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The Gelvandale 10km road race will be held at the Gelvandale Athletics track, Liebenberg Road, Gelvandale on Saturday, 14 October. The 10km road race starts at 06.00 and 5km family walk/run at 06.15. The well-established Gelvandale Run, which was formerly over a 15km distance, is sponsored by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as part of …
This month the DO MORE FOUNDATION (DMF) plans to celebrate World Food Day by bringing to life this years’ theme, ‘Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind’ at Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres across the country. In honour of World Food Day taking place on October 16, the Foundation is planting veggie …
Bloom where you’re planted There’s a gardener in everyone, and a garden waiting to take root in every space this spring. Gardeners everywhere are returning to sow and plant, but what to do if you don’t have a large soil-and-lawn garden but feel the spirit of the season stirring in your heart? Gardening has never …
DWS withdraws government waterworks draft regulations
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced the withdrawal of the proposed regulations relating to access and use of government waterworks and surrounding State-owned land for recreational purposes.
The draft regulations were published in the Government Gazette on 24 March 2023, for a second round of public comments to solicit inputs from various stakeholders and members of the public who have interests in accessing and using the departmental infrastructures for recreational purposes.
“The draft regulations were withdrawn after considering the public comments received during public consultations as well as from written comments. Newly proposed regulations will be reissued once the reviewing process is concluded,” the department said in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Mon, 10/09/2023 - 11:59
Albert Street fire tragedy sparks renewed attempt to evict hundreds of people living in derelict downtown buildings
Dear Editor The DA wishes to extend its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the six SANDF soldiers who lost their lives, and the injured, during a devastating fire at the SA Army’s Combat Training Centre in Lohatlha in the Northern Cape on Friday. The soldiers who died are Staff Sergeant Abraham Desember …
Dear Editor The Department of Employment and Labour splurged the princely sum of R6,361,845.07 when it paid for 28 delegates (out of a total delegation of 43) to attend the 111th Session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference in Geneva from 5 to 16 June 2023. This shocking waste of taxpayers’ money came to …
Operation Shanela continues to disrupt criminal activities
Through the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Operation Shanela, at least 124 suspects and 137 daily wanted suspects were arrested for committing various crimes over the past weekend.
Operation Shanela's disruptive actions were executed in hotspot areas across the Northern Cape province which included vehicle checkpoints, stop and searches, blue light and foot patrols, compliance inspections and tracing of wanted suspects by detectives across the province.
The outstanding success includes the arrest of two males, age 28 and 36, for possession of stolen property valued at R43 000 after the Kimberley Crime Prevention Unit received information of a tuckshop selling branded goods in bulk belonging to a local supermarket.
The police in Delportshoop recovered and confiscated a stolen vehicle and arrested a 62-year-old male for theft of a motor vehicle after the police were alerted by a tracking company about a stolen vehicle that was stationary around Ulco mine.
Another two male suspects, aged 37 and 40, were arrested and charged under the Northern Cape Nature Conservation Act 9/2009 sec 50 & 51 for alleged illegal possession of endangered plants on the R382 road between Steinkopf and Port Nolloth.
A white Isuzu Double Cab bakkie was stopped and searched and police confiscated ten 50kg bags containing 4485 Conophytum Bilobum plants.
Police also confiscated the Isuzu bakkie as it was allegedly utilized in the commission of a crime.
During the operation, the following items, such as alcoholic beverages, dangerous weapons, drugs including crystal meth, dagga mandrax and tik were confiscated.
A total of 56 compliance inspections at second-hand dealers, liquor outlets and premises, formal and informal businesses, farms and mines were executed.
Numerous roadblocks were conducted across the province during which 25 vehicle checkpoints and eight roadblocks were conducted which resulted in 1631 vehicles stopped and searched and 4637 persons searched.
Police across the province also conducted routine visits at ATM's, business premises, National Key Points, Post Offices and tuckshops.
The Provincial Commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, congratulated all SAPS personnel and other law enforcement agencies for ensuring that those who violated the laws are confronted and dealt with decisively.
She also appreciated community structures for their role and assistance in the fight against crime. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Mon, 10/09/2023 - 11:17
When one thinks of the animal kingdom’s vast array of majestic creatures, the ostrich certainly stands out. Renowned not just for its impressive size and curious behaviour but also for its one-of-a-kind feathers. Dive into the world of ostrich feathers, check here, and discover what sets them apart. Introduction The ostrich, native to the vast …
JOHANNESBURG – As the clock ticks down to the Proteas’ opening match against Sri Lanka on October 7th in the World...
JOHANNESBURG: The Dafabet Warriors claimed a consecutive win in their 109-run victory against Momentum Multiply Titans in the Cricket South Africa...
DELHI: Aiden Markram recorded the fastest century ever at an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to help the Proteas thump Sri...
JOHANNESBURG – Cricket South Africa (CSA) is bursting with pride as we extend our congratulations to the Proteas for their record-breaking...
Load shedding is a common challenge faced by many regions, causing disruptions in daily life and impacting productivity. Whether it’s due to an overloaded power grid, extreme weather conditions, or inadequate infrastructure, the effects of load shedding can be frustrating and costly. However, in today’s technology-driven world, there are smart solutions available to help individuals …
Henkel South Africa is partnering with Hammanskraal-based Hudson Rubber to locally fabricate Henkel’s vehicle rubber sealing and acoustic solutions for OEM vehicle panel reinforcing, noise reduced and vibration protection. Henkel’s patented technology of 2D and 3D sealing and acoustic solutions along with damping materials for the body shop provides robust noise, vibration, harshness protection – …
South African songstress Viwo Kulati is soaring to new heights in her music career. The soulful vocalist has been nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA29). The prestigious nomination comes as a heartfelt acknowledgment of her debut EP titled “Love.” Soulful songstress Viwo Kulati is not only celebrating her …
Dear Editor Today, the DA will launch its Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Policy Campaign to rescue South Africans from Crime, Corruption and Lawlessness. The centerpiece of the DA’s policy is an amendment to the South African Constitution to create a truly independent crime-busting entity embedded as a Chapter 9 institution. This entity will be …
In the face of persistent load shedding, individuals and communities around the world are seeking innovative strategies to maintain a consistent power supply. Load shedding, the controlled shutdown of electricity, often due to high demand or infrastructure limitations, can disrupt daily life and have a significant impact on various sectors, including residential, commercial, and industrial. …
President Cyril Ramaphosa has, as Commander-in-Chief of the nation's armed forces, expressed his sadness at the death of six soldiers who died in a Northern Cape fire that struck the SA Army Combat Training Centre at the Lohatla military base. The troops were part of a military exercise named Vukuhlome.
The South African National Defence Force announced on Saturday, 07 October that a wildfire that had originated in Khathu in the Gamagara local municipality had reached the military base where six soldiers died in the blaze while three were injured and the army lost equipment including vehicles.
President Ramaphosa offers his deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased SANDF members.
The President wishes the injured SANDF members a speedy and comfortable recovery and his thoughts are with survivors who witnessed this tragedy.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency: Republic of South Africa.
Wait for it…AfricaIgnite, formerly AHUB, Africa Tech Festival's (https://tmt.knect365.com/Africa-Tech-Festival/) flagship event for the African continent's start-ups and innovators, has been announced as the host for the African leg of the globally prestigious Start-Up World Cup 2023, and 10 African start-ups will have the opportunity to pitch for a spot at the grand finale to be held in San Francisco, USA on 1 December 2023.
USD1 million up for grabs – The AfricaIgnite Start-up Pitch showcase will take place at Africa Tech Festival in November in Cape Town, South Africa. To enter, African early-stage start-ups and scale-ups with seed fundings of up to $15million will need to apply (https://apo-opa.info/3PGV3Lz) by 15 October. The finalists, to be unveiled on 30 October, will then need to make their way to Cape Town and pitch in front of hundreds of investors and tech leaders on 16 November.
The winner of Africa Tech Festival's pitch competition will then be invited to compete in the grand finale of the Startup World Cup, to be held in San Francisco on 1 December, for that impressive 1 million US dollar investment, in front of industry greats such as ABC's Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran, Sundeep Jain, Chief Product Officer at Uber, Daniel Sturman CTO at Roblox and more.
Since launching in 2016, the festival's start-up platform has been committed to supporting the growth of Africa's nascent entrepreneurs and innovators. The interest in the offering has grown significantly to the point where AfricaIgnite has now taken on a life-force of its own.
James Williams, Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech: “Africa's bright and forward-thinking minds need a platform to network, get inspired, and co-build a stronger tech start-Up investment ecosystem, which is exactly what AfricaIgnite offers. As Africa Tech Festival, we are excited to be partnering with The Startup World Cup to offer our African colleagues the opportunity they deserve to present their businesses on a global stage. This is a very exciting partnership, and the first, we hope, of many as the continent's innovation sector gathers momentum.”
Investment by the numbers
In 2022, Africa was the only region where start-up investment grew with around USD4.8 billion put into around 1,000 businesses. That said though, this sum still only represents a paltry 1.2% of all start-up funding raised globally. However, this is predicted to change quite rapidly in the years ahead as the continent's entrepreneur, start-up and SMME ecosystem fully embraces the digital revolution and connectivity, whilst Africans create the solutions to many of their own, and the world's challenges.
In the 2021 – 2022 period, 37% of investment was channelled to the FinTech space, but its dominance is now being challenged by innovation and new business ideas that solve Africa's energy and waste difficulties. Other sectors that are attracting interest also include the likes of the telecoms, media and entertainment space, logistics and transport, retail, agriculture, and food, as well as the growing proliferation of deep tech.
“We are very happy to partner up with AfricaTech Festival for the Startup World Cup South Africa Regional and are delighted by the quality and enthusiasm of the start-ups who are competing,” said Anis Uzzaman, Founder and CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures, who created the Startup World Cup competition in 2016. “Each year we have been able to reach more entrepreneurs in more cities around the world and, in turn, connect more innovation ecosystems to Silicon Valley and the rest of the world.
“We hope this partnership creates new valuable opportunities for the competing start-ups from Africa.”
In good company
Africa Tech Festival also holds its own when it comes to the investor community, with databases of several thousand investors and venture capitalists predominantly spanning Africa and the United States, as well as a strong community of founders, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.
Aside from the exciting early-stage start-up Pitch Showcase, AfricaIgnite in 2023 is looking to up the ante with a curation of content that is exciting, informative, and definitely going to take participants places. The AfricaIgnite space located in the AfricaTech Hall will be a centre of activity with an offering of excellent networking and matchmaking between founders and investors, a start-up marketplace and demo area (no pitching required), along with a host of dedicated workshops and masterclasses presented by top professionals.
Delegates, start-ups, and those considering taking a leap of faith into the new world of business, can explore content that covers useful topics such as what to expect from year one as a founder – what to do, get good at and what to ignore; the power of collaboration in building a global company; perfecting the next “X”-tech for future generations; founding, funding and running your start-up in economically challenging times; concept to company – demystifying the entrepreneurial process plus a raft of funding talks and presentations, as well as the all-important insight into exit planning 101!
Never has the time been more right to head to Cape Town 13 – 16 November to be part of the action at Africa Tech Festival, the world's largest and most influential Africa-focused technology, telecoms, and media gathering. In 2023, expect big things to happen in this space.
For more information, please see website here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 - The Home of AfricaCom & AfricaTech (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu)
To apply for the pitch competition, please click here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 – pitch competition (https://apo-opa.info/3PGV3Lz)
View all ticket options for Africa Tech Festival, including start-up passes, here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q04o2r)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
For media enquiries, interviews and/or images please contact:
Kaz Henderson
kaz@networxpr.co.za or call on +27 (0) 82 339 1199.
(Please note that all requests are adjudicated and there may be some delay before you hear back from us).
Social Media Handles:
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About Startup World Cup:
Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition with the goal of bridging start-up ecosystems worldwide. The competition gives start-up companies from all over the world a chance to win a US $1,000,000 prize in the form of an investment. This year, there will be 50+ regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, leading up to the Grand Finale in San Francisco in September. Startup World Cup is organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based global venture capital firm.
About Africa Tech Festival 2023:
Africa Tech Festival, including anchor events AfricaCom, AfricaTech and AfricaIgnite is part of the Informa Tech Connecting Africa event series. A vibrant celebration of Africa's diverse community of tech champions, Africa Tech Festival is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, more than 400 speakers and more than 12000 delegates.
Key themes for 2023 continue to explore the creation and sustainability of a connected Africa and the impact this can have for the people of the continent but also the commercial prospects for local and global businesses and governments. Topics will include Telcos of Tomorrow, Connecting the Next Billion, Digital Infrastructure Investment, Sustainability & Climate Resilience, ICT Policy and Regulation, Fintech & MFS, Broadcast Media & Entertainment, Pioneer Tech, the Future of Work and Talent and Skills Development. Africa Tech Festival also incorporates and the Africa Tech Festival Awards, an exclusive ceremony celebrating Africa's tech pioneers and held at the luxury 5-star The Bay Hotel, as well as the LeadersIn Africa Summit, an exclusive, VIP-only feature offering high-level presentations and roundtable discussions to Africa's tech elite.
President Ramaphosa mourns soldiers who perished in military base fire
As the Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s armed forces, President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his profound sadness at the the deaths of six soldiers who died in a Northern Cape fire.
This comes after a blaze that struck the SA Army Combat Training Centre at the Lohatla military base on Friday.
The troops, according to the Presidency, were part of a military exercise named Vukuhlome.
“The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) announced on Saturday that a wildfire that had originated in Khathu in the Gamagara Local Municipality had reached the military base where six soldiers died in the blaze while three were injured and the army lost equipment including vehicles,” said the Presidency on Sunday.
President Ramaphosa has since offered his deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased SANDF members.
“The President wishes the injured SANDF members a speedy and comfortable recovery and his thoughts are with survivors who witnessed this tragedy,” said the Presidency. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 10/08/2023 - 11:15
Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is taking decisive action to address the ANC government’s failure to meet the deadline for amending the outdated Drug-Free Sport Act to comply with the latest World Anti-Doping Code (WADA). In a letter addressed to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the DA formally communicates its concerns regarding the continued …
Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israeli territory today during the religious holiday of Simchat Torah. The DA urgently calls on the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to unequivocally condemn this unprovoked attack and join the international community in their calls for an immediate end to this rapidly escalating …
Condolences for Eswatini top cop
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced the passing of Eswatini Police Commissioner William Dlamini, who passed away on Saturday morning at OR Tambo International Airport.
The top cop, according to a SAPS statement, was in transit to Eswatini from Angola where he attended the 26th Interpol African Regional Conference.
“The Commissioner collapsed and died at the airport. Both the family and the delegation that accompanied the late Commissioner on his official trip have received psychosocial services from psychologists attached to the SAPS Employee Health and Wellness unit,” the statement read.
National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has since on behalf of the SAPS sent his condolences to the Royal Eswatini Police Service as well as the family of Dlamini.
Masemola described Dlamini as a soft-spoken and committed senior police officer who was dedicated to enhancing cooperation to counter transnational organised crime in the region.
“Our sincerest condolences to the Royal Eswatini Police Service and the family of the late Commissioner. Commissioner Dlamini was humble and dedicated to the cause of serving.
“He was always available to discuss collaboration in preventing and combating cross-border crime in the SADC region. The SAPS is providing the necessary support in line with its expertise through its Interpol office,” said Masemola.
Police at the airport have also registered an inquest docket to determine the cause of death. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 10/08/2023 - 12:06