Good News

BULLETIN 11 September 2 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Cape Town’s Wiggle Room restaurant has launched a first-of-its-kind dining concept where its Spotify playlists shape the menu. According to Good Things Guy, every two to three days, the 12-seat venue transforms one night, serving prawn toast that looks like album art, the next a cured dish echoing smooth jazz. Chef Ishmael Amos says diners don’t just eat, they connect and discover, as the playlist dictates both mood and menu, making each experience a blend of music and food.

# University of Witwatersrand has launched the AI and African Music project. This initiative aims to empower creatives to explore the intersection of cutting-edge technology and African musical traditions and sounds. Musicians, producers, composers and music educators living across Africa are invited to submit AI-driven music project proposals. Individuals selected will receive 30-thousand-rand per month for four months, and team up with an AI engineer and programme advisor to develop their unique ideas over a six-month process.

# The finalists for the 14th Eco-Logic Awards have officially been announced. The awards recognise achievements across 12 categories, including climate change solutions, water conservation, circular economy projects, eco-fashion, and community-driven programmes. The finalists include Sanccob, Wildlife ACT Innovations, Re.Bag.Re.Use and The Sustainability Institute. Founder of the awards, David Parry-Davies, says the finalists represent the very best of South Africa’s eco-champions. The winners will be announced on October 27.

# eThekwini Municipality says a diverse group of local arts and craft small businesses have begun trading at the Galleria Heritage Pop-Up Market. This is a public-private collaboration between eThekwini and Galleria Mall, aimed at supporting small businesses through market access and visibility. This year’s market features more than a dozen local entrepreneurs, offering everything from palm baskets and African attire and fabric bags to recycled plastic products. The municipality says last year’s pilot initiative saw ten small businesses collectively make about 350-thousand-rand in profits.

# And finally: A vaccine to treat chlamydia in Australia’s koala population has been approved in a world-first project. Researchers developed the vaccine to protect the famed marsupial. Chlamydia is responsible for half of koala deaths in the country’s wild populations, which are predominantly found in the eucalyptus forests along the east coast. Often used as an emblem of local culture, the animals can only be found in Australia. The creatures are also vulnerable to habitat loss, animal attacks and being hit by cars, and were named critically endangered in 2022.

Stay tuned for more news………….