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Last year, the aQuellé bottled water brand proudly celebrated 25 years in the market. To commemorate this achievement, they honoured their commitment to community welfare by reaching out to those in need. In a heartfelt gesture, aQuellé installed 25 water tanks in 25 underserved communities across South Africa, where access to safe drinking water is severely limited. Additionally, the brand received various awards for innovation and excellence, capping off a remarkably successful year. Each of these donated water tanks has a capacity of 5,000 litres and is equipped with a tap, making it easy for community members to access clean water. Gladson Songelwa from aQuellé emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating, “Safe drinking water is scarce in many South African communities. Constant challenges like droughts and floods have rendered regular water supply systems unreliable. We exist to make a difference in people’s lives, and our mission is reflected in the water tanks we’ve installed across various communities in South Africa.” Through this initiative, aQuellé continues demonstrating its dedication to improving lives by providing one of life’s essential resources: safe and reliable drinking water. To expand this initiative and benefit more communities in need, aQuellé is working with local municipalities and schools to install additional tanks in areas requiring safe water access. INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE AWARDS Over the years, the aQuellé brand has received several awards and is widely regarded as the forerunner of excellence and innovation across every category of the packaged water industry. The brand was voted South Africa’s most-loved bottled water brand in May last year. Towards the end of the year, the brand’s ViV Sports and Power Drink range was recognised as one of the BASES Top Breakthrough Innovations for 2024 in South Africa. Nielsen IQ, a global company specialising in market research and consumer intelligence, was awarded this international recognition. Based on sales data, BASES evaluates products across all FMCG categories to select the best-performing new product developments. However, this was not the first time the aQuellé /ViV brand was awarded for innovation and excellence. In 2021, shortly after it was launched, it received international recognition at a Global Water Drinks Award, being selected as a finalist in 3 categories and winning the Best New Brand category. A few weeks later, it scooped up the Gold at the Institute for Packaging SA (IPSA) Gold Pack Awards in both the Beverages and Best in Plastic categories. No living thing can function without water. Unfortunately, not all South Africans have access to clean drinking water. Some of the challenges are old infrastructure, poor maintenance, and mismanagement. According to some experts, the country faces significant water scarcity, with demand expected to surpass supply by 2030 by a projected 17% gap. aQuellé reaches out to communities. The brand regularly donates water and resources to sporting events, provides water and food during disasters, and runs clean-up activities nationwide in collaboration with local authorities and other organisations. Its impact in South Africa is both deep and wide. aQuellé is a community-based initiative that profoundly impacts the economy and local communities. Since pure spring water was discovered on the farm of the KwaSizabantu Mission in Kranskop, KwaZulu-Natal, and subsequently bottled, it has actively uplifted rural communities through various initiatives, including local feeding schemes for orphaned children and other outreach programs. The company operates three water-bottling plants, with a fourth one in development. This new facility will enable them to continue supporting the livelihoods of thousands of vulnerable community members as they strive to make a positive difference in people's lives. (Read about the aQuellé clean-ups and other outreaches in the Devoted magazine by following  the link: https://www.devotedmag.co.za/ )

Mpho Thema (30) is a talented Visual Artist from Mankweng - Unit B, Limpopo Province in South Africa. Artistic.me , as populalry known , started school in Toronto Primary, Peter Hermans Primary, St Brendan’s Catholic Secondary and went on to study Graphic Design at CTU Training Solutions. “My career started in 2014 when I was doing my internship at Jetline. After Graduating in 2017, I worked at Fantasy Signs as a Graphic Designer for 2 years. I also worked at Turfloop FC  as part of the media team after Covid 19 and now I went back to focus on my talent which is drawing”, he said. Always good to see a talent moving from one family member to other, Mpho will never forget how his late uncle “Evans Thema” played by nurturing his talent at an early age. Asking him about the challenges he faces in the industry, he added that “Definitely there are lot of challenges such as, financial stability, recognition, rejection and criticism, cultural and society challenges, also transitioning through career stages” The best highlight of his career was meeting fellow artists both from South Africa and International at Durban Art Gallery and Elizabeth Gordon Gallery in 2024. “My advice to talented visual artists is to believe in their crafts and never forget to embrace their surroundings, build their skills, stay committed, invest in the right tools and network”, concluded Mpho. Risers  can support his work by following his social media, @Art Istic Inme Thema, and on Instagram @ Artistic.me _015 | Whatsapp : +27 65 501 3784

South Africa has seen much of rain in past days, which is good for farming but not in some places. Lots of accidents happened on the roads that are badly damaged by rain while many families have been homeless due to floods. This morning, 15th January 2025 residents of Mankweng - Unit D , outside Polokwane in Limpopo Province had no choice but to gather and fix a damaged road that passes in front of Sea Water Boutique Lodge from T-Zone lifestyle . It was not good for a first day of back to school because school transports could not fetch the kids directly from their spots. “We had no option but to gather as residents to fix our road. Parents carried kids straight to a tar road which is far for school transports. Some kids were late because of the delay caused by bad roads”, said Andile Mamabolo - resident of Mankweng Unit D.  When asking about the situation, old women who are above the age of 63 said: “We have been here since morning and are old enough to do such a hard labour. Its not easy for us to pick up stones and push wheelbarrow to fix the road. Our plead is to get any donations, houses are leaking, beds are wet now we have to put mattresses outside to get dry. Its really bad”. We hope our people are safe out-there, indeed the rain has caused much damage to our families never-minding our roads. We urge our Risers to work together and assist wherever they can.

When you feel your mood is low, go to You tube and search “ Limpopo Wa Popaye ” and have some laughter. We met a multitalented young man named Khona Penbretien Seabela  from Dan Vilage, Tzaneen, Limpopo Province in South Africa. Khona (30) is a professional mathematics teacher, self taught animator and musician who stood up and put his province on the map with animation series titled “Limpopo and the Rivals”. This humble guy started his education at Nwaxindzele Primary School and matriculated at Bankuna High School in 2013. He then went to  further his studies at Wits University studying for Bachelor of Education (Teaching) and enrolled for Honours Degree in Mathematics with UNISA in 2022. “I taught myself how to create animation via Youtube during my third year at University. The more I created is the more  I improved. I came up with the name “Limpopo wa Popaye” because I feel my beloved province is still underrated”, he said. When asking him about  Scotch Maboko Secondary School learners reactions at school, he said : “My learners are always happy to see me, they really do not see a teacher when am at school but a popeye - haha ” Limpopo and the Rivals is under the powerful production, PMAN Studios ( boosting around 260k followers ) and offer both educational, entertaining content, life of students after Matric and music promotions. “There are so many challenges in this industry, I use songs to make conversations and sometimes face copyright strikes. I had to trim the copyrighted songs or remove the entire song. Another challenge I face is when people ask me to share my videos instead of streaming online which offers zero benefits. I am not rich , but one can make a living through content creation. Each view plays a huge contribution to our earnings on Facebook and Youtube”, he added PMAN Studios consists of funny characters such as   Dj Kobyo , Limpopo wa Popaye , Nsisi played by brothers.  “It feels good to have brothers by myside, they assist me with ideas, and they also help with new ways to market our content, like connecting me with Rise Africans Newspaper”, said Khona. Last advice to all aspiring animation creators is to use whatever they have to push their careers. All needed is a laptop,one can ask for donation or offer small services such as washing cars or shoes to buy a second hand laptop. Rise Africans Newspaper wish to see more Africans arising to the top and put food on the table with their talents. Any information regarding promotions or advertising can be found:  email at pmanstudios@gmail.com or WhatsApp:  071 553 2186.  Facebook page is P Man Studios, and you can also follow us on TikTok by searching for P Man Studios. Watch videos on YouTube, simply search for P Man Comics or follow this link: youtube.com/pmancomics .

We caught up with one of the best Poet, Author and writer from Ha - Kutama, Muduluni, Venda - Limpopo Province in South Africa. Ishmael Ngwako Raphasha ( 32 ) is very passionate about writing poetry and spends much of his time reading. A self acclaimed Christian Poet, started writing poems in 2013 after finishing Matric. “I wrote my first poem titled “Hardships” and never looked back. Luckily, I was more on social media and interacted with lots of poets, writers and authors. It happened that I meet an Evangelist Poet from Southern Maine in United States and started writing Chapbooks projects which is available via eBook.”, he said. Ishmael’s collaboration with the late Joseph.j Breunig 3rd  brought a successful project of volume 1 - 5, Chapbooks Collaboration. A project of powerful and inspirational poems. His family background and new perspective view has made him look up into his chin so to speak with self discovery and faith . “Being a poet is great , influential and powerful but it comes with a full time crumble writing commitment , facing errors in the process of the project and struggling with publishing was very challenging because at times I couldn't afford to pay for publication package fees so I wouldn't say it was easier but then an extra effort had to be injected in order to see progress out of this career”, he added. A talent alone is not enough, support is a key and without it, lots of our talents are going down to drains because of lack of support. “Our community gives support but not limited support for surely survivability , I mean being supported by buying my eBook copies would make me feel very  strongly supported by the community and remember not just reading community but publication community do play a major role”, he said.  Just like any author, Ishmael’s biggest dream is to own his publishing company. Last message to aspiring writers is to use pen and paper and be the voice for the voiceless Ishmael can be contacted: Social media contact details below: Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn : Ishmael Raphasha. Ticktok : @92_Shiminology. Email : faithandselfdiscoverychapbooks@gmail.com . WhatsApp / Call : 0664931119.

Teboho Sputla Pitiri needs no introduction in the entertainment industry. His fans and followers will tell you about the messages from his wonderful songs such as, Mangolong, Bana beso, Nna ke jeleng, Nako tse bohloko, Sejana se Setle etc. His stage name,   Motho oa Mabenyeng  defines his background and pride about his roots.   “I was born out of four children, unfortunately first born passed away at the young age.  My father Liphaphang and mother Mamamello Pitiri raised strong and responsible young men. I grew up fetching water, firewoods and looking after livestock. I went to school with barefoot, sometimes had to leave school a whole year to look after my father’s cattles. My family was poor”, he said.   The love for traditional music kept Motho oa Mabenyeng going. He had to go to Gauteng Province, South Africa to seek green pastures. “I went to Gauteng Province to push my career as a soccer player as I grew up as an athlete,  but was not enough cause my wife and kids had to eat. I then put my focus on the thing that I love most, which is music”, he added.   In 2022, he formed a group called “ Metjodi ea Mabenyeng ” a group consist of two women dancing to traditional Sesotho music down in Eastern Cape Province. The following year, 2023 he released a an album ( Motho oa Mabenyeng) that was nominated for a song of a year in different radio stations such as AMAQHAWANENTABA FM, SYABALANDA RADIO TV and also Thembisile & Thandie Awards also as a song of the year.   “I was raised by a community, let me thank Abuti Sephei,  Tebatso, Soweto,  Pudumo and  Voyani. I also appreciate Mom Pat Nkonyeni ( Gospel Artist)  for teaching me lot of things about music industry”, he said.   TATA 2024 Song of the year nominee, will be celebrating a Thanks giving ceremony presented by Eastern Cape Sikiti Maluti   on Saturday, 28th December 2024. Everyone is invited to come and celebrate, must wear a traditional attire. There will be surprise artist, Motho oa Mabenyeng, Setsetse, Squasher Family, Mme Mahlapane, Likakapa Tsa Khohlontso, Nare ea poo, Metjodi ea Mabenyeng, Bana ba Moketa and many more…   Bookings can be done: Sputla Pitiri - Call / Whatsapp: 072 948 9786| Facebook: Sputla Pitiri | Motho oa Mabenyeng on Tik Tok, Google and other digital platforms.

A community radio station, Radio Khwezi, celebrated its remarkable successes at the 2024 Telkom Radio Awards on 30 November, where it secured impressive accolades. Khwezi, located in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal, achieved an incredible milestone by winning the Community Radio Award . This award honours exceptional and creative excellence in the South African radio industry. It sets a benchmark for all radio stations and professionals to strive towards. This marks the second time Khwezi has claimed this distinguished honour, adding to the excitement as the station prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. Khwezi also won the Community Project Award  at the ceremony. This accolade recognises the station’s impactful initiative,  Ikhwezi Lizakuwe , a program designed to connect the station more closely with its audiences. By adding a new Outside Broadcast (OB) van to its community services, the station has enhanced its ability to reach rural areas, fulfilling its community engagement mission. The team addresses relevant topics in collaboration with local businesses, NGOs, and government entities, creating exceptional opportunities for communities in disadvantaged areas. The accolades didn’t stop there. Radio Khwezi received an impressive 19 nominations at the awards ceremony, showcasing its dedication to excellence across various categories. A team member, Saziso Dlamini, won a well-deserved award for the Nighttime Show.  This program began in 2012 and features a diverse mix of well-researched content to inform audiences about issues affecting their communities. It offers expert advice from relevant sources and light-hearted conversations, entertainment, and music. For the second consecutive year, Saziso has demonstrated his talent by winning the award for Afternoon Drive Presenter . Creating engaging and inspiring content that keeps the audience listening, growing, and loyal is no easy task. However, Saziso has succeeded with his infectious laugh, humour, and dedication to finding content relevant to his audience. This includes interactive phone-in programs that keep both listeners and presenters engaged with a wide variety of topics. Thembelani Buthelezi received the News and Actuality Show Award  for keeping the program current and relevant to local community events. He works with a small team and encourages listeners to share news that affects them. This initiative is carried out with great sensitivity. A helpline has been established to enhance the program further and follow up on particularly distressing events. The team celebrates another team member, Phakamani Mkhwanazi, for receiving the Station Manager’s Choice Award . Phakamani joined the radio station in 2008. Over the years, he has made remarkable progress in his career. Starting as a technical assistant, he gradually advanced to become a presenter and producer. Khwezi, meaning "Morning Star" in isiZulu, was established in 1995. The station serves the north coast and the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and aims to educate, entertain, and empower its listeners. These achievements reaffirm the station's vital role in promoting local voices and fostering a stronger sense of community through the power of radio. The recognition highlights the station's commitment to serving its community and sets a high standard for future endeavours. For more information about the radio station, visit: www.khwezi.org.za

Magasene Carmeroon Seabela (42) is from Dan Village, Tzaneen in Limpopo Province, South Africa. He started school at N'waxindzhele Primary School, Dan Senior Primary School, Progress high school and finished his  matric at Bankuna high school. Born out of family of talented entertainers, Nsisi - as populalry known , started out as a singer and a dancer from his childhood and never looked back.   “I was a vocal leader at Sunday school at the age of 10, in 1992, I joined a choir called “ The Angels of Peace ” which was formed by my brother - Dj Kobyo. I went on to release 2 gospel albums titled “ Uphakeme ” & “ Ditheto ” but did not do well due to self marketing”, said Nsisi   His other brother,   Khona Penbretien Seabela  ( known as Limpopo Wa Popaye ) started a PMAN COMICS show on YouTube, it went viral then and gave  Carmeroon a character of  Nsisi.   “People started to follow me, I created my own channel called “CAMEY CAM NSISI” which is also doing well.  I'm expressing my hobbies such as singing, making jokes, dancing challenges etc, being part of PMAN COMICS really boosted my publicity people know Nsisi because of PMAN COMICS “, he added.   It has never been easy to make it in the entertainment industry, Nsisi once thought of quitting because of lack of exposure. He decided to collaborate with an artist named Khutso Pac and did few Bolobedu house tracks. His fans are currently enjoying his hit titled “ Nsisi Patela ” which is available in all digital platforms.   “Main challenge in the industry is to get gigs, it is not easy if you are not well  known and lots of artists end up giving up. The negativity from people who hates my content nearly made me to loose it but am over it. My fans and followers can expect more content and music in 2025”, concluded Nsisi.   His last message to aspiring entertainers is to keep on grinding, must not rush for fame or money , they must just do it for the love. We wish him all the best in his career!   Bookings  can be done: (083 505 5765) Email : cameymagasene@gmail.com Follow him on YouTube, Facebook page, Instagram, Tiktok search the name (CAMEY CAM NSISI)

The KwaSizabantu Mission's youth conference is a notable event that celebrated its 50 Years anniversary earlier this year. The next bi-annual conference will be held from 10 – 17 December at the mission station in Kranskop, KwaZulu-Natal, with the theme: Jesus is the light of the world (visit www.ksb.org.za  for details). This event gathers thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds, creating an atmosphere filled with camaraderie and purpose. It plays a crucial role in nurturing spiritual growth, providing opportunities for participants to deepen their faith and connect with God. KwaSizabantu hosts two week-long gatherings each year during school breaks, offering hearty meals, various activities, and a special event on Sunday. Alongside spiritual enrichment, vibrant activities like sports foster friendly competition and community building. Trained counsellors are present to support participants. The conference is free, making it appealing to families who may be reluctant to engage in church activities. With the help of hundreds of volunteers and workers, many of whom have been involved since the beginning, the logistics of the event ran smoothly, showcasing its significance and relevance in today's context. KwaSizabantu Mission is a non-denominational Christian mission station serving individuals from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. The mission focuses on providing spiritual guidance, educational support, and counselling. It has actively engaged with youth for over fifty years, offering hope and assistance in overcoming various challenges. Renowned Christian leaders and preachers from around the globe have been invited to collaborate with the founder, the late Rev Erlo Stegen, in preaching the gospel to young people. As a result, many participants have made significant life changes and embraced Christianity. We live in an ever-increasing dark world with countless challenges and obstacles for young people. Young people make up a considerable portion of South African communities. Youth in the church is essential because they represent the future. The younger we start to help them through their turbulent teen years with spiritual guidance, the better. Working together to provide youngsters with skills to help themselves and to live a more fulfilling life is an excellent idea. This is why KwaSizabantu also incorporated other projects, such as valuable skills development, restoration, and sports days, into its youth outreach program.  Follow the link: https://online.pubhtml5.com/asxvv/heul/  for a special publication about the KwaSizabantu Youth Conferences.

It is no wonder that aQuellė was recently voted South Africa's ‘most-loved’ drink in the Askafrika ICON Brands survey. It is making a lasting impact on communities  and uplifts communities in many ways. Over the past 25 years, aQuellė has experienced tremendous growth and is widely regarded (and awarded) as a leader in excellence and innovation across the packaged water industry.   Awards within the packaged water industry are a prestigious testament to excellence and innovation, honouring the finest achievements across all categories. Obtaining such accolades serves as a significant means to elevate a brand's stature and establish recognition on both national and international stages. A particularly remarkable aspect of receiving this global award is the recognition of the aQuellė spring water brand, established several decades ago with the noble mission of supporting humanitarian and missionary initiatives. Central to its mission is the commitment to uplift the communities in rural KwaZulu-Natal, where the heart of the business lies in its bottling plants. As the largest employer in the region, aQuellė provides jobs for hundreds of individuals, most of whom hail from the surrounding rural areas. This creates a vital economic lifeline, especially in a region where employment opportunities are limited. Each employee is afforded comprehensive training that enables them to operate advanced machinery, carry out stringent quality control procedures, and adopt exemplary manufacturing practices, ensuring that they can contribute effectively to the company’s success. Nestled in the picturesque Emseni farm at the core of KwaZulu-Natal are two of aQuellė’s water bottling plants. The first of these facilities has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from a modest 360 square meters to an impressive 18,000 square meters in just a few years. The latest plant, opened in early 2021, boasts cutting-edge filling technology and utilises state-of-the-art machinery and processes, ensuring the highest standards in water bottling. aQuellė’ also has a plant in the western cape. The spring water sourced is of exceptional quality.    aQuellė is community-based and contributes to society in various ways. It reaches out through sponsorships and various outreaches, including sustainable clean-ups across South Africa, food-and-water distribution programs, and sponsorships. The company launched the Together, Let's Beat Diabetes awareness campaign a few years ago, which has greatly impacted society. Collaborating with others, it holds workshops to explain how Diabetes affects the human body and creates awareness for this horrible disease. Visit: www.aquelle.co.za

From its inception, Emseni Farming has been deeply committed to uplifting the rural community in the Kranskop area of KwaZulu-Natal. The initiative was inspired by Erlo Stegen, a respected preacher and missionary associated with the KwaSizabantu Mission. As Rev Stegen began his preaching journey many years ago, he noticed a pressing issue: many churchgoers travelled long distances over rugged terrain to hear his messages. To address this growing concern, he took the visionary step of establishing vegetable gardens to provide food for them. With a focus on fostering food security, Rev Stegen meticulously cultivated a sustainable farm that has since significantly impacted the lives of the local community and their extended families. The initiative has created numerous job opportunities and facilitated skills development across various stages of agricultural production, from the delicate process of germinating seeds to the meticulous packaging of produce for sale. Rev Stegen has passionately advocated for the importance of self-sufficiency in the community, encouraging members to grow vegetable gardens. This initiative empowers families to provide fresh produce for themselves and fosters a sense of independence, even in small ways. Through engaging, hands-on training sessions, he shared essential farming techniques, distributed seedlings, and provided the necessary infrastructure to support their gardening efforts. Rev Stegen has gone the extra mile by helping individuals market their harvests, enabling them to generate income and elevate their quality of life with greater dignity. The community and the dedicated farm owners at Emseni collaborate closely, learning from one another's experiences. Over the years, they have developed a comprehensive blueprint tailored to the unique agricultural challenges faced in South Africa, crafting innovative solutions for farms experiencing similar obstacles. What started as simple community vegetable gardens has transformed into expansive greenhouses for peppers that cover more than 11.5 hectares of land. The ambitious second phase of the pepper project, launched in 2021, features three hectares of state-of-the-art greenhouses. This flagship initiative combines cutting-edge technology with sustainable practices, and work on the third phase is currently underway to improve the community's agricultural capabilities further. The vision that Rev Stegen and his dedicated team embarked upon many years ago has blossomed into something truly remarkable. Emseni has evolved significantly, aligning itself with its core sustainability goals. Today, its agricultural endeavours encompass diverse activities, including cultivating luscious avocados and a variety of succulent fruits. The venture features a thriving dairy farm, the production of nutrient-rich compost, and innovative hydroponic systems that yield crisp lettuce and vibrant sweet peppers. The farmers are committed to using harmonious and environmentally conscious practices, ensuring that their methods nurture the land and promote the well-being of the community and the planet.  (Visit: www.emseni.co.za )