News Bulletin of 21 June 2026, 12pm

South African-born Roelof Botha has been appointed to the board of directors of SpaceX following the company's major Wall Street debut. According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Botha was elected as an independent common stock director. SpaceX said Botha's extensive experience with public companies and his strong audit committee background made him an ideal choice for the role. His appointment increases the number of SpaceX board members to nine and sees him join a leadership team that includes SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell and Google executive Donald Harrison. Botha's role will focus on capital protection and financial oversight, while Elon Musk remains chairman, CEO and chief technologist.

As South Africa marks Blood Donor Month this June, the South African National Blood Service is celebrating 25 years of collecting and supplying life-saving blood to patients across the country.The milestone is being marked by dedicated blood donors sharing their inspiring stories and the reasons they continue to give blood regularly.For many donors, the motivation is simple – helping others, saving lives and making a positive difference in their communities.SANBS says blood donation remains one of the easiest ways for people to support those in need, with every donation having the potential to help save multiple lives.

Fifty-five learners from underserved schools across South Africa will take part in an engineering hackathon in Johannesburg this week.The Young Engineers Movement Hackathon, hosted by ORT South Africa and Hudaco, will see learners design and build technology solutions in their communities.Eleven teachers will also receive hands-on training to help bring engineering and technology skills back to their classrooms.The learners' projects will be presented to judges, educators and industry leaders on the final day of the event.