Eleven men from all ranks of the Tshwane Metro Police Department headquarters will take part in the annual Movember tradition to mark Men’s Health Awareness Month.

Movember is an annual global charity movement held every November where participants grow moustaches and take on health challenges to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues such as cancer and mental health.

Beard contest crowns winner

The TMPD communications unit stated on its social media pages that the officer with the longest facial hair would be crowned the ‘2026 Movember king of moustache and beard’ by December 9.

Sadag challenges manhood stereotypes

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) also recently launched its ‘Hear Him Out’ campaign, in an effort to challenge the stereotypical norms associated with manhood.

The campaign, running throughout November, features a series of online conversations focused on men’s mental health.

During one of these engagements, Garron Gsell, CEO and founder of Men’s Foundation, said that the AI world that thrives on being intelligence-driven circumvents the personal and emotional connection humans need to process emotions more healthily.

“When we experience happiness, we also need to experience sadness. The complexity of the human journey and the experiences that make it up – the highs and lows – can’t be generated in the artificial era we find ourselves in. Living through and understanding these emotions is how we get through it,” Gsell said.

Sadag’s campaign will focus throughout Men’s Health Month on five key pillars: emotional expression, brotherhood and connection, identity beyond being a provider, redefining strength and recognising when someone needs support.