Table of contents for 2023-04-01 in Saturday Star

In Mzansi, actresses are no longer playing second fiddle to their counter- parts. It took some time, in comparison to when such changes were made in the US industry, but the pervading woke mindset plays an integral part in the evolution of roles on SA screens. This fact is most heartening and undeniable, especially when you look at shows like Lioness, Queen Sono, Lockdown, Isono, Gomora, Savage Beauty and DiepCity, all helmed by formidable women. And Gail Mabalane (née Nkoane) is now a part of this trailblazing shift after being cast as Zenzi Mwale, a domestic worker who is failed by those around her and takes matters into her own hands, in Netflix’s 6-part series, Unseen. For those who feel that they know her range as an actress based on…

Gym wearables, such as fitness trackers, waist trainers, and ankle weights, offer many benefits to gym fanatics. These products help track your physical activity, monitor your heart rate and improve overall fitness levels. A healthy lifestyle can prevent many lifestyle illnesses such as stroke, diabetes, cancer and obesity. Fitness trackers can monitor an individual’s physical activity and provide feedback on their progress toward their fitness goals. According to a study in the Journal of Medical Systems, fitness trackers were found to be effective in encouraging physical activity among individuals, which led to improved health outcomes. Waist trainers, on the other hand, are wearable devices that are designed to compress the abdomen and provide lower back support during exercise. While some individuals claim waist trainers help them lose weight, there is…

The Italian government has been widely criticised for approving a bill to ban cultivated meat. This has brought up questions as to whether this will have any effects in South Africa. Mathilde Alexandre, ProVeg Cell-Ag Project co-ordinator, labelled the move by the Italian government as a draconian measure that ignores the economic and environmental potential that cultivated meat holds. “Cultivated meat is an important new technology that can positively affect the food system in reducing carbon emissions, pollution and supporting animal welfare and biodiversity, while being a real lever for economic growth,” said Alexandre. According to the bill, it will be forbidden in the country to produce food or feed from cell cultures or tissues derived from vertebrate animals, and if one breaks this law, they could be fined up…

They may be just 14-strong, but the group of tourists who arrived on an Air China flight from Beijing this week helped cement South Africa’s place in the top 20 tourism hierarchy of the world. Flight 867, from Beijing and Shenzhen to Johannesburg, touched down at OR Tambo International Airport, marking a significant milestone as the first flight for group tours since the pandemic started in 2020. South Africa is among the first 20 destinations to which China has sent group tours and this flight serves as a significant step towards resuming normal travel activities between the two countries. South Africa has 24 core tourism markets and China is one of them. Managing director at SA Magic Tours Terry Fenton-Wells, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the Chinese…

The average teacher in South Africa earned in the top 5% of South Africans in 2019, according to a report published by Stellenbosch University’s Research on Socio-Economic Policy (Resep). The report also revealed that on average, teachers had higher hourly wages than at least 70% of all formal sector-paid employees. If teacher salaries are adequate, why is South Africa’s public education system still struggling to improve educational outcomes? Over-crowded classrooms aside, are the right candidates being drawn to teaching as a profession? Arguably, the biggest influence on poor educational outcomes are low entrance requirements to study teaching at a tertiary level. Resep’s Teacher Demographics Policy report revealed that Bachelor of Education degrees have lower entrance requirements than other degrees, and that most students enrolled for teaching degrees performed significantly worse…

OLYMPIC gold medallist Caster Semenya has not closed the door on her professional running career. “Wait and see,” Semenya said. “I do not believe in wishes, but making things happen. Who knows what the future holds?” Semenya’s professional running career was thrown into further doubt last week as World Athletics introduced new guidelines for athletes with differences of sex development. Track and field have now banned transgender athletes from international competition while adopting new regulations that could keep Semenya and other athletes with differences in sex development from competing. In a pair of decisions expected to stoke outrage, the World Athletics Council adopted the same rules as swimming did last year when it decided to exclude athletes who have transitioned from male to female and have gone through male puberty.…

Elephants are powerful, loving and wise, but we are only starting to unlock their deepest secrets. And to honour these majestic beasts, the award-winning natural history franchise, Secrets Of, returns this Earth Day – April 22 – with its next instalment, Secrets Of The Elephants, with a premiere on Disney+, as well as across Africa on National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, StarSat 221). National Geographic explorer-at-large James Cameron and Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman, who narrates the series, joined forces to shed more light on the secret nuances of elephant life. Cameron, who is also an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, brings the series that travels the world, from the savannahs of Africa to the urban landscapes of Asia, to discover the strategic thinking, complex emotions and sophisticated language of elephants, shaping…

In October 2010 there were massive strikes across France against pension reform. Activist Jean-Baptiste Reddé’s slogan “Ecoutez la colère du peuple” (Listen to the people’s rage) became world famous as the symbol that epitomised public sentiment. “More than a decade later France is again (there) because of President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reform that plans to make the French work longer, by pushing back the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 or reducing pay-outs for early retirees,” Blessing Utete, managing executive of Old Mutual Corporate Consultants wrote in an op-ed on Ebnet this week. South Africa at the same time is also going through its most significant retirement reform in history. The National Treasury has already tabled the proposed “two-pot system”, scheduled to be implemented in March 2024, with…

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Besides the ocean, Table Mountain and an affluent aesthetic, it boasts a breathtaking sunset. KAYAK, a leading travel search engine, has launched the City Index for Mindful Travellers. This is an interactive guide designed to help conscious travellers make wise decisions when planning their next trip. The index analysed 167 cities in 63 countries across 28 factors to help travellers make more informed travel decisions. In its study, Cape Town came fifth in the ranking of the Middle East and Africa region. The Mother City is said to be less tourist-populated compared to many other popular destinations. “The city has a good share of properties which could be interesting for mindful travellers because they use practices such as…

During working hours they wear high heels, lipstick and linen suits … but in their leisure time they don hiking boots, wetsuits and safety harnesses. They don’t care if their hair gets wet, their mascara smudged, or their acrylic nails take a beating. During the week they rule the boardroom, on weekends they tame the wilderness. Zip-lining, sky-diving, rock-climbing, white-water rafting, abseiling, bungee-jumping: it’s a case of “have the gear, take the plunge”. A new LinkedIn group, From High Heels to High Hills, provides a networking platform for these women to make it easier to find like-minded friends and colleagues and leverage special offers and excursions. “Women, especially black women, are feeling more empowered,” says psychologist Sharon Munyaka. “We no longer feel we need to ask permission. If we want…

The plan was to interview Delroy Lindo about his career, to let the journey- man actor point out the road signs that had led him from a Tony nomination for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone in 1988 to Oscar buzz for Da 5 Bloods in 2020 – and all the traffic between. Lindo caught the acting bug when he was 5, and for nearly the same number of decades, he has made a go of it professionally. But like so many well-laid plans, his career didn’t work out quite as expected. As is the case with so many of the characters Lindo inhabits – whether it be the Trump-loving Vietnam veteran Paul in Da 5 Bloods or the attorney Adrian Boseman in The Good Fight – the actor stakes his…

MR BEAST is facing mixed reactions to his latest viral TikTok in which he claimed to gift a waitress a new car – wrapped in logos promoting his businesses. The world’s most-followed YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, posted the 42-second clip earlier this week, in which he asks a waiter named Amy about the biggest tip she has ever received. “Like $50” (about R900), she replied. Mr Beast handed Amy a set of car keys and asked: “Has anyone ever tipped a car?” Her jaw dropped the moment he pulled out a car key and handed it over to her. At first, Amy accused him of lying, so he took her outside to prove her wrong. Amy’s shocked reaction to her new car was captured on video, and…

When we think about rings, bracelets and earrings, we picture women wearing these items. From celebrities dripping in jewels on the red carpet to fashionistas staying on trend, jewellery has mainly been designed for women. However, these days, thanks to celebrities like Harry Styles, Lenny Kravitz and Johnny Depp, it’s become more and more popular for men to adorn themselves with jewellery. As it was singer Styles is famous for his single-strand pearl necklace and pearl earrings, while rock star Kravitz knows exactly how to layer neck pieces. Anything from a simple single chain like Justin Bieber, or a stack of solid silver rings, chunky watches and necklaces like Depp, the best-dressed men always incorporate some bling in their looks. Hip-hop artists and rappers are famous for their thick gold…

A giant meatball made from flesh cultivated using the DNA of an extinct woolly mammoth was unveiled this week at Nemo, a science museum in the Netherlands. The meatball was created by Australian cultured meat company Vow which – promising this was not an April Fool’s joke – said it wanted to get people talking about cultured meat, calling it a more sustainable alternative for real meat. “We wanted to create something that was totally different from anything you can get now,” said Vow founder Tim Noakesmith, adding that an additional reason for choosing mammoth is that scientists believe the animal’s extinction was caused by climate change. The meatball was made of sheep cells inserted with a singular mammoth gene called myoglobin. “When it comes to meat, myoglobin is responsible…

Former Wits University researcher and journalist Ruth Hopkins, who exposed horrors in Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Prison, hopes the company will lose its contract to run the facility. “After all the exposure, they still have the prison contracts,” she said in a telephone interview with the Independent on Saturday from the UK. Hopkins said the company, G4S, which is the world’s largest security firm, followed a business model that involved paying guards poorly – lower than the Department of Correctional Services – making private prisons “a rich breeding ground for violence”. She said this was the practice at its prisons in Malawi, India, Malawi, Colombia and SA. “The pay is at a low level, and profits trickle upwards to the CEOs and top management. It’s all about money.” Hopkins said global capitalist…

The Western Cape government has confirmed that there have been shipping and logistic delays that will affect solar installations in the province. Regan Thaw, spokesperson for the office of the premier, said that the Western Cape would monitor the national roll-out of solar, and see if the province was expected to facilitate any part of the national roll-out. Thaw said that the province was considering an incentive scheme for SMMEs for alternative energy solutions. He said that SMMEs would be required to source their own suppliers, as the Western Cape government has no suppliers of their own. Mayco member for energy Beverley van Reenen said they did not supply solar PV systems, but that these were supplied by the market. “The City does facilitate the authorisation of solar PV systems…

THE Land Rover Defender line-up is now complete. Continuing the tradition of naming the variants according to the chassis length, the new Defender 130 closes the circle. Not that the new Defender 90, 110 or 130 have a chassis mind you, because they’re now built around a very strong monocoque structure, but they have stuck with the iconic predecessors’ heritage and history. The Defender is also the only vehicle in its segment that’s not built on a ladder frame chassis which is part of the reason why it’s so comfortable on and off-road. Land Rover claims it’s three times stiffer in terms of structural rigidity than its rivals, and that’s saying something. That’s by the by, but it does show what’s possible when the engineers were tasked with a foreign…

THE return of Reinhard Nothnagel to the starting XV bodes well for a degree of set-piece dominance for the Emirates Lions when they host a much-changed Racing 92 this weekend (today 6.30pm) in an EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 clash. Nothnagel made his return to the side against Benetton last week after an injury sustained in December, helping the Joburgers close out an impressive come-from-behind 32-28 victory in Treviso, Italy. He came on early in the second half and his impact was immediately apparent. Although Ruben Schoeman and Willem Alberts have held the fort at the line-outs admirably, they arguably lack the technical skill, tactical acumen and leadership of the 25-year-old at that particular set-piece. Consequently, the appearance of Nothnagel brought a degree of calmness to proceedings that was…

When it comes to corporate travel, 88% of the global business sector views addressing climate change as the number one priority area for action. Considering that aviation accounts for around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions and that 78% of travel managers worldwide expect their corporate travellers to embark on more business trips in 2023, there is a need for businesses to ensure consistency in their green motives. According to Bonnie Smith, GM Corporate Traveller, tackling the effects of climate change is still possible without eliminating business development. “Offsetting your travellers’ carbon footprint, implementing a no-print travel policy, and activating alerts on various booking platforms to receive notifications regarding the most sustainable routes, are just a few ways to maximise corporate travel sustainability,” said Smith. If you’re interested in taking your…

IT’S no secret KwaZulu-Natal is a popular family destination. If you’re looking for fun at the beach, you go to Durban, Margate or Ballito. If you’re looking for a rural escape and adventure in the mountains, try the Drakensberg, the Midlands and Oribi Gorge. When it comes to history and culture, the Battlefields, Nongoma and Valley of a Thousand Hills offer the best cultural experience. Reading about places such as Sodwana Bay, Lake Jozini, Kosi Bay, Hluhluwe, Isimangaliso Wetland Park and Lake St Lucia sparked my interest as a child. It then became a dream to explore these places. So when the opportunity to travel to northern KwaZulu-Natal presented itself, I was thrilled. I wanted a safari, mountain and water experience. And guess what? uMkhuze has all three. Mkuze in…

Priyanka Chopra Jonas had “beef with people” in Bollywood. The 40-year-old actress enjoyed huge success in India before she made the switch to Hollywood, and Chopra has now revealed why she decided to leave the Indian film industry. Speaking on the Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard podcast, she said: “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry. “I had people not casting me for reasons … I had ‘beef with people’. I was tired of the politics. I was just like, ‘I need a break’” Chopra signed a record deal in the US in 2011. The actress – who is married to pop star Nick Jonas – said the deal opened doors for her in the US. “This music thing gave me an opportunity to go into another…

A woman who is 1.9m tall earned R4.5 million in one year posing as a “Sex Giantess” on OnlyFans. According to the Mirror, 34-year-old Penny says customers of her OnlyFans channel make several specific requests related to her height, including her role-playing. She said: “There is a massive fetish out there for tall women. It’s my height that stands out and makes me unique. If I wasn’t so tall, there is no way I would make so much money. “I make a lot of money through tips and PPV (pay-per-view) for requests on giantess content. “The men that find my height a turn-on love to spoil me and pay for what they enjoy, and I enjoy my work. “The most popular are custom role-playing videos that I am growing, and…

OSCAR Pistorius is not about to go home, the Department of Correctional Services said yesterday. Pistorius, who has been behind bars for nearly seven years, became eligible for parole after serving half of his 13-year sentence. The department said it received the decision of the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board on the parole consideration for the inmate following a hearing yesterday. “The board granted inmate Pistorius a further profile for August 2024. The reason provided is that the inmate did not complete the minimum detention period as ruled by the Supreme Court of Appeal (as per the clarification provided on March 28, 2023),” the department said in a statement. Ahead of the hearing, the family of his late model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, had said he should be kept behind bars…

DRIVERS of the two biggest e-hailing providers, Bolt and Uber, are planning a strike to demand a better working environment from the app owners. Bolt failed to provide statistics on the number of drivers killed while on duty in the last three years. This is despite reports of attacks and killings of their drivers and some passengers being reported almost every week, and the companies admitting to being aware of the increase. In the past two weeks, it is reported that over five attacks took place. They included University of Johannesburg law graduate Euston Mnguni, 28, shot four times by passengers who hijacked him in Midrand. Gauteng Provincial SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said police are experiencing a hike in the attacks and hijackings of e-hailing vehicles and taxis…

The AI chatbot known as ChatGPT, developed by the company OpenAI, has caught the public’s attention and imagination. Some applications of the technology are truly impressive, such as its ability to summarise complex topics or to engage in long conversations. It’s no surprise that other AI companies have been rushing to release their own large language models (LLMs) – the name for the technology underlying chatbots like ChatGPT. Some of these LLMs will be incorporated into other products such as search engines. With its impressive capabilities in mind, I decided to test the chatbot on the word game Wordle, which I have been playing for some time. Players have six goes at guessing a five-letter word. On each guess, the game indicates which letters, if any, are in the correct…

Winter school sports are set to start soon. Many of our children are gearing up for weekly rugby, hockey and netball fixtures. The approaching sports season brings with it a renewed sense of vigour to cement positions in teams. It also generally comes with more risk of injury on the sports fields. While our children start their preparations, CrisisOnCall, a crisis response company, recommends that all parents take the necessary precautionary measures to improve their response and preparation in the event of an injury that can happen so quickly on the sports field. According to research, between 10% and 15% of high school rugby players will suffer a concussion in any season, and 50% of high school rugby players would have suffered a concussion in their high school playing careers.…

Hamba Bamba Funda (HBF) is a non-profit organisation that advocates early childhood education (ECE) from birth to two years old and is currently running projects in under-resourced areas in Soweto. Currently early childhood programmes start from 2 years, but HBF’s Seta accredited programme uniquely starts from birth, which gives the child the stimulation and support it needs for building a strong foundation that will last a lifetime. Recently the Local Initiative Fund – South Africa, which is an initiative of the government of the principality of Monaco in partnership with the Alliance Française of Johannesburg, with the support of the NGO Illis and the Swiss embassy in South Africa, awarded a grant to HBF which will enable HBF to offer formally recognised “Further Education Training Certification in Early Childhood…

Nigerian-born actress Chioma Umeala, who is based in SA, is best known for her role as Ayo in Isono, BET Africa’s multilingual scripted and English sub-titled daily drama series. Trained at AFDA and the Indigo View Academy for Advanced Actors, Chioma made her film debut in a student film, Look Closer, which was released in 2017, and her stage debut at the Joburg Theatre with the production Scene in 2018. Umeala appeared in three episodes of the American-produced discussion show The Grapevine, and had a supporting role in the to-be-released film, The First Last Tour. The actress stars in the new American epic historical film, The Woman King, where she plays the role of Tara. She also appears as Nojiko in One Piece, a live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved…

Gun Owners SA has weighed in on the current firearm debate emphasising that private gun owners cannot be blamed for crimes committed with firearms. Previously, Gun Free SA’s Jeremy Vearey said the requirement for gun licences should be reviewed. “Many of the gun owners get a licence on the merits of self-defence. It is also important to take into perspective the area in which the licence holder resides. Is self-defence a good enough reason in an area with low crime? This increases the pool of firearms that could in the long run be misplaced or stolen, increasing the potential of illicit guns. Many of these gun owners have never even been to a shooting range,” he said. Paul Oxley, the national chairperson of Gun Owners SA, vehemently disagreed with Vearey’s…

SUBSCRIPTION services and over-the-air updates are part of the future motoring landscape whether you like it or not. But is it fair to ask a customer to pay extra for something when the hardware is already installed in the car they’ve bought? BMW, for instance, has ruffled a few feathers by offering a subscription service in some markets for heated seats. Performance updates you can purchase later through software updates is another thing the motoring world will soon get used to. Tesla already does it and now Kia is offering something similar with its new EV9 flagship electric SUV. After revealing the vehicle’s concept car-inspired exterior and interior designs earlier this month, Kia has now spilled the beans on all the technical details, including performance and range. At the top…

Investing is a key aspect to creating personal wealth. Broadly speaking, an individual can select the stocks or bonds themselves, or outsource this to a fund or investment manager. Making the right choice when selecting a fund manager is key to long-term gains. This can be done directly into a unit trust or through a savings product, such as a Retirement Annuity, Tax-Free Savings Account, etc. The fund or investment manager plays a crucial role in helping individuals and families reach their financial goals. When trusting an investment professional to manage assets, it is essential to have a deep understanding of how the investment will be managed. This knowledge can help clients make informed decisions and ensure that their strategy is aligned with the overall financial goals set out…

ALTHOUGH Mamelodi Sundowns have already qualified for CAF Champions League quarter finals, coach Rhulani Mokwena insists his team will be under pressure tonight. Undefeated Sundowns host Cameroon’s Coton Sport at Loftus Versfeld in a clash that may be of academic interest. Sundowns have already qualified for the knock-out with 11 points, while the winless Coton Sport have already been eliminated. Sundowns’ proud record in the domestic and continental arena has raised expectations whenever they play, and Mokwena feels the players should respect that. “Pressure is a privilege because of the quality and the players that we have. We always have pressure to win and deliver,” said Mokwena, who is the latest recipient of the DStv Premiership Coach of the Month award. “We have to work every single day with this…