Author: Agency
Applications for the 2023 BRICS Future Skills Challenge are now open. The SA BRICS Business Council is looking for the country’s best up-and-coming tech gurus to represent the country in this year’s BRICS Future Skills Challenge. The challenge is described as a multi-day online “skills Olympics” or “Hackathon competition” where youngsters from BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will be solving real-world problems in their specific future skill areas. Hosted by South Africa, the event will take place in Johannesburg from 12 – 15 September 2023. This year’s programme will focus on energy, water and…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the enthusiasm of the Netherlands and Denmark in working with South Africa to strengthen economic relations, including exploring opportunities in green energy sectors. “Both countries have shown great interest in becoming key trading partners in the green hydrogen and green energy sectors,” President Ramaphosa said on Tuesday at the SA-Denmark-Netherlands Business Forum, which was held in Pretoria during the State visit of the two countries in South Africa. President Ramaphosa had earlier hosted Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, who are on an official joint working visit in…
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the African Peace Initiative to Ukraine and Russia was a ‘historic’ effort to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the two countries. The President was addressing the country through his weekly newsletter following his return from the European countries. African Heads of State from Senegal, the Comoros, Zambia and South Africa, together with the Prime Minister of Egypt and envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda travelled to the two Eastern European countries to hold talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader President Vladimir Putin over the weekend. “This initiative has…
South Africa and France have entered into a cooperation protocol agreement to improve the Special Investigating Unit’s cyber forensic capabilities. The agreement is expected to also yield the establishment of an anti-corruption academy in Tshwane, which will serve the SIU and other law enforcement agencies and anti-corruption agencies within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Commonwealth and Non-Commonwealth countries. It was signed by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, on Monday. Lamola said the cooperation agreement will add much needed skills to strengthen the SIU’s capacity in…
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged investors to continue investing in the country as more needs to be done to change the fortunes of the economy and create enough jobs to absorb new labour market entrants. “More than ever before, the Government and the business sector must work together to fund and invest in projects that can generate both income and profit and unearth investment opportunities in the country,” the Deputy Minister said on Wednesday. Virtually addressing the Ninety One Global Investment Summit, Mashatile commended the sector for its continued investments in youth development initiatives as demonstrated through the Youth…
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, announced on Friday that technical experts supported by the Resource Mobilisation Fund (RMF) will be stationed at various power stations across the country from Monday, 5 June 2023. He said the team will go around the four power stations where the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) is low. These, according to the Minister, include Matla, Kriel, Majuba, and Kendal power stations. In addition, support will be given to open-cycle gas turbines, which poses a challenge when it comes to logistics and storage and is confident that the experts will provide solutions. The…
The Foreign Affairs Ministers of the five-nation grouping, BRICS, on Thursday said they appreciate the proposals put forth for mediation aimed at a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war through dialogue and diplomacy. “The Ministers recalled their national positions concerning the situation in and around Ukraine, as expressed at the appropriate fora, including the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] and UNGA [United Nations General Assembly],” a joint statement from the Ministers on Thursday read. The Ministers held a two-day meeting in Cape Town, which started on Thursday. They called for the full and effective implementation of both the Black Sea…
Career opportunities existing in the digital economy will come under the spotlight as the country kicks off the 2023 Youth Month celebrations. The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), together with government departments, will lead a month-long programme of activities to be hosted in various provinces in celebration of Youth Month 2023. The NYDA, under the stewardship of the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) – in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture – launched the Youth Month 2023 activities in Soweto on Thursday. NYDA board executive chairperson, Asanda Luwaca, said this year’s Youth Month…
Eskom says it expects to implement various stages of load shedding over the weekend with a chance of a power cut-free Sunday afternoon. This as the power utility said it expects to return several generating units to service over the coming days. The load shedding schedule for this weekend is as follows: Friday: Stage 4 throughout the day and evening Saturday: Stage 2 from 5am until 4pm Stage 4 from 4pm until 5am Sunday: No load shedding between 5am and 4pm Stage 4 from 4pm until midnight “Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit each at Kendal and…
Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, on Thursday announced the appointment of the new Health Ombudsman, Professor Taole Resetselemang Mokoena, effective from 1 June 2023. This comes after the country’s first Health Ombud, Professor Malekgapuru Makgoba, bowed out of office after his seven-year tenure ended on 31 May 2023. Phaahla described the incoming Health Ombud as one of the most “outstanding” South African medical scholars, who has transcended the globe to show the quality of South Africa‘s academic prowess. Mokoena, who is the retired Head of Surgery from the University of Pretoria, will take on the job that seeks to…