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Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has encouraged the new cohort of students at the Cape Town Society for the Blind to use the year-long course to learn, grow and provide for their families. 

“Nothing must stop you from achieving your dreams. Take the skills you will aquire and use them to improve your lives.  This programme, offered by the Cape Town Society for the Blind, is a great opportunity and I want to urge you to give it your best,“ Minister Zulu said.  

Matriculants who have not yet secured admission to institutions of higher learning have a second chance to gain entrance into those institutions, thanks to the Central Application Clearing House (CACH).   

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) said the CACH service for 2024 is open from 26 January until 31 March 2024. This is a free service provided by the department to both the applicants and institutions.  
“Learners who have completed Grade 12 from 2000 onwards will be eligible to sign-up,” the department said.   

30 years of democracy can be celebrated in various ways, and one of the best ways to tell a story of the South African journey into democracy and freedom is through art.

From 20 April until 24 November, the South African Pavilion will present at the 60th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, with a bold message for the world today. The exhibition is titled Quiet Ground and will be held in Venice in Italy.

As a nation that fought and defeated apartheid, we have a particular obligation to stand up for justice and fundamental human rights for all people, everywhere. It is this obligation that informed our application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt the violence unleashed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says on-boarding new generating capacity, particularly renewable energy, is critical to ensuring that additional capacity is added to the national grid.

He recently gave an update on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan, which aims to relieve pressure on the electricity system.

Minister Ramokgopa explained that tremendous progress is being done to ensure that solutions are found for transmission.

Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has announced a new initiative aimed at enhancing maritime employment opportunities for South African seafarers.

The Minister said the Seafarer Employment and Development Programme (SEDP) will be launched in the first quarter of the new financial year.

South African media practitioners are invited to enter the 2024 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Media Awards competition by 29 February 2024. 

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is reviewing the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which is currently published for public comments until 23 February, 2024.

Currently, the department is hosting a series of public workshops to unpack the draft IRP, and will review and consider public comments first before finalising the plan in May.

According to the DMRE, the plan seeks to ensure security of electricity supply by balancing supply with demand, while taking into account the environment and total cost of supply.

Lotsha Onaka, a Pretoria-based e-commerce platform, is making things happen for small-scale businesses looking

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has announced a new National Minimum Wage (NMW) determination which will go up from R25.42 to R27.58 for each ordinary hour worked.

Recently, the Department of Employment and Labour released a statement and said the new NMW will come into effect from 1 March 2024.