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14/11/2025

Sports: CSA gets animated with new sponsor

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced Crunchyroll, a global leader in anime, as the Associate Team Sponsor to the Proteas Men’s series in India, taking place from 14 November to 19 December.

Crunchyroll’s logo will feature prominently on the back of the Proteas Men’s playing shirts across all formats - Test, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20I).

This partnership marks a significant expansion of Crunchyroll’s global sports presence and brings the
brand onto one of cricket’s biggest international stages.
CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki, said; “CSA takes pride in welcoming Crunchyroll as the official
team sponsor for the upcoming India Series.
“With anime becoming one of the world’s most dominant entertainment forces, soon to have over a billion viewers, we see this partnership as a celebration of shared values and a drive to connect with global audiences.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Cricket South Africa for this exciting series with India,” said Kartik Gandhi, Senior Vice President, Growth & Planning at Crunchyroll.
“Cricket and anime both capture the intensity of competition and the joy of shared fandom. This partnership strengthens our ongoing focus on bringing together the worlds of sports and anime — combining the spirit of anime with cricket across two dynamic markets with growing anime fandoms — India and South Africa.”

13/11/2025

Science and Technology

Drone conference and disaster digitised

Intelligent software, ease-of-use, real-time returns, and going live are some of the most critical components in the management of drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. In SA's disaster-management profiles, these and other optimised solutions are vital in preparation for disasters - from fires to floods, winds to woes that befall.

This formed the basis theme for the drone conference (3-5 November at Radisson Blu, uMhlanga, Durban). A partnership between QP Drones, ESRI, and the eThekwini Municipality concluded with a highly-technological Geographical Information System workshop and masterfully-co-ordinated drone show at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Component features of the GIS workshop revealed how live traffic information is relayed in real time, for the whole of SA, updated every ten minutes. Other features included mapping areas of high disasters, having personal or public access, essy-to-manage designs, and free accounts.

QP Drones, headquartered in SA, is a born-global UAV company that delivers Climate-Smart solutions across Africa. They also provide precision aerial data, advanced analytic, clear decision support so that organisations can optimise operation, reduce risks, and determine faster responses.
ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc, a global market leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) software, known for its ArcGIS platform), provides technology and services for mapping, location intelligence, and geospatial analytics, which help organizations and individuals use location-based data to solve complex problems and make data-driven decisions, long-term strategies, geospatial AI, modernising urban infrastructures and mapping dangers and disasters in real time.

Photo (1): Drones and UAV demonstration
Photo (2): GIS workshop techniques and training.
Photo (3): Jack Eades, ESRI

12/11/2025

Environmental Affairs

Leopard photographed in West Coast National Park in 170 years

In a historic conservation milestone, a leopard has been photographed in the West Coast National Park for the first time in 170 years. This landmark sighting marks the natural return of the species to South Africa’s coastal landscapes — a powerful sign of ecological recovery. The leopard had been extirpated as a species in the mid-1800s and only in the last while naturally returned.

The image, captured by a remote camera trap, confirms that this elusive predator has recolonised a region from which it had long been absent. The discovery is the result of a collaborative effort between Landmark Leopard and Predator Project and South African National Parks (SANParks), together with the University of the Western Cape, Saldanha Bay Municipality and multiple private landowners, working together to monitor and protect the country’s recovering leopard populations. The project has been running for the last few years on the West Coast between Cape Town and the Berg River.

Conservationists attribute this extraordinary return to a combination of factors, including coordinated efforts by NGOs and conservation authorities, progressive changes in land use (and the development of conservation areas, like the West Coast National Park), protective environmental legislation, and a growing tolerance and coexistence between local communities and wildlife.

Over the past two decades, The Landmark Leopard and Predator Project and other stakeholders have worked to restore ecological corridors and reconnect fragmented habitats across the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape. These efforts have allowed wildlife like leopards to move more freely and safely through the landscape. A critical component to these efforts is tolerance and coexistence of landowners and the implementation of wildlife protection legislation, which has been evident in the area.

12/11/2025

Travel and Tourism

Rain quenches dry Kgalagadi

From dry and deserted, recent rainfalls have erupted the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park into spaces of liquid crystal as experienced rainfall over the past weekend, with Nossob Rest Camp recording an impressive 109 mm — an unusual occurrence for this part of the Kalahari, where such totals are typically accumulated over the course of a month rather than in just two days.

The rest of the park also received significant rainfall, and visitors can soon expect to see the Red Kalahari sands transform into a lush green landscape, a truly remarkable sight in this arid region.
While the rainfall brought much-needed relief to the environment, minor storm-related damages were reported at Nossob Rest Camp. These included small damages to guest tents and a few fallen trees. Some internal park roads also sustained minor damage. Visitors are therefore advised to use high ground clearance or 4x4 vehicles until the water levels have subsided and the necessary maintenance has been completed.

Park management would like to assure visitors that repair and maintenance work is already underway and that all efforts are being made to ensure the safety and comfort of guests.

Visitors can look forward to experiencing the Kalahari in all its rejuvenated splendour, a rare and breathtaking transformation made possible by the weekend’s rains.

Photo 1: Nossob river after the rain
Photo 2: Cheleka waterhole south of Nossob

10/11/2025

Sports: CSA T20

A polished performance from the Hollywoodbets Dolphins saw them movevto second place on the CSA T20 Challenge log.

Triumphing on from their performance on Friday night, the Dolphins trounced the Dafabet Warriors at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium by seven wickets to claim consecutive bonus point victories in the CSA T20 Challenge.

The Dolphins continued their fine form in the competition as well as backing up strong home form with a clinical display with both the bat and the ball to restrict the Warriors to their third lowest total against the Dolphins.

The win on Sunday added to their unblemished record at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium this season across formats.

I

07/11/2025

Current Affairs
Business and Economics

DTIC reaffirms government commitment to expanding SA's GBS

Proclaimed as shifting dynamics and new opportunities, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Zuko Godlimpi, was reaffirming in government's commitment to expanding SA's Global Business Services (GBS).
Stated the DM: "This conference is more than an annual meeting. It is a testament to what can be achieved when government, business, and young South Africans share a common vision, a vision of growth, jobs, and transformation in a changing world," at the BPESA Annual Conference 2025.

The event brought together industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to celebrate excellence, innovation, and partnership in one of South Africa’s most dynamic and globally integrated sectors.

Highlighting the sector’s strong performance, Godlimpi noted that between 2010 and March 2025, the GBS industry created nearly 174,000 new jobs and generated over US$2.7 billion in export revenue.

“Behind these numbers are young people whose lives have been transformed, graduates, data analysts, programmers, and service professionals now participating in the global digital economy from our cities and townships,” he added.

Godlimpi said the GBS Incentive Programme, administered by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), remains central to attracting investment and supporting job creation. Over R808 million has been disbursed to qualifying firms in 2024/25, with plans to secure R10 billion in additional funding over the next decade.

He highlighted the renewed eight-year partnership between the dtic, BPESA, and Harambee Youth Accelerator as a model of effective collaboration, underpinning implementation of the GBS Masterplan and long-term skills development.

06/11/2025

Busines and Economics

Ms Reshni Singh, CEO of Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), saw the future of global services and partnerships. Ms Singh drives the strategic ex*****on of the GBS Sector Master Plan and positioning South Africa as a leading offshore destination for services..
As the business guardian of futures and youth-capacitated industries, priorities include creating jobs for South Africa's youth, attracting foreign investment, and promoting the growth and competitiveness of the Global Business Services (GBS) industry.
She reaffirmed that global business services are not just contact centres that most people know them to be.
“It is actually any IT-aided service that can be outsourced and offshored, and that includes finance and accounting, legal process, HR services, IT services, data analytics, and the list goes on. It is quite a vast sector. Aside from just attracting jobs into South Africa for young people, we actually also attract export revenue.”

“There's definitely a huge interest in South Africa. When you are looking at the global demand and the global markets, there's a demand for work in South Africa. It has been a hugely successful sector. We have a target of 500 000 jobs by 2030, meaning that we will only solve for 10% of what the size of the problem is at the moment. It's a key sector, a very critical sector in terms of making some sort of impact on unemployment in the country, ” stated Reshni Singh.

31/10/2025

Environmental Affairs

Committed action against shark longline vessel

Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has taken firm action against a shark longline vessel found to have breached permit conditions — reaffirming government’s commitment to protecting South Africa’s shark populations and restoring integrity in our fisheries.

Following an inspection on 25 June 2025, Fishery Control Officers confirmed that the vessel had failed to comply with permit condition 5.1(h), which requires that all sharks, including skates and St Joseph, be landed with heads and fins naturally attached to allow for proper species monitoring.

The skipper was issued with an administrative fine for the offence. The Department is now finalising further administrative consideration and may take additional measures under section 28 of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998), including suspension or revocation of permits.

This enforcement action forms part of DFFE’s broader effort to strengthen ocean governance and restore accountability within the sector. As Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George noted:

“The health of our oceans depends on the rule of law being upheld at sea. When we enforce the law, we protect not only sharks and marine ecosystems but also the livelihoods of honest fishers and the future of our coastal communities. There can be no sustainable economy without accountability.”

South Africa’s shark populations are vital to the health of our oceans and the resilience of coastal communities. DFFE is strengthening compliance patrols, investing in enforcement capacity, and working with law-enforcement agencies to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

"Illegal fishing steals from future generations. By enforcing the law at sea, we protect both people and planet. Members of the public are urged to report any suspected illegal fishing to the Environmental Crimes and Incidents Hotline at 0800 205 005", advised the DFFE.

31/10/2025

Sports: CSA T20 Challenge Competition

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Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium and Metaverse Network Media partner for your cricketing win.

Ten double tickets for the Nov 1 clash between the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Moothee Ram Tuskers are up for grabs.
Simply answer the following: Which stadium hosts the match on 1 Nov between the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Moothee Ram Tuskers?
Send a WhatsApp to 0608059554.

31/10/2025

Legal Matters

AuxBrief premieres world-first digitised legal briefing system

South Africa’s legal profession takes hands to serve justice quicker, fairer, and more transparently.
October 25 marked an unprecedented “taking of hands” between clients, attorneys, and advocates at the launch of AuxBrief — the live issuing of the world’s first batch of digital legal instructions to advocates at the Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg. The event, led by the Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA), in partnership with Vezi & de Beer Inc. and Auxcon, signals a turning point for South Africans seeking legal help.
For the first time, people can look forward to a future with faster access to advocates, clearer costs, and greater choice in who represents them in court. Stated Advocate Tiny Seboko, SC, Chair of the Briefing Patterns and Pro Bono Committee at JSA: “By replacing traditional manual processes with a digital briefing platform like AuxBrief, we can hardwire ideals like fairness, efficiency, and transparency into the system.”
Why this matters — faster, fairer, and more transparent
This moment matters to every South African who may one day need legal representation —
whether to protect their business, their home, or their safety.

30/10/2025

Science and Technology
Current Affairs

Third annual uYilo e-Mobility Summit clears the way for Africa's electric future

Experts in new energy vehicles, along with industry leaders, academics, and specialists, are gathering in Gqeberha to share valuable insights on industry innovations and initiatives – particularly those focused on decarbonising the transport sector. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) has partnered with the uYilo e-Mobility Programme at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) to host the annual uYilo Annual e-Mobility Summit, which runs from 28 to 30 October 2025.

The Department's Mbangiseni Mabudafhasi, Deputy Director: Power, said that the summit recognises the urgency of global commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector, which have catalysed growing market demand for electric vehicles (EVs). He added that, while internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles remain dominant, particularly in developing markets, their market share is expected to decline significantly in high-income countries after 2035.

South Africa's automotive industry plays a crucial economic role, contributing approximately 5,2% to the national GDP. Studies show that the sector supports around 115 000 high-skilled manufacturing jobs and roughly 500 000 formal jobs across the automotive supply chain.

Mr Mabudafhasi stressed that discussions about the future of ICEs are essential as the industry stands at a critical juncture. "By 2035, it is projected that 63% of key export markets, including the EU and the UK will implement bans on the sale of new ICE vehicles," he said.

To navigate this transition, South Africa is encouraged to adopt a pragmatic dual-track strategy, which aims to maximise the operational life and minimise the carbon emissions of ICE vehicles while simultaneously fostering the growth of the most promising EV and hybrid platforms. It acknowledges that although ICE vehicles remain dominant, especially in developing markets, their market share is expected to decline sharply in high-income countries beyond 2035.

30/10/2025

Business and Economics
Science and Technology

Real growth in SA R&D spending modest, HSRC reveals

The latest South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D Survey) reveals that nominal Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) was R43.413 billion. In 2015 prices, this represents a modest year-on-year increase of 1.3% to R28.621 in 2023/24. By contrast, GDP growth stood at just 0.8% over the same period.

“Inflation-adjusted R&D growth is below nominal increases. With a flat R&D/GDP ratio of 0.62%, South Africa's innovation investment is just keeping pace with economic expansion,” said Dr Nazeem Mustapha, HSRC Research Director and the R&D Survey’s principal investigator.

R&D personnel grew by almost 10% in 2023/24
The higher education sector showed the strongest growth in R&D expenditure in 2023/24, buoyed by strong growth in researchers.

“Our universities are not only producing world-class science but also building the skills pipeline for the future,” Mustapha noted.

Government remained the single largest overall funder of R&D, providing R21.847 billion in nominal terms (50.3% of total expenditure). Business enterprises contributed R12.033 billion (27.7%) in R&D funding, while foreign sources reached R8.106 billion (18.7%). Although foreign funding grew at a slower pace than in 2022/23, business and higher education institutions recorded double-digit increases from international sources.

Shifts in research fields and sectors

The business sector continued to channel most of its R&D spend into financial and business services, which accounted for nearly half (45.8%) of all business R&D spending. Manufacturing, though down slightly, remained the second-largest contributor at 29.9% of business expenditure on R&D, led by industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber, and plastics. Mining and quarrying placed third, with 10.5%.

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