Good News

BULLETIN 29 October 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Two Cape Town cultural icons, David Kramer and the late Taliep Petersen, will receive the metro’s highest civic honour, Freedom of the City. The duo are being recognised for their countless individual creative achievements, including masterpiece theatrical collaborations for District Six: The Musical and Kat and the Kings. The accolade will be presented at a ceremony in January. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the two were able to blend entertainment with social commentary and activism:

# Grammy Award-winning South African singer Tyla is set to embark on her first headline tour, titled the ‘We Wanna Party’ tour. It was supposed to happen last year but was postponed. The 23-year-old shared her excitement on social media, saying she has been performing on other stages, but now she gets her own. The tour will kick off in Tokyo, Japan, on November 11, followed by performances in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Saudi Arabia before ending in the United Arab Emirates on December 13.

# Dove, the Department of Basic Education and the Development Bank of Southern Africa have joined forces to launch the #ChangeTheCompliment campaign. As part of Dove’s global Self-Esteem Project, the campaign encourages parents, educators, and communities to shift praise from appearance-based compliments to celebrating girls’ courage, creativity, intelligence, and achievements. Over 80-percent of South African girls report feeling ashamed of their appearance. Deputy minister Reginah Mhaule says while significant progress in achieving gender parity in access to education has been made, more needs to be done.

# KwaZulu-Natal’s Oyster Box Hotel has become the province’s first resort to earn the esteemed 5-Star Premium status by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. The hotel located on the Umhlanga coastline is now among 23 hotels from around the country with a similar status. The council’s Bronwen Auret says the Oyster Box is more than just a hotel; it is a symbol of heritage, luxury, and service excellence. Over the years, the hotel has garnered significant global accolades, including the Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

# And finally: Durban University of Technology academic Sasi Gangiah clinched top honours at the 17th Global Conference on Business and Social Sciences 2025 in Bali, Indonesia. She was named best presenter for her presentation titled Mapping a Multi-Theoretical Framework Towards Social Consciousness in Hospitality Education. The research examined the transformative role of hospitality education in cultivating social responsibility among students and industry professionals. Gangiah says this recognition highlights the importance of integrating social responsibility into hospitality education.

Stay tuned for more news………….