News Bulletin of 14 December 2025, 8am

SPAR Carols By Candlelight, presented by Jacaranda FM, took place last week at the SunBet Arena in Menlyn. Over 7,000 tickets were sold, and more than 10,000 viewers tuned in online. Live performances took place from Elandré, Lee Cole, Zoë Modiga, BlackByrd, Just 6, Ruan du Toit, Charlize Berg, Lloyd Cele, Jesse Clegg, and The Ndlovu Youth Choir. Jacaranda FM DJs kept the festive spirit alive.The event raised over 927,000 rand for charity. This funded 1,200 extra Santa Shoeboxes worth 600,000 rand. Thirteen children’s homes received 20,000 rand each. Staff members were gifted SPAR hampers valued at 67 thousand 200 rand. Overall, the initiative reached 24 communities across four provinces.

Members of the Wanderers Chess Club went head-to-head blindfolded with players from the South African Braille Chess Association. This event aimed at promoting inclusion and raising funds for visually impaired chess players. The match put Braille chess and barriers facing disabled athletes firmly in the spotlight. Founded in 1992, the association sent its first team to the Braille Chess Olympiad. SA Braille vice-chair Francios Metthling said initiatives like this are critical to raising awareness and proving that blind and partially sighted players can compete at the highest level of the game.

Ten women entrepreneurs from across Africa competed in the Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge finale. The event took place at the JSE in Sandton with five founders awarded equity-free grants totalling more than 1.7 million rand. Led by Naspers and Prosus to mark Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and align with South Africa’s G20 and B20 priorities, the challenge drew 1,163 applications from tech founders around the world, highlighting the depth of underfunded female talent. Business Analyst Pelontle Buthelezi who attended the conference had this to say