SOFTCOPY MAGAZINE

Xoli Zondi (right) with her Easy Money onscreen family.  Famous for her enchanting portrayal of the demented Zodwa on SABC1’s soap opera, Generations, the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Drama Production alumna, Xoli Zondi, has bagged a leading role on eTV’s new drama series called Easy Money. The series tells the story of a young teacher who gets involved in pyramid schemes. It was inspired by real life events, now known as the infamous pyramid schemes. “Viewers can expect to see a reflection of our country. People are barely making it and are financially desperate so they find themselves roped into a lot of pyramid schemes camouflaged as investment clubs,” said Zondi. The Hammersdale born actress, who recently tied the knot in a traditional wedding, will be playing the role of a wife and mother called Khosi. She explains her character, “Khosi is a teacher who loves the simple life until she gets lured into a pyramid scheme because her family lands i...

 Nkanyiso Shezi with his onscreen family on SABC 1’s Rented Family.  DUT Drama Production studies alumnus, Nkanyiso Shezi has landed a role on SABC1’s new sitcom, Rented Family. Shezi who graduated during the 2017 Autumn graduation, plays the role of Mzwa, a ghetto cheese boy raised by his father; Muzi (played by Gabriel Mini) a self-made, township rich entrepreneur who has his fingers in many pies. He owns taxis, a chisa nyama, and the biggest house on his street, which he is constantly extending in order to rent out more rooms. Unlike his father, Mzwa is far from a chip off the old block, being lazy and not sharing his father’s hustler spirit. Shezi was offered the role after impressing the casting directors at auditions held at DUT Ritson Campus’ Courtyard Theatre recently. “I was overwhelmed, happy but nervous at the same time. I didn’t know what to expect from set but I’m a team player, so I knew I work well with everyone. I could not wait to start wo...

Photography alumna, Nolita Sinayhakh.   Photography alumna, Nolita Sinayhakh’s, photographic depiction of millennials made it to the top best entries in the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. For the Student Focus Award, Given the brief, ‘Millennial: 53% of millennials would rather lose their sense of smell than their technology ’, photographers were asked to submit images that depicted what they thought it meant to be a millennial. The competition saw a record number of entries from students covering five continents and attending 400 schools worldwide. DUT’s very own, Nolita Sinayhakh, succeeded through with her photograph submission captioned “What is Beauty”. Sinayhakh’s picture for the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. Sinayhakh described her photograph, “The words written on the subjects back shows my perspective of what I attribute physical beauty to. I strongly believe that over the year’s people’s ideals of beauty has been influenced to reach u...

Former Graphic Design student, Thulisizwe Mamba.  Graphic Design graduate, Thulisizwe Mamba has made the Mail and Guardian 200 Young South African Leaders 2017 list. At the age of 22, Mamba has held the DUT flag high with his many achievements as a digital designer and illustrator. Mamba discovered his love for illustration in his high school years and decided to pursue a career in it. “I got interested in digital design and illustration through music. I’d listen to a lot of music and marvel at the track art,” said Mamba. He was owner of a conceptual design studio called Less Studio + Co that ran for almost 3 years and currently is an Art Director at Oglivy- Geometry Global.  His work aims to capture the spirit of South Africa’s youth culture. “My work as a designer and illustrator centres around documenting South African youth culture on the internet and offline. I tasked myself with this duty as I felt no one was documenting what being young in Sout...

UKZN’s Dr Anusharani Sewchurran with FoAD staff and students. A possible collaboration between the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN), College of Humanities and the Faculty of Arts and Design (FoAD) could soon mean a setup of a research team consisting of academics from both the universities. Speaking at the Digital Humanities seminar hosted by FoAD’s Research Office, Dr Maleshoane Rapeane-Mathonsi hinted that a collaboration between the two universities is in the pipeline. “The faculty looks forward to the collaboration with UKZN on Digital humanities research team,” said Rapeane-Mathonsi. The seminar featured UKZN’s Dr Anusharani Sewchurran who expressed her excitement at addressing FoAD’s staff and students.    “I am very pleased to have been presented with the opportunity to share my knowledge about Digital Humanities with students because it is very dear and close to my heart,” said Sewchurran. Dr Sewchurran holds a PhD in Media and Cultural S...

Academic writing specialist, Dr Caroline Goodier and Fine Art lecturer, Greg Streak. Specialist in the field of academic writing, research and education, Dr Caroline Goodier recently held a journal-writing workshop with the Faculty of Arts and Design postgraduate students. The workshop which was aimed at helping students excel in journal writing when at Masters and PhD level of study. Addressing the students, Dr Goodier said a journal article needed not be highly theoretical or entirely original. “It is very important to read previous journals that are related to your idea, so you will know which approach to use and a writer’s attitude towards methods produces an excellent journal article,” she said. Furthermore, Dr Goodier highlighted on common things that journal writers should know before writing their journal and methods to follow. “Journal articles need not be original or focus so much on theory because you will find that if that is how it is written, the en...

Environmental rights activist, Dr Kumi Naidoo (centre) with Chancellor, Judge Vuka Tshabalala, Dr René Smith, Dr Dudu Mzindle and Ayesha Mall.  Durban-born Human and Environmental rights activist, Dr Kumi Naidoo was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Education degree by the Faculty of Arts and Design recently. Dr Naidoo extended his gratitude for the role the university played in his life, at the Faculty’s graduation ceremony held at the Fred Crookes Sport Centre, Steve Biko Campus. “This University played a key role in helping with my education because when I was expelled at the age of 15 and again at the age of 16, I got reinstated again, to finish our matric. We had to do night classes and that time ML Sultan, which is part of DUT, had these night classes for all of us that were expelled from different townships across Durban. During the day so we used to do our political work and come for classes at night. That is how I managed write and finish my matri...