Partner profile: Manned Up Conversations

What is Manned Up Conversations about? 

Manned Up Conversations is a dynamic podcast and safe space for men and boys to reflect on their ways of being, living and working through compassionate stories based on lived experiences, social narratives and findings from experts and researchers. The platform is rooted in the belief that men are human beings who need support too – not just to heal, but to grow and take accountability for their well-being and nurture meaningful relationships.

Why did you start the organisation?

I started Manned Up Conversations as a response to the silence I witnessed around men’s inner lives. Raised by a single mother and grandmother, I’ve seen firsthand how boys and men often navigate pain and pressure in isolation. This platform became a way to disrupt that silence, explore and share my own story while challenging unhelpful narratives, and providing tools through conversations and reflective community-based interventions in collaboration with communities and other organisations.

In the conversations you have, what have you found to be the most important issue confronting men today?

One of the most pressing issues is emotional disconnection and lack of empathy and compassion – for ourselves, from others and from society. Many men are struggling to process complex emotions like shame, grief or vulnerability, largely due to social conditioning and expectations around masculinity. This emotional disconnection often spills into mental health struggles, fractured relationships, violence, and a lack of purpose which is so evident especially when speaking to men and boys in townships and other low-income communities.

A close second is the lack of mentorship and inter-generational dialogue. Many young men are navigating their journeys without meaningful male role models or spaces that encourage self-agency, accountability and growth. The need for social fathers has never been more urgent than the time we find ourselves in as a country.

What are you currently focusing on?

Working with the youth

• I host a fortnightly Majita Mondays, a peer mentoring programme for male university students in collaboration with Varsity Studios in Hatfield, Pretoria .
• In winter 2025, Manned Up is launching Boy Mom Conversations in Atteridgeville, Pretoria to assist single mothers with the challenges of raising their sons without male support.
• I am also partnering with the Atteridgeville local library to start a book club that encourages reading, critical thinking and media literacy, and reflective journaling.

Leadership coaching

• My work centers on guiding (not teaching or instructing) mainly men and boys (but I have started working with women too) to critically examine their own behaviours, experiences and reactions. This is achieved through coaching focused on their use of language, mood and emotional states, physical presence, and overall disposition.
• I am part of Liminal Leadership under the leadership of Dr Stanley Arumugam where I am part of a coaching panel (with 5 other female coaches) for the Tekano Health Equity's Social Justice fellowship cohort.
• I also offer one on one coaching (not counselling) services to individuals who are experiencing breakdowns in life, work or relationships to help them shift from limiting to more empowering ways of being or dealing with those breakdowns.

Mental health and emotional well-being

• Refining our grief and bereavement workshop to extend it to corporate, faith-based organisations and leaders in education. “Ain’t Heavy, My Brother” designed by Music Psychotherapist and my co-facilitator Nsamu Moonga is a creative therapy workshop aimed at helping men process grief.
• Hosting hybrid men’s well-being workshops with smaller groups to allow space for processing and engagement.

Podcast

Our podcast is is a dynamic platform committed to fostering open, honest and transformative discussions among men from all walks of life.

Find out more

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manned_up_conversations/ 

Facebook: Manned Up Conversations 

LinkedIn: Kgaugelo Habyane 

Email: kg@mannedupconvos.com 

Website: https://www.mannedupconvos.com/