New podcast series: ‘Nothing Works but the People’

In this new show, Pheladi Sethusa puts the focus on work and workers in South Africa. First up, architects, and what a blueprint for a day on the job looks like.  
March 19, 2026
1 min read

Pheladi Sethusa’s new podcast series, Nothing Works but the People is exactly up Currency’s alley. The Joburg multimedia ace and storyteller has spent the past few months with different South Africans at work, shadowing them for an entire shift or workday. 

So, what does life look like for those who do have jobs in a country where that’s not a given for so many citizens?

As Sethusa puts it, the podcast is about “the precarity, minutiae and beauty of spending a shift in the shoes of some of the people foundational to this country’s functioning”. 

“This is a narrative dive into workers’ daily routines, and it casts light on how South Africa’s past, present and future play an active role in their reality.”

All about the architects

First up, in episode 1: Same Same, but Different, Sethusa puts the focus on architects – in particular, Steven Sotiriou from Urban Signature Architects and Sisikelele Mlambisa from Imvelo Studio.

Here’s what you can expect:

“The built environment is one of the few industries within the formal sector that have seen some growth in the last few months. But like all industries, the construction is complex and this growth is uneven. This episode follows the chaotic days of two architects who own and manage their own firms in Joburg. While their projects range from the niche like cat cafés to everyday house renovation, their daily realities of being sent from pillar to post, endless admin and racking up kilometres on the road are both endearing and illuminating.”

Listen to the podcast at:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify 

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