News Bulletin of 4 September 2025, 3pm

Entrepreneurs, service providers and community members recently gathered at Witpoortjie Library in Roodepoort, for a networking and business growth event hosted by Xolani Spogter.
The initiative, started in 2019, aims to provide a platform for local businesses to connect, collaborate and access vital information.
Key stakeholders including SARS, the Johannesburg Development Agency and the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency shared guidance on funding, compliance and financial management.
Spogter encouraged businesses to strengthen their online presence, build community relationships, leverage customer loyalty, diversify marketing channels and improve customer experience to grow and succeed.

The Comrades Marathon has once again proved to be more than just a race, raising a record R8 million for its six AmaBeadiBeadi official charities.
Beneficiaries include the Childhood Cancer Foundation, Childline KwaZulu-Natal, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, Rise Against Hunger, Community Chest, and the SANParks Honorary Rangers.
The funds will go towards critical services such as child protection, cancer support, HIV care, hunger relief, and wildlife conservation.
Organisers thanked runners, supporters, and donors for turning endurance into generosity, with top fundraisers helping to drive the record-breaking total.

South African researchers are joining a continent-wide effort to tackle mosquito-borne diseases through VectorGrid-Africa, the first interconnected mosquito observatory network in Africa. The R125 million project, funded by the EU, spans South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, and Madagascar.
Scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand will monitor mosquito species and environmental factors in key provinces, including Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.
The data collected will help predict outbreaks of malaria, West Nile virus, Rift Valley Fever, and other diseases.
The initiative also strengthens local capacity, training African scientists and fostering collaborations with health ministries and research institutes to ensure sustainable, home-grown solutions for public health challenges exacerbated by climate change.