Good News

BULLETIN 28 October

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The cruise industry in the Western Cape contributed 1.32-billion-rand to the provincial economy during the 2023-’24 season, up from 1.2-billion-rand the previous season. The total expenditure generated by vessels and passengers reached 1.5-billion-rand, while one-thousand-and-96 full-time equivalent jobs were directly created within the cruise and tourism industries in the region. Western Cape MEC of Agriculture, Economic Development, and Tourism, Ivan Meyer, says the cruise industry serves as more than just a tourism driver; it’s a catalyst for a range of economic activities.

# South African sailor Vuyisile Jaca has been nominated for the World Sailor of the Year accolade at the 2024 World Sailing Awards. The 25-year-old made history at the beginning of the year when she was part of the first all-female crew to win the around-the-world Ocean Globe Race. Jaca says the nomination on its own feels like a victory. She adds that through hard work she still has a lot to achieve in the industry.

# Tshwane University of Technology professors Grany Senyolo and Mercy Sepadi have been selected to join the prestigious Australia-Africa Universities Network Early Career Researchers programme. The programme helps early career researchers connect with universities in Australia, to share ideas and work together on important research projects that tackle global issues. The university says the programme is a great opportunity for academics to build partnerships, gain new skills and make a difference at international level.

# The third and final installment in Sony’s Marvel antihero series, Venom: The Last Dance, topped the North American box office, opening at around 903-million-rand in its opening weekend. The film stars Tom Hardy as investigative journalist Eddie Brock. Paramount and Temple Hill’s Smile 2 slipped to second while another new release, Ralph Fiennes-led thriller Conclave, opened at number three. Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot dropped to number four in its fifth weekend of release and A24’s We Live in Time remained in fifth place.

#  And finally: A bongo calf has been welcomed at a safari park in Bedfordshire, England, the first birth of the species there in more than ten years. The bongo is one of the most critically endangered animals, and the birth at the Woburn safari park is said to be a major success for global conservation efforts. The calf’s dad, Sonny, arrived at Woburn last year as part of an endangered species management programme. The eastern mountain bongo is classified as critically endangered with populations drastically impacted by poaching and habitat loss.

Stay tuned for more news………….