THEME: Freedom and Inclusivity for All Humanity

The art of telling your story comes to life in a live half hour webinar hosted by the Cape Times on Wednesday, 26 August at 14:00 by authors Colleen Higgs, Portia Mbau and Nancy Richards as part of the Artscape Women’s Humanity Festival in collaboration with Woman Zone.

Under the theme, "How different women tell their stories" it will be accessible via the Cape Times Facebook page as part of their Women’s Month activities in celebration of women authors. Meanwhile those who tune in will stand a chance to be eligible for a book giveaway.

And to those who miss out, do not despair.  The online department store Loot will offer the books at discounted prices not to be missed.

The 3 inspiring books for the webinar and giveaway are as follows: 

THE AFRICA COOKBOOK by Portia Mbau photographed and compiled by Lumai de Smidt (Quivertree)  ISBN: 9781928429289  PRICE: R390

In this generously illustrated book, journey through Africa with chef and founder of The

Africa Café, Portia Mbau. In 1992 Portia started the first African restaurant in South Africa, serving food inspired by her travels across the continent. The Africa Cookbook is a compilation of her tried-and tested recipes, designed to bring the flavours and techniques of Africa into your home kitchen.

MY MOTHER MY MADNESS by Colleen Higgs (Deep South) ISBN: 9781928476368  PRICE: R180

A woman reluctantly takes on the responsibility of putting her eccentric rebellious mother into a retirement home, and managing her care. She has her own daughter to raise and nurtures a marriage and a business to hold together, and her own psychological troubles due in good part to how she was mothered. my mother, my madness is Colleen Higgs’s diary of her mother’s last ten years. It is at once funny, harrowing, mundane, chaotic, and full of insight.

BEING A WOMAN IN CAPE TOWN: TELLING YOUR STORY (Face to Face)  ISBN: 9780994662767  PRICE: R230

This book tells the stories of 13 women living in Cape Town following a year-long project by Woman Zone visiting women in different communities. It also tells the story of Woman Zone itself, how it came into existence and its goals. It contains details of a Woman’s Walk and Talk route in Cape Town, extracts from the writing of a number of well-known authors living in the Mother City as well as a chapter on how you can tell your own story.

The Artscape Women’s Humanity Arts Festival, this year funded by the City of Cape Town, is a dedication to all women – young and old, ordinary and extraordinary – who played (and continue to play) a role in the struggle for equality and liberty. The Festival encourages men and boys to attend, to listen, learn and contribute as true empowerment is about dignity and respect. The Festival also embraces and celebrates LGBTIQ+ rights as well as people living with disabilities. Presented in a virtual format this year it is accessible via the Artscape website. Thus visit undefined for more information, participating organisations and the full festival programme.

Media enquiries:  Candice Jansen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 076 958 9593 

Issued on behalf of Artscape:
Senior Manager: Communications and Brand Management
Simone Heradien
073 207 1558

Editors notes:

Biographies
Portia Mbau is a proud woman of Africa, who is deeply connected to the women and men who feed their communities. Since starting The Africa Café restaurant in 1992 in her tiny dining room in Observatory, Cape Town, she has dedicated her life to celebrating and innovating African cuisine. Portia’s love of adventure and cooking has taken her across the continent, where she has been welcomed into the homes of people eager to share their food. Each travel experience has inspired many recipes and left a lasting impression of warmth and generosity that begs to be shared.

Lumai mira de Smidt  Portia’s daughter, grew up in The Africa Café and shares her mother’s love of food and travel. When she left school, she started a small business making and selling sugar-free, dairy-free and other healthy treats at local markets. When she discovered an interest in styling and photographing food, she went to study photography, multimedia and graphic design. Lumai, who conceptualised The Africa Cookbook and contributed the photographs, works as a photographer and graphic designer.

Colleen Higgs Higgs is the author of two collections of poetry, Halfborn Woman and Lava Lamp Poems and a short story collection, Looking for Trouble – Yeoville Stories. She founded Modjaji Books in 2007 and after publishing more than 150 titles, is still Modjaji’s manager and publisher.

Nancy Richards is an independent journalist with experience on radio and print covering literature, the environment and women’s issues, lifestyle, travel and décor. Founder of NPO: Woman Zone and The Women’s Library at Artscape. Author of Beautiful Homes: as featured in Fairlady magazine; co-author of Woman Today - 50 years of South African women on radio and Being a Woman in Cape Town: Telling your story. Speaker, media trainer and board member Soil for Life.