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Johannesburg, March 4, 2025: The amalgamation of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS), the Credit Ombud (CO), the Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance (OLTI), and the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) into the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) marked a significant moment for the financial services sector in South Africa as consumers and companies within the financial …
Johannesburg, South Africa, 4 March 2025: St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies, has received official recognition from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), with the approval valid for three years, until October 2027. This designation allows SGU graduates from South Africa to return to the country and practice medicine …
“Despite February being a short month, it was not a particularly short sales month, providing wherewithal for consumers to act on renewed confidence and easing affordability,” says Lebo Gaoaketse, Head of Marketing and Communication at WesBank. From: Wesbank Automotive More Info here: CLICK HERE to submit a Video Press Release to MyPR.
The countdown has begun! 5 reasons not to miss the Sardine Run on the KZN South Coast The change in season is an exciting time on the KZN South Coast, with the cooler temperatures bringing the annual marine phenomenon – the Sardine Run! This annual spectacle is a treat for visitors to the region, making …
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered South Africa’s first ‘Family Meeting,’ announcing a hard lockdown starting 27 March 2020. Five years since the country doom-scrolled Covid-19 updates, debated the ban on cooked chicken, and baked more bread than anyone ever thought possible. While many of those moments are …
Planning your next holiday and weighing up different accommodation options? From self-catering units to hotels and all-inclusive resorts, each option offers a unique holiday experience. To help simplify your decision, ekko, the lifestyle brand designed for millennials, has created this fun quiz to match you with your perfect stay. “The right type of accommodation to …
The Trace Awards 2025, proudly sponsored by Johnnie Walker, took center stage in Zanzibar, delivering an unforgettable night of music, culture, and celebration. As a champion of African creativity and progress, Johnnie Walker honored the continent’s biggest stars, recognizing the relentless passion and artistry shaping the global music scene while leading critical conversations on the …
Enjoy these classic movies for just R50 at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas Ster-Kinekor’s Throwback Cinema promotion continues in the merry month of March. As the weather starts turning, a cosy cinema is the perfect place to spend a few hours with your friends, family and loved ones. And, with tickets at the classic price of just …
A webinar to support government programmes aimed at creating sustainable employment in the North West Province will be held on 6 March 2025. The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (the dtic) and Productivity SA invite the media to the North West Workplace Challenge Programme Milestone Workshop. Productivity SA, is a government entity tasked with …
The iconic Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES returns to ‘The Friendly City’ on Sunday, 13 April 2025! To inspire more teams to join the excitement of the 3rd annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K, event organisers are inviting local companies and running clubs to take on the challenge with exclusive group entry deals. “We …
As we age, our health needs shift, and we need extra care. Regular checkups become essential as a safety net to catch and manage conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis early on. “Preventive healthcare is the cornerstone of longevity and well-being for seniors,” says Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health. “Regular checkups give …
Johannesburg and Gauteng are home to a thriving food industry, supporting businesses across retail, catering, and wholesale sectors. From large-scale food manufacturers in Johannesburg to specialized peanut butter manufacturers, the region plays a crucial role in food production and supply. With a focus on quality and efficiency, food companies in this area ensure that consumers …
Padel tennis is capturing the hearts of sports enthusiasts globally, and as it grows in popularity, so does the demand for specialized padel gear. From the right attire to the perfect racket, having the correct equipment can enhance your playing experience significantly. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the …
Padel, a rapidly growing sport, combines elements from tennis and squash, offering players a unique and engaging experience. Essential to this game is the padel racket, and choosing the right one can significantly impact your performance on the court. This article explores various padel rackets from top brands, helping you find the perfect match for …
Moving can be a stressful experience, whether you’re relocating across town or across the country. Choosing the right moving company is crucial to ensuring that your belongings reach their new home safely and efficiently. In South Africa, several reputable moving companies cater to different regions, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Pretoria. This comprehensive guide will …
Pickleball, a sport that cleverly combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, has rapidly grown into a favorite pastime for people of all ages. This guide delves deep into everything you need to know about pickleball, from the essential equipment and rules of the game to finding the right places to play and connect with …
Advancements in technology should not exclude rural communities
Technological advancements including the move to digital radio should not exclude rural and underprivileged communities, Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Kenny Morolong said.
“Today, we see new innovations in Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), internet radio, and mobile-based radio services. These advancements offer greater accessibility and interactivity, allowing audiences to receive and engage news in real-time. However, we must ensure that the transition to digital does not leave behind those in rural and underprivileged areas who still rely on traditional radio as their primary source of information,” the Deputy Minister.
Morolong was speaking at the Northern Conference of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) in Kuruman on Friday.
“As you know, media is not just a platform for communication; it is a vital institution that informs, educates, and empowers our people. In South Africa, government recognises the power of the media in strengthening our democracy, fostering dialogue, and ensuring accountability,” he told those attending the conference.
READ | Community media plays a vital role in promoting social change
He said that radio played an important role in the anti-apartheid struggle, providing an alternative voice when mainstream media was restricted.
In post-apartheid South Africa, the sector has grown to reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of the nation.
“As South Africa celebrate 30 years of Freedom and Democracy, we acknowledge that our celebration coincides with 30 years of community media; 102 years of broadcasting and 21 years since the establishment of the MDDA [Media Development and Diversity Agency]. Community radio is an important and vibrant sector within broadcasting that is philosophically and structurally distinct from both commercial and public service models. It is owned and controlled by the communities, autonomous from commercial interests and maintains a participatory relationship with its constituent communities. Radio remains one of the most powerful and resilient forms of media, adapting to technological advancements while remaining deeply embedded in our communities,” he explained.
He added that the journey of radio can be traced from the early analogue era of AM and FM frequencies to the digital age, where streaming and podcasting have revolutionized the way, we consume audio content.
This as South Africa had a vibrant community radio sector with approximately 285 licenced community stations covering a wide range of geographies, religious and cultural interests, and in various languages.
In addition to the growth in the number of community stations licenced (from 133 in 2012), listenership has also increased.
“However with this growth there are persistent challenges. The battle for survival is the biggest concern for most stations and is more acute for stations serving poor, rural communities.
“This battle can often detract stations from their mandate of improving community involvement, programme quality and relevance. The focus on generating income through selling advertising and airtime, means that other income streams that might enhance and diversify programming (for example, programme sponsorship and membership fees and donations from the community) are often not explored sufficiently.”
He said that a key challenge for the sustainability of community stations is that they are dependent on the discretion of advertisers, the limited resources available to the MDDA and government advertising.
“Part of the problem is that sustainability is often thought of only in terms of finances, yet good governance, quality, entertaining and informative programming are interlinked elements of sustainability.
As the Presidency, we do not take our role at the MDDA for granted, because we are mindful that South Africans are at the heart of all our work, and we are therefore committed to continue to support the MDDA to maintain its agenda of enabling access, ownership, diversity and the promotion of marginalised languages and communities,” said the Deputy Minister.
He added that government values the role of NCRF as a collective voice.
“In strengthening the community radio sector, organisations like the National Community Radio Forum play an indispensable role. The NCRF has been a unifying force, advocating for the rights and sustainability of community broadcasters across the country.”
The NCREF lobbies for the diversification of the airwaves in South Africa.
“As government, we recognise and support the NCRF’s efforts in advancing the interests of community radio. We look forward to strengthening partnerships between government, media stakeholders, and the NCRF to build a robust, independent, and sustainable community broadcasting sector.”
G20
He added that the Government Communication and Information Service (GCIS) has committed to ensuring that South Africa’s G20 Presidency is made known through the use of community media broadly and community radio more specifically.
“In short, community radio will bring the agenda and discussions of the G20 to our people through community radio. This should help our people all over this province and the Republic to get updates on all the G20 meetings taking place this year,” he said.
South Africa is hosting the G20 Presidency under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.” -SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Sun, 03/02/2025 - 16:26
27 views
The inspiration for this piece came from the e-mails sent to United States Government Federal Employees by DOGE Czar, Elon Musk, asking employees to list 5 notable actions they completed in pursuit of their employee mandate the previous week. Initially I just wanted to get answers to this question; “Did Trump and Musk also have …
SA and Chile sign trade cooperation agreement
South Africa and Chile have signed an agreement that will see the two countries cooperate in areas of trade and industry promotion, decarbonisation and critical minerals among others, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said.
The agreement was signed at the 8th meeting of the Joint Trade and Investment Commission (JTIC) between South Africa and Chile in Pretoria on Friday.
The agreement also extends to strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and women-led enterprises as well as value chains.
The JTIC was jointly led by the Deputy Minister of the dtic, Zuko Godlimpi and Chilean Vice Minister of Trade, Claudia Sanhueza Riveros.
Godlimpi said both countries have identified concrete steps to increase and further diversify trade and investment. These include exchange of products of export interest.
“In addition, we have also agreed on decarbonisation and adding value to our critical minerals, as President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that an era has passed whereas developing countries we find ourselves at the lower levels of global value chains.
“We agreed to explore cooperation to encourage beneficiation of these critical minerals. Beneficiation opportunities will include cooperation of fuels cell and battery manufacturing,” said Godlimpi.
The Deputy Minister pointed out that while both countries used the opportunity to discuss trade and investment opportunities that exist between them, it would also be important to understand opportunities that the private sector identify, as well as challenges.
“For Chilean companies operating in South Africa, they will have access to markets in [the] Europe Union, the European Free Trade Association, Mercosur and also on the continent of Africa through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. There is a great potential for South Africa to serve as [a] gateway for Chilean companies into Africa.”
He further said that South Africa and Chile consider cooperation in small and medium enterprises and women-led enterprises as critical to promoting inclusive trade.
“There will be cooperation in exchange of knowledge and expertise, integration into global value chains, start-up programmes, export opportunities for incubators and finance for small businesses. Relevant ministries and agencies tasked with small and medium enterprises and women-led enterprises will make contact with each other before end of April 2025,” he said. -SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Sun, 03/02/2025 - 12:07
93 views
Publicis Groupe Africa proudly announces the appointment of our CEO, Koo Govender, as a judge for the Middle East & Africa Jury at the globally renowned Gerety Awards. Named after Frances Gerety, the copywriter who famously coined the slogan “A diamond is forever” in 1948, the Gerety Awards honour the highest standards of creative excellence …
This has been a long time coming – a way to showcase journalists hard work and a small contribution to keeping the news industry alive. The offer to bona fide journalist is simple – go ahead and post your extract or full article on MyPR. We will distribute that article further for you to a …
The fight to keep journalism to journalists continues. Social media giants would have us all believe that social journalism is all that we need, forgetting that when someone is PAID to do a job they will strive to do it correctly, honestly and fairly in order to keep that job. Of course passion for the …
Jeffreys’s Bay, Eastern Cape – 20 Feb 2025: The Eastern Cape is set to shine a spotlight on its thriving tourism sector with the launch of the inaugural Eastern Cape Tourism Awards & Expo (ECTA). These initiatives, taking, place during Tourism Month in September 2025, aim to recognize outstanding achievements, foster innovation, and drive economic …
Rwanda is a country filled with breathtaking landscapes, unique wildlife, and a rich cultural heritage. Whether you want to explore lush forests, go on a safari, or learn about the country’s history, Rwanda has something for everyone. Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda One of the most thrilling experiences for visitors is gorilla trekking Rwanda. This activity …