Sandton and Gauteng

The City of Johannesburg's waste management company Pikitup, will continue with operations during the Easter public holidays.

Residents whose waste is scheduled for collection on Friday the18 April and on Monday the 21st of April, are advised to place their bins outside their properties for collection.
Pikitup's multi-purpose waste management facilities will also remain open to help prevent illegal dumping.

The Border Management Authority says it has ensured it has enough boots on the ground this weekend.
The Authority says it will be monitoring the processing of travelers at the Beitbridge border post to ensure a smooth journey for travelers.
The Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber confirmed the introduction of technologies, including drones and body cameras, earlier this month, which will be implemented by the Border Management Authority.

Sport minister Gayton McKenzie has announced a multi-million rand boost for professional boxing in the country.
The minister announced some major changes to the sport at the boxing indaba earlier in the year.
Mc Kenzie has tasked Boxing SA and promoters to push the minimum purses for fighters from R4,000 to R20,000.
The Minister was peaking at a banquet to honour 36 boxing legends and former stars.

South Africa’s most iconic annual consumer exhibition, The Rand Easter Show is underway at the Johannesburg Expo Centre.
At the heart of the event is the South African National Defence Force display, showcasing impressive equipment and action-packed demonstrations, that captivate the audience from diverse backgrounds and ages.

The display highlights the South African Armed Forces' capabilities and commitment to community engagement.
The iconic show boasts an impressive lineup of entertainment, retail, and activations, ensuring a captivating experience for all.

The Basic Education Ministry has launched a transformative campaign to expand access to quality Early Childhood Development in South Africa.

The Basic Education minister, Siviwe Gwarube, is collaborating with the private sector and civil society to ensure every child, benefits from early education.

The aim is to register ten thousand ECD centers this year.

Government has welcomed the recent findings by Intelpoint's Research, which rank South Africa as the second most literate country on the African continent, with an adult literacy rate of 95%.
The achievement stands as a testament to the effectiveness of government’s progressive education policies and programmes, that have been implemented since the advent of democracy in 1994.
Government continues to prioritize literacy development in the foundational years of education, and through Early Childhood Development programmes.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has introduced a crime fighting masterplan for the province, under the banner, "One province. One plan. One mission" campaign.

The Premier together with law enforcement departments and the City's entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding during a provincial Safety Agreement Ceremony at the UJ Soweto Campus on Tuesday.

The agreement seeks to unite all law enforcement and the City's entities in the province in a bid to tackle crime in an integrated manner.

The Matlosana Local Municipality in Klerksdorp in North West says the R15 billion Urban Blue International Gas-to Power investment will go a long way in addressing the municipality's ailing electricity infrastructure and mounting energy debt to Eskom.

This investment will also boost the local economy, through the construction of a Gas-to-Power Plant, capable of producing 99MW of electricity.

Urban Blue International is expected to sell the generated electricity to the government and local communities, with ownership set to be transferred to the municipality, after a 20 year period.

Team South Africa made an incredible impact at the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition in China, earning awards for their outstanding scientific projects after competing against some of the brightest young scientists from around the world.

The 44th Youth Science Creation Competition was hosted at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, aimed to promote the advancement of youth scientific and technological endeavours

The Mayoral committee for roads and transports in Ekurhuleni Councilor Andile Mngwevu,
has handed over the brand new Bluegum View Taxi rank to the community of Duduza yesterday.

The facility has been on the city’s Integrated Development Plan for the Duduza due to the pressing transport needs of the community.

The city's aim in rolling out taxi ranks is to encourage the use of public transport which can reduce congestion on the roads.

The North West government has embarked on a joint venture with the City of Matlosana in Klerksdorp to address energy supply challenges.

Provincial Economic Development Department officials have handed over the Urban Blue International Gas Power project to the city for implementation.

The hand over will pave the way for the construction of a R15 billion Gas Power Plant, which will produce 99MW of electricity.

Lesotho has granted a licence to Elon Musk's Starlink to operate a satellite network and to provide satellite internet services in the country.

The Lesotho Communications Authority, says the
The licence granted to Starlink Lesotho will be valid for 10 years.

The landmark decision marks a significant step forward in the country's digital transformation

The Gauteng government has signed the Gauteng Safety Agreement, which is a memorandum of understanding on cross-boundary law enforcement.

The agreement makes provision for arms of the policing service, to move across traditional boundaries, ensuring better coordination between branches of law enforcement, while strengthening the impact of crime prevention tactics.

The memorandum brings together Gauteng Provincial Government, the South African Police Service, municipal police departments and local and district municipalities.

The Mpumalanga provincial Department of Health has officially opened the Burns Unit at the Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela, in a bid to improve the care, and treatment of surgical and burns patients in the province.

The 12 bedded, Unit began operating in January 2024 on a pilot phase, with the aim of capacitating the team and building capacity.

The establishment is the first of its kind among the provinces state hospitals and aims to improve access to specialized care for Burns Patients.

Emirates has introduced Emirates Courier Express, an advanced delivery solution that aims to redefine express shipping.

With nearly four decades of experience in global logistics, Emirates brings a service that prioritizes speed, reliability and flexibility.
The service follows a direct delivery model, allowing packages to travel from origin to destination with minimal handling, reducing transit time while improving efficiency.

The service introduces a new approach to cross-border logistics, ensuring that goods are transported efficiently through direct connectivity.

Rand Water will carry out critical maintenance on the Palmiet pump station from May 2 to 16, which will impact Johannesburg Water’s systems in Sandton and Midrand.

Residents in affected areas may face low water pressure or no water during this period.

In Sandton, the maintenance will disrupt systems linked to Alexander Park reservoir, South Hills tower, and Linksfield reservoirs.

Midrand systems affected include Rabie Ridge reservoir, Grand Central tower, President Park tower, Erand reservoir, and Country View reservoir.

Joburg Water will provide alternative water supply points in residential areas to mitigate the inconvenience.

Three young men from Burgersfort, Limpopo, completed an extraordinary 1,700-kilometer cycling journey to raise awareness for pressing community issues.

Their remarkable effort began in Cape Town, where they were greeted with a heros welcome.

The journey captured the hearts of many and showcased their power of determination and unity.

The music community is gearing up for the 2025 American Music Awards on May 26, hosted by Jennifer Lopez who will also be performing.
Her return to the AMAs stage is a blend of music and dance.
The Academy of Country Music Awards nominations are out, with Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion and Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay? vying for Album of the Year, reflecting Hollywood’s growing country music influence.

The fourth edition of the City of Johannesburg's Employee Engagement Day, took place at Marks Park in Emmarentia on Friday.

Launched in February 2020, the engagement saw staff members coming together for light-hearted games and wellness activities, designed to encourage fun and fitness.

The day featured spirited addresses from the Acting City Manager, Tshepo Makola, and the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Councilor Loyiso Masuku.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, has officially opened a new state-of-the-art office located in the Tygervalley Shopping Centre in Bellville, in Cape Town, with the hopes of improving the quality of services in the city.

The opening follows the revamp and expansion of the Mitchells Plain office, earlier this month.

The South African Presidency of the Group of Twenty is this week convening the second Development Working Group meeting in the Western Cape.

The gathering plays a pivotal role in shaping global development priorities, while serving as a platform for in-depth discussions on key development challenges and cooperative solutions.

The meeting will bring together representatives from G20 member states, and international organizations to deliberate on policies that foster inclusive economic growth.

The City of Johannesburg's staff convened in Emmarentia for their fourth annual Employee Day on Friday.
The event encourages staff members to pursue wellness goals while enjoying a relaxed, and entertaining atmosphere.
The day featured spirited addresses from the Acting City Manager, Tshepo Makola and the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Councilor Loyiso Masuku.

Masuku acknowledged the struggles faced by City employees and has committed to tackling serious workplace challenges, including excessive workloads, financial strain and discrimination.

The University of the Western Cape's Elmien Cloete, says she is on a mission to reshape the University's sports landscape, by empowering staff and students through the introduction of Innovative approaches.

As the newly appointed Director of Sports at the University, Cloete says her main focus is supporting student-athletes through academic assistance, mental health resources and sport science support.

The trailblazer says she is ready to build on her experiences and to take the university’s sports programmes to new heights.

Boxing has been included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics programme, following a unanimous vote from the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC last month granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, in a major step toward the sport's inclusion in the LA Games.

Boxing President Boris van der Vorst had this to say..
Clip 1 - Boris van der Vorst - Olympics Boxing

Today the famous Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg officially reopened with a special ceremony.
The caves are now fully managed by the University of the Witwatersrand. Special events will take place all week to mark the reopening.
Located 50km northwest of Johannesburg, the caves are part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.
The cave system, made of dolomite, began forming around 30 million years ago and stretches over 2.5km underground.

The Sterkfontein Caves are one of the world’s most important sites for studying human evolution.
For over three million years, the deep caves have preserved fossils of early human ancestors and other animals.
These remains fell into the caves through narrow shafts and were buried over time.
The fossils found here give scientists a long record of how humans have changed over millions of years.

In response to global challenges affecting small businesses, the Department of Tourism is encouraging Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises in the tourism sector to apply for the Market Access Support Programme.
This initiative offers financial assistance to help these businesses present their products at key tourism trade events.

During a recent engagement in the Free State on April 11
Tourism Deputy Minister Maggie Sotyu highlighted the department’s commitment to empowering small businesses.
She stated that the department’s goal is to break down barriers for SMMEs, promote tourism, create job opportunities especially in uncertain times.

Grammy-nominated R&B star Keri Hilson is making a big comeback with her new album We Need to Talk, which will be released on Friday, April 18.
This is her first full album in over a decade, since No Boys Allowed in 2010.
The album included hits like “Pretty Girl Rock” and “One Night Stand” with Chris Brown. Hilson has also worked with big artists like Kanye West, J. Cole, and Nelly.

Hilson says this project brings a fresh sound and a new artistic direction.
In a recent interview, she spoke honestly about past challenges, including the fallout from a leaked remix of “Turnin' Me On” that many thought was aimed at Beyoncé.
Hilson said she didn’t write those lyrics and didn’t want to record them, but was pressured into it.
Supporters have filled social media with love and excitement about her return. Some are hoping for a long track list, while others say her music makes them feel strong and inspired.

Junior Mlondobuzi a young entrepreneur from South Africa is changing how small businesses get insurance.
He is the founder of Entresure, a digital insurance platform made for small businesses.
After working in the insurance industry for nine years, he saw a gap in the market.
Junior Says, Many small business owners were not getting insurance, not because they didn’t care, but because the system was too hard to understand,
Mlondobuzi started Entresure to address this problem and to make insurance simple, affordable, and easy to access.
The platform helps business owners get the right cover.
It works online and gives quotes based on your type of business.
Entresure offers cover for things like business interruption, liability, asset protection, professional mistakes, and cyber risks.

On April 14, Varsity College Waterfall hosted a GitHub workshop for final-year and honours computer science students.
The event, held in partnership with the Dlala Group, focused on teaching students practical skills such as version control, teamwork, automation, and project management.
Industry leaders like Dlala Group’s CEO Mzwandile Maawu and CTO Cebo Makeleni guided students through hands-on GitHub sessions.
Students learned how to manage coding projects and collaborate effectively in teams.
Honours student Nikita Trisha Gordhan said the workshop helped her feel more confident and ready for the workplace.
The college says workshops like this help close the gap between academic learning and real industry demands, while also encouraging innovation and collaboration.

Grammy-nominated R&B star Keri Hilson is making a big comeback with her new album We Need to Talk, which will be released on Friday, April 18.
This is her first full album in over a decade, since No Boys Allowed in 2010.
The album included hits like “Pretty Girl Rock” and “One Night Stand” with Chris Brown. Hilson has also worked with big artists like Kanye West, J. Cole, and Nelly.

Hilson says this project brings a fresh sound and a new artistic direction.
In a recent interview, she spoke honestly about past challenges, including the fallout from a leaked remix of “Turnin' Me On” that many thought was aimed at Beyoncé.
Hilson said she didn’t write those lyrics and didn’t want to record them, but was pressured into it.
Supporters have filled social media with love and excitement about her return. Some are hoping for a long track list, while others say her music makes them feel strong and inspired.