Dear Mom, Dear Daughter

As the calendar turns, many of us feel the pressure to reinvent ourselves — but what if getting “unstuck” isn’t about becoming someone new, and instead about finally choosing yourself? In this deeply reflective and motivating episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter , Athi and Mtha explore what it truly means to move forward in life, set meaningful goals, and intentionally design the future you want. Fr...

The Price of Success — Let’s Talk About Black Tax | A Mother–Daughter ConversationWhat does it really cost to be the one who “made it”?In this deeply honest episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter, Athi and Mtha unpack Black Tax — the emotional, financial, and psychological responsibility many Black women and daughters carry once they reach stability or success. From the roots of Black Tax in apartheid...

In this episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter, Athi and Mtha unpack what career really means across two generations of Black South African women. For moms, work was survival, stability, and the thrill of stepping into professional spaces previously closed off. For daughters, work is about passion, purpose, identity — and often overwhelming pressure. Together, they explore the emotional, psychological...

Money isn’t just about rands and cents — it’s about what it represents in our lives: freedom, happiness, survival, control, or even shame. In this episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter , Athi and Mtha unpack the psychology of money, the emotional toll of debt, and how cultural and generational factors shape the way South African women think about finances. From the thrill of “buying power” in Athi’s...

South Africa is rich in heritage, yet more and more young Black South Africans are growing up speaking less and less of their mother tongues. What does this mean for our cultural identity, our traditions, and the future of who we are? In this episode, Athi (a mom and psychologist) and Mtha (her daughter and broadcaster) share their personal reflections on growing up in a multicultural household (N...

For generations, many Black moms avoided “the talk” with their daughters — choosing silence, shame, or fear instead. In this raw and honest episode, Athi (a mom and psychologist) and Mtha (her daughter and broadcaster) unpack why conversations about boys, love, and sex are so difficult, and how we can start having them differently. We share our own experiences of how “the talk” (or lack of it) sha...

Friendship breakups can hurt even more than romantic ones. In this episode, we unpack why losing a best friend can shake your identity, how to know when it’s time to let go, and how to heal without guilt. We explore: Why friendship breakups are so painful and often overlooked Red flags to watch for in friendships — jealousy, competition, misalignment When to walk away and when to fight for the fri...

This week, we’re keeping it real. From growing up watching our mothers wrestle with body image to facing our own struggles with weight, skin tone, hair politics and the pursuit of “perfection,” we share our personal stories of living under society’s beauty standards. We talk about the honesty (and sometimes bluntness) in our culture around bodies, the impact of colourism as Black women, and how tr...

Mental health isn’t a trend — but on social media, it’s starting to feel like one. In this episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter , we explore how online platforms like TikTok and Instagram have popularised psychological terms like “narcissist,” “gaslighting,” “toxic,” and “trauma” — but with little understanding of what they actually mean. Is your ex really a narcissist? Or were you just hurt? Is you...

What did discipline teach you growing up — and is that still the lesson you carry today? In this deeply reflective episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter , we unpack the difference between discipline and punishment , and explore how many South African homes confused fear for respect. We open up about our own childhood experiences with discipline, how it shaped us, and how we’re reimagining parenting a...

Setting boundaries shouldn't feel like betrayal — but in many mother-daughter relationships, it does. In this episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter , we have an honest, emotional and nuanced conversation about the quiet guilt mothers carry when trying to do their best, and the pressure daughters feel to meet expectations, avoid disappointment, and still become their own person. From emotional labour...

South Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman, with gender-based violence (GBV) affecting women and girls at every stage of life. In this heartfelt episode, we unpack how it feels to raise daughters — and be daughters — in a country where safety is never guaranteed. We explore: The heartbreaking stories of Olorato Mongale and Cwecwe The emotional toll of growing up in...

Welcome to the very first episode of Dear Mom, Dear Daughter — a South African podcast where a radio host and her psychologist mom open up the door to honest, messy, and meaningful conversations. In this special launch episode, we: Share how this podcast was born and why we believe these conversations matter. Reflect on how our relationship has evolved — from discipline and misunderstandings to tr...