News Bulletin of 26 August 2025, 1pm

Headline 1
Soweto Theatre Youth Orchestra is shaping the Future of Emerging Musicians
Story 1
The Soweto Theatre Youth Orchestra is nurturing the next generation of musical talent with a groundbreaking programme designed to equip young musicians with vital artistic and professional skills.

Beyond honing artistic excellence, the initiative is designed to empower young musicians with the opportunities needed to thrive in the competitive world of music and performance.

The programme is designed for young people aged between 18 and 35 from Soweto and surrounding areas.
Story 1 category
Headline 2
G20 Basic Education National Indaba kicks off in Cape Town
Story 2
The G20 Basic Education National Indaba kicked off at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town yesterday.

The Indaba aims to advance Quality Foundational Learning through Early Childhood Care and Education Professional Development, while strengthening the Education Sector’s drive to ensure participation in the G20 is felt at all spheres of the sector.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, has emphasised the importance of getting the foundation phase right in order to achieve optimum results.
Story 2 category
Headline 3
Home Affairs Department to expand bank-based Smart ID and Passport services
Story 3
The Home Affairs Department is on a drive to scale up the number of bank branches that can facilitate the application and renewal of Smart ID cards and passport applications.

There are currently 30 bank branches where citizens can apply for Smart ID cards and passports.
The aim is to increase this number to a thousand bank branches by 2029.
Story 3 category
Financial Indicators headline
Financial Indicators
Financial indicators
Your financial indicators for this hour:

The Rand is trading at 0.00 to the US Dollar, 0.00 to the British Pound, and 0.00 to the Euro.

Gold is trading at 0.00 dollars a fine ounce, Brent Crude Oil is at 67.70 per barrel, and a Bitcoin will set you back 110,175.00.
Teaser / Tailpiece headline
New Chery Education Foundation to support Early Childhood Development in SA
Teaser / Tailpiece story
Chery International has established the Chery Education Foundation in South Africa, with an opening pledge of R3 million to drive early childhood development initiatives in the country.

The announcement was made at the Champion for Education in Africa event in Johannesburg on the 21st of August.

The foundation will prioritize projects such as upgrading early learning centre facilities, training teachers, and providing age-appropriate educational resources.
Split analysis
Local: 69 words (34%), National: 134 words (66%), International: 0 words (0%)