Elma de Vries is on a sabbatical from her job as a family practioner to complete her PhD in Health Science Education. She was never exposed to any medical information about trans people during her studies and has worked to change this in modern medical education in South Africa. De Vries is now one of South Africa’s foremost medical activists in the area of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. (LGBTQI)+ health matters.
(Photo: Izak de Vries)

Angela Quintal, Africa coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. Ink runs in Angela Quintal’s blood, and her pulse throbs with the fight for media freedom and protecting journalists so they can just get on with telling the story.
(Photo: Rogan Ward)

Jenni Trethowan, the founding member of Baboon Matters Trust, has spent the past 30 years advocating for practical, sustainable methods to manage the interface between baboons and humans. She is pictured at Admirals Kloof, Simon’s Town. (Photo: Joyrene Kramer)

Yes we CAN: How a doctor is galvanising people in a time of crisis. Leanne Brady describes herself as a ‘public health systems activist’.
(Photo: Liza van Deventer / Fairlady)

Sizani Ngubane founder of the Rural Women’s Movement.
(Photo: Thobile Mathonsi)