Tag Archives: Manhood

IShowSpeed in Africa: The Danger of Internet Idols

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— Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The media is awash with posts of a young man named ‘IShowSpeed’. Presidential motorcades had to be unleashed to accommodate him on his African tour, where he vowed to visit over 20 African countries in a short space of time, with the aim and agenda to show the world that Africa is not as backward or archaic as they presume it to be. 

The allure produced by being in the presence of people of renown is not new to our day. The Queen of Sheba trekked from faraway lands to listen to the wisdom of Solomon in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the adoring crowds heaped praises upon King Herod after he gave a powerful speech. Two thousand years later, who is this man who has gripped the young and old and managed to make them ‘follow’ him whilst he does crazy stunts on his 3-5 hour live-streams? 

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South Africa’s Unemployment Crisis

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— Charles Russell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

According to the recently released quarterly labour force survey, South African unemployment stands at a staggering 33%. Using the expanded definition (i.e., including those who have abandoned their search for employment due to discouragement), the rate is 43%. Nearly 1 in every 2 people looking for a job cannot find one (for the 33% and the 43%).

Not only is this the worst rate in Africa, where the average unemployment is around 9%, but it is also the highest in the world, equal to eSwatini at 34.4% at Dec-24). South Africa is in a crisis.

Before the Christian is tempted to panic, as many of us are, God is still in control – even in this unemployment pandemic.

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Why Boys Matter

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

There are more boys alive today than at any time in human history. Africa, in particular, possesses an army of boys, as it is projected that by 2050, 40% of the world’s children will live in Africa. By 2055, Africa’s child population will reach one billion. By 2050, boys ages 1-18 will account for 1.5 billion of the population, more than the entire world’s population just 200 years ago in 1825. 

Add to this the 21st century’s One-Child policy—which wiped out millions of female births—and it’s clear that boys should be our priority, though not for what they can accomplish at this moment.

Despite most boys being too tender-aged for great exploits, there are outliers. Mozart wrote his first symphony at age eight. Alexander the Great started conquering the world at age eighteen. Both at age nineteen, respectively, the Marquis de Lafayette helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War and Blaise Pascal invented a calculator.  

But the average boy simply needs steady character training today so that he will be of good use tomorrow. Let’s explore some reasons why boys matter. 

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