Good News

BULLETIN 4 June

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Stellenbosch University third-year BCom International Business student, Abigail Larsen, is co-developing a groundbreaking digital platform, designed to mobilise a new generation of volunteers, leaders and social entrepreneurs. Thallo is a social media platform connecting volunteers with organisations and charities, aiming to bridge the gap between socially aware individuals and NGOs. Twenty-one-year-old Larsen describes Thallo as a mix between Instagram and LinkedIn. She says the app will also feature a marketplace for NGO products and a gamified system that builds social capital.

# South Africa’s Chloé Windell says she is putting the finishing touches to her routines, as she is set to represent the country at the 2025 Dance World Cup Finals in Burgos, Spain, next month. She showed a strong showing at the South African Qualifier held in Centurion earlier this year, where she placed 1st, 2nd, and 4th in the jazz, lyrical, and contemporary dance categories. Windell says she plans to pursue further studies at Stellenbosch University next year, but remains open to opportunities that may arise.

# North West University principal and vice-chancellor, professor Bismark Tyobeka, has officially turned the first sod at the Potchefstroom Campus construction site of the Desmond Tutu School of Medicine. The state-of-the-art facility, scheduled for completion in 2027, will serve as a flagship academic and intellectual hub at the university. It will be South Africa’s 11th medical school. Tyobeka says this is not just about bricks and mortar, but about legacy, impact, and access to healthcare for generations to come:

# The Glastonbury Festival, the UK’s biggest festival, has unveiled its full lineup. The British pop-rock group The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo will headline the Pyramid Stage. Rod Stewart will reunite with Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood to perform in the Sunday legends slot. Other notable sets include Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage while rising rapper Doechii will headline the West Holts Stage. The festival will take place at Worthy Farm in Somerset from June 25 to 29.

# And finally: South African comedians Jason and Nicholas Goliath are returning with an all-new edition of The Happiness Economy Comedy Tour. While maintaining its signature tone of laughter-fuelled self-reflection, the 2025 edition incorporates brand-new stories, material, and revelations gathered from the duo’s personal lives and nationwide engagements. Jason Goliath says the show is interactive, personal, and unlike anything they have done before. The duo will be live at the Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, Johannesburg, from 18 June to 6 July.

Stay tuned for more news………….