Main content

South African bling and American stardust

Hamilton Wende tags along with the izikhotane ("boasters"), a flamboyantly consumerist South African teenage subculture. Reggie Nadelson takes the stage of Harlem's Apollo Theater.

Pascale Harter presents personal impressions, experiences and reflections from journalists and writers around the world. In this edition, HAMILTON WENDE tags along with a tipsy, noisy (but exceptionally well-dressed) group of South African teenagers who're scandalising their elders. Like so many youth subcultures, the "izikhotane" or "boasters" have their own bizarre rites, rules and aspirations - but are their consumerist antics a provocation to the generations who fought and survived aparthed? REGGIE NADELSON also taps into the power of teen mania, visiting a stage which launched a thousand showbiz careers at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC.

Available now

10 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Mon 4 Feb 2013 11:50GMT
  • Mon 4 Feb 2013 19:50GMT
  • Tue 5 Feb 2013 01:50GMT
  • Tue 5 Feb 2013 04:50GMT