A R47-million multi-functional indoor centre will be built to accommodate Durban Girls College’s growing enrolment and enhance facilities – a bold step that will enhance the future of this iconic school, positioning it as a destination school offering world-class facilities that support a holistic and forward-thinking education for girls, said Heidi Rea, executive head of the school. The state-of-the-art 3,370 m² facility, spanning three storeys, will include a sports centre, multi-purpose hall and additional boarding and staff accommodation. Designed by Elphick Proome Architecture (EPA) - the award-winning firm behind the College’s Aquatic Centre and Miller Grove building - the project reflects modern design, functionality, and sustainability while honouring the school’s character and heritage. Construction begins in March 2026, with completion scheduled for May 2027, marking the school’s 150th anniversary. The sports centre will feature a spacious 1,560 m² hall, with seating for 350 spectators. It is being built to accommodate tennis, badminton, hockey, netball, volleyball, and basketball. Natural light will flood the space through a south-facing rooflight and perimeter clerestory windows, creating an inspiring and energy-efficient environment. The multi-purpose hall offers 575 m² of flexible event space with a striking double-volume ceiling and direct access to a landscaped courtyard - is ideal for exhibitions, examinations and social events. A central covered outdoor area will serve as a circulation hub, linking the new facilities with the boarding house, parking areas, and the astro hockey field, which will include external seating for 175 spectators. Full accessibility is ensured via lift access across all levels. George Elphick, from Elphick Proome Architects, explained that the design for the indoor centre was driven by a clear goal - to create a highly functional and welcoming hub that seamlessly integrates with campus life. The …
Water Shortages: Innovative Solutions to a Deepening Crisis
As President Ramaphosa warns of water shortages that will eclipse load-shedding as national emergency, the local and international experts gather at a global event to share innovative solutions to counter growing water challenges. Earlier this year, President Ramaphosa identified water shortages as a looming threat for the country. “Load shedding has been supplanted by the crisis of water security, which poses a similar if not greater threat to the quality of life and economic prospects of all South Africans,” he said at an ANC policy keynote in Khayelitsha in January. “Indeed, water is life and sanitation is dignity.” As countries around the world grapple with the difficulties of providing water to their growing urban populations, water re-use is increasingly at the forefront of realistic alternatives to rapidly diminishing supplies of from existing water resources (largely surface and groundwater). Water re-use is the process of treating and reusing water from various sources for beneficial purposes. Using the latest technologies, wastewater can be treated to meet drinking water standards. The 14th International Water Association (IWA) International Conference on Water Reclamation and Reuse is being held in Cape Town in March 2025. The event will bring together the world’s leading experts together with private sector and government to share the latest advancements in science, technology and best practice in the areas of water reuse and recycling. The IWA is an open platform for innovators and adopters of new technologies and approaches to share ideas and solutions. IWA programmes develop research and projects focused on solutions for water and wastewater management, placing water on the global political agenda to influence regulation and policy making. The event’s host is the Water Research Commission (WRC), South Africa’s premier water knowledge hub. The WRC informs policy and decision making; creates new products, innovation, and services; …
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Nex Playground is here to make movement fun
Video games have a poor reputation when it comes to physical health, but the advent of motion games has changed that impression. Nex Playground brings motion games into the modern era with an all-new active play system designed for families. This incredible new active play system is distributed exclusively by Skyworth Group’s retail brand QVWI in South Africa. Nex Playground offers a simple way for families to turn their living room into an interactive playground that brings the family together for entertaining bouts of physical activity. Voted by TIME as one of the best innovations for 2023 with Parents.com recognizing the active play system as an innovative and family-friendly addition to the average home. The diminutive cube that will soon take over living rooms everywhere hosts a 12,3MP ultra-wide-angle camera capable of detecting player movement and translating it into accurate onscreen action. The active play system connects to TVs via HDMI and includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 64GB of storage onboard. Games can be downloaded via Wi-Fi and stored on the play system allowing for travel and complete offline playing. The Nex Playground will include 4 titles at launch with a limited quantity and will retail at R3 499. The 4 titles included are Whack-a-Mole Deluxe, Party Fowl, Starri, and Go Keeper. The first is a spin on the classic physical arcade game for several players at once. Party Fowl is a series of fun family challenges, while Starri is a controller-free take on popular dance and rhythm games that will be instantly familiar. Go Keeper will make parents and kids take turns at saving strikes and penalty kicks in a fantasy football simulation. The fun doesn’t stop there. Nominal subscription payments of R399 per quarter or R1199 per annum open up a new world of activity. The subscription provides instant access to a rich catalogue of 20 games, with more new games launched every season, allowing your whole family to move, bop, bounce and marvel at …
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Unchanged repo rate suggests greater stability says Tyson Properties CEO
Tyson Properties founder and CEO, Chris Tyson, has welcomed this week's announcement by the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee that the repo rate will remain unchanged at 8.25%. Although the repo rate remains at a 14-year-high dating back to May 2023, Tyson is optimistic that this signals a period of greater stability for South Africa’s property market which is good news for both buyers and sellers. On an even more positive note, he expects the repo rate to begin to drop during the second half of 2024. This will balance out further turbulence that is expected during 2024, especially in the lead up to the State of the National Address and the Budget Speech in February which could herald increases in personal tax as well as property taxes. “The economic fundamentals associated with subdued economic growth, high inflation and high unemployment remain daily realities. Even though the inflation rate has dipped, the possibility of fuel price hikes persists as do other increases which may impact on households’ disposable incomes. As a result, we only expect the interest rate to begin to drop after the middle of 2024,” he says. The unchanged rate is a relief for resilient South Africans, Tyson believes. He says greater optimism in the market manifested towards the end of 2023 with the number of enquiries received by Tyson Properties in its key markets increasing together with the number of first-time buyers. Renewed positivity in the Johannesburg market is evident and KwaZulu-Natal is also doing well. The Cape Town market, which has been on an ongoing upward trajectory, remains buoyant. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. Author: Nicola Chaning-Pearce from Tynago Communications for Tyson Properties. …
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Dress donation brightens lives of women affected by cancer
In a remarkable display of true sisterhood, almost 1 000 ‘gently worn’ dresses have been donated by South African women to others who are struggling to cope with the hindering burden of cancer. The collaboration between Miladys and the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) epitomises the spirit of compassion, and highlights – particularly in Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) – the constant challenge faced by thousands of women in their daily experience with living with cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women, worldwide. In South Africa, it is the most common cancer among women, accounting for 22.6% of all female cancers and 16% of cancer deaths among women. Overall, more than half of all cancer diagnoses in SA affect women. Those fighting the disease and coping with treatment – and women who have survived it – deal with numerous challenges, including body changes. Often, said Louise Howell, Miladys head of marketing, their resources are constrained. Not only the survivors themselves, but mothers enduring the trauma of children with cancer, or who have lost children during or after treatment – all should be acknowledged, she added. “So many are so focused on survival that getting a gift of a dress is extraordinarily meaningful to them. “We want them to feel beautiful and feminine even during trying times, and our customers responded to our call, donating – within just three weeks – 920 dresses.” Joani Sadie, CANSA’s corporate relationship manager, said the organisation’s ultimate goal is to lead South Africa towards a cancer-free society. “We aim to provide access to care and support when someone is faced with a cancer diagnosis. To achieve this, we collaborate with like-minded organisations, like Miladys, that share our passion for enhancing the lives of people affected by cancer.” The journey of cancer is difficult, especially for mothers of children facing the disease. “For women already …
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Showcasing entrepreneurship amongst the Deaf during Deaf Awareness Month
Tenacity, attention to detail, the courage to persevere and overcome seemingly massive obstacles are just some of the characteristics of good entrepreneurs. It comes as no surprise, then, that many members of the Deaf community have overcome tremendous challenges to not only succeed in business, but even set up their own businesses to create jobs for others. This emerged during a recent event sponsored by eDEAF, a Deaf owned, B-BBEE Level 2 company which is the leading provider of Deaf skills development training in South Africa, and hosted by leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, Rewardsco. The event set out to do just what Deaf Awareness Month does – help hearing people to understand deafness whilst also showcasing the significant achievements of resourceful members of the Deaf community. Lesego Gumede, is 27-years-old and the owner of shoe cleaning business, Sneaker Cleanic. Having completed both his matric and tertiary education despite having bilateral hearing loss and no hearing aids, he went on to work in sales at a large corporate. However, despite benefitting from good people skills, he struggled to communicate with clients and decided to quit his job in January 2021 to set up Sneaker Cleanic in a carport in a Pretoria township. Within three months of setting up, he partnered with chemical guru, John Peterson, to develop a range of shoe cleaning products which were trialled on almost 6 000 pairs of sneakers that came in for cleaning. Ultimately, he wishes to sell this range (and other cleaning products which he plans to develop in the future) to major retailers around the country. In the meanwhile, he and his team of eight are cleaning between 700 and 800 pairs of sneakers per month at two shops in shopping malls in Mamelodi and Mabopane, Pretoria. “We are nailing it because we are really good at what we do. We are a youth-owned business – so none of my team members is over 30. I am the leader and I have a disability – but …
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Tyson Properties welcomes stable interest rate in a highly competitive market
Tyson Properties’ chairman, Chris Tyson, and chief executive, Nick Pearson, have welcomed today’s decision by the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to keep the key repo rate unchanged at 8.25%. Although this means that the prime lending rate remains at a 14-year high of 11.75%, both Tyson and Pearson said that the decision not to further increase the repo rate would provide more stability for South Africa’s property market and give the country’s consumers some respite from the increasing cost of financing important assets like properties. “Whilst it cannot be denied that South Africans still have to contend with a high cost of living, rising fuel prices and increased load shedding over the months of September and October, this latest decision by the Reserve Bank is definitely a move in the right direction. I foresee the rate being held now for the remainder of the year with, perhaps, even a slight drop in the new year,” said Tyson. “We find ourselves in a stable environment at present. The Reserve Bank’s holding the interest rate for the past few months has already sparked renewed confidence. The group is performing well and our Johannesburg operation, in particular, has seen a resurgence in interest. The region had a record month in August with R111 315 000 in sales and rentals,” he added. Tyson said that, in addition to a more stable financing environment, this resurgence could be attributed to sellers being more realistic with their pricing their properties in what continued to be a challenging market. “Since the interest rate has stabilised, Tyson Properties has registered some of its best months in the history of the company. We have seen buyers across the board express confidence in the market. There is renewed activity at the higher, middle and lower ends of the market,” Pearson continued. He said that, should interest rates hold for the foreseeable future which was a strong possibility, Tyson Properties expected and …
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Tyson Properties welcomes a pause on interest rate hikes
Tyson Properties CEO, Nick Pearson is just one of many in South Africa who are breathing a sigh of relief following this afternoon’s announcement by the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee that it would pause the ongoing spate of interest rate hikes over the past two years. Sensitive to the fact that household budgets are getting ever tighter and that the market is more subdued than it was at the beginning of the year, Pearson says it made sense for the Reserve Bank to allow heavily indebted South Africans time to reassess their financial situations going forward. However, he says that while South African’s can celebrate, they also need to be realistic. That said, he says this latest interruption in a steady progression of interest rate hikes is just one of many positives that suggest things are beginning to take a turn for the better. Economic indicators that include dips in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) and the oil price suggest some degree of normalisation as does a stabilisation of the rand, albeit at a low level. There are also indications that the international economic recession is flattening out even though there is not yet any sign of a peace treaty in the Ukraine. During the first half of 2023, Pearson says the market has adapted to interest rate hike but has not stalled. Although the market remains quiet with an increase in distressed sellers and a drop in home loan applications, it now favours buyers and there are still plenty of investors out there looking for a good deal. In fact, in this hugely speculative market, buyers now have more choice and should realise greater value, Pearson says. He points out that many sectors are recovering – especially the tourism sector with South Africa identified as the best place to visit by readers of the UK’s Telegraph newspaper. An influx of retirees from the UK and Europe who are investing in a better standard of living, more temperate climate and good private …
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MAZE Africa highlights need for sexuality education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Insights from the World Population Review indicate that over 13 million children are born to women who are under 20 years old. Disturbingly, more than 90% of these births (about 12 million) occur in developing countries, with African countries topping the list. To address high rates of teenage pregnancies in Africa, UNICEF has advised that nations invest in comprehensive sexual education, prioritize girls' education, conduct community sensitization, promote health education, and ensure sufficient medical infrastructure. With this as a backdrop, Ibis Reproductive Health, a leading health and reproductive rights international non-profit organisation, announced a ground-breaking new partnership with the AMAZE initiative. AMAZE.org, an initiative implemented by Advocates for Youth (AYF), which collaborates with global organisations and harnesses the power of digital media to provide free and age-appropriate sexual education that is medically accurate, affirming, and candid to adolescents and youth, with content available in over 40 languages. Relevance and Inclusivity Darcy Weaver, Associate Director for AMAZE International at Advocates for Youth, explained that through such a collaboration partners can adapt the existing library of animated videos to make them more culturally relevant and give them context. In addition, AMAZE provides resources for educators, including toolkits, discussion guides and information to facilitate engagement. Shullami Mbola, Sexual and Reproductive Health advocate said AMAZE also uniquely addresses the dangers and challenges differently-abled women and girls face, adding that, “It’s a platform that advocates for specific solutions that do not further marginalize people with disabilities, but rather emphasizes the solutions. It’s a vehicle that can eliminate physical and social barriers and its ability to be adapted and tailored makes it well placed to address localized issues such as that of child marriage.” Nthabiseng …
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Helping South Africans Learners “To Move Forward”
Bicycles can – and do – change lives. The National Household Travel Survey, conducted in 2020 in collaboration with the Department of Transport, showed that walking was the main mode of travel for around 10.1 million learners to get to school because of the high cost or unavailability of public transport, especially in rural areas. This is why Rewardsco’s group commercial director Dylan Koen is once again be representing the special partnership between his company and global charity, Qhubeka, during this week’s gruelling Absa Cape Epic mountain biking challenge. Qhubeka, which means “to move forward”, runs programmes that provide underprivileged people with bicycles to improve access to schools, clinics and jobs. With a bicycle, a person can travel faster and further, and generate an income. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can transform lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – by helping people to get where they need to go and connect with those with whom they need to associate. When asked about why he was drawn to helping this proudly South African charity to raise funds for bicycles, Koen replied that there was a definite synergy between Qhubeka and Rewardsco – both connected people and changed lives. He added: “What they do just resonated with me personally. They build bicycles that are then donated to underprivileged communities. In the context of the community, it is a workhorse that takes kids to school, collects water and books. I mean, it's a source of transportation and more. These bicycles enable both adults and children to travel to work and school and to overcome the challenges of not having suitable transport to reach clinics. Bicycles also enable people to reach places that would otherwise be out of reach after natural disasters such as the recent flooding that we experienced in our country.” 2020 marked the beginning of an epic journey on many different levels. “We did so …