Good News

BULLETIN 29 July

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition says South African companies saw promising results at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul, Turkey. A company that makes protective clothing, Imperial Armour, recorded 12 leads from ten countries while Canvas and Tent that manufactures camping systems, secured a non-disclosure agreement with a European firm. The department has hailed the event as a success for local defence exporters.

# The University of the Free State participated in a groundbreaking initiative of charitable, fully sponsored robotic procedures in honour of late former president Nelson Mandela. Four surgeons performed six robotic procedures on six patients over six days across four specialities. The university’s professor Anthea Rhoda says robotic surgery has become a powerful tool to address health inequity, empower the public health-care system, and put healing and dignity in the hands of those who need it most.

# Wilderness has been selected as the Western Cape finalist in kykNET’s prestigious Dorp van die Jaar 2025 – Town of the Year competition. The competition celebrates the best towns in South Africa and Namibia. George Municipality’s spokesperson, Chantel Edwards-Klose, says winning this coveted accolade will bring significant exposure and investment to the region. She adds the one-million-rand cash award will be allocated towards the repair of the Wilderness Boardwalk:

# University of Johannesburg professor, Habib Noorbhai’s latest book has broken into the Kindle Top 100 rankings. The book is titled:  Roadmap of the Professoriate: Strategic Guidance for Progression from Graduate Student to Professor. It offers practical and strategic guidance for navigating the journey from postgraduate studies to full professorship. Noorbhai says he hopes this book offers a map, not a shortcut, but a guide that helps demystify the journey and empowers others to persist.

# And finally: A zoo on the Isle of Wight in the south of England announced the birth of red panda twins after introducing the parents in 2024. The cubs’ 10-year-old mother Xiao was paired with a 10-month-old male Flint after he was imported from the Belfast Zoo. The cubs will remain hidden in the nest boxes until they are at least three months old. The species lives in the eastern Himalayas and China, is endangered and on the decline. Red pandas are poached for fur, caught in traps and under threat from forest clearance.

Stay tuned for more news………….