News Bulletin of 21 September 2026, 12pm

A South African father-and-son team has won about R12 million after placing second in a military drone competition in the United States.
Luke and Mike Bell built a 13-kilogram drone that carried a 54-kilogram pay-load during their successful second attempt.
The pair tested the drone more than 140 times before competing in the US military’s drone competition.

Four Cape Town libraries have won Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards for programmes supporting literacy, digital skills, multilingual reading and climate responses.
The City’s Library and Information Services won for its 1,000 Stories before School programme, which has grown to more than 20,000 participants.
Brackenfell and Athlone libraries were recognised for digital literacy and multilingual reading, while Sir Lowry’s Pass Library won for its climate-focused Cool Space project.
The awards recognise the work of public libraries in supporting learning and communities across the Western Cape.

A team of young scientists and innovators are helping to find solutions to one of South Africa's biggest water challenges.
The group emerged as the winning team at the 2026 Wetskills South Africa programme, an international innovation workshop focused on water sustainability.
The team developed a water stewardship ecosystem to tackle non-revenue water losses.
The digital ecosystem helps track progress and manage repairs.