News Bulletin of 1 November 2025, 8am

South African airline Airlink has announced the launch of a new route from Johannesburg-Zanzibar in June 2026, with tickets now available for purchase.

The Tanzanian island has seen a steady increase in visitor numbers from South Africa in recent years.

The airline will operate its Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which accomodates up to 136 passengers, on a twice-weekly schedule.

The schedule allows passengers from across South Africa and the SADC region to connect via Johannesburg, while facilitating onward connections on partner airlines globally.

The Department of Basic Education says the National Senior Certificate examinations are proceeding smoothly across the country.

The second week of examinations has just concluded with roughly a quarter of exam papers written, including home languages history and mathematics, which concluded the week's schedule.

The Department’s Terrance Khala says they are pleased to report that exams started on time and in secure conditions across all nine provinces.

Over 900,000 candidates are sitting for the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations across the country.

The National Film and Video Foundation under the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture, has opened two new funding calls and an Advisory Panel call, aimed at supporting South Africa’s film and television industry.

The initiatives form part of the the Sixth Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme, which seeks to create opportunities and strengthen the local creative economy.

The foundation has been hosting nationwide roadshows to guide filmmakers through the funding and panel application processes.