Good News

BULLETIN 20 August 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The University of Johannesburg has moved nine places in the 2025 UniRank Top 200 Universities on Facebook. The university has risen from 61st globally in 2024 to 52nd this year. UJ’s digital platforms have become a direct extension of the university’s 2035 strategic plan. Social Media and Marketing Projects manager, Michelle Radikariki, says the rise in the rankings demonstrates how digital platforms can be used strategically to broaden influence and strengthen connections with communities, both locally and internationally.

# University of the Free State senior lecturer, Tlou Raphela-Masuku, has been selected to participate in the prestigious British Academy-funded International Writing Workshop on Climate Change Adaptation. She is one of only 15 early-career researchers from Southern and Eastern Africa selected. Raphela-Masuku is focused on climate-induced vulnerabilities and resilience, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities. She says her participation in the workshop directly supports the university’s Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa’s mission to build climate resilience and disaster preparedness across Africa.

# Twenty-five-year-old Durban-based fashion designer and entrepreneur, Luyanda Majozi, is redefining South African streetwear through his brand, Enigmatic Cotton. He began altering outfits for himself and friends, which led him to study textile science and apparel technology at the Durban University of Technology before founding the brand. Last year, Majozi represented South Africa at the GISU Global Start-Up Competition in China, finishing second in the Start-Up category. He says sustainability is a cornerstone of Enigmatic Cotton through upcycling, and using locally sourced materials.

# Compagniesdrift near Stellenbosch’s makataan chunks have been crowned the very first South African Preserve Product of the Year in the newly launched South African Preserve Championships. Seventy products from 29 manufacturers were recognised in their respective classes, with eleven category winners standing out. Chief judge Susina Jooste says Compagniesdrift’s makataan chunks impressed with its winning combination of appearance, flavour, texture, and overall quality. Other product winners include Uit-Die-Bottel quince jam, Ritebrand peach chutney and Hemelhuijs kumquat conserve marmalade.

# And finally: The Cambridge Dictionary has added six-thousand new words to its online edition over the past year. These include TikTok trends and social media terms like skibidi, delulu and tradwife. The words have grown in use across social and mainstream media and beyond, linked to celebrities and influencers such as Kim Kardashian. Cambridge Dictionary’s publishing manager, Wendalyn Nichols, told Sky News they only add words they think will have linguistic staying power:

Stay tuned for more news………….