Four Teams Shine At CSA U19 Girls Week In Cape Town
CAPE TOWN: Lions Cricket, Western Province, Titans and KwaZulu-Natal Coastal showed remarkable consistency to sweep through the Cricket South Africa (CSA)...
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Guidelines and best practices for the safe handling and transportation of bulk bags.
Johannesburg,December, 18th 2023: Guidelines and best practices for the safe handling and transportation of bulk bags. Vaal Bulk Bags, a prominent supplier of top-notch large bags, is delighted to declare our most recent announcement centered around our firm’s dedication to delivering cost-effective, adaptable, and eco-friendly options. Over time, we have upheld our image as a …
Wildside TIME Magazine Issue 7 Is Out
18 December 2023 St Francis Bay’s Wildside TIMES Magazine Holiday Edition is Out St Francis Bay: Issue 7 of St Francis Bay magazine Wildside TIMES is out, and it is an array of local news, events, interviews, reviews, and national and global news. A glossy full-colour free magazine, Wildside TIMES is a popular …
Breaking Barriers: Papillon Recovery Centre’s Holistic Mental Health Approach
Johannesburg, December, 13, 2023: Papillon Recovery Centre has been operating for over 12 years with a 70 percent success rate versus the national average of 12 percent success rate. We therefore remain the leaders in mental health rehabilitation. Papillon is SA’s only private step-down for mental health. We pride ourselves on being internationally accredited with …
SA20 Lolly
SA20 Lolly to take incredible ‘Taste of Summer’ on a countrywide tour Monday 11 December 2023: As temperatures rise, so does...
King of the Whip 2023 produces yet another FMX spectacle at Montecasino.
8 December 2023: Presenting the official Highlights Video from King of the Whip 2023 – An action-packed five-hour show condensed into a four-minute banger edit featuring the Ultimate Whip Showdown and FMX Best Tricks. 26 Motocross and Freestyle Motocross riders went head-to-head in the Best Whip and Best Trick contests in front of the biggest …
Empowering Deaf youth for a future of employment and success: iSchoolAfrica’s inaugural Deaf Developers Programme
Creating Inclusive Workplaces and Fostering Tech Talent for a Diverse Future Johannesburg, November 2023 – As this year draws to a close, the 2023 cohort of eight from the iSchoolAfrica Deaf Developers Programme have graduated. This programme emerges as a pioneering effort, inviting businesses to embark on a journey that not only addresses the pressing …
Gert-Johan Coetzee Unveils Annual Fashion Design Bursary for 2023, valued at R204,900
Johannesburg – World-renowned designer to the stars, Gert-Johan Coetzee, is proud to announce the launch of the 2023 Fashion Design Bursary, an annual initiative that has been shaping the future of South African fashion since its inception in 2009. The lucky winner will embark on a transformative three-year journey of fashion education at Gert-Johan Coetzee’s …
Social Media Sensation “Danasoli” Goes Mainstream With Edgars
A chance TikTok video that lasted just 30 seconds between a Grade R pupil and her teacher a year ago has launched what could be South Africa’s next best thing. And now the “Danasoli” brand is available at selected Edgars stores countrywide and online. The partnership deal between Johannesburg-based businessman and entrepreneur, Themba Mthembu and …
Algoa FM Opens Garden Route Studio
Algoa FM will be getting even closer and more personal with listeners and businesses in the Garden Route following the opening of its purpose-built studio on Courtenay Street in George. “The drive show on weekdays between 3 and 7pm, hosted by Simon Bechus, has been aired from Algoa FM’s headquarters in Nelson Mandela Bay while …
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) hit list: Six menacing threats you need to know
By the end of this year already, the market for artificial intelligence (AI) in South Africa is projected to reach (https://apo-opa.co/481NZ3n) a size of $2.4 billion, showing an annual growth rate of 21% between now and 2030. Locally, the technology has the potential to mitigate security risks, enhance decision-making, address legacy challenges, and have a significantly positive societal impact. Despite the impressive applications and implications, Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA (https://www.KnowBe4.com), warns of the associated risks that need to be considered.
“Generative AI models are trained on data from various sources,” she explains, highlighting that these sources are not all verified, lack sufficient context, and are not regulated. “AI is incredibly helpful in handling the mundane administrative tasks associated with spreadsheets and statistics. However, it becomes concerning when we rely on it to make decisions that have the potential to influence people's lives.”
AI is an algorithmic construct built on the bones of human creative endeavours and data that is often flawed and biased. “As Kate Crawford, a professor at the University of Southern California and Microsoft researcher, pointed out (https://apo-opa.co/3GwCPYK), AI is not truly artificial or intelligent. This poses risks that can have long-term consequences if users are unaware of them,” explains Collard.
Here are six of the most concerning risks:
01: AI hallucinations: Earlier this year, a New York attorney used a conversational chatbot for legal research. The AI deceitfully incorporated six fabricated precedents into his filing, falsely attributing them to prominent legal databases. This is a perfect example (https://apo-opa.co/3uJjW2e) of an AI hallucination, where the output is either fake or nonsense. These incidents happen when prompts are outside of the AI's training data and so the model hallucinates or contradicts itself in order to respond.
02: Deepfakes: The implications of fake images extend to various areas. With the rise of fake identities, revenge porn, and fabricated employees, the range of potential misuse for AI-generated photographs is expanding. One particular technology called Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) (https://apo-opa.co/481j1Zi) is a type of deep neural network capable of producing new data and generating highly realistic images by using random input. This technology opens up the realm of deepfakes, where sophisticated generative techniques manipulate facial features and can be applied to images, audio, and video. This form of digital puppetry carries significant consequences in political persuasion, misinformation or polarization campaigns.
03: Automated and more effective attacks: This taps directly into the potential of GAN mentioned before, as cybercriminals make use of deepfakes in more sophisticated attacks. They use it in impersonation attacks, where fake voice or even video versions of someone can be used to manipulate victims into paying or following other fraudulent instructions. Cybercriminals also benefit from jailbroken generative AI models to help them automate or simplify their attach methods, such as for example automating the creation of phishing emails.
04: Media equation theory: This refers to the fact that human beings have a tendency to attribute human characteristics to machines and develop feelings of empathy towards them. This tendency becomes even stronger when the interactions with machines seem intelligent. Although this can positively impact user engagement and support in the service sector, it also carries a risk. People become more vulnerable to manipulation, persuasion, and social engineering because of this over-trust effect. They tend to believe and follow machines more than they should. Research has shown (https://apo-opa.co/3RvGVqg) that people are likely to alter their responses to queries in order to comply with suggestions made by robots.
05: The manipulation problem: AI, through the use of natural language processing, machine learning, and algorithmic analyses, can both respond to and simulate emotions. By gathering information from various sources, agenda driven AI chatbots for example can promptly react to sensory input in real time and utilise it to accomplish specific objectives, such as persuasion or manipulation. These capabilities create opportunities for the dissemination of predatory content, misinformation, disinformation, and scams.
06: Ethical issues: The presence of bias in the data and the current absence of regulations regarding AI development, data usage, and AI application all raise ethical concerns. Global efforts are underway to tackle the challenge of ethics in AI and reduce the risks of AI poisoning, which entails manipulating data to introduce vulnerabilities or biases. “However, South Africa currently lacks momentum in addressing these issues. This must change, as managing and detecting the risk of polluted AI data before it causes long-term harm is essential.” Says Collard.
“It is important to be mindful of the information we share with AI chatbots and virtual personal assistants. We should always question how our data is being used and by whom,” concludes Collard. “There is a risk of sharing sensitive personal and business information with data training models. While AI is a valuable tool, it is crucial to use it with critical thinking and mindfulness, and only rely on it in situations where it provides the most value and has been fact checked.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.
CSA and Lootmogul Launch Tech Revolution in Cricket Experience
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is thrilled to announce a transformative partnership with LootMogul, a pioneering sports technology platform, marking...
FNB Goes Immense With Airport Takeover
Travellers moving through O.R. Tambo recently will have noticed the installation of incredible hanging, glowing 3×3-metre cubes. Now, FNB and media partners EPIC Outdoor have rolled out this feat of branded engineering across Cape Town International and King Shaka airports too. Double-volume areas in airports until now have been traditionally used for hanging banners. We …
Agent Vs. Diy: Property Transactions
Paul Stevens, CEO of Just Property, a leading real estate group in Southern Africa, has some serious concerns for those striking out on their own. The first concern that springs to mind when I’m asked whether it’s better to DIY the business of property is security. Firstly, the security of your investment. Property is usually …
NMB 1City Marathon & 21.1km
Over 1300 athletes had the perfect cool weather to start at the Nelson Mandela Bay 1 City Marathon and 21.1km at Fairview racecourse on Saturday, with many out-of-town athletes competing to qualify for Two Oceans and Comrades races next year. Malawian athlete, Mphatho Ndolo, 29, from Chiltern Club, finished in a blistering time of 2.20 …
SA Filmmaker, Dan Mace, brings it home with MrBeast by winning two Shorty Impact Awards in LA
South African Filmmaker, Dan Mace, brings it home with MrBeast by winning two trophies at the 8th Annual Shorty Impact Awards in Los Angeles. Dan Mace’s agency, JOE, wins the Global Impact of the Year award and Audience Honor award for YouTube at the Shorty Impact Awards in Los Angeles for its work with MrBeast’s …
South Africa men and Australia women claimed the first titles of HSBC SVNS 2024 with victory in Dubai
South Africa's Blitzboks overcame a spirited Argentina 12-7 to lift their fifth straight Emirates Dubai 7s trophy – equaling the record for successive titles at a single location. Although Argentina had to settle for silver it represented their best ever result in Dubai.
Interview of the Captain of South Africa is available for media to download and use for free, without authorization: https://apo-opa.co/49YdpRv
Watch the video B-roll: https://apo-opa.co/3GsZtBp
The women's final was another epic encounter between the top two teams in the world. In a replay of last years final, Australia overcame their arch rivals 26-19 to end New Zealand's winning run on 41 matches, which spanned since their loss in the Dubai final last year.
Teagan Levi touched down either side of halftime as Australia ended New Zealand's 41-match winning streak to claim their fourth consecutive title in Dubai, as the HSBC SVNS 2024 got off to an electric start.
Not to be overshadowed by her younger sister, Maddison Levi broke her own tournament try record, her 12th try of the weekend in the 13th minute was the decisive one.
The match kicked off at an astonishing speed – and did not let up. Bienne Tarita scored the opening try with just 23 seconds on the clock to set Australia on the road to the title in the 23rd final meeting between the two sides.
But the Black Ferns Sevens made it difficult for the champions. Jorja Miller touched down twice in the first five minutes en route to a hat-trick in a losing cause, before Maddison Levi settled the tournament in the closing minutes.
Australia's captain Charlotte Caslick had only praise for the younger Levi. “She's unbelievable. She's had an amazing pre-season so we're all just getting to see the hard work that she's done this year.”
And she explained the game plan for becoming the first team to beat New Zealand since last year's final in Dubai: “We wanted to hold the ball as much as possible because we know when they touch it they're dangerous. That was key for us – restarts and holding on to the ball.
“We love coming to Dubai, we love the fans here, playing in front of you guys. It's a great team and we're so proud of them. We worked really hard for this, so it's really special for us.”
New Zealand's passage to the final saw them beat Brazil 26-14 in the quarter-final before overcoming Canada 21-19 in a nail-biting finish the an exhilarating match.
Australia began the day with a convincing 32-5 quarter-final win over USA before running out 21-14 winners over France in a high quality semi-final.
Canada missed out on their first medal since winning silver in Sydney in 2020 as they were well beaten 26-5 by France who claimed the bronze medal and put in a strong performance throughout the weekend with the returning Anne-Cécile Ciofani contributing to building excitement ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris next July.
The men's final was a tense affair as South Africa narrowly overcame Argentina 12-7. Impi Visser had already crossed for the Blitzboks when Shilton van Wyk, player of the final in 2022, went over in the fifth minute to take the score to 12-0.
Argentina's Matias Osadczuk cut the deficit to five points early in the second half, after Ryan Oosthuizen was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle.
Rosko Specman came within inches of a spectacular score, but lost the ball – and ploughed into a steward – in the corner, as South Africa held off the Argentinian fightback.
With the series heading to South Africa next week, their run to the title in Dubai could not have come at a better time. Fans will be hoping they can go back to back in Cape Town next weekend.
South Africa's acting head coach Philip Snyman hailed his squad's, "amazing performances throughout the weekend".
“We said we wanted to leave everything on the field,” he said. “It doesn't matter what happens with the result – we want to look each other in the eye and have smiles on our faces. Even with the yellow card tonight, they really played each other, they played for their jersey and they restored the pride in the Springbok Sevens jersey.”
South Africa started the day strongly with a 24-7 quarter-final defeat of Australia, before overcoming Fiji 14-7 in an intense semi-final.
Argentina overcame Samoa 21-14 in the quarter-final before narrowly beating New Zealand's All Blacks Sevens 21-19 in a pulsating semi-final.
New Zealand recovered from the disappointment of their semi-final defeat to take home the bronze medals with a 17-12 victory over Fiji.
The pool draw for the next round of HSBC SVNS in Cape Town on 9-10 December took place on the pitch in Dubai following the end of play and produced some exciting match-ups as fans can now look ahead and get excited to welcoming world class rugby sevens back to the Mother City.
Women's Pool A: Australia, Fiji, Japan, Spain. Pool B: New Zealand, Ireland, Brazil, Great Britain. Pool C: France, Canada, USA, South Africa.
Men's Pool A: South Africa, Ireland, USA, Great Britain. Pool B: Argentina, Fiji, France, Spain. Pool C: New Zealand, Samoa, Australia, Canada.
Fans are encouraged not to miss the two-day extravaganza with incredible food, fitness, non-stop music including live music acts from DJ Zinhle, Jack Parow, Sun El-Musician and more, alongside the world class rugby sevens action. Tickets are available from only R150 at Ticketmaster.co.za.
The HSBC SVNS 2024 is set to supercharge the sport's global appeal and is taking place across eight iconic destinations. The new look HSBC SVNS 2024 features seven regular season events – in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore - before the Grand Final in Madrid.
The top eight placed teams based on cumulative series points after seven events will compete in the new ‘winner takes all' Grand Final, where the women's and men's champions will be crowned.
Madrid will also play host to the high stakes relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger, with the top four placed teams securing their place on HSBC SVNS 2025.
The reimagined competition model means fans can expect even more excitement, entertainment and nail-biting jeopardy. And with the clock counting down until rugby sevens kicks off the Olympic Games in Paris on 24 July 2024, the action will be hotter than ever on and off the pitch.
In line with World Rugby's commitment to grow the women's game, all HSBC SVNS events will see men's and women's teams sharing the platform equally to showcase their incredible strength, speed and skill on the biggest stages around the world.
HSBC SVNS events deliver the ultimate in immersive experiences, a unique festival of sport, entertainment, music, culture and cuisine alongside the world's best men's and women's athletes set against the spectacular backdrops of some of the most stunning locations around the globe.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.
The Power of MyPR’s Video Press Releases: Engaging Audiences with Impactful Messaging
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, the way information is conveyed plays a crucial role in capturing audience attention and delivering a compelling message. As traditional press releases evolve to meet the demands of modern communication, video press releases have emerged as a powerful and effective method for delivering impactful messages. Here are 8 reasons why …
Police watchdog is investigating torture charges against CCTV cops
Juma Igiranieza was assaulted on 7 November by police officers conducting a raid at his workplace
Call to stay discrimination against people with albinism
Call to end discrimination against people with albinism
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has joined the National Albinism Task Force of South Africa (NATF) in calling for the end of discrimination, hostility and violence against people with albinism.
The call was made ahead of the court appearance of South African traditional healer Bongolethu “Dr Khehlelezi” Mzozo over a video shared on YouTube in April 2023 that spreads misinformation about people with albinism.
Following the release of the video, in line with Section 20 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 2000 (PEPUDA) (No 4, 2000), the Thembisilemadlala Albinism Foundation, supported by the NATF, lodged a case with the Equality Court against Khehlelezi, arguing that the video was discriminatory and amounts to “hate speech” against people with albinism.
While the case involving Khehlelezi is the issue at hand, the department noted there is a more significant need for addressing discrimination and hate speech against people with albinism.
The department said the approach by the NATF, in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Sport, Arts and Culture is to initiate stakeholder engagement conversations, with the aim of having a National Safety Plan for Persons with Albinism.
The department said it has since begun working closely to collaborate with the NATF and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (KZN) to initiate the conversation by facilitating the first Social Cohesion Community Outreach programme.
“The programme aims to raise awareness of the underlying traditional myths and practices that potentially perpetuate stigma and discrimination against, and the persecution of persons with albinism,” the department said.
Meanwhile, people with albinism and organisations, will today convene at Gandhi Park in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal for the continuation of the equality court case hearing between the albinism sector and Mzozo, which is taking place at the Verulam Magistrate Court.– SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Thu, 11/30/2023 - 09:26
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July unrest ‘instigator’ Mdumiseni Zuma slapped with 12-year jail sentence
July unrest 'instigator' Mdumiseni Zuma slapped with 12-year jail sentence
The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court this week sentenced Mdumiseni Khetha Zuma to an effective 12 years imprisonment for instigating the 2021 July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the 36-year-old’s conviction comes after contravening Sections 17 and 18 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, where he incited people to gather and commit public violence.
“This was done by making an inciteful video, pertaining to the Brookside Mall, and distributing it on the WhatsApp platform. The charges relate to the incidents of looting and public violence, which occurred in July 2021 in parts of the country, especially KwaZulu-Natal.
This, according to the NPA, resulted in the Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg being looted and burnt to the ground.
According to the statement, Senior State Advocate Yuri Gangai led the evidence of video footage, audio clips and the testimony of a guard who worked at the mall.
Gangai further led the evidence of two experts who translated the audio clips.
“In aggravation of sentence, Gangai led the testimony of the manager of the mall, at the time it was burned,” said the NPA.
The manager told the court that the estimated damage caused by the looting and fire was approximately R500 million.
“He further stated that the mall serviced five different communities, as well as about 5 000 people who collected their SASSA [South African Social Security Agency] grants there.
“They have all been adversely affected by the burning down of the mall,” the NPA said.
Zuma was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for count one, two years of which are suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of the same offences during the period of suspension.
He was also sentenced to six years in prison, of which two years are to run concurrently with count one.
“This results in the effective sentence of 12 years direct imprisonment,” the NPA explained.
While the NPA in KwaZulu-Natal has finalised several cases in respect of the July 2021 unrest, the agency said this was the first conviction where an individual has been convicted and subsequently sentenced for inciting the unrest.
“We hope that this sentence serves as a deterrent to others who intend on engaging in similar offences. We commend the working relationship between the DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation] KZN and the prosecution,” the NPA said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 11/29/2023 - 13:56
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Monster Energy to launch their next chapter in Formula One from 2024
29 November 2023 Monster Energy to begin their next chapter in Formula One from 2024 After 14 consecutive seasons of racing and partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, during which time we have experienced the full range of highs and lows of motorsport, Monster Energy will begin a new chapter in the sport …
Young Emerging and Existing Entrepreneurs face-off in Afrika Tikkun Services’ 5th Annual Business Summit
Afrika Tikkun Services (ATS) in partnership with HSBC Bank hosted the 5th Annual Alumni Entrepreneur Network (AEN) Business Summit, on 11 November 2023, celebrating their ingenious entrepreneurs. The Summit provided young entrepreneurs with an opportunity to pitch their innovative business ideas or present their existing businesses to a panel of judges and a chance to …
Experience the Scent of Luxury with Rio Perfumes on Black Friday 2023 in South Africa
Gauteng, South Africa – November 24, 2023 – As the festive season draws near, Rio Perfumes is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated Black Friday deals, offering exclusive discounts to fragrance enthusiasts across South Africa. With an exquisite collection of perfumes and colognes from renowned brands, Rio Perfumes invites you to indulge in the essence …