News Bulletin of 13 September 2026, 9am

Two young South African tech founders have raised 19-point-5 million rand from global investors to grow their artificial intelligence company, Verascient. Founders Keagan Stokoe and Emile Ferreira have secured the funding to develop technology that helps businesses build AI into their everyday operations. The pair are now looking to South Africa for top AI talent to join the company and help take it into international markets. Ferreira taught himself to code at the age of 12 and later became an early developer at Replit, while Stokoe was part of the founding team at South African internet provider Fibertime.

South Africans will attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people braaiing at the same time on Heritage Day, 24 September.Three thousand people are expected at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria for the attempt, which aims to beat Japan’s current record of 2,220.Organisers have built 500 braai stands, with six people assigned to each station.The record attempt will start at 10am, with food and entertainment on offer afterwards.
It celebrates South African culture and brings thousands of people together to enjoy a shared tradition while attempting to set a new world record.

Karate students in Craighall Park are stepping up their training ahead of two major national events. The karateka worked on their techniques and different styles under the guidance of Sensei Andrew Els during a training session on August 25. Els says the team has spent the past six months preparing for next month’s World Shotokan Karate-Do Federation national championships, while the black belt group is also preparing for national grading in October. Junior black belt holder Ronald Redelinghuys says his interest in martial arts began after seeing a poster about karate.