Good News

BULLETIN 9 April 2 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Gauteng singer Michael Ferguson made South Africa proud on ‘Idols Austria,’ despite not making the final cut. The former Pretoria Boys High learner has found his way to global stages, and says he takes pride in showcasing his talent abroad. Pandemic challenges led him to Vienna, where he has made waves with regional hits like Better Together. Ferguson says he will continue representing South Africa. His upcoming album promises a fusion of South African and Austrian influences, to showcase his love for both countries.

# Hip-hop icon Missy Elliott will embark on her first-ever headlining tour. The tour, dubbed Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour, will be held in arenas in 24 cities, beginning in Vancouver on the fourth of July and ending in Rosemont, Illinois, on the 22nd of August. The tour will feature Busta Rhymes, Ciara and Timbaland. Last year, Elliott made history by becoming the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

# Stellenbosch University has launched Africa’s first Policy Innovation Lab in partnership with the Presidency, Germany, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The lab explores how data science and artificial intelligence tools can be deployed to address problems within the policy-making environment. Vice-chancellor Wim de Villiers hails the lab as a cutting-edge initiative that resonates with the university’s aspiration to conduct trans-disciplinary research with societal impact.

# Libraries in the Mitchells Plain area in Cape Town are being transformed into creative hubs. The non-profit company Pe’tor Creatives Youth Development is using the facilities to empower the youth in the fashion industry by providing workshops. They teach crafts and garment making, aiming to equip participants with entrepreneurial skills. Workshops are held weekly. The company hopes to contribute to economic growth and empowerment in communities across the Western Cape.

# And finally, the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape says its upcoming open chess tournament will be bigger and better than ever before. This year’s participants will compete for a 20-thousand-rand total prize purse, the biggest in the tournament’s decade-long history. This is up from last year’s 12-thousand-500-rand. Vodacom will also reward 80 gigabytes of data for the top performers. Last year’s tournament was won by Johannesburg’s Brighton Mthunzi. Participants will compete in four sections that cater for prestige, intermediate, junior and developing players.

Stay tuned for more news………….