Ambitious SABC documentary travelogue ‘Breaking Down Borders’ which sees multi-hyphenate storyteller Paul Modjadji traverse the continent with his team to spread the joy of dance while spotlighting local stories has been nominated for a prestigious new award. The series, first aired on SABC 1 from August 2024 to critical acclaim and currently being rebroadcast, is nominated for outstanding documentary series at the second annual National Arts and Culture Awards. The prestigious black-tie awards ceremony will be held at Sun City on August 22, presided over by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie who announced the nominees earlier this month. “It really is the honour of a lifetime even to be nominated for such a highly regarded national award. The quality of the contenders speaks for itself,” Modjadji said. “Our series was a joy to create and helped shine a positive light on the African continent and its boundless creativity.” Supported by family and friends, Modjadji embarks on a ten-country tour, taking in Zimbabwe, Senegal and Nigeria among others before reflecting on his experiences in a one-off retrospective chaired by Minnie Dlamini. Breaking Down Borders is South Africa’s first continental dance and culture travelogue, following in the footsteps of the SABC’s last Africa travelogue hosted by Precious Kofi in 2009. Breaking Down Borders is co-produced by actor-producer Wandile Molebatsi who said he was delighted that African stories and content were finally being produced by Africans, for Africans. “Breaking Down Borders is a social cohesion project that aims to build bridges amongst Africans. It is artistic and cultural diplomacy at their best. Through the show you explore Africa’s touristic treasures while meeting change-makers setting the pace of Africa,” Molebatsi said. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. Author: Annie Hodes from Angelfish PR & Events on behalf of Breaking Down Borders. …
Real Estate Is Eating Startups: Why Founders Need a Smarter Space Strategy
As CEO of Workshop17, Paul Keursten has had a front-row seat to the real pressures founders face when building a company from scratch. One of the most overlooked and possibly most damaging is real estate. Startups are collapsing under fixed costs before they’ve even found product-market fit, and long-term office leases are a major culprit. This piece unpacks why conventional commercial property models are out of step with how modern startups operate, and why flexible, scalable workspaces are no longer a nice-to-have. They are essential. It also outlines how space is being rethought at Workshop17, not just as infrastructure but as a strategic lever that can help founders build stronger, leaner, successful businesses. The startup graveyard is full of good ideas undone by bad decisions. Most founders obsess over product, funding and hiring. But far too many overlook one of the biggest liabilities on their balance sheet: real estate. Let’s be blunt. Traditional office leases are a serious risk for early-stage companies. Locking into multi-year contracts before finding product-market fit can leave startups exposed to fixed costs they can’t easily adjust when things shift. The result? Burn rates spike, runways shrink, and founders are forced to make tough trade-offs. Cut headcount or carry underused space. Either way, it’s pressure no young company needs. Commercial real estate was built for the industrial age, not the entrepreneurial era. Lease terms that span five or ten years might work for banks or law firms, but they’re poison for young businesses still figuring out who they are and where they’re going. Growth isn’t linear, and neither should space usage be. It's about balancing continuity and flexibility. The pandemic exposed the absurdity of this model. Offices sat empty while companies bled cash to keep them. Even now, many founders are repeating the same mistakes, lured by shiny buildings and the illusion of legitimacy that comes with a fixed address. …