Cape Town Pride Parade: Celebrating MambaOnline's 25-year legacy
As Cape Town prepares to march, dance, and demand change, MambaOnline’s 25-year record underscores that Pride is more than a festival.
Image: CPT PRIDE
Cape Town is set to come alive next weekend as thousands will march in the annual Pride Parade and Mardi Gras, celebrating LGBTQIA+ visibility while demanding justice and equality, a moment made even more significant as MambaOnline marks 25 years of reporting on South Africa’s queer community.
Founded in 2001 by Luiz de Barros, the platform has spent a quarter of a century documenting both milestones and injustices, from the legalisation of same-sex marriage to landmark hate speech rulings, while amplifying queer voices often side-lined in mainstream media.
Over the past 25 years, the platform has produced in-depth interviews with icons such as the late Brenda Fassie (in the first interview in which she publicly came out as a lesbian), former Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron, and global drag legend RuPaul.
It has held those in power accountable on matters of equality and justice, while also capturing pivotal historical milestones, including South Africa’s landmark legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2006 and key hate speech victories in the Constitutional Court (the Jon Qwelane case) and the Equality Court (the Steve Hofmeyr case).
In the Western Cape, the platform has reported from communities such as Khayelitsha and Langa, highlighting the ongoing risks LGBTQIA+ people face and the gap between legal protections and the everyday realities faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals.
LGBTQIA+ activists and organisations at the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court to support family and friends of Kwakhanya Hlanganisa, who was brutally killed in December 2025.
Image: Lilita Gcwabe
"The reporting we’ve done in areas like Khayelitsha and Langa reflects a deeply concerning pattern," says Managing Editor Nompilo Gwala. "These are not isolated incidents. They point to systemic issues that intersect sexuality, gender identity, poverty, and access to justice. Recognition alone is not enough. It must translate into action, protection, and justice."
Alongside reporting, MambaOnline has worked with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and Inclusive & Affirming Ministries to expand access to health services and safe spaces, and it has highlighted queer-owned businesses across Cape Town.
"We’re not just reporting on events after they happen,” Gwala says. “We are engaging in real-time conversations, elevating underreported issues, and building a national platform that reflects both progress and ongoing challenges."
Cape Town Pride organiser Evan Tsouroulis notes the symbolic weight of 2026: "The 30th anniversary of the adoption of the democratic Constitution, and the 20th anniversary of the legalisation of same-sex marriage."
He adds: "While South Africa is a leader in LGBTQ+ rights, recognised internationally for its progressive laws, many LGBTQI+ citizens still suffer from discrimination and prejudice, or are victims of hate speech and hate crimes. So when people ask why we still need Pride, this is one of the reasons."
The parade begins at 11am in Alfred Street in De Waterkant, followed by the Mardi Gras at Green Point Track, with performances including Armand Joubert.
Tsouroulis also highlights MambaOnline’s role, saying: "We have a longstanding relationship with MambaOnline, who are our official LGBTQI+ media partner this year, and we are happy that this coincides with their 25th anniversary."