Gemsbok

02/10/2026

A STORY BORN IN ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S TINIEST TOWNS IS HEADING TO THE INTERNATIONAL EMMYS

Accenture Song South Africa announced today that its multi-award-winning documentary, The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix, has been nominated for a 2026 International Emmy Award. The nomination puts this joyful, distinctly South African story of children, ingenuity and community in a small Northern Cape town on one of the biggest stages in international television.

The documentary, availble to view on Prime Video, is one of just four productions nominated in the Sports Documentary category at the 54th International Emmy Awards.
It goes up against Baila, Vini from Brazil, Temps Mort (Time-Out) from Spain and Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds from the UK, produced with Warner Bros. Discovery and the Olympic Channel.
The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix was created by Accenture Song South Africa in partnership with the Philipstown WireCar Foundation. It was produced by Giant Films, with South African filmmaker Paul Ward as director, and tells the story of an annual race in which children from Philipstown build handmade wire cars from scrap materials and race them over roughly three kilometres. The documentary formed part of a larger campaign to increase the town’s visibility and attract sponsorship for its youth upliftment programme.
It uniquely combined documentary storytelling with technology developed by Accenture Song to give audiences a new perspective on the race.
“Technology and creativity gave us a new way to tell a very human story,” says Tseliso Rangaka, Chief Creative Officer of Accenture Song South Africa. “During the race, we tracked the children’s handmade wire cars and digitally mapped Philipstown, using that data to recreate the race as a virtual Grand Prix. We could then transform the children and their cars into larger-than-life digital racers. The technology wasn’t there for technology’s sake, it helped us see the race through the children’s eyes and bring that perspective to audiences in a way film alone couldn’t.”
For Accenture Song, the nomination marks an extraordinary year for a piece of South African work that has already attracted major international recognition, including at Cannes Lions, The One Show, Tribeca X, Webbys, the Clio Awards and BrandStorytelling, the Sundance-affiliated festival celebrating brand-funded entertainment.”
Executive Creative Director team Cameron Watson and Devin Kennedy say the aim of the Philipstown project was always to get the kids’ story seen by as many different people and institutions as possible, which in turn would create sustainable change for the town.
“An International Emmy nomination changes the scale of that visibility. A story that began with children racing wire cars in a small Karoo town is now being seen alongside some of the biggest names in global television. That is an extraordinary achievement for Philipstown – and Accenture Song South Africa. It shows how a genuinely great South African story can cross borders and resonate with audiences around the world,” they say.
Philipstown is a small Karoo town in the Northern Cape, making the scale of the documentary’s international recognition particularly striking. In less than a year, the story has travelled from a local race to some of the world's most influential creative and entertainment platforms – and now to the International Emmys in New York.
The film's Emmy nomination is also one of just two nominations for South Africa at this year's International Emmys, alongside actor Ian Roberts' nomination for A Kind of Madness.
The 54th International Emmy Awards take place in New York on 23 November 2026.
To support the Philipstown WireCar Foundation visit www.philipstownwirecar.com. Watch the documentary on Prime Video.
ENDS//
ADDENDUM: Philipstown's 2026 awards and recognition
The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix has had an exceptional awards run in 2026, including:
• Cannes Lions – Silver Lion in Entertainment; Bronze Lion in Creative Data, shortlisted for Titanium Lion
• The One Show – 3 Gold Pencils, 2 Silver Pencils, 2 Bronze Pencils and 6 Merit Awards
• Tribeca X – Social Impact Award
• Clio Awards – Bronze Award
• BrandStorytelling – Impact Award and Official Selection
• IAB South Africa Bookmark Awards – 8 Golds, 4 Silvers and 1 Bronze, including the Pixel for Purpose Black Pixel
• Philipstown WireCar Foundation – Digital Brand of the Year at the Bookmark Awards
• Webby Awards – winner Video & Film: Best Documentary Storytelling 2026 and Technical Achievement Honoree
• D&AD – Shortlisted in Impact and Sports Entertainment (Long Form Film)
• AICP Next Awards – Finalist

02/10/2026

Die Pietie Pretorius-memorium ugbynaweek weer groot sukses
UPINGTON: Die Pietie Pretorius-memorium rugbynaweek was weer eens ‘n groot sukses ná sy geskiedkundige ontstaan twee jaar gelede, skryf vryskutjoernalis en fotograaf Nick Pretorius wat die naweek se gebeure bygewoon het.
Die rugbywedstryde is vanjaar op Kameelpark aangebied en ‘n groot skare het dit bygewoon en geniet.
Die meisiesrugbyspanne van Saul Damon en AJ Ferreira was in aksie terwyl Saul Damon se o.18 A-span die Pietie Pretorius-trofee vir hoërskole voor AJ Ferreira se neuse weggeraap het.
Die rugbyklub Defence Force Collegians (DFC) het die besoekende span van Postmasburg in die eindstryd met 34-21 getroef.
Die hoogtepunt van die agtermiddag was toe die legendspanne (60 jaar plus) van NWK en United in ‘n kragmeting sake uitgespook het.
Die naweek se verrigtinge het alreeds Vrydagaand begin by die Gordon’s Park klub waar pette, sweetpakuitrusting en truie aan die NWK-legends oorhandig is.
Die oud-spelers is agterna op ‘n heerlike braai getrakteer.
Die suksesvolle sportnaweek is Sondagoggend afgesluit met ‘n erediens gelei deur eerw. dr. Ruth Jonas in die Upington Congregational kerk. ‘n Volliespan, oud-studente van die destydse onderwyskollege van Suid-Kaapland, het hul reunie in Upington gehou.
Hulle het saam met die NWK-legends die diens in die kerk bygewoon. ‘n Lys van die gestorwe oud-Vollies is op ‘n skerm in die kerk vertoon. Mev. Mercia Pretorius (93), eggenote van die legendariese NWK-en Saru-rugbyspeler, Pietie Pretorius het ‘n ruiker in die kerk ontvang na afloop van die diens. Sy was omring deur familie en vriende.
Pietie Pretorius, ‘n oud-onderwyser van beroep, is in 2023 oorlede.

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

Friday Specials at Bi-Lo Bistro | Burgers, Pizza & Sushi

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02/10/2026

Gemsbok se redakteur, Elsa Jones Van Rhyn, het vanoggend die voorreg gehad om met die groot gedruis van die Augrabies Watervalle wakker te word en die sonsopkoms oor die skouspelagtige waterval met ons te deel.

01/10/2026

Arid Regional Awards
Die funksie is vanjaar by Augrabies Waterval Nasionale Park gehou. Afgevaardigdes van al die NK Parke het saamgekom vir n "Masquerade Ball" waar talle pryse uitgedeel is. Lees meer daaroor in die Gemsbok.

01/10/2026

Augrabies is skouspel met vol Oranje



Sedert middel September het die damme in die opvangsgebied van die Oranjerivier voller geword en meer water is uitgelaat.

Dit het dus veroorsaak dat die rivier voller is en dus is die Augrabies Waterval weer ‘n skouspel.

Gister se meting van die stand van damme is as volg:

Vaaldam 95.6% invloei 130 uitvloei 17
Bloemhofdam 107.9% invloei 96 uitvloei 303
Gariepdam 110.5% invloei 1466 uitvloei 1351
Vanderkloofdam 108% invloei 1413 uitvloei 1210
Katlani 1425m3/s (4.53m)
Prieska 1047 (3.10)
Upington 1213 (4.04)
Blouputs 593 (1.78)
Sendelingsdrift 327 (1.41)

Vandag se vloei-lesing by die Augrabies Waterval Nasionale Park, staan ​​op ‘n indrukwekkende 1 254 kubieke meter per sekonde (cumecs), met die verwagte piek tussen 2 en 3 Oktober 2026.

En daar is nog meer op pad!

Volgens huidige inligting sal die rivier na verwagting vir ongeveer 14 dae op verhoogde vlakke bly voordat dit geleidelik begin sak.
Dit is die natuur op sy kragtigste.

As jy die park gedurende hierdie tydperk besoek, neem die tyd om die skouspel te ervaar, maar stel asseblief veiligheid eerste.

Volg alle kennisgewings van sluitings en instruksies van die parkbestuur en hou ‘n veilige afstand van die rivier en aangewese uitkykpunte.

01/10/2026

A Second Successful Visit: Dr Abdoola Continues to Bring Specialist Maxillofacial Care to the Heart of the Northern Cape
Kalahari Day Theatres is proud to mark the second successful visiting session of Dr Irshaad Abdoola, our specialist Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon, whose growing partnership with our facility is opening the door to advanced surgical care that was previously out of reach for many patients in this region.
Dr Abdoola, who holds a BChD, MChD and Fellowship of the College of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons (FCMFOS), completed his undergraduate training in 2009 and his specialisation in Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery in 2019, both in Pretoria, before relocating to Kimberley to serve patients across the Northern Cape and North-West. He is well known for presenting at local and national congresses and for publishing in accredited, peer-reviewed journals — a body of academic work that sits behind every procedure he performs.
A Full Theatre List
During this second visit, Dr Abdoola's theatre list reflected the full scope of his specialty, ranging from routine to genuinely complex cases. His schedule included dental implants, which call for precise placement and a period of osseointegration as the bone fuses to the implant; surgical removal of impacted wisdom teeth, which can require careful management around the bone and nerves of the lower jaw; and arthrocentesis for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, a minimally invasive way to relieve jaw pain and restricted movement without open surgery.
Together, these procedures reflect the extend of complex, specialist-level surgery now being brought directly into our community, performed with the same rigour, technology and safety standards found in major metropolitan centres.
Why This Matters for the Northern Cape
As a day hospital, our facility exists to bring exactly this kind of care closer to home. Day hospitals across South Africa have increasingly taken on procedures that once required an overnight hospital stay, thanks to advances in anaesthesiology, pain management and surgical technique that allow patients to recover safely at home on the same day. For a region as vast and sparsely served as the Northern Cape — where patients from Upington, Kathu, Springbok, Kuruman and Brandvlei often face long journeys for specialist care — having a visiting Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon of Dr Abdoola's calibre means fewer families needing to travel hundreds of kilometres, and fewer patients postponing procedures simply because access is difficult.
This model works because it is built on careful patient selection, structured planning and close coordination between surgeon, anaesthetist and theatre team — the same standards of accreditation and clinical governance that apply in any traditional hospital setting, delivered in a smaller, more focused and more personal environment.
Looking Ahead
Dr Abdoola's second visit is more than a milestone — it is a signal of intent. As his visiting schedule to our facility grows, so too does our ability to offer the Northern Cape a genuine local home for complex maxillofacial and oral surgery: dental implants, impacted wisdom teeth, TMJ disorders, and beyond. Our team is excited about what continued collaboration with Dr Abdoola will mean for patients across this community in the months and years ahead — excellence in speciality care, delivered closer to home.
"Excellence in our speciality" — Dr Irshaad Abdoola, BChD, MChD, FCMFOS
For an appointment with Dr Abdoola, kindly contact Kalahari Day Theatres at 054-3323989 or email [email protected]