Manned Up Conversations

Send us Fan Mail In our latest episode, we close off with a conversation with Anele Ndlovu, a women's leadership and mental health advocate who also runs an engaging platform "The Tea with Anele Ndlovu." We catch up after several interactions since her first men's mental health event in November 2022 to learn about her journey with mental health resulting from a job loss which...

Send us Fan Mail The theme for the 16 Days of Activism Campaign for 2023 is: “Accelerating actions to end gender-based violence & femicide: leaving no one behind” it is in this light that we share our first episode highlighting men's violence against women and children with Australian Professor, Michael Flood.  We explore the framing of violence against women and how men interpret these m...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 53, we connect with Mesh Kekana to talk about the journey of his organization Dads In The Picture. We also explore how boys are being raised differently from girls in the home and the importance of teaching boys skills that enable them to take care of their own home and families. Mesh also questions some of the statements made about fathers involvement in their child li...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 52, we connect with David Miller to explore his work on the relationship between black fathers and daughters. Some of the key talking points in this conversation include the marginalization of black fathers, creating opportunities and space for bonding through various activities for fathers to get to know their daughters likes and dislikes, the impact of absent fathers...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 51, we take a deep dive into the world of the masculine archetypes with Ruwan Meepagala. We unpack his journey into coaching, navigating the seemingly saturated coaching space, his learnings as a new father and how that impacts on his coaching conversations.  Ruwan also shares how he ended up in a cult and highlights the good and potential dangers of heading down that p...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 50, we celebrate another milestone episode in line with 50 years of Hip Hop. Joining me to reflect on lessons, experiences and how Hip Hop impacts it's participants and followers, I'm joined by legendary producer Nyambz. We discuss the collaborative approach to creating music, his decision to not partake in the drugs and supporting for a friend who is dealing...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 49, we reconnect with Melusi Tshabalala for a follow up episode since we covered his book Magenge, We Need To Talk . In this episode we learn about his entrepreneurial journey with Gogo Magic Family Eatery and his vision creating culturally appropriate spaces for African people to enjoy food while gathering with family, fixing yourself before fixing others, being raised...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 48, we explore a life of imperfection with Mrs South Africa 2023 finalist, Nekisha Lupke. Nekisha takes us through her childhood in Durban where she witnessed violence, abuse in different forms and how this experience impacted her mental health.  We talk about pretty privilege and being bullied in school because of the dark colour in comparison to the children in her ne...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 47  we touch base and connect with author of Monring Thoughts By Zibuse Kunene . Zibuse describes how sharing empowering words on WhatsApp and social media grew into a huge community of people who looked forward to starting their day.  We talk about the value of having a morning ritual and setting your intention for the day before you get to your daily have-to's.  ...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 46 of Manned Up Conversations we broaddcast from Atteridgeville, Pretoria to Harlem, New York with co-author and editor of Cultural Silence and Wounded Souls: Black Men Speak About Mental Health , Mark Tuggle. We explore various topics in this conversation including the importance of black men developing a language around how they feel, the culture of silence and state...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I connect with music psychotherapist Nsamu Moonga to explore how we can use artistic expression to create a society we know in our heart is possible.   We discuss how moving from person centered to monetary centered economies have affected our understanding of hospitality and our ability connect with others. We then highlight why it is difficult to have healthy con...

Send us Fan Mail This is a bonus episode where I share how the journey of Manned Up Conversations has helped me over the past 2 years since 9 July 2021. Lots of lessons learned, people lost but most importantly has helped me find my voice and express myself without that negative self talk holding me back from sharing my story. More of these to come but I just want to thank you for all your support...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we take a holistic approach to mental wellbeing  by discussing the developments made in understanding how mental health affects us emotionally, behaviourally, cognitively including the important but often overlooked spiritual or belief system particularly in African cultures. We explore how black psychologists are becoming more aware of the different African cultur...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we discuss being baptized and reborn into a faith-based life,  we unpack transitioning from working in corporate to the NGO space. My guests also shares how his view on marriage and raising his sons after a living a life caught up "in-the-world" before being saved. We also explore discipleship and mentoring young men and close off with the importance of f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we get to grips with men's psychology by highlighting  how men respond to scarcity and lack of opportunities in an unbalanced society like South Africa. We discuss how the female dominated counselling and therapy industry has somehow overlooked and misunderstood the male lived experience and how we can create space for men to connect with each other, Angelo sh...

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply moving and insightful episode of Manned Up Conversations, Kgaugelo Habyane sits down with his close friend Tichaona Chitsinde for a powerful discussion on coping with profound grief and loss. Tichaona bravely shares his personal journey after becoming a widower, offering raw honesty and valuable lessons on navigating life after immense loss.  This isn't just a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we explore the lived experience of Ntimbwe Mpamba who's survived multiple medical procedures and still lives with HIV for 40 years. He shares the story of how a family secret about a condition that could've possibly ruined his life ended up saving him. Please don't forget to subscribe to gain access to all our podcasts and follow us on social media t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we highlight some topics covered the best selling book Wake Up Woman with the author who is affectionately known as Uncle L by scores of radio and television audiences who tune in for his insights on relationships.  We begin by discussing the influences that led to the book, then unpack friendships between men and women before delving into the big question of why m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I connect with Oakland, CA native WarriorRic to detail his journey of starting life over in South Africa more than 20 years ago and unpack his experience of the country, culture and people. We discuss the importance of greeting in African culture and how he experienced Ubuntu and was embraced by South Africans upon his arrival.  Then we unpack the effects of xenoph...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we head to Javett-UP to  explore how artists are using their expression to change the narrative around how men and black people are depicted in media and fine arts. To help unpack this topic I'm joined by the exceptionally talented and experienced CEO,  Lekgetho Makola. We discuss his journey in fine arts and learn how his exposure to international markets spa...

Send us Fan Mail Do you find yourself putting off thing that you know deep down in your heart you really want to do? Well if you are like me and you keep getting in your own way when it comes to doing the things that really matter to you then this episode is for you. To explore how these so called limiting beliefs stops us from expanding and stepping into the best version of ourselves I'm joi...

Send us Fan Mail "We all exist in so many different communities and that's empowering. Because if I'm not getting what I need in the communities I have, I might need to look elsewhere" Support groups are a great source of help for many people struggling with mental illnesses or anyone looking for a place to connect with people with similar life experiences. During SADAG's...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to season 3.  We highlight the importance of protecting your sexual energy and how using or misusing it can affect your spiritual wellbeing.  My guest shares how going down the wrong path can lead to struggle and a hard time trying to undo the bondage you've attached to yourself through casual sexual encounters, aggressive media and having the wrong people and pa...

Send us Fan Mail According to studies 1 in 15 men in South Africa will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. This  affects between 1 in 4 to 1 in 6 black men compared to 1 in 8 to 1 in 9 white men  in South Africa.    To help us Get Real About Prostate Cancer and wrap up our series on Men's Health, my guest shares her experience in assisting men with their urological conditions. We defin...

Send us Fan Mail In his thirties, Torsten Koehler, the founder of Love Your Nuts Foundation, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1995 ironically whilst educating young teenagers about sex education at a school where he was employed as a teacher. He joins me to talk about “the shy cancer which is the most common cancer in the age group 15 to 45". We discuss his work they in educating young...