News Bulletin of 1 August 2026, 9am

Cricket South Africa honours SA's Cricket Stars
Cricket South Africa recently honoured the country's top performers at its annual awards ceremony that was held at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg.

Proteas Men’s T20I captain Aiden Markram was the standout performer in the men's categories, claiming both the SA Men's Player of the Year and SA Men's Players' Player of the Year awards in recognition of his outstanding performances across the awards cycle.

Veteran off-spinner Simon Harmer, was named Test Player of the Year after playing a key role in South Africa's red-ball success between April 2025 and April 2026.

Proteas Women’s skipper Laura Wolvaardt continued her dominance in the women's game, completing an awards hat-trick by winning Women's Player of the Year, SA Women's Players' Player of the Year and Women's ODI Player of the Year.
Sandton and Gauteng
VUT celebrates 60 years of excellence
The Vaal University of Technology commemorated its 60th Diamond Jubilee, celebrating six decades of academic excellence, innovation and institutional impact.

The Diamond Jubilee marks an important milestone in the University's history, celebrating the institution's transformation from its establishment in 1966 into one of South Africa's leading Universities of Technology.

Celebrations commenced with the official opening of newly revamped academic laboratories, highlighting VUT's investment in modern teaching, learning and research infrastructure.
South Africa
Sarah Barratt crowned Safari Guide of the Year
Sarah Barratt of Thornybush Game Lodge has been crowned Safari Guide of the Year, becoming the second woman to win the prestigious title in the competition's 15-year history.

The annual contest pairs Southern Africa's top field guides to compete in a week of safari challenges designed to test their knowledge, guiding skills and professionalism.

Barratt, who combines 15 years of bush experience with a background in anthropology, claimed top honours after winning the Guided Game Drive and Industry Ambassador and Professionalism categories.

The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa says the competition not only celebrates excellence in guiding but also inspires the next generation of trackers and rangers, to achieve excellence.
South Africa
Financial Indicators
Chinese delivery rider wins top literary prize
A food delivery rider in China has won one of the country's highest literary honours for a poetry collection inspired by life on the road.

Fifty-six-year-old Wang Jibing received the Lu Xun Literary Prize for Low Flight, a collection exploring the experiences of food delivery riders and gig economy workers across China.

Wang, who began working as a delivery rider in 2019, writes poems on his phone while waiting at traffic lights.

Wang is part of a growing group of blue-collar workers who are being celebrated for their literary works, which offer a glimpse into the pressures that they face in China's massive gig economy.

The Lu Xun prize is one of China’s highest literary honours and is awarded every four years by the China Writers’ Association.
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