Good News

BULLETIN 20 June 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# South African film Don’t Give Up won the Golden Nymph Award in the Special Creation category at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. The festival honours exceptional storytelling from across the globe, including productions made for digital platforms. The film, which is directed by Darrell James Roodt and produced by Anant Singh, follows the life of Faith, portrayed by Leleti Khumalo, a beggar and single mother of two sons. Singh says the award is a pleasant surprise, especially given that they were competing with other great films.

# Cape Town has been ranked 16th among the Most LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities in the World for 2025 by Big 7 Travel. The ranking, based on traveller surveys, social media data, and editorial reviews, highlights the metro’s inclusive spirit and vibrant queer culture. Celebrated for events like Cape Town Pride and the Mother City Queer Project, the metro’s De Waterkant district remains a hub for LGBTQ+ life. Cape Town reaffirms its legacy as Africa’s leader in LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance.

# The Western Cape government has launched phase 2 of the Getting You to Work Jobseeker Travel Voucher Programme. The programme aims to tackle one of the greatest barriers facing unemployed residents, namely the cost of transport. The Mobility Department’s spokesperson, Muneera Allie, says since the programme was first introduced in February last year, over three-thousand-700 unemployed residents have registered through more than 150 employer partners:

# The Vuma Schools Coders Club, in partnership with GirlCode, is bridging South Africa’s digital divide by teaching coding to learners in underserved Johannesburg schools. The ten-week-long co-ed programme will introduce two-thousand learners to foundational coding technologies like Scratch, HTML, and CSS. The club says it seeks to empower learners to solve real-world problems and foster creativity and confidence through tech skills. This initiative is set to open new career paths while fostering digital inclusion.

# And finally: One of the world’s best soccer players, Lionel Messi, has collaborated with Turkish artist Refik Anadol to create an artificial intelligence-driven artwork titled A Goal in Life. The one-of-a-kind digital artwork depicts the Argentinian’s most meaningful goals of his 20-year career, including the iconic 2009 Champions League final header. The artwork is being auctioned off by Christie’s in New York with online bidding closing this weekend. Proceeds from the sale will benefit multiple nonprofits, including Inter Miami CF Foundation’s global partnership with UNICEF.

Stay tuned for more news………….