Good News 14:00
BULLETIN 12 February 2 pm
Good afternoon, here is your Good News:
# Five South African startups selected for the Irish Tech Challenge South Africa 2023 are heading to Ireland for an acceleration programme. Hosted by Dogpatch Labs, a prominent startup and innovation hub located in Dublin, the innovators will gain access to the Irish tech ecosystem and potential funding opportunities. The selected startups include Zoie Health, Pelebox, Foonda Africa, AfroBodies, and Desert Green. Ireland’s ambassador to South Africa, Austin Gormley, says this initiative showcases the strength of Irish-South African collaboration in technology and innovation.
# The eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal has selected 100 young people in the agricultural value chain to participate in a 12-month training programme. The municipality says the New Venture Creation Learnership in Business Management will unlock entrepreneurial excellence in the young participants. This is in partnership with the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Sector Education and Training Authority. The municipality’s agribusiness deputy head, Vuyo Jayiya, says the programme is in line with the Integrated Development Plan Two’s objective of economic growth and job creation.
# Stellenbosch University along with its Department of Modern Foreign Languages will be introducing Spanish to its curriculum starting next year. In December last year, the university signed a memorandum of understanding with the Spanish government to formalise the establishment of a Spanish lectorate at the institution. The university’s professor, Catherine du Toit, says the integration of Spanish into the academic offerings will not only focus on language proficiency but also cultural diversity and contemporary literature:
# The musical Sister Act presented by the Helderberg Academy of Theatre, is heading to The Playhouse in Somerset West, Western Cape, from the 17th to the 27th of this month. The production is based on the iconic 90s film of the same name starring award-winning actress, Whoopi Goldberg. The musical features Thuli Tshikini as disco diva Deloris. Musical director, Jon-Paul Ruschenbaum, says the production features original music by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken and songs inspired by Motown, soul and disco.
# And finally: The contents of renowned British naturalist and father of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin’s vast personal library are being published for the first time today, coinciding with what would have been his 215th birthday. The 300-page catalogue published by Darwin Online details seven-thousand-400 titles across 13-thousand items including journals, pamphlets and reviews. The project includes a virtual reconstruction of the library. Academic, John van Wyhe, who led the project, says some of the books date back to Darwin’s school days such as Oliver Goldsmith’s A History of England 1821.
Stay tuned for more news………….