News Bulletin of 15 August 2026, 11am

The Smile Foundation is encouraging South Africans to celebrate inclusion and acceptance through its Socks for Smiles campaign.
The campaign was unveiled at the foundation's annual Women's Day breakfast at Inanda Club last week, which brought together healthcare professionals, supporters and community partners, for a morning of inspiration and connection.
South Africans are encouraged to wear mismatched socks on the 16th of October, in support of the campaign.

Two South African innovators have been shortlisted for the 2026 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
Chemical engineer Professor Dyllon Randall has been recognised for developing a urine-to-fertiliser recovery system, while biomedical researcher Sincengile Ntshingila has created a virtual tissue culture training platform.

The finalists will compete for a top prize of more than one million rand in Johannesburg in October, while receiving mentorship and business training to help commercialise their innovations.

Team South Africa has secured a historic fourth-place finish at the inaugural World Spelling Bee Championships in China.
Two South African learners finished among the world's top ten, while six team members advanced beyond the preliminary rounds.
The Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has congratulated the team on their achievement.
Klerksdorp Primary School learner Mbulelo Tolom says the achievement shows that South African learners can compete with the world's best.