Author: Jesamine Rikisahedew

In November 2025, my home country, South Africa, is turning purple. From landmark buildings lit in violet to social media feeds filled with the same colour, a
nationwide protest movement is gaining momentum. Led by the organisation Women For Change, the campaign calls for gender-based violence and femicide to be declared a national disaster.

Firstly, what even counts as “old” these days? I’m the eldest child in my family, and I remember the creeping anxiety that came with being the first to turn 30. It feels like a scarily big number – the age that makes everything feel official. I’m meant to have everything (career, relationships, and beauty) figured out. If I haven’t, it must mean I’ve failed. That fear doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s baked into the media we consume, the social norms we’ve internalised, and even the influencers we follow (many of whom are just as young and anxious). The result is a cultural obsession with youthfulness that makes the natural process of ageing feel threatening instead of inevitable.