Meet Kirstyn Liang

Kirstyn Liang is a Cape Town-born social entrepreneur, language instructor, writer and film photographer, wandering the world at her own pace. She enjoys people‑watching on train rides, listening to the rain, sharing food with strangers, finding the feeling of home in cosy cafés, poetry slams and gentle walks in nature.

Read more about why Kirstyn is proud to be Chinese and a South African.

Ask your parents and grandparents questions about their histories and the journey of how they left China and landed up in South Africa. I think these stories are so often lost because culturally Chinese people don't like to talk about past hardships and they hide their emotions, but as South Africans we want to talk and understand our identities and place in the world. I really feel that these conversations can be points of healing and enlightenment for all of is ~ Kirstyn Liang

Name: Kirstyn Liang

Occupation: Social entrepreneur and language instructor

1. Where were you born?

Cape Town, South Africa.

2. What school/college/university did you attend?

I attended Elkanah House from pre-primary through to high school.
I studied a BA in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and did a semester study abroad at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

3. What is your fondest childhood memory, growing up as a Chinese child?

I remember often going to the beach with my parents as a child and collecting seaweed from the rock pools to take home. I’d then give the seaweed to my grandmother so she could make some seaweed soup - one of my favourites. She’d always oblige and make the soup for me, and it was only until I was much older that I realized she had never used the seaweed from the beach, but, naturally, the proper dried seaweed ingredient from the store. The fact that she played along and humoured me for all those years was very sweet. I think the gestures of love from grandparent to grandchild and also parent to child are often through food in Chinese culture, so this is a precious memory for me.

4. What is your favourite Chinese food?

Oooh that’s a difficult one! Any noodle dish is my go-to comfort food, so I’d have to choose a tasty noodle broth soup with bok choy, mushrooms and lots of chilli.

5. Where do you live?

I don’t really have a home base at the moment as I work online and travel slowly, living as a ‘digital nomad’, but I’ll always come back to Cape Town to visit family and friends. I’m currently in the Republic of Georgia and will be here for most of this year.

6. What work do you do?

I teach English to non-native speakers and also run a website (shopdonation.co.za) which allows people to generate free donations for social causes when they make online purchases.

7. What do you love about your job?

I love helping people improve their English language abilities, especially when it allows them to feel more confident and capable at work or living abroad. Chatting to people from different countries and cultural perspectives every day is always interesting and enjoyable.
With ShopDonation, it is really cool to present a new system that can, in essence, generate ‘free money’ for those that are making positive changes in their communities. Since online shopping and affiliate marketing are relatively new in South Africa, I feel that there is so much room for a system like this to become more mainstream and the potential for how much can be raised is really huge. It’s exciting to think about the impact that ShopDonation can have once it does grow, and I’m really passionate about getting this concept out to the masses!

8. What is your proudest achievement?

I’ve always wanted to travel the world and live life on my own terms while giving value to others in some way, so having been able to do that throughout the past 5 years does make me feel proud; although I’ve never thought of it as an achievement per se.

9. Why are you proud to be South African?

Being born in a diverse rather than a homogenous country is a wonderful thing, as it means that difference is normalized and accepted from a young age. South Africa also makes you aware of social and economic inequalities early on. This introduces a level of critical thinking and questioning of why these inequities exist, and also how to change them. I think South Africans are hopeful and resilient and value community, which is very important.

10. Why are you proud to be Chinese?

The more I learn about my Chinese heritage and ancestral history, the prouder I am of having this lineage. There is so much deep wisdom in traditional Chinese thought, and I really appreciate the cultural values of being respectful, doing ones best, and getting on with things without complaining too much!

11. Name one Chinese tradition that you’d like future generations to continue with?

Simple behaviors like drinking warm water rather than cold or eating fruit for dessert rather than cake are such great habits for general health and wellbeing that is normal in a Chinese household. I hope future generations continue to cultivate these practices and learn more about Traditional Chinese Medicine, as it is so worth preserving.

12. What advice would you give to the Chinese youth today in South Africa?

Ask your parents and grandparents questions about their histories and the journey of how they left China and landed up in South Africa. I think these stories are so often lost because culturally Chinese people don’t like to talk about past hardships and they hide their emotions, but as South Africans we want to talk and understand our identities and place in the world. I really feel that these conversations can be points of healing and enlightenment for all of us.

13. How can people contact you, should they be interested in your services?

I’m always open to connecting and can be reached by email if related to ShopDonation: kirstyn@shopdonation.co.za or through Instagram for a personal connection: @kirstyn_liang.