This Way Up is a podcast about the people creating social change South Africa needs, often in unexpected, practical and deeply personal ways. Hosted by Babette Gallard, the series meets people who see something that isn't working and decide to do something about it. These aren't conversations about abstract solutions. They are stories about people putting ideas into practice: cleaning polluted rivers, testing unsafe water, creating opportunities for young people, supporting vulnerable communities, tackling food waste, improving cancer awareness and finding new ways to build stronger communities. Across South Africa, individuals and organisations are responding to difficult problems with imagination, persistence and an extraordinary willingness to act. This Way Up goes looking for those people and asks a simple question: what happens when someone decides that things could be better? The guests come from very different backgrounds. They include environmental activists, social entrepreneurs, community leaders, scientists, campaigners, educators and ordinary people who have found themselves doing extraordinary things. What connects them is the decision to move beyond identifying a problem and begin creating a solution. Some of the stories are about the environment: citizen scientists gathering evidence about polluted water, people finding new ways to deal with food waste, and activists fighting to restore damaged rivers. Others focus on community development, entrepreneurship, health, education, women's empowerment and opportunities for young people. Together, they offer a different way of looking at social change South Africa is experiencing. The country's challenges are real, but so are the people working every day to address them. The conversations are also about what happens behind the achievements. Change rarely follows a neat path. Guests talk about setbacks, resistance, mistakes and the moments when continuing seemed impossible. They also explain what kept them going and what they have learned along the way. This Way Up is interested in grassroots action because large problems can make individual action seem insignificant. These stories suggest otherwise. A water test can provide a community with evidence. A small business can create employment. A recycling project can change how people think about waste. One person's decision to act can draw others into a much larger movement. The podcast explores community development in South Africa, environmental action, social entrepreneurship, conservation, health, innovation and the many different ways people create meaningful social impact. At its heart, This Way Up is about possibility. Social change South Africa can sustain does not depend on one kind of person or one perfect solution. It grows through thousands of actions, ideas and relationships, and through people prepared to keep trying when something matters. If you are interested in South Africa, community action, environmental solutions, entrepreneurship, resilience and people finding practical ways to make things better, This Way Up is for you.
