South Africa kick-started its first phase of the vaccination rollout programme using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine recently. 
The first group of healthcare workers lined-up to receive a shot of the
80 0000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines that arrived in South Africa, which the department has described as a success.
It will soon be a year since the first reported case of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in our country. The pandemic has come at a great cost to both public health and the livelihoods of millions of our people. Many workers lost part of their income as their work hours were reduced with many being retrenched. Several businesses have incurred heavy losses from scaled-back operations. Others have had to close. People working in the informal sector have also suffered.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel has commended Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) for enabling employees to own shares in the company. 
He says this is an important step in creating an inclusive economy in South Africa.
KwaZulu-Natal-based Zamokuhle Thwala (29) has created a digital crowdfunding platform that empowers smallholder farmers.
AgriCool is an online marketplace that links smallholder farmers and buyers to a fair and reliable market. Thwala says the platform also helps farmers secure financial assistance and gives them access to real-time information that they need to improve production.
Heeding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to accelerate the fight against nationwide corruption, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has cracked a few high-profile cases with help from callers to the Whistle- Blower Hotline.
President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted key numbers that track South Africa’s progress over the past year and government’s priorities for 2021 in his recent State of the Nation Address. Vuk’uzenzele breaks these priorities down into numbers.
Coronavirus pandemic 
South Africa is on a drive to prevent litter from destroying our river and ocean environments, while also creating jobs in the process.
Every year, up to 250 000 tonnes of rubbish enters the oceans around South Africa, mainly by being carried down to the sea in rivers. This rubbish cannot only harm birds, mammals and fish, but can also damage ship propellers and drive away tourists.
Two young women who are passionate about children and education have written a children’s book about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), featuring President Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the characters.