News Bulletin of 14 January 2026, 6pm

Headline 1
Young Randburg rider kicks off 2026 racing season
Story 1
Eight-year-old James Nijmeijer from Bromhof in Randburg is preparing for the 2026 Gauteng short-circuit motorcycle series, where he will compete in both the SM50 and SM65 classes.
Last year, he won the PW50 championship and made an impressive debut in the SM50 class, finishing fourth overall. He also celebrated his first pole position and heat win, achieving strong results against riders with more experience.
Despite tough weather and a few crashes, Nijmeijer says he’s grown in skill and confidence, and he’s determined to keep improving.
Story 1 category
Headline 2
Eastern Cape Author Wins Writers of the Future Award and Travels to Hollywood
Story 2
Eastern Cape author Dorothy de Kok is heading to Hollywood after winning the prestigious L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest for her story “Thickly.”
The speculative fiction piece, set in a South African township, explores visibility, transformation, and the pressures women face in a world that demands they change to be noticed.
Dorothy’s story will be published in the international anthology Writers of the Future Volume 42, and she will attend a week-long masterclass and awards event with leading writers in the genre.
Story 2 category
Headline 3
Diepsloot Secondary School records highest pass rate.
Story 3
Diepsloot Secondary School in Soweto has recorded its highest matric pass rate since opening in 2012, achieving 100 percent in the 2025 exams.
Learners received their results on Tuesday, with celebrations breaking out on the school grounds.
Several pupils say they achieved more than they expected, despite coming from a community facing ongoing challenges.
They also credit their teachers for guiding them through the pressures of the matric year
Story 3 category
Financial Indicators headline
Financial Indicators
Financial indicators
Your financial indicators for this hour:

The Rand is trading at 16.38 to the US Dollar, 22.04 to the British Pound, and 19.09 to the Euro.

Gold is trading at 4,616.25 dollars a fine ounce, Brent Crude Oil is at 65.47 barrel, and a Bitcoin will set you back 96,853.00.
Teaser / Tailpiece headline
UK startup develops AI-driven climate education game with investment backing
Teaser / Tailpiece story
British EdTech startup Brainspark Games is developing an AI-driven learning platform to bring climate education into classrooms.
The game, built with researchers from Oxford, UCL and Liverpool, aligns with the UK Department for Education’s Natural Sciences curriculum and uses virtual missions and real-world challenges to teach climate literacy.
Brainspark specialises in culturally inclusive and neurodiverse friendly educational games across subjects from English to biology.
The company recently secured backing on Dragons’ Den, winning investments totaling about R221,000 from three investors to help accelerate development of its projects
Split analysis
Local: 152 words (64%), National: 85 words (36%), International: 0 words (0%)