South Africa's history is rich with pivotal activists who shaped its path to democracy. Today, the call for activism rings louder than ever. Join us in this episode as we engage with Tessa Dooms, an esteemed activist and author. Discover her insights on the South African voter, the essential ingredients for change, the hurdles we face, and much more. Tune in for a compelling discussion on the state of activism in South Africa.

Eswatini, formerly, Swaziland, is ruled by an absolute monarch, and has been under a state of emergency since 1973, when a decree was issued to ban all forms of political activism. It essentially banned the recognition of human rights, such as the freedom of expression, freedom of association, eg, all media is state-controlled. Thank goodness for social media and the internet! Political parties are banned, and the elections that take place, are cosmetic, the King controls parliament and government. Mary Pais is a leading activist for the democratisation of Eswatini, she shares her journey, progress being made to lobby for democracy, in a time when many political activists are fearing for their safety and lives.

On 29 May 2024, South Africa holds its' seventh democratic election, that marks 30 years of democracy. The country is at its most unequal, with a barely stagnant economy, and extremely high unemployment rate. In this episode we speak to two women from political parties that will be contesting elections for the first time. Ntombenhle Khathwane, speaks to Gugu Ndima from Rise Mzansi, and Kathryn Berman from Build One South Africa (BOSA), on the state of the political space for women in this election cycle.