Good News

BULLETIN 15 August 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Renowned jazz icons Jonathan Butler and Themba Mkhize will receive this year’s Mzantsi Jazz Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. Past recipients of the award include Abigail Kubeka, Jonas Gwangwa, Letta Mbulu, and Dorothy Masuka. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter/guitarist Butler received an honorary doctorate from Stellenbosch University in March. Mkhize is a revered pianist and composer who has been part of renowned jazz collectives such as Sakhile and Bayete. The ninth edition of the Mzantsi Jazz Awards will be held at the University of Johannesburg on the 30th of this month. 

# The University of Cape Town commends 26 individuals, who have or had an affiliation with the institution, for featuring in the 2025 Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans. The M&G annually honours a cohort of South Africans who are recognised as changemakers and influencers in the work they do. The individuals include Vambo AI CEO, Chido Dzinotyiwe, the second UCT student and founder of SoWeVote, Thaafir Mustapha, and Public Oral Health Forum president, Bulela Vava.

# The City of Tshwane is changing the academic journey of 40 bright young learners at the Seshegong Secondary School in Olievenhoutbosch today by handing over brand-new laptops to participants of the Youth to Gemba Programme. The programme is an initiative that takes young people from the classroom to the heart of real-world workplaces. Mayoral committee member for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, says the metro is committed to bridging the digital divide:

# SANParks says the Kruger National Park’s beloved white lion, Casper, is safe and in good condition, despite some concerns about his health. There were suggestions that Casper, who frequents the area around Satara, may be suffering from anthrax or was possibly bitten by a snake. SANParks’ Reynold Thakhuli says Casper was located and examined, resulting in those two factors being ruled out, but he has injuries above his right eye and in his mouth, which suggest that he was likely bitten by another lion:

# And finally: Bangkok has been named the world’s best city for Gen Z in 2025. This is according to a survey by Time Out, which surveyed people under the age of 30. Eighty-four-percent of participants said they are happy living in Bangkok, while 71-percent rated the Thai capital as budget-friendly. Melbourne claimed second place with young locals rating the Australian hub’s art and cultural scene highly. In third place is Cape Town, which scored well for happiness, beauty, cheap nights out and being an exciting place to live.

Stay tuned for more news………….