News Bulletin of 23 June 2025, 7am

The Innovation Campus in South Africa is stepping up efforts to support young people in developing technology solutions with global potential. The goal is to boost job creation and encourage both local and international companies to adopt African-made tech. Backed by the Empire Partner Foundation a nonprofit focused on technology, the Innovation Campus says it has already helped create over 200 jobs and worked with more than 50 clients, including Absa, Betterhome Group, and Paypoint Direct.This move follows EPF’s announcement in January of a multimillion-dollar tech fund aimed at investing in African startups and building partnerships across the continent.

MultiChoice is shaping Africa’s film future through its Talent Factory. This involves a 12-month training programme for young creatives in filmmaking. From scriptwriting to production, interns gain real-world experience under top mentors like Bobby Heaney. Rising star Mapule “Maps” Mokete credits MTF for igniting her passion. She hass since directed Areyeng Jozi, launched LEWATLE magazine, and written for major productions. Now, the MTF class of 2024/2025 is set to shine with films airing on Mzansi Magic from July. SOUND

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history by flying closer to the sun than any spacecraft before. Last week the probe passed 3.8 million miles from the sun’s surface. This is the closest approach humanity has ever made to a star. The spacecraft was traveling at a record speed of 430,000 miles per hour fast enough to travel from Washington D.C to Tokyo in under a minute. According to NASA, that makes it the fastest human-made object ever. NASA’s mission control team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory confirmed the successful flyby after receiving a signal from the spacecraft. Due to the extreme conditions near the sun, the team expected a communication blackout during the closest approach. More detailed data about the flyby and the spacecraft’s status is expected to arrive by January 1.