The Mobilize Podcast

In a country where 43% of school water samples are unsafe to drink, and billions are lost to corruption and neglect, who’s standing up for our right to clean water?

In this episode, we speak to WaterCAN, the citizen movement fighting for transparency, accountability and justice in South Africa’s water system. From citizen science to activism, this is a conversation about turning outrage into action, and building a future where every person, every community, has access to safe, clean water.

💬 About the Guests:

Dr Ferrial Adam - Executive Director of WaterCAN | Environmental Justice & Human Rights Advocate. With a PhD on Citizen Science and Environmental Justice in South Africa’s Water Sector, Dr Adam has worked with leading organisations like Earthlife Africa and Greenpeace Africa. She’s dedicated to empowering citizens to hold power to account and protect our most vital resource — water. 📧 [email protected]

Nomsa Daele - Senior Team Leader at WaterCAN Passionate about citizen empowerment and community-driven monitoring, Nomsa plays a vital role in coordinating WaterCAN’s school testing and citizen science initiatives. 📧 [email protected]

🎙️ In this episode, we cover:

• Why South Africa’s water crisis is about governance and justice, not just scarcity
• How citizen-led water testing is exposing unsafe conditions in schools and communities
• The impact of corruption on infrastructure, safety, and public health
• Stories of grassroots water warriors making change from the ground up
• How to get involved and become part of the movement

Learn More: http://www.watercan.org.za/ TikTok - @watercansa4 IG - @watercan_za X - @watercan Facebook - @watercan LinkedIn - @watercan-south-africa YouTube - @watercan6249

What would South Africa look like if everyone had a guaranteed income; no red tape, no exclusions, no one left behind?

In this episode, we sit down with Siyanda Baduza, Junior Researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), to unpack the fight for Universal Basic Income (UBI); what it really means, how it could work, and why it’s about more than just money.

From the broken Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant system to bold ideas for a fairer economy, Siyanda breaks down the research, myths, and real human stories behind South Africa’s push for income justice.

In this episode, we cover:

- Why the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant isn’t enough, and who’s being left out

- What a Universal Basic Income could look like in South Africa

- How UBI could reduce poverty, boost the economy, and support a just transition

- Myths about “affordability” and why the real question is political will

- What it means to guarantee dignity and income security for all

Learn more:

- What a South Africa with Basic Income Could Look Like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcZQSnyCyE

- UBI Explainer Blog: https://iej.org.za/a-system-that-lifts-everyone-up-universal-basic-income/

- SRD Court Case Statement & Policy Brief: https://iej.org.za/statement-historic-judgment-in-srd-grant-court-case-stands-to-benefit-half-of-south-africas-population/- https://www.iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IEJ-SRD-court-case-policy-brief.pdf - UBI & Climate Factsheet: https://iej.org.za/ubig-factsheet-10_how-a-ubig-can-support-a-just-energy-transition_jet/

- Q&A with Siyanda on Basic Income: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTTkILtDOtQ

In this episode of The Mobilize Podcast, we sit down with Kirsten Pierson from the South African Institute of International Affairs to unpack climate finance, just transitions, and the urgent need for real support at COP30 and G20. From debt justice to fossil fuel taxes, we explore how money shapes the fight for climate action in the Global South.

Guest: Kirsten Pierson - Researcher, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)

Want to learn more? https://saiia.org.za/

Key takeaways:

- Climate change is already costing lives, jobs, and economies.

- Finance is central to building a just transition.

- Debt justice and fossil fuel taxes are on the table at COP30.

- The Global South cannot afford more delay; real action must be funded now.

In this episode, Joan Stott joins us from the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) to delve into South Africa's pivotal journey from coal dependency to embracing renewable energy, and how on earth we're going to pay for it.

Together, we explore the real costs, challenges, and choices facing our country's path to unlocking the finances we need to afford a greener future. Listen in as we uncover the contested roles of international funders, policy-makers, community members, and our collective advocacy.

Guest: Joan Stott: Senior researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice, with extensive experience in public finance, economic policy, and institutional capacity-building across Africa.

In this episode, we cover:

• What climate finance means for South Africa’s just transition
• The challenges facing communities most affected by energy shifts
• How international partnerships often bring debt obligations
• Alternative policies and the role of carbon tax in funding climate response
• Why community engagement and advocacy are essential
• The link between climate finance and broader economic policy
• How collaboration can amplify efforts for a sustainable future

Want to learn more?

Institute for Economic Justice: https://www.iej.org.za

Key points:

• 00:00 Understanding Climate Finance in South Africa
• 05:17 The Just Transition: Challenges and Opportunities
• 12:05 Alternative Policies for Climate Finance
• 17:58 Advocacy and Community Engagement
• 26:39 The Interconnectedness of Climate and Economic Policies

In this episode, we dive into the complex world of debt and justice, asking why poorer countries are paying the highest price through soaring interest rates and crippling financial systems. We explore how debt links directly to the climate crisis, and why changing the way we talk about it could shift global understanding and support for justice. Together, we unpack insights from the Money Talks initiative, which looks at how empathy, storytelling, and smarter communication can reshape public perceptions of debt. From the moral weight of repayment to the demand for fairness between rich and poor countries, this conversation sheds light on why debt justice is central to social and climate justice.

Guests:

• Liz Callegari: Co-founder of Black Sands Communication and co-lead of the Money Talks project, with deep experience in strategic campaigns, including WWF-UK and Netflix’s Our Planet. https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-callegari-0b8365b/

• Twan van der Togt: Associate Director at Stack Data Strategy, specialising in cross-national research and turning complex opinion data into strategies for NGOs and campaigners. https://www.linkedin.com/in/twan-van-der-togt-99130b146/

• Khaliel Moses: Senior Campaigner for Public Finance at 350.org, driving economic and climate justice across Africa through education, research, and grassroots campaigns. https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaliel-moses-0540b11b0/

In this episode, we cover:

• Why debt is often described as “a tax on the future”

• How everyday experiences shape views on public finance

• Why fairness in global interest rates matters

• The role of empathy in bridging North–South divides

• How framing and storytelling can drive public support for debt relief

• The link between debt justice and climate justice

• What activists can do to make debt issues resonate with people’s lives

Want to learn more?

• LSM Calculator: https://www.eighty20.co.za/lsm-calculator/

• Money Talks: https://moneytalksresearch.org

• Black Sands Communication: https://www.blacksands.co.uk

• Stack Data Strategy: https://www.stackdatastrategy.com

• 350.org: https://350africa.org

In this episode of The Mobilize Podcast, we sit down with Moeketsi Koahela, Co-Chair of Y20 South Africa, to unpack the role of youth activism in shaping global policy through the G20 and Y20 platforms.

Moeketsi offers a breakdown of what the G20 is, how the Y20 functions as its official youth engagement group, and why these international spaces matter for young people across the world, especially in the Global South. From climate change and inclusive economic growth to AI, governance and multilateralism, we explore how young leaders are influencing the future. The conversation is both practical and reflective, offering insight into how young people can organise, mobilise and collaborate to drive change, while also interrogating the challenges of youth policy processes, power, and accountability.

Guest: Moeketsi Koahela: Co-Chair of Y20 South Africa, Education and Training Officer at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Chairperson of the National Youth Coalition, and researcher on gender, masculinity, and local governance.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the Y20 is and how it fits into the G20
• How young people are shaping climate, economic and social agendas globally
• Why youth engagement must go beyond tokenism
• Challenges in youth programming and corruption
• The importance of intergenerational collaboration
• How to get involved in the Y20 process
• What meaningful youth leadership looks like

📚 Want to learn more?

• Y20 South Africa 2023: y20southafrica.org
• Ahmed Kathrada Foundation: www.kathradafoundation.org
• More about the Kenyan Protest: https://thenonviolenceproject.wisc.edu/2025/04/29/kenya-finance-bill-protests/ and https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/opinion/2024/2024-06/kenya-protests-gen-z-shows-the-power-of-digital-activism.html

Key points:

00:50 Understanding the G20 and Y20

03:28 The Role and Structure of Y20

15:37 Challenges and Corruption in Youth Programs

19:11 Youth Engagement and Policy Recommendations

28:47 Global Youth Involvement in Policy

29:31 South African Y20 Working Groups

31:16 G20 Y20 Roadshows and Outreach

33:12 Youth Contributions to G20

38:10 Future of Youth Activism

38:54 Organising and Mobilising Youth

43:44 Intergenerational Collaboration

53:08 Hope for Youth Activism

In this episode, we speak with journalist, columnist, and policy consultant Nick Hedley, founder and editor of The Progress Playbook: A platform dedicated to spotlighting proven, scalable solutions for a better world.

Nick’s work cuts through noise and greenwash to focus on what’s actually working; in energy, policy, development and media. Together, we unpack how South Africa can move forward in a time of climate urgency, rapid AI growth, and media fragmentation.

Guest: Nick Hedley Founder of @TheProgressPlaybook , columnist at News24, and researcher focused on climate, energy and sustainable development.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why derisking green energy projects is controversial, and how to do it fairly
• What thermal power generation, is it all bad?
• Why we must cut the transport of fossil fuels through local, efficient production
• Reducing overall energy demand, not just swapping the source
• The energy cost of AI, and how it can help optimise energy use
• The role of media in a fractured information ecosystem
• How can we actively support better journalism and trustworthy information

📚 Some good media to follow:

• The Progress Playbook: https://theprogressplaybook.com/
• Oxpeckers: https://oxpeckers.org/
• GroundUp news: https://groundup.org.za/ a
• maBhungane: https://amabhungane.org/

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of fossil fuel advertising—the slick PR campaigns you’ve seen on billboards, social media, and TV that claim to be “green,” “clean,” or “climate-friendly.” But what’s really going on behind the scenes?

🎧 Fossil Ad Ban Coordinator, Lazola Kati, joins us to break down how fossil fuel ads mislead the public, manipulate science, and delay climate action. From greenwashing to policy loopholes, we uncover the tactics Big Oil uses to protect their image—and profits.

🔥 If you’ve ever seen an ad for “clean natural gas” or a commercial showing happy families next to oil rigs, this episode is for you.

📢 Join the conversation: Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know: have you been fooled by fossil fuel propaganda?

🔗 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share if you find this episode informative!

Professor Fiona Anciano in conversation with Koketso Sachane, unpacks how the legacy of spatial apartheid in South Africa continues to shape urban environments, and most critically, who bears the brunt of climate change. From segregated cities to unequal access to green spaces, flood protection, and clean air, the conversation not only revisits apartheid legacy and its impact, but how historical injustices intersect with today’s environmental challenges.