We're Brothers

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with anthropologist Joshua Rubin, who sees rugby as a kind of performance shaped by politics and history. Through years of research and powerful conversations with coaches, players and officials in Blue Bulls country, the Boland and Eastern Cape, Josh shares how this beautiful game has shaped his perspective. Whether you're a die-hard rugby fan or just curious about the sport’s cultural impact, this episode is packed with insight, passion, and personal stories you won’t want to miss.

South African sports historian Hendrik Snyders came by to talk rugby history, rugby politics, Rassie Erasmus, and his favorite Springbok players.

We're Brothers is a series of conversations between brothers, David in Cape Town and Sean in New York, and guests exploring politics, culture, sports, and transatlantic connections. We post once a week.

Filmmaker, DJ and academic Dylan Valley joins us to talk about white South African refugees, hip hop influencers, drill rap, and Jean Grae’s new memoir—not exactly flattering to her father, Abdullah Ibrahim.

We're Brothers is a series of conversations between brothers, David in Cape Town and Sean in New York, and guests exploring politics, culture, sports, and transatlantic connections. We post once a week.

After the initial group of 59 white South African refugees arrived in the U.S. last month (with all other refugee programs officially on hold or scrapped), another nine arrived last week. We provide an update on some of them—though honestly, we’re getting tired of the “story,” which increasingly feels like a giant racist Ponzi scheme.

Meanwhile, very few visitors – including those from countries that qualified – will have an easy time entering the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup, despite it being mainly hosted here.

And finally, we’re wondering: is there a young politician on the continent—especially in South Africa—who comes close to 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani? Born in Uganda and now running for mayor of New York City, Mamdani has a real gift for galvanizing his base. Who’s his equivalent? TikTok politician Liam Jacobs? Julius Malema? Maybe Mbuyiseni Ndlozi—before he left parliament for a radio gig?

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In this episode, we discuss the Brooklyn premiere of "When I Say Africa," a new film executive-produced by Sean. We also share updates on the biographies of the 59 white South African refugees—four of whose stories we’ve already explored. Plus, we review Vinicius' latest documentary and dive into the aesthetic politics of YouTube "journalism," with a look at content creators like Dan Mace.

This episode focuses on a single subject: the meaning behind the made-for-TV spectacle of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington, D.C., aimed at "resetting" the country’s relationship with the United States. Central to this effort is countering the fake news narrative that black South Africans are deliberately targeting and murdering white farmers because of their race—a claim fueled by intense lobbying from white right-wing South African groups and amplified by figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk (via X).

We’re back after a short break—David was working long hours on a film set, so there wasn’t much time to record. We start by catching up, then dive into the hot topic on both sides of the Atlantic: the fake news surrounding white “Afrikaner” “refugees.” That conversation branches out in many directions. Whites, including Afrikaners, make up about 7% of South Africa’s population but own 73% of private land and dominate wealth, media, and leadership. They hold 62% of top leadership positions, and five of the country’s ten wealthiest individuals are Afrikaners—including the richest, Johann Rupert. Meanwhile, crime continues to disproportionately affect Black South Africans due to entrenched poverty and historical inequality. Despite no land expropriation, groups like AfriForum push false persecution narratives that resonate in U.S. conservative politics. Even in sports like rugby and cricket, Afrikaners remain dominant, despite the ongoing transformation efforts. These stories aren’t about South Africa but U.S. culture wars. Afrikaners are not victims of genocide; they remain among the most powerful and privileged in the country. We wrap up with a review of Kün by Agüero, the new documentary sold as a story about his life with cardiac arrhythmia and friendship with Messi. But beneath the surface, it’s about involving your family in your business.

In Episode 9, we explore the topic of DNA testing. Growing up, we never knew our paternal grandfather—our father doesn’t even know who his father was. What we do know is that our paternal grandmother was descended from enslaved people brought from Mozambique at the end of the seventeenth century. But our grandfather’s identity remains a mystery—or perhaps closer to being revealed than we once thought.

Following the initial West African shipments in 1658, the Dutch increasingly turned to Mozambique and the broader East African coast for enslaved labor. These individuals came to be known, colloquially, as “Mozbiekers.”

After government and church records led nowhere, Sean turned to DNA testing—specifically through 23andMe, which has since filed for bankruptcy. What he uncovered revealed long-buried histories of race and class that had been hiding in plain sight. However, it also enables us to discuss the politics and economics of DNA testing.

In this catch-up episode, Sean and David begin by congratulating their nephew, Caleb, and niece, Lauryn, on graduating from university and another nephew on completing a marathon. David then shares the details of a bizarre Uber ride, discusses the issue of gun violence in Cape Town (David's friend, Clayton, who lives in Ocean View in Cape Town's southern peninsula, was shot and is paralysed as a result), reflects on the chaos in the United States (it has little to do with white South Africans), and explains why it's a huge blow that South Africa may never host the Rugby World Cup again. And no, unlike what Trump's refugees may claim, the decision by World Rugby has nothing to do with any action or inaction by the ANC.

In this episode, Brazilian novelist and journalist Marilene Felinto joins us from São Paulo to discuss racism in South America. I’m not sure who told David to wear an Argentina national team shirt, but right off the bat, Marilene declares Argentina, followed by Chile, as South America’s most racist countries. She also has strong words regarding the tendency of black Brazilian footballers to “whiten up” — mainly once they make money, to marry a white partner. Finally, David gives a shout-out to his friend Charlton, another actor who was shot and is now paralyzed. Charlton lives in Cape Town, South Africa's most violent city.