News Bulletin of 16 May 2025, 7am

South Africa proudly celebrates Africa Month by spotlighting the exciting growth in tourism across the continent. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille shared encouraging news that Africa’s tourism sector is bouncing back. South Africa welcomed 8.9 million tourists in 2024 and supported 1.6 million jobs. With most visitors coming from within Africa, the country is strengthening regional connections.The government is optimistic about creating more jobs through a new five-year growth plan, promising a bright future for the tourism industry.

The Central Energy Fund has officially handed over leased assets and R5 billion in funding to launch the South African National Petroleum Company. This new entity was formed by merging three CEF subsidiaries iGas, the Strategic Fuel Fund, and PetroSA. The creation of SANPC aligns with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2020 call to stabilize and refocus State-Owned Entities to boost economic growth. CEF Group Chairperson Ayanda Noah highlighted the strategic importance of SANPC in securing South Africa’s energy supply amid global geopolitical challenges.SOUND

Rihanna fans are in for a treat.. the superstar has recorded a new song for the Smurfs movie soundtrack. The track, titled “Friend of Mine,” was featured for the first time in the new trailer for the “Smurfs” movie, in which Rihanna voices the role of Smurfette. Friend of Mine” is the first new song Rihanna has released since 2022, when she released “Lift Me Up,” the Oscar-nominated song featured in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The Smurfs movie follows Smurfette, who leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save Papa Smurf after he was mysteriously taken by evil wizards, according to an official synopsis.