there are only 202 000 placesAcknowledgements:Luminate, the Constitutionalism Fund, the Shin Creek Trust, the Anne Levy Charitable Trust, the SCP Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Pam and Bill Michaelcheck. Special thanks to Rob Byers, Clotilde Angelucci at Youth Capital, and to Hindenburg for supporting our projects across Africa with audio editing software.
Forget the Africa you think you know. This is Radio Workshop. With real stories about young Africans. From Freetown to Cape Town, hear the world’s youngest population. One story at a time.
South Africa