News Bulletin of 22 March 2026, 7am

Sandton’s Mohammed Patel has once again shown remarkable endurance, completing his 17th Dusi Canoe Marathon.This is one of South Africa’s toughest river races. The 75th edition of the event spans roughly 120km over three days, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Patel finished 11th in the 45–49 age category and placed 12th overall in the K1 division, completing the race in 12 hours and 40 minutes. Having started paddling at university in 2004 and entering his first Dusi in 2005, Patel has now completed 17 of the 19 races he has entered.

The 2026 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit brought together inspiring women from across Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre. Leadership, AI, mental health, and innovation was discussed. This year’s theme, The Voice, Vision and Victories of Her Africa, focused on amplifying women’s voices and recognizing real impact across industries.
The summit featured a wide range of panel discussions, including topics such as unlocking a growth mindset during economic uncertainty, the future of artificial intelligence, leadership and legacy, sustainable development, and mental health care.

Scientists say unusual leopard-like spots on a Martian rock collected by Perseverance rover may point to signs of ancient life. The rock sample, named Sapphire Canyon, was gathered from the edge of Neretva Vallis, an area once shaped by flowing water that fed into the Jezero Crater over 3 billion years ago. The rover, which landed in the crater in 2021, has been exploring this ancient lakebed in search of evidence that water and possibly life once existed on Mars.