News

When Crime Falls, But Women Are Still Not Safe

South Africa should welcome every reduction in violent crime. When carjackings decline, when robberies decrease and when fewer people are murdered, these are not statistics to dismiss. They represent people who may have been spared trauma, injury, loss and, in some cases, death. The latest South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, covering April to June 2026, show encouraging declines in several serious contact crimes. Carjackings, residential robberies, business robberies and robbery with aggravating circumstances all recorded decreases. Murder also declined by 5.9%, from 5,770 to 5,427 cases. (South African Police Service; IOL, 28 August 2026)

Pouring From a Full Cup: Women, Collaboration and the Power of Finding Your Voice

Soul City Institute at the South African Chefs Association Women in Culinary Conference There are moments when a conference becomes more than a gathering. It becomes a space to listen, reflect, connect and be reminded of what is possible when women come together. Soul City Institute was proud to attend the South African Chefs Association Women in Culinary Conference, a powerful platform celebrating women across the culinary and hospitality sector. Our CEO, Phinah Kodisang, was part of the panel conversation on “Pouring From a Full Cup”, exploring the importance of wellbeing, leadership, purpose and creating space for others while navigating our own journeys.

SOUL CITY RETURNS AFTER 12 YEARS WITH A NEW GENERATION OF TALENT IN SOUL CITY: LET’S RISE

A new generation takes centre stage as the iconic Soul City returns to SABC1 with five young women navigating love, ambition, power, identity and the realities facing young South Africans today. After a 12-year absence from South African television, the iconic Soul City drama is returning to screens with a bold new generation and a powerful new story. Soul City: Let's Rise premieres on SABC1 on Sunday, 30 August 2026 at 19:30, marking the return of one of South Africa's most influential entertainment-education television brands. Soul City Institute unveiled the new series today at a special media launch at The Bioscope in Milpark, Johannesburg, attended by media, funders, sponsors, government partners and other stakeholders. Guests were introduced to the new cast and treated to a special screening of the first episode, followed by a panel discussion exploring the stories, themes and social issues at the heart of the series. At the centre of Soul City: Let's Rise are five young women whose lives intersect as they navigate the hopes, pressures and contradictions of growing up in Katlehong Township. They dream of education, successful careers, love, independence and better lives. But along the way, they encounter relationships and systems in which money, status, gender, culture, faith and influence can be used to limit their choices and exercise power over them. Their journeys explore what happens when young women begin to recognise that what they have been taught to accept as normal may not always be healthy and what becomes possible when they find the courage to choose differently. Through their friendships, families and community, Soul City: Let's Rise tells a story not only about the dangers young women face, but about their agency, resilience and power to shape their own futures.

Freedom Is Not an Anniversary: What Women's Month Must Confront

Every August, South Africa turns its gaze to the women who marched on the Union Buildings in 1956, and rightly so. Their courage reshaped what was politically thinkable in this country. But sixty-nine years later, commemoration without honesty has become a kind of national anaesthetic — a ritual that allows us to feel the warmth of history while looking away from the cold facts of the present. So let us, for once, be honest. Too many South African women are still not free.

Soul City’s Dumisani Dlamini proves why CSI deserves a place on every CFO's balance sheet

Soul City CFO Dumisani Dlamini believes corporate social investment should be measured by lasting social impact, not just money spent. Drawing on first-hand experiences from communities across South Africa, he explains why CFOs must look beyond the balance sheet and treat CSI as a strategic investment in sustainable change.

We May Be African Ladies, But Above All We Are Human Beings": Thabazimbi Dialogue Calls for Dignity, Justice and Access to Services

Thabazimbi, Limpopo | 16 July 2026 We may be African Ladies, but above all we are human beings. These powerful words echoed throughout a community dialogue in Thabazimbi, where African Ladies, government leaders, civil society organisations and community stakeholders came together to discuss health, human rights, safety and access to essential services. Hosted under the Karabelo GBV Response Programme, supported by SIOC Community Development Trust, the dialogue created a safe space for African Ladies to share their lived experiences, raise concerns and engage directly with decision-makers. The event reaffirmed that meaningful change begins when communities are listened to and included in shaping the solutions that affect their lives.

Soul City Institute Joins National Dialogue on Human Rights, Health, Safety, and Economic Empowerment of Sex Workers in Thabazimbi

Johannesburg, South Africa – Led by the National Department of Health (NDoH) and supported by SIOC-CDT through the Karabelo GBVF response programme, Soul City Institute (SCI) will join government departments, civil society organisations, development partners, healthcare professionals, social workers, human rights advocates, and representatives of sex worker-led organisations at the Dialogue on Human Rights, Health, Safety, Access to Services, and Economic Empowerment of Sex Workers, taking place on 16 July 2026 in Thabazimbi, Limpopo.