Good News

BULLETIN 15 May

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# South Africa has been ranked among the top three countries for British expats to move to in 2025. According to UK-based relocation firm U.K.ABROAD, the country’s affordability, warm climate, English-speaking environment, and quality of life are major drawcards. Australia tops the list, followed by Canada and South Africa. New Zealand and the US round out the top five. More than 5.5-million British expats live outside the UK.

# Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town have made the New York Times’ list of the Top 10 Gardens in the World. Set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the garden showcases South Africa’s unique flora, including the fynbos biome and ancient cycads. The garden is ranked ninth, just behind The High Line in New York City, while Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Cranbrook, England, is the top-rated garden. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment minister Dion George says Kirstenbosch is a national treasure.

# The University of Pretoria has conferred an honorary doctorate to award-winning poet, short story writer, and editor, Makhosazana Xaba. This is in recognition of her outstanding contribution to literature, feminist thought and cultural activism in South Africa. Her poetry and short stories have been translated into six languages and are widely anthologised and celebrated for amplifying the voices and experiences of women in the country. Xaba says this recognition affirms the power of words to build more inclusive and compassionate societies.

# Standard Bank is leading the charge in affordable housing, with women now accounting for 55-percent of its new mortgage customers. Head of Home Loans, Toni Anderson, says this shift highlights women’s growing influence in property ownership. In 2024 alone, loans to women totaled 2.67-billion-rand. Anderson says the bank offers up to 108-percent financing and support services, and partners with government to access subsidies empowering first-time buyers and promoting an inclusive property market.

# And finally: American actor Tom Cruise received a five-minute standing ovation after premiering Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the cast includes franchise stalwarts like Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames and Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, and Angela Bassett. Sixty-two-year-old Cruise, who did his own stunts in the movie, says he is grateful that for 30-years he has been able to entertain fans with this franchise. The movie opens in theatres next Friday.

Stay tuned for more news………….