SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge Southern KZN Regional - Kokstad College: Saturday 22 August

Continuing their total domination in the region, Shayamoya Area Secondary School maintained their 100% record in the Southern KZN Regional on Saturday 22 August, the only team to have this honour in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge.

Hosted by Kokstad College, eight teams played their hearts out in the hopes of dislodging the defending champions, but Shayamoya proved to be a tour de force, claiming their fifth title on the trot since this regional began in 2022. 

Meeting travelling team, Mthatha High School in the bookend games of the tournament, Shayamoya took on the Eastern Cape team in the opening fixture of the day with the scoreline going in favour of the champs, 12 – 6. In the concluding game, the two teams clashed again in a fast-paced, exceptional final. After a fabulous intercept once Mthatha got play under way, it took Shayamoya 25 seconds to bother the scorers with captain, Kwanele Lamani netting her first point of the final.  20 seconds later, Lamani was back under the ring, slotting in her second point. 

Put your left foot in. Shayamoya Area Secondary School’s star defender, Phumela Ramkoko intercepts the ball during a round robin game at the Southern KZN Regional hosted by Kokstad College in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge that took place on Saturday 22 August. Pic by Val Adamson.

Going into halftime, Shayamoya led by 8 to 3. In similar fashion, Mthatha got the second half started, but the quick-on-their-feet midfielders quickly snaffled the ball, sending it up to Sphesethu Mantambo, who got the points rolling for Shayamoya in the second half. 

The petite centre for Mthatha, Unako Madolo with pitbull intentions kept persisting, feeding the ball up to her shooters. The visitors had a tough time in the Shayamoya circle, being closed down often by the spritely defender, Phumela Ramkoro. Mthatha’s attackers Eneya Jokozela and Buhle Noto were lucky enough to have several attempts but unfortunately had to contend with the hard-working Ramkoro or when they managed to bypass her, had the gusty conditions causing their aerial pursuits to go off target. 

50 / 50. Shayamoya Area Secondary School’s hard working Phumela Ramkoko desperately swats at the ball as Mthatha High School’s Buhle Noto clears the ball to her waiting support as teammate Eneya Jokozela watches on during the final of the Southern KZN Regional in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge hosted by Kokstad College on Saturday 22 August. Pic by Val Adamson.

At the final whistle, Shayamoya were victorious with the scoreline settled on 17 – 8. Mthatha who were making their third appearance in the challenge, had to settle for their second silver in consecutive years. Their first appearance in 2024, they finished fourth overall. 

In the build up to the finals, Shayamoya topped the log after their seven round robin games. Second was Mthatha with five wins, a draw in their last round robin game against Kokstad College – finishing 5 all, and a loss in their opening fixture. Third in the round robin was St Thomas Residential School who won five games and lost to Shayamoya and Mthatha. Rounding off the semi-finalists, King Edward High School from Matatiele claimed victory in four of their games, going down to Shayamoya, Mthatha and St Thomas.

In the first semi, first placed Shayamoya meet fourth placed, King Edward. In a clinical performance, Shayamoya dominated with a win of 18-2, and stamping their ticket to the final. In the second final, Mthatha went up against St Thomas. In a far more determined game, St Thomas tried their hardest to earn their first regional final appearance but were just not up to it as Mthatha managed to hold off their threats in the circle, the final score a respectable defeat of 9-6.

Durban Girls’ College will host the fourth challenge this weekend, (Saturday 29 August) with teams from around the Durban Central Regional meeting for a ‘play-full’ day of netball. 

For more info follow the challenge on various social media platforms

Results

Regional Final

Shayamoya Area Secondary School 17 vs Mthatha High School 8

Semi-final

Shayamoya Area Secondary School 18 vs King Edward High School 2

Mthatha High School 9 vs St Thomas Residential School 6

Round Robin

1 Shayamoya Area Secondary School 21pts; 2 Mthatha High School 16pts; 3 St Thomas Residential School 15pts; 4 King Edward High School 12pts; 5 Kokstad College 10pts; 6 St Monica’s Diocesan School 6pts; 7 Bergview High School 3pts; 8 Mt Currie S.S.S. 0pts

Majara earns maiden SPAR race win in Pietermaritzburg

Dikeledi Majara's outstanding performance of 35:01 earned her the top spot in the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge, held in perfect running conditions on Sunday 23 August, at the Pietermaritzburg Oval Cricket Stadium.

The race saw a new champion emerge as Tayla Kavanagh, the three-time defending champion, was absent. Majara's first-place finish marked a significant milestone, as she had previously finished third in the Pietermaritzburg legs on two occasions (2024, 2025). The 32-year-old Lesotho International athlete who pocketed R10 000 for her effort, expressed her delight at claiming the title. 

Dikeledi Majara's outstanding performance of 35:01 earned her the top spot in the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge, held in perfect running conditions on Sunday 23 August, at the Pietermaritzburg Oval Cricket Stadium. Photo by Rogan Ward.

“I'm so happy to win the race. I woke up today in a very good mood, and I was feeling excited to be on the start line. The race was good, as it turned out to be a lucky day for me as I won the race.”

"It's feels like a dream to win after years of trying to come first. This is the first time winning this race as I have finished third in the past two years. It also marks my first time winning SPAR, and I didn't plan to do so. Overall, a very perfect day of running and healthy competition from the ladies," said the elated Nedbank Running Club athlete. 

Majara executed a decisive move at approximately 2km and never looked back, as the second-place finisher, Malineo Mahloko of Maxed Elite Running Club, followed with a time of one minute and two seconds slower. Meanwhile, multiple Comrades Marathon gold medallist Jenet Mbhele achieved a commendable 36:25, securing third place on the podium.

The top three finishers in the 2026 SPAR Maritzburg Women's 10km Challenge: winner Dikeledi Majara (centre), flanked by runner-up Malineo Mahloko (right) and third-placed Jenet Mbhele (left). Photo by Rogan Ward.

"At around 2km, I moved away from the bunch of athletes, and they failed to follow me. It was not even a hard pace that I was going with. I didn't stress too much regarding the gap I’ve created to the second place athlete as my goal was to finish strong, "

This year has seen Majara achieve unprecedented success, becoming the first female athlete from Lesotho to secure a Comrades gold medal, completing the race in 06:12:29 and finishing eighth overall in the women's category. Furthermore, she won the N12 Ultra 50km race in North West. Majara attributes her outstanding season to the guidance of Nick Bester, athlete manager at Nedbank Running Club.

" I think joining Nedbank last year, my life changed for the better. They have been taking good care of me and it easy for me to put out a strong performance on the road. I must thank Nick Bester for making sure that I get all what I want. So far, this is the best season of my career, "

The race attracted over 4,000 sold-out entries and at the prize giving, SPAR KZN gifted the race charity, Dlalanathi with a cheque to the value of R30,000 comprised of R5 from every entry and a top up amount donated by SPAR KZN.

Results:

Seniors 

1. Dikeledi Majara 35:01, 2. Malineo Mahloko 36:03, 3. Jenet Mbhele 36:25 4. Bathobile Mkhize 37:54, 5. Banele Mabizela 38:09

Juniors

1. Anele Mtungwa 40:59, 2. Courtney Van Wyngaard 41:43, 3. Elizabeth De Goede 51:04

40-49

1. Makhosazane Mhlongo 38:25, 2. Mabusi Makhunga 41:43, 3. Rozanne Geldenhuys 44:20

50-59

1. Janene Carey 41:38, 2. Wilhelmina Du Plessis 48:29, 3. Anita Jacobs 48:42

60-69

1. Gail Babich 48:05, 2. Zandile Mtolo 01:01:54, 3. Aletta Wegener 01:02:47

70+

1. Blanche Moila 56:37, 2. Pat Fischer 58:23

13th European Film Festival South Africa Programme Announced

The 13th European Film Festival South Africa presents the latest award-winning, critically-acclaimed and star-studded European films for local audiences to experience in cinemas around South Africa from 17 to 27 September. As the world faces ever faster and enormous changes, the festival’s offerings from across the continent paints intimate, human portraits of family in all its different forms as vital to personal, psychological and social survival. 

This year’s programme boasts 12 films including new work from Oscar-winning directors Pawel Pawlikowski and Paolo Sorrentino; social realist legends, the Dardenne Brothers; BAFTA-winning feature debutant Akinola Davies Jr.; and intriguing, entertaining, always engaging work from both veteran and emerging European cinematic storytellers. Featuring impressive performances from the cream of European talent including Mads Mikkelsen, Javier Bardem, Sandra Hüller and Carice van Houten, and a host of newcomers ably meeting the challenges of demanding, emotional roles – the 13th edition of South Africa’s premier festival for cinema-lovers explores family and its realities and challenges across time, place and genre.  

Opening the festival is The Last Viking, with Denmark’s biggest star Mads Mikkelsen, leading the star-studded cast of this madcap, blackly comic Danish family-drama/crime-caper-noir about brothers, mental health, past secrets, the Beatles and getting by with more than a little bit of help from your friends. 

Winner of the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut, My Father’s Shadow (UK), British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr’s first feature marks the arrival of a vital, bold new voice in world cinema. Poetically realised with haunting imagery and bustling, vivid, angry life it’s a deeply personal film that’s a tribute not only to its creators’ own father but to all parents who daily face the struggles to keep their families alive and together at all costs. 

My Fathers Shadow ©Lakin Ogunbanwo

Germany’s offering Fatherland directed by Oscar-winning director Paweł Pawlikowski (Ida and Cold War), European cinema’s master of visual and narrative precision, delivers a tightly controlled, intimate, and heart-breaking portrait of German literature’s legendary Thomas Mann as he and his daughter make a journey across a nation trying to grapple with grief and the horrors of the past as the Cold War rages. Winner of the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Festival, the film stars Oscar-nominated Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall).

In Young Mothers (Belgium), the multiple award-winning Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne paint a small, gritty, and empathetic portrait of the struggles of young mothers. Abandoned by their families and society, these courageous and anxious young women support each other as they make the first of many tough adult decisions of their lives.  Winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes this year.

Young Mothers

Oscar- and BAFTA-winning leading Italian director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) reteams with collaborator Toni Servillo in La Grazia (Italy). Servillo won a Best Actor statue at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in this elegantly styled, intimate drama about fathers, daughters, love, duty and the eternal question of “who owns our days?”- set against the grubby backdrop of Italian politics. 

La Grazia - Toni Servillo - © Andrea Pirrello

Colours of Time (France), directed by Cédric Klapisch is a family drama that weaves together stories from one family’s 19th century past and their 21st-century present. A memorably delightful and touching exploration of art, family and history. 

Porcelain War (Ukraine) directed by Brendan Bellomo and this stunning documentary’s key protagonist, Slava Leontyev, is an inspirational Oscar-nominated film in which Leontyev, his wife, and their friend tell, at great personal risk and with footage they shot, the story of how their lives as artists were brutally upended by the war in Ukraine. Now, with roles as Ukrainian soldiers – they’ve never lost their passion for art and nature as they risk everything for family, nation and freedom. 

Oscar winner Javier Bardem gives a brooding performance as the fictional, acclaimed, mercurial Spanish film director Esteban Martínez in The Beloved (Spain). Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Martinez returns to his homeland to film a colonial-era period drama set in the Western Sahara. 

The film unravels the fragile relationship between fathers and daughters and asks difficult questions about personal sacrifices made in service of art.

In A Family (Netherlands) Dutch director Mees Peijnenburg offers a powerful window on divorce in modern Europe, told empathetically through the eyes of a brother and sister trying to each find their own ways and hopefully a path together through the aftermath of the bitter war between their parents. It stars Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) and Pieter Embrechts.

A Family © Jasper Wolf

Veteran award-winning Polish director Agnieszka Holland offers an energetic and generally bright biopic about the enigmatic literary genius Franz Kafka, in Franz. The film contemplates its protagonist, his difficult relationship with his father, and imagines how his legacy might be celebrated in the future. 

Ireland’s Christy is the debut feature from Brendan Canty that has picked up many nominations and awards at this year’s Irish Film and TV Awards for its tender direction and impressive lead performance from Danny Power as the title character – a teenager with a murkily remembered tragic past, who, after he’s kicked out of his latest foster home, returns to Cork to stay with his estranged brother. As he tries to figure out his future, he rediscovers the relationship with his brother and begins to imagine a home among people in a place he might yet grow to know and love.  

Christy

The extraordinary and original, Aquí (Portugal) is director Tiago Guedes’ ambitious, epic and suitably enigmatic adaptation of the Jesus trilogy of novels by South African Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. It stays true to its source material’s humanist hopes, despairs and probing of the eternal philosophical questions that keep families and societies eternally (and anxiously) moving onward. 

The festival pays tribute to the tireless dedication and vision of a former co-director of the festival Peter Rorvik, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Peter was a passionate supporter of independent films, and nurtured a generation of film lovers and filmmakers across South Africa and beyond for decades. 

The 13th European Union Film Festival South Africa takes place from September 17 to 27, 2026 in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.

For the full programme and schedule follow on social media or go to www.eurofilmfest.co.za

JOMBA! FEMME FORWARD Residency honours Women's Month with new generation of Durban screen dance artists

As South Africa marks Women's Month, the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, prepares to engage with five emerging Durban-based, dance artists through the JOMBA! Femme Forward Residency 2026, one of the programmes within the festival.

Running from 24 to 29 August 2026, the residency, now in its second year, is presented in partnership with Cape Town-based Darkroom Contemporary and offers five participants intensive training and creative mentorship in dance for the screen. The programme builds on JOMBA!'s five-year history of showcasing nearly 50 dance films, and follows the residency's successful 2025 launch.

This year's cohort brings together a group of women shaping Durban's contemporary performance landscape: Aluta Nzama, Alwande Khuzwayo, Andisiwe Mbambo, Aphelele Nyawose and Siobhan Wright. Over six intensive days, the artists will develop original short dance films exploring themes of identity, resilience and lived experience, giving voice and visibility to women telling their own stories through movement.

Louise Coetzer, artistic director of Darkroom Contemporary says, “we are delighted to be partnering with JOMBA! in this specially focuses Femme Forward 2026 residency and helping to skill and grow young female film and dance makers”.

"FEMME FORWARD exists to give young female-identifying dance-makers in KwaZulu-Natal the space, skills and support to shape their own creative futures," said Thobile Maphanga , Assistant Curator,, and coordinator of this JOMBA! residency. "Coming together during Women's Month, this residency is a reminder that investing in women's artistic voices is investing in the stories our country needs to hear."

The outcomes of the residency will be shared after the Forging Futures JOMBA! Conversation that takes place on Saturday 29 August 2026 @ 2pm, at the Centre for Creative Arts Board Room, Howard College Campus (UKZN).

For more information go to: https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge Durban South Regional - Hutchinson Park: Saturday 15 August

Dominating from start to finish, host team, Amanzimtoti Netball Club took the honours in the Durban South Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge at Hutchinson Park, Amanzimtoti on Saturday 15 August.

Comprising scholars from around the area, Toti’s Netball team took to the court earning convincing wins in all of their eight round robin games, netting 102 points courtesy of on-target sharp shooters, Hannah Grey and Micheala Clegg. Playmaker for the team, Tyra Norris was a firecracker in the centre, efficiently intercepting the ball on numerous occasions, and quickly feeding her attackers in the circle. Another ‘stand out’ player was their keeper, Zoey Quigley, who ‘towered’ above most of her opponents, constantly springing to life like a jack-in-the-box. 

The home team easily advanced to the semi-final, meeting three-times champions, Kingsway High School who have hoisted the trophy in consecutive years 2022 – 2024. The result was a convincing victory by Toti 18-4. In the second semi-final, defending champions, Kuswag Skool finished second overall and met travelling Hoërskool Suid-Natal who finished third place in the round robin games. In an action-packed game, only one point separated the two teams. Suidies took the game with 9 points ejecting the hard-working defending champs who scored 8 points. 

Long jump. Amanzimtoti Netball Club’s Tyra Norris stretches mid-stride to hang onto the wide pass as Hoërskool Suid-Natal’s Chantelle Coetzee desperately tries to intercept as Alexis Ahearne watches on during the Durban South Regional final of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge that took place at Hutchinson Park on Saturday 15 August. Pic by Rogan Ward.

In the regional final, Suid Natal got centre pass, sending the ball quickly up to their post lady who fired off the first shot of the game with only 16 seconds on the clock. The ball arched over the goal, giving possession to Toti. Wasting no time, the ball made its way up to Grey who slotted in the first point of the game twenty seconds later. 

A quarter of the way through the first half, Suidies’ Chantelle Coetzee adventurously launched an attempt, successfully earning herself a 2 pointer – the only one of the game. At the blast of whistle for half time, the visitors pocketed their fourth point giving them a 2-goal deficit of 2 points. Midway the score was sitting at 6-4. The second half was littered with 1 pointers, with the fired-up Grey and Clegg adding 9 points with Suid Natal only successfully finding space around the jumper, Quigley to secure three points. The final score 15-7 in favour of Toti.

The tournament heads inland for the Southern KZN Regional hosted by Kokstad College on Saturday 22 August, where four-times winner, Shayamoya Area Secondary School aims to hold 8 teams at bay to secure their fifth title, the only team in the challenge with a 100% record. 

For more information, follow the tournament on social media.

Results:

Final

Amanzimtoti Netball Club 15 vs Hoërskool Suid-Natal 7

Semi-Final

Amanzimtoti Netball Club 18 vs Kingsway High School 4

Hoërskool Suid-Natal 9 vs Kuswag Skool 8

Round Robin

1 Amanzimtoti Netball Club 24pts; 2 Kuswag Skool 19pts; 3  Hoërskool Suid-Natal 15pts; 4 Kingsway High School 14pts; 5 RBP Netball Club 13pts; 6 Southcity Christian School 9pts; 7 Port Shepstone High School 6pts; 8 Creston College 3pts; 9 Kwamakhuta Comprehensive High School 3pts

Maritzburg Gears Up for SPAR Women's Challenge: Road Closures and Parking Information for Sunday 23 August

Maritzburg is set to welcome 4000 women for this year's SPAR Women's 10km/5km Challenge on Sunday 23 August, taking participants through Alexandra Park and the outskirts of the CBD. With such a big field on the road, organisers are urging residents and participants alike to plan ahead for the closures below.

Race Director Brad Glasspoole says. “We're encouraging everyone to plan ahead so you're on time. Both distances start promptly at 8am and we are at full capacity, which means there will be extra traffic getting to the start. We suggest participants leave home early and plan their routes so as not to miss the starting horn.'

Both the 10km and 5km start near Maritzburg College, following an "out-and-back" route that begins in Princess Margaret Drive and finishes at The Oval, Cricket Stadium.

Road closures and times, Sunday 23 August:

Balmoral Drive - closed from 03:00 -11:00
Princess Margaret Drive - closed from 03:00 -11:00
Park Drive between Princess Margaret Drive and Princess Elizabeth Drive - closed from 03:00 -11:00
Princess Elizabeth Drive - closed from 03:00 -11:00
Park Drive from College Road to Princess Margaret Drive - closed from 07:00-11:00
Alexandra Road from Cross Road to Alan Paton Avenue - closed (inbound only) from 07:00-10:00
Alan Paton Avenue from Alexandra Road to Burger Street - closed (inbound only) from 07:00 - 08:30
Alexandra Road between Alan Paton Avenue and Jesmond Road-closed in both directions from 07:30 until approximately 08:45
West Street / College Road (away from the CBD) closed from 07:00 till approximately 10:00

Residents: Those in the New Scotland Road area of Pelham will be able to access their residence from Campsdrift Road and egress via College Road towards the CBD between 07:00 and 10:00.

Parking: Event parking is available on the soccer fields off Prince Charles Drive (next to the BMX track), accessed via Alan Paton Avenue / Chief Albert Luthuli Street (near Alexandra Baths) into Park Drive. Additional parking is on the fields adjacent to Kershaw Park Tennis Club off Chief Albert Luthuli Street.

Race pack collection: The race is completely sold out. Participants can collect their race numbers on Saturday 22 August from 10am to 4pm at their selected SUPERSPAR store:

·       SUPERSPAR Greendale

·       SUPERSPAR Mega Edendale

·       SUPERSPAR Mega Parklane

·       SUPERSPAR Mills

·       SUPERSPAR Northway

·       SUPERSPAR Hilton Quarry

·       SPAR Nottingham Road

·       SPAR Breland (Dalton)

There is NO Race Pack Collection this year at The Oval Cricket Stadium. Goodie bags and medals will be issued out to the successful finishers as they cross the finish line at this year’s race.

For more info visit the official race on https://sparwomenschallenge.co.za/maritzburg/

Durban to host Africa's premier hosted-buyer trade platform in October 2026

Durban, South Africa: ENGAGE Trade and Services Africa - returns to Durban from 6 to 8 October 2026, bringing together international buyers and African exporters and service providers for three days of structured business matchmaking, exhibition and roundtable, and workshop programming at the International Convention Centre.

Now firmly established as one of the continent's leading hosted-buyer platforms, the ENGAGE event combines a programme of pre-arranged B2B meetings between vetted international buyers (who are flown in to Durban and accommodated) and African suppliers, as well as sector roundtables, workshops, and relationship-building engagements. Past editions have delivered thousands of business-to-business meetings across a wide range of sectors, opening direct routes to export markets for participating companies.

Unlike a conventional trade expo, where exhibitors stand at a display hoping the right buyer happens to walk past, ENGAGE flips that model. Buyers are seated at meeting tables, and exporters are rotated through them in a structured, speed-meeting-style programme of pre-arranged sessions - so every conversation is already matched, not left to chance foot traffic. Access is not open to the public. It's a closed space, built around meetings that are curated to result in business being secured - not casual browsing.

"For African exporters and service providers, the platform offers direct, pre-scheduled access to international buyers actively sourcing goods and services from the continent, without the cost and uncertainty of prospecting new markets independently," explains Rex Bowden the founder and Managing Director of Catalyze, the specialized international trade and event agency that runs the events. "For international delegations, it offers a single, efficient gateway into African supply chains and service capacity."

Exhibiting and attending:  The platforms invite manufacturers, producers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and agents, as well as associations from across Africa and beyond to exhibit their products and services, across sectors including food and beverages, agriculture, fresh produce, natural and organic products, cosmetics, textiles and fashion, medical devices, home décor, technology, professional and business services, logistics, infrastructure, engineering and technology services.

The event is equally valuable for delegates - business owners, procurement professionals, importers, exporters, retailers, wholesalers, investors, government agencies, trade organisations, entrepreneurs and SMEs that are looking to discover new suppliers, build strategic partnerships, explore investment opportunities and gain insights into the latest trends shaping trade and services across Africa. Exhibitors and delegates alike will benefit from high-level networking, business matchmaking and opportunities to unlock new markets and grow cross-border trade.

Hosted Buyers: Qualified buyers from across Africa and International markets are invited to apply for ENGAGEs exclusive Hosted Buyer Programme, designed for retailers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, procurement professionals and corporate buyers with purchasing authority who are actively seeking new suppliers, products, services and strategic partnerships.

The events draw exporters, service providers, buyers, investors, corporates, development agencies and industry associations seeking new sourcing opportunities and partnerships. According to Bowden, this mix is deliberate: “African producers and exporters and their service-sector counterparts sit alongside international buyers and sourcing partners, corporates and multinationals, government and trade agencies, development partners and DFIs, and the industry associations that support the wider trade ecosystem- the full architecture of a functioning supply chain, in one room.”

"Behind our events sits a network built over years," says Bowden. "We draw on relationships spanning more than 30 countries; over 250 African exporters who typically exhibit, and more than 350 vetted buyers and partners. That converts into upward of 4,000 pre-scheduled meetings and 20,000 engagements over three days, connecting the right exporter with the right buyer."

“This event reinforces Durban and KwaZulu-Natal's position as a gateway for trade into and out of the continent, which is supported by the City's port infrastructure, logistics networks and growing reputation as a business events destination,” says Invest Durban’s Farah Goolam.

Registration is open now at www.engagetrade.africa, where full details on exhibiting, attending as a delegate, and applying to the Hosted Buyer Programme are available.

World-renowned dance makers to share skills and techniques at free JOMBA! Workshops

From 25 August to 6 September 2026, the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) presents the 28th edition of JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, showcasing an international and national line-up of choreographers and companies at Durban's Sneddon Theatre, Square Space Theatre, Stable Theatre and the KZNSA Gallery.

Alongside its main stage programme, JOMBA! invites the dance community into the studio for a series of free workshops led by choreographers and companies featured on this year's festival programme.

These workshops give dancers direct access to the techniques, philosophies and creative processes of artists visiting Durban from South Africa, France, Nigeria/Ireland, Spain and Jamaica.

Presenting the workshops:

• PJ Sabbagha (South Africa) - JOMBA!'s 2026 Legacy Artist leads an improvisation session built around listening: to the self, to others, and to the space itself.

• Mamela Nyamza (South Africa) - fresh from her 2026 Silver Lion win at the Venice Biennale, Nyamza's "Body & Sound" workshop turns the body into an instrument of vocal and physical expression.

• Vincent Mantsoe (France/South Africa) - shares his KOBA Technique, a "physical meditation" fusing traditional and contemporary movement in search of identity.

• Mufutau Yusuf (Nigeria/Ireland) - leads "Your Own Groove," a playful, inclusive improvisation workshop open to dancers of all experience levels.

• Iron Skulls Co. (Spain), with Tebby Ramasike - Diego Garrido, Moisés "Moe" Gordo Gómez and Ramasike guide participants through the meeting point of Theatrical Breakin' and Afro-Butoh, set to live music.

• Dr L'Antoinette Stines (Jamaica) - the creator of L'Antech, the first Anglo-Caribbean dance technique, leads a class rooted in Kumina, Bruckins, Nyabinghi, Dancehall and other ancestral forms, accompanied by L'Acadco dancers and drummers.

Two further closed sessions round out the programme: Ugandan dance artist Joseph Tebandeke works with UKZN's third-year dance students on access and belonging in dance practice, and the Introdans Education Team (Netherlands) shares its dance education methods with Edgewood Campus trainee teachers and with youth from the KwaMashu School of Dance Theatre.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Venue: UKZN Howard College Campus, Drama and Performance Studies - Dance Studio

1.Wednesday, 26 August: 4.30 - 6pm: PJ Sabbagha (South Africa) - improvisation workshop

2.Thursday, 27 August: 4.30 - 6pm: Mamela Nyamza (South Africa) - "Body & Sound"

3.Friday, 28 August: 4.30 - 6pm: Vincent Mantsoe (France/South Africa) - KOBA Technique

4.Saturday, 29 August: 10 - 11.30am: Mufutau Yusuf (Nigeria/Ireland) - "Your Own Groove"

5.Tuesday, 1 September: 4.30 - 6pm: Iron Skulls Co. (Spain), with Tebby Ramasike

6.Wednesday, 2 September: 4.30 - 6pm: Dr L'Antoinette Stines (Jamaica) - L'Antech technique, with L'Acadco dancers and drummers

All open workshops are free of charge, but booking is essential and spaces are limited. Bookings can be made through Thobile Maphanga at 2024jomba@gmail.com Open workshops are for dancers aged 16 and older.

More info about JOMBA! can be found on the website here: https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/

Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge - Maritzburg Race Charity Announced

The Oval: Sunday 23 August A sold-out field of 4,000 runners will be making a big difference to this year’s Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge race charity, Dlalanathi.

Dlalanathi is a non-profit organisation based in Pietermaritzburg, focusing on providing psychosocial support for children through play by training and supporting caregivers. The organisation that started about 25 years ago was born from a personal journey of grief, dedicated to helping children and families navigating loss. 

Dlalanathi, meaning “play with us”, “play and be well,” signifies their mission to bring hope and healing to children impacted by loss through the joy of play. Their approach aligns with Nelson Mandela’s belief that children are the most vulnerable citizens in any society and the greatest of our treasures.

Through their work, they recognise the value of both children and caregivers, empowering them to be pillars of support in their homes, families, and communities. Their core values encapsulate hope, courage, respect, love and play - creating safe, nurturing spaces for children, youth, and families to heal, connect, and grow through play and creative expression.

Five Rand from every entry is being donated to Dlalanathi for their work in Pietermaritzburg and surrounds. They have a team of dedicated and passionate individuals. Their unwavering commitment, unconditional care, and ability to inspire hope make a profound impact on the lives of those we serve.

This year’s race will take place on Sunday 23 August with race pack collections for participants taking place on Saturday 22 August at the SPAR store that they selected. Goodie Bags will be presented to all finishing athletes on race day, as they successfully cross the finish line. 

For more info follow the race on social media or visit wwwsparwomenschallenge.co.za

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5s Netball Challenge North Coast Regional - Grantleigh School: Saturday 1 August

Rain stopped play at the enthusiastic North Coast Regional where 11 schools were putting all the efforts into taking home the trophy in the opening tournament of the 6th SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5s Netball Challenge that took place at Grantleigh College on Saturday 1 August.

In the 21 games played, it rained goals with a total of 227 being netted. The second team from Khombindela High School were leading in the lunchtime fixture against Felixton College before umpires made the responsible call to halt play in the downpour. Only two more rounds in the pool games remained until the semi-finals.

High five. Hoerskool Richardsbaai’s Samantha Viljoen launches herself to intercept Felixton College’s Zenande Mncwabe during their pool game at the North Coast Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5s Netball Challenge that took place at Grantleigh School on Saturday 1 August. Pic by Val Adamson.

The four previous champions were all looking good to advance to the semi-finals, with Dlangezwa High School also putting their hand up to be considered. Leading pool A was one time winner, Tholokuhle High School who had 12 points with one game in hand. Tied at second place was Hoërskool Richardsbaai who raised the trophy two years ago and Dlangezwa, both sitting on 10 points. Hoerskool Richardsbaai had scored a total of 21 goals while Dlangezwa, still with a game in hand, had a tally of 26 goals.

Defending champions, and two times winner, Khombindela High School's first team found themselves level on points with one time winner, Empangeni High School both on 15 points.

 Step to it. Weighing up her options, : Sabelwe Makhanyavs from Empangeni High School plans her attack while her team mate Xoliswa Cele watches her opponents moves. Elihle Nzuza and Coco Cameron playing for Grantleigh School  keep an eye on the ball during their pool game at the North Coast Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5s Netball Challenge that took place at Grantleigh School on Saturday 1 August. Pic by Val Adamson.

Khombindela looked to be stronger, with a game still in hand, after they dominated their fixture against their neighbours, Empangeni - winning 13 to 8. Khombindela had racked up 5 goals in their three pool games while Empangeni slotted in 30 goals in their four pool games.

The tournament heads to Amanzimtoti where ‘Toti Netball Club will host the upcoming Durban South Regional on Saturday 15 August

For more information, follow the challenge on its social media channels.

Celebrate Women's Day while Making a Difference at Action in Autism's "Bridgerton Under South African Skies" A Women’s High Tea

This Women's Month, the community is invited to step into an afternoon of elegance, connection and purpose at Action in Autism's annual Women's Wellness Day Fundraiser, Bridgerton Under South African Skies High Tea, taking place on Saturday, 15 August 2026, from 14:00 to 16:30 at 105 Haig Road, Parkhill, Durban North.

Established in 2005, Action in Autism (AiA) is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to advocating for the rights of autistic people. Through innovative educational programmes, skills development and family support services, the organisation works to promote acceptance, empowerment and inclusion for autistic individuals and their families.

The annual Women's Wellness Day is one of Action in Autism's signature fundraising events. More than just a high tea, it is a celebration of women and an opportunity to pause, reconnect and prioritise wellbeing. The event also raises vital funds that enable Action in Autism to continue providing essential programmes and support services throughout the year.

Carers and educators from Action in Autism get dressed up in their annual Women's Wellness Day Fundraiser, Bridgerton Under South African Skies High Tea, taking place on Saturday, 15 August 2026.

A special focus of this year's event is to provide complimentary tickets for single mothers of autistic children. These women often devote themselves tirelessly to caring for their families, with little opportunity to prioritise their own wellbeing. In recognising their strength and unwavering commitment, the event aims to offer them an afternoon of rest, appreciation and connection.

"Raised by a strong woman who became my rock, I honour her, and all autism mothers who rise through exhaustion, stand firm in meltdowns, face judgement with courage, and keep hope alive. This Women's Wellness Day, we celebrate resilience. You are our Rock!" says Bongiwe Nyoka, an autistic adolescent.

Through the generosity of sponsors and supporters, Action in Autism hopes to make this opportunity possible, giving these mothers a meaningful reminder that they, too, deserve care, recognition and support.

"We believe every woman deserves the opportunity to feel valued, celebrated and supported," says Action in Autism’s Director Diane Mariah-Singh. "By attending this event or partnering with us as a sponsor, the community is helping create meaningful experiences for women while ensuring autistic individuals and their families continue to receive the support they need."

The event is expected to welcome approximately 200 guests, including autistic individuals, family members, community leaders, business professionals, donors and supporters. Guests are encouraged to embrace the theme, Bridgerton Under South African Skies, with their own creative interpretation through their attire.

Tickets are now available. Businesses and individuals are invited to support the event through financial sponsorships, donations of products or services, or contributions towards the complimentary tickets for single mothers. Major sponsors will receive recognition through event promotions. All donations are eligible for a Section 18A tax deduction certificate.

Whether attending the High Tea, sponsoring a guest or partnering with Action in Autism, every contribution helps create a more inclusive community where autistic people and their families can thrive.

For ticket bookings, sponsorship opportunities or more information, please contact info@actioninautism.org.za

Event at a Glance

• Event: Bridgerton Under South African Skies High Tea

• Date: Saturday, 15 August 2026

• Time: 14:00 – 16:30

• Venue: 105 Haig Road, Parkhill, Durban North

• Dress Code: Your interpretation of Bridgerton Under South African Skies

• Tickets: info@actioninautism.org.za

• Sponsorship enquiries: aiadirector@actioninautism.org.za

JUST GEEKIN' BRINGS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, COSPLAY AND E-SPORTS TO THE 34TH HILTON ARTS FESTIVAL

Teaser: Geek Culture gets its own stage this August, with tabletop gaming, an Artist's Alley, a cosplay competition and more - running all weekend at Hilton College.

Geek Culture is officially joining the programme at this year's Hilton Arts Festival. Just Geekin' , a brand-new addition to the 34th Hilton Arts Festival, from 7 to 9 August 2026 at Hilton College, bringing three days of tabletop roleplaying, Esports gaming, cosplay and comics to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Designer, illustrator and graphic artist, Nivesh Rawatlal will be exhibiting in the Just Geekin’ Artists’ Alley at the Hilton Arts festival this year.

Curated by award-winning, multidisciplinary South African graffiti and hip hop artist, poet, and activist Ewok (aka Iain Robinson) and well-known artist and musician Daniel Sheldon, the Just Geekin’ Festival hopes to attract a new audience of creative thinkers, gamers, artists and performers. 

Just Geekin’ @ Hilton Arts Festival is curated by award-winning, multidisciplinary South African graffiti and hip hop artist, poet, and activist Ewok (aka Iain Robinson) (right) and well-known artist and musician Daniel Sheldon (left), the Just Geekin’ Festival hopes to attract a new audience of creative thinkers, gamers, artists and performers.  In centre is Durban-based gamer and adaptive surfer, David Williams of Konke Gamers who is collaborating with the festival bringing adaptive controllers and accessible gaming setups to disabled gamers.

Just Geekin’ takes place in the Hilton Theatre complex, with a packed 3 days programme that includes:

• Tabletop Roleplaying Games, including Dungeons & Dragons sessions for new and experienced players 

• The Artist's Alley, showcasing comic and concept art from local creators

• E-Sports Tournaments, and free-play stations (entry fees apply for play) in collaboration with Konke Gamers, led by Durban-based gamer and adaptive surfer, David Williams. Konke creates accessible spaces for people with disabilities, bringing adaptive controllers and accessible gaming setups to disabled gamers. Williams teams up with the festival to champion esports for people with disabilities, opening up competitive gaming to a community too often left out of it.

• Celebrity Games -  with local celebrities (experienced or not) will try their hand at Tabletop Roleplaying Games-  including whacky musician Veranda Panda, theatre personalities radio presenter from PlayZN Keri Miller, and Steven Stead. These games can be viewed from arena styled seating or watch on the big screen at the fest or on Twitch .

• A Cosplay Masquerade in partnership with GES-Cosplay, on Sunday 9 August, is open to all (experienced pros, beginners, adults, children and the elderly too) - with incredible prizes to be won. These include goodies from the Just Geekin’ Market, a Les Gateaux voucher, and tickets to ICON Durban, the Renfaire Hellfire Gala and to the rAge Expo.

• A comic book launch, film screening, workshops and discussions as well as various live art activations and a rotating line-up of other geekin’ activities.

Artwork - Soothsayers - Jailbird by Ethan Austin, A.K.A Black Light Comics.  Austin, who explores the dark, haunting, and mysterious aspects of humanity through horror and sci-fi storytelling, will be exhibiting in the Just Geekin’ Artists’ Alley at the Hilton Arts festival this year.

Young Gunz and Trail Blazers is an opportunity for artists between the ages of 12 and 23 to attend and exhibit at the festival, with prizes including an Inscape Graphic Design course, courses from Dweba School, and a signed comic book . This is through a partnership with Dweba School – the online school for artists and creators, that will also be doing hands-on workshops and giveaways, including illustration courses, sticker packs,digital drawing tablets. Just Geekin' @ The Hilton Arts Festival, is curated for newcomers and lifelong enthusiasts in equal measure, offering a complete Geek Culture experience including a Geek Market for geek-styled retail therapy within one of South Africa’s most established cultural calendar events.

A ticket unlocks a whole day. Day tickets are R75, with a full weekend pass available for R100, and both grant access to the Geek Lounge with a variety of activities, with no restriction on coming and going as you please. Additional ticketed activations and add-ons will be available in the Geek Lounge as well.

Artwork- Abisola - by Luke Molver currently works as a freelance illustrator in Durban and self-publishes his own comic books, including his South African cyberpunk series Nero, the swamp-noir horror Sunday’s Slave, and the award-winning historical graphic novel series Shaka Rising and its sequel, King Shaka. Luke will be exhibiting in the Just Geekin’ Artists’ Alley at the Hilton Arts festival this year.

Follow for updates and programme on social media:

Instagram: justgeekinza

Facebook: Just-Geekin

Website: https://hiltonfestival.co.za/geekin/

For participant, vendor and media enquiries, contact justgeekin@hiltonfestival.co.za

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge 2026 - Date Announcement KwaZulu-Natal

Nearly 90 schools will have their court appearance at the upcoming SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge that kicks off in August.

The tournament now in its sixth year has hosted 34 regionals in the five years since its inception in 2019. The first year, the fledgling tournament started with only four regionals, quickly growing to seven areas over the following two years. The successful Challenge has now doubled in size and travels to eight areas in KZN.

"SPAR KwaZulu-Natal is pleased to see how the Challenge has evolved over the years,” says Nelene Rampersad, Promotion, Advertising & Communication Manager for SPAR KwaZulu-Natal, sponsors of the tournament. “Our involvement goes beyond sponsorship; we believe in the power of sport to build confidence, discipline and creating a sense of belonging among young women and their peers.”

Netting the first tournament this year, Grantleigh School welcomes teams for the Zululand Regional on Saturday 1 August. Travelling down the coast, Toti Netball Club hosts teams for the South Coast Regional at Hutchinson Park on Saturday 15 August. The following weekend the Challenge moves inland to Kokstad College who opens up their picturesque school for the Southern KZN Regional. Wrapping up the August commitments, Durban Girls’ College is the venue for the Durban Central Regional on Saturday 29 August.

Thomas More College will enjoy having teams competing on their campus for the Upper Highway Regional on Saturday 5 September. The final local tournament, the Durban North Regional unfolds at Ashton International College in Ballito on Saturday 12 September. Concluding the Challenges, Pionier Hoërskool in Vryheid is ‘hoopful’ that teams participating in the Northern KZN Regional will shoot for glory on Saturday 19 September. 

Eight teams will be returning in the hopes of defending their titles. The North Coast Regional has had four champions, with Khombindela High School eager to retain the honour and earn their third title. Newcomer, Kuswag Hoërskool is the third team to hoist the South Coast Regional trophy and are keen to have a back-to-back victory. The only team with a 100% record in the challenge is Shayamoya Area Secondary School who will be determined to continue their dominance in the Southern KZN Regional. 

With home turf advantage, Durban Girls’ College will be vying for their fourth title in the Durban Central Regional. Another team on the prowl for their fourth title, Hillcrest High School have stood tall dominating the Highway area, the only other team to feature on the top step is Luthayi High School. Three teams have been crowned in the Durban North Regional, with Danville Park Girls’ High’s name engraved on the trophy twice and on the hunt for a third victory. Ferrum High School currently is the defending champions in the Northern KZN Regional, but host team Hoërskool Pionier have also had the honour of raising the regional trophy once, as have the Smurfs twice, representing Dundee High School. 

Eight weeks of action packed netball is due to unfold around KwaZulu Natal as the sixth SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge tips off next month.

For more information, follow the tournament on social media.

28th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience Honours Three Giants of South African Contemporary Dance

Three of South Africa's most influential dance voices PJ Sabbagha, Mamela Nyamza and Vincent Mantsoe, feature at the 28th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience this year, each bringing decades of artistic courage and innovation to the Durban stage.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts presents the 28th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, a thirteen-day celebration of world-class contemporary dance running from 25 August to 6 September 2026. This year's festival is curated around the theme Choreographies of Activism: Moving Bodies as Disruptive Presencing.

PJ Sabbagha’s Noah

Each year JOMBA! celebrates a South African artist whose contribution has fundamentally reshaped the country's dance landscape. The festival opens on Tuesday 25 August with 2026 JOMBA! Legacy Artist PJ Sabbagha’s work Noah. Choreographer, curator and arts activist, founder and Artistic Director of the Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative, PJ Sabbagha has, for more than three decades, taken dance beyond urban centres and into rural communities, through initiatives including the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre and the internationally respected My Body My Space Rural Public Arts Festival. As part of the Legacy celebration, audiences will experience Noah, the concluding chapter of Sabbagha's acclaimed Noah trilogy - a multimedia dance-theatre work reflecting on climate crisis, loss, memory and survival through the metaphor of the biblical flood.

Past JOMBA! Legacy Artist Mamela Nyamza returns to the festival hot off receiving the prestigious Silver Lion for Dance at the 2026 Venice Biennale, one of the highest honours in international contemporary dance. Nyamza brings her new ensemble work THE HERD/LESS to JOMBA!, a visually arresting meditation on community, conformity, vulnerability and survival. Known for her fearless, politically incisive choreographic language, Nyamza's return confirms her place as one of Africa's most important contemporary artists.

THE HERD/LESS

Internationally celebrated choreographer and performer Vincent Mantsoe joins the Legacy line-up with his new solo, Desert Poems. Mantsoe's deeply embodied practice has long bridged ancestral knowledge with contemporary performance, and this intimate new work offers a meditation on endurance, spirituality and transformation - reaffirming why he remains one of South Africa's most respected dance artists on the world stage.

All three artists will also lead free public workshops during the festival, giving Durban's dance community direct access to some of the country's most significant choreographic minds. Booking for workshops is essential.

Audiences can look forward to a rare convergence of three defining voices in South African contemporary dance with their works reflecting decades of artistic courage, activism and innovation. This is an unmissable opportunity to experience South African dance at its most powerful.

The festival hosts talks, panel discussions, workshops, performances and residencies.

For more information got to www.jomba.ukzn.ac.za. To book for performances, go to . Special full festival passes at a discounted rate are available. To book for workshops email: Thobile Maphanga on 2024jomba@gmail.com

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Grand Finals St Mary’s D.S.G.: Saturday 25 – Sunday 26 July

A new champion has been crowned at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, congratulations to Our Lady of Fatima for winning their very first Grand Finals at St Mary’s D.S.G. on Sunday 26 July.

Wrapping up two days of phenomenal hockey, the Durban North Regional winner met a polished team from St John’s D.S.G. representing the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional in the final. St John’s started off hot in the first half, with several promising probes. Fifteen seconds into the first half, the yellow sticks from Maritzburg earned their first set piece. Firing in a low flying missile, keeper, Kayla Driver quickly diverted the shot in the first short corner of the game. 

Two minutes later, Driver was called into action again when Mia Howie from St John’s was gifted a superb through-ball. In a one-on-one scenario, Howie attempted two back-to-back shots but wasn’t allowed any space and soon the Fatima defenders swooped in to assist Driver. For the remainder of the first half, St John’s were relentless with constant attacks, but the Fatima backline confidently shut down all advances. 

The high tempo continued in the second half, but the tables were turned. A determined Fatima started running the ball up into the St John’s circle, finding their flair from the first day. With just under ten minutes left in the final, St John’s earned their second short corner but again, Driver blocked the shot without hesitation. 

Less than two minutes later, the ball was run down the left side for Fatima and passed to the waiting forwards in the circle. In a flurry, Fatima’s front line started peppering keeper for St John’s, Deborah Lock. On their third shot, Charly-Rose Boyall wasted no time slapping in the rebound directly into goals for the all-important goal. 

As time wound down, St John’s picked up the pace, desperately searching for the equaliser, but the Fatima defence didn’t falter and held strong for the final seven minutes. The final score was a well earned 1 nil to Fatima who broke their spell having five fifth places to their names in all of their runs at the Grand Finals. 

St John’s making their fourth appearance can be proud of their second silver, adding to their impressive results. They earned their first silver in 2024, a bronze in 2022 and in their first appearance in 2017, they finished fourth.

Leading up to the finals, both St John’s and Fatima topped their pools with wins in all of their games, including two tightly contested semi-finals. In Pool A, St John’s were victorious against Ferrum High School (6-0); St Patrick’s College (3-0); Amanzimtoti High School (7-0) and in the second last game on Saturday, beat host school and defending champions and seven-times winner, St Mary’s (2-0). Our Lady of Fatima were successful in Pool B against one-time winner, St Anne’s Diocesan College (3-1); five-time champions, Durban Girls’ College (1-0); Wartburg Kirchdorf School (7-0) and Grantleigh School (6-0).

In the first semi-final, St John’s met Durban Girls’ College who were returning for their fourteenth appearance. College finished tied on 9 points with St Anne’s but with a better goal difference after their four pool games and advanced to the semi. After a hard-fought clash, the yellow sticks netted one goal, courtesy of Paige Williams, against the highly decorated College team. 

In a nail biter second semi-final, Fatima met second the host school, St Mary’s who were keen to raise the trophy for the eighth time. With three seconds left on the clock, Fatima found a gap in the Saint’s defence, their Cinderella performance continuing to the main game of the Grand Finals thanks to yet another beautiful goal by Boyall.

A new concept for the tournament, the introduction of the Plate Final. The inaugural recipient was the Pietermaritzburg North Regional team, St Anne’s. This is their eleventh run at the Grand Finals, with a long list of achievements they were the first team to raise the handsome trophy in 2011 and adding to that, they are now the first winners of the Plate. 

Over the ten regionals, matric students have been adding their name to a lucky draw to win a bursary through Durban based, tertiary institution, eta College. Amahle Khumalo from Vryheid Hoërskool won for themselves a year’s bursary at the Sport Science, Coaching and Management college valued at R89,000.

Ten teams took to the field in the conclusion of the 16th year of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, after 31 games over two days of high energy hockey, a total of 97 goals were scored with Our Lady of Fatima being the fourth team since the tournament’s inception in 2011. 

Results

1 Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional); 2 St John’s D.S.G. (PMB Central Regional); 3 St Mary’s D.S.G. (Highway Regional); 4 Durban Girls’ College (DBN Central Regional); 5 St Anne’s Diocesan College (PMB North Regional); 6 Grantleigh School (North Coast Regional); 7 St Patrick’s College (uGu and Sisonke Regional); 8 Ferrum High School (Northern KZN Regional); 9 Wartburg Kirchdorf School (uMvoti and oThukela Regional); 10 Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional)

Celebratory Mother City Screenings following Constitutional Court Victory for Housing Justice Movement (Cape Town & Johannesburg)

Following the historic legal win for Cape Town's housing justice movement, the award-winning documentary Mother City will celebrate this victory with public screenings at The Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg and at The Labia Theatre in Cape Town on 28 July.

The screenings follow the landmark Constitutional Court ruling handed down on 2 July 2026, that the sale of the former Tafelberg School site in Sea Point was unlawful. This reaffirms the constitutional obligation of both the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town to actively address apartheid's spatial legacy through well-located affordable housing and, crucially, ordered the Western Cape government to report back to the same court on the steps taken to fulfil its housing obligation. The judgement is a watershed moment for spatial justice, recognising that where people live is inseparable from their access to work, education, healthcare and dignity.

Mandisa Shandu at the High Court win after judgement passed by Judge Gamble in 2020

Through the voices of Reclaim the City activists and the Ndifuna Ukwazi legal centre, documents a decade-long struggle for the right to live in the city. What began as a documentary about resistance has become a powerful record of a movement whose vision has now been affirmed by South Africa's highest court.

Directed by Miki Redelinghuys and Pearlie Joubert, Mother City follows Reclaim the City activists and Capetonians struggling to find housing over six years, tracing the fight to use well-located public land, including the mothballed Tafelberg site and Woodstock Hospital, for affordable housing rather than private developments. The Tafelberg case has anchored the film's impact campaign since the project began, with the filmmakers describing it as the goal that could "set a very strong precedent for prioritising public land for social and affordable housing" nationally.

Nkosikhona Swartbooi in discussion at cinema screening at the Labia Theatre, Cape Town

The Mother City team took the courageous and difficult step of self-distributing the film to create the impact they set out to make. Since its international premiere at Sheffield DocFest in June 2024, the film has screened 175 times across 36 countries (an average of more than seven public screenings a month) over 63 film festivals, 46 independent cinema runs, 41 grassroots impact screenings and 21 academic engagements. It has been subtitled into Spanish, Portuguese and French, and is now also available on the KINEMA streaming platform, and plans are for a South African cinema release in September.

The film’s mobilisation intensified around the Tafelberg hearing, and screenings have since gone on to mobilise housing and tenant movements as far afield as London, Berlin, Bogotá, Mexico  City, Budapest, Lagos and Belgrade.

Mother City Filmmakers at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival

"We always believed this film could do more than tell a story, we believed it could support the fight for access to housing in the City and in other urban centres around the world, facing similar struggles," says director Miki Redelinghuys. 

Pearlie Joubert reflects "Seeing the Constitutional Court confirm what the Reclaim the City activists have argued for a decade is an joyous  vindication, for all South Africans, for everyone who has opened their doors, their communities and their courtrooms to Mother City along the way."

The Constitutional Court ruling states: “A city’s architecture tells a story of its soul. In Cape Town, as in most, if not all South African Cities, that story remains one of division, where the echoes of apartheid spatial planning continue to reverberate through its streets and suburbs.”  

Mother City reveals in carefully observed detail the violent impact of these divisions, while celebrating the people who tirelessly work to build a more just society. 

Screenings Tuesday, 28 July at The Labia Theatre in Cape Town and The Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg  followed by a discussion. Tickets can be booked here https://www.mothercitydocumentary.com/watch.

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Grand Finals Ten Teams - St Mary’s D.S.G.: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July

Ten regional champions will be descending on St Mary’s D.S.G. turf for the Grand Finals of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July.

A total of 34 schools have participated in the concluding tournament that wraps up the ten regionals. This is the first year in the history of the Grand Finals that all the reigning champions have made a prior appearance.

Travelling from Kokstad, the Ugu and Sisonke Regional Winner St Patrick’s College will be stepping onto the turf for their third time. From just up the road, St John’s D.S.G. representing the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional will be tackling their fourth final. In their three previous runs, they bettered their result having finished fourth, then third and last year second. Will a new team walk away with the top honours? 

Maritzburg teams, St Anne's Diocesan College and St John's D.S.G. will be facing finalists from around KZN in the Grand Finals for the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls' Hockey Challenge taking place next weekend (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July) at St Mary's D.S.G. in Kloof. Pictured here are St John's first team captain, Emma Williams (left), with St Anne's players; Inati Ncgobo (top), who just made the SA U16 team, and first team captain, Willow Crawford (right). Photo by Val Adamson.

Three teams have been crowned champions since the tournament’s inception in 2011. This year all three are back in the hopes to have their names engraved again. Host school and defending champions, St Mary’s D.S.G. representing the Highway area are on the prowl for their eighth title while Durban Girls’ College, flying the flag from the Durban Central region are back with a bang. Both St Mary’s and Girls’ College will be making their thirteenth appearance at the concluding tournament – the two most decorated teams.

Walking onto the turf for the eleventh time, St Anne’s Diocesan College from the Pietermaritzburg North Regional is the only other team who has hoisted the trophy at the Grand Finals and have played in the podium games in each of their runs.  Joining them with eleven impressive innings, representing the Northern KZN teams – Ferrum High School is on the scour for an elusive top four placing. 

The last team to secure their berth, Wartburg Kirchdorf School will proudly be making their eighth appearance for the uMvoti and oThukela region. Two teams return for their seventh outing, from the North Coast Regional, Grantleigh School and Amanzimtoti High School from the Durban South Regional. 

The first team to punch their ticket, Our Lady of Fatima are the most consistent team in the history of the Grand Finals. In their five previous excursions, they have earned a hard earned fifth place each year. Will their sixth break their cycle?

Joining the home team in Pool A are St John’s D.S.G.; Ferrum High School; St Patrick’s College and Amanzimtoti High School. Drawn in Pool B are St Anne’s Diocesan College; Durban Girls’ College; Our Lady of Fatima; Grantleigh School and Wartburg Kirchdorf.

Thirteenth Appearance

Durban Girls’ College: Durban Central Regional Winner - Gold (2013, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023), Silver (2012, 2016, 2017), Bronze (2019), Fourth (2011, 2018, 2024)

St Mary’s D.S.G: Highway Regional Winner - Gold (2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025); Silver (2022, 2023); Bronze (2011, 2013); Fourth (2015)

Eleventh Appearance

St Anne’s Diocesan College: Pietermaritzburg North Regional Winner – Gold (2011); Silver (2014, 2018, 2019, 2025); Bronze (2015, 2016, 2017); Fourth (2013, 2022)

Ferrum High School: Northern KZN Regional Winner – Fifth (2012, 2015, 2025); Sixth (2011, 2018, 2024); Eighth (2019); Ninth (2017) Tenth (2013, 2014)

Eighth Appearance

Warburg Kirchdorf School: uMvoti and oThukela Regional Winner – Fifth (2016); Sixth (2015); Seventh (2017); Eighth (2013); Ninth (2014; 2019); Tenth (2025)

Seventh Appearance

Amanzimtoti High School: Durban South Regional Winner - Tenth (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), Eighth (2018); Ninth (2024)

Grantleigh School: North Coast Regional Winner – Seventh (2022, 2023), Eighth (2011, 2016, 2017, 2024)

Sixth Appearance

Our Lady of Fatima: Durban North Regional Winner – Fifth (2011, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024)

Fourth Appearance

St John’s D.S.G.:  Pietermaritzburg Central Regional – Silver (2024); Bronze (2022); Fourth (2017) 

Third Appearance

St Patrick’s College: Ugu and Sisonke Regional Winner - Seventh (2024, 2025)

Cutting Through Carbon Footprint Guesswork: Verified Impact's Free Knowledge Series for Tourism

Verified Impact is a carbon footprint measurement and benchmarking programme for eco-lodges and boutique properties across Southern Africa, built on real, measured activity data rather than estimates. From July to November 2026, the programme is running a free online Knowledge Series, open to anyone in the tourism industry who wants to properly understand what it actually takes to measure a carbon footprint accurately and reduce their impact.

Verified Impact is pioneering the kimkim Climate Action Plan pilot, delivered in partnership with the Wilderness Leadership School, ETC Africa, and The Eco Travel Boutique. Together, the partners are currently working with around 25 properties across Southern Africa  helping them measure and understand their carbon footprint, providing practical training, benchmarking performance against best practice as well as equipping properties to communicate their impact transparently and authentically to guests and trade partners. 

The Pod, Cape Town, SA.

The VI Knowledge Series is open to property owners, sustainability leads, marketing teams, guides, and operators who are still trying to figure out where and how to start measuring their carbon footprint.

The series takes place as free monthly online sessions from July to November 2026. Programme lead, Duncan Pritchard of ETC-Africa, a Carbon Footprint and Greenhouse Gas expert as well as other experts will be sharing what the data is actually saying: what's working, what isn't, what the real levers are for reducing a property's footprint and how the tourism industry can bring this in to the guest experience. 

“It is important that the industry moves away from jargon, greenwashing, and theory that is divorced from what's happening on the ground,” says Pritchard. ‘We will be sharing patterns that are showing up  across scores of real operations we are working with, and the practical thinking that comes out of them.”

“Climate literacy is fast becoming as essential to tourism as service standards or guest safety,” says Pritchard. “Travellers are asking harder questions about the footprint of their trip. Agents and buyers are building carbon and sustainability credentials into how they choose who to work with. And properties that understand their own impact, and can talk about it with real confidence, are the ones building trust with both.”

“The problem is, most of the industry is flying blind on this. Few properties actually measure their carbon footprint, let alone understand what it involves or how their footprint measures up against peers. Sustainability claims are often more marketing than substance. And there's a real cost to getting it wrong. Carbon accounting is what ensures we keep sustainability claims honest and backed by verifiable data”

ETC Africa has spent years gathering real baseline data from tourism properties across Southern Africa, measured and benchmarked into one of the most detailed pictures of eco-tourism carbon performance the region has seen.

Each session runs about an hour and is built to be genuinely interactive. Participants are invite to bring questions, their owns experience, what has worked and what has not. 

Different sessions speak to different parts of a business, and attendees are welcome to pick the ones most useful to them. “While the series is built around hotels, lodges and property managers, whether running a single property or a whole portfolio, the value doesn't stop there. Travel agents, tour operators, and anyone else whose livelihood is tied to tourism will find it just as relevant.”

Session line-up:

·      Carbon Literacy: The Basics That Stick, 22 July 2026 (11h00) The essentials: what a carbon footprint is, how it's measured, and what terms like offsets, avoided emissions and intensity reporting actually mean.

·      Data That Doesn't Lie: 5 August 2026 (11h00) What real portfolio data is telling us about carbon performance, the traps that quietly wreck data quality, and practical ways to get yours right.

·      The Low-Carbon Kitchen: 26 August 2026 (11h00) Food-waste and sourcing wins from real properties, busting common myths, and how to bring your kitchen's sustainability story to guests.

·      Telling Your Climate Story: 16 September 2026 (11h00) Why guides and front-of-house are your most powerful storytellers — making climate part of the guest experience, without the greenwash.

·      Speaking Climate Without Spin: 21 October 2026 (11h00) Communicating with credibility for marketing teams, taking the guilt out of travel, and turning numbers into a story guests actually connect with.

·      What Agents & Buyers Want: 18 November 2026 (11h00) with The Eco Travel Boutique - Global trends in responsible sourcing and carbon transparency, what certifications really mean, and what agents and clients are actually asking for behind the scenes.

Registration is open here. Attendees can select the sessions relevant to them and will receive meeting details directly. For more information go to: https://www.verifiedtourismimpact.org/

The Centre for Creative Arts and the University of KwaZulu-Natal present 28th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience 26 August – 7 September 2026

 Moving Bodies. Speaking Truth. Choreographing Resistance.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts presents the 28th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, a thirteen-day celebration taking place from 26 August to 7 September 2026. JOMBA! features internationally acclaimed choreographers, emerging artists, scholars and audiences in a festival that is one of the continent’s leading platforms for contemporary dance.

This year's programme welcomes artists from South Africa, Spain, France, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Uganda, Ireland, Nigeria, Tanzania and Brazil, presenting an extraordinary programme of performances, artist residencies, workshops, public dialogues, youth platforms and digital dance.

The theme for JOMBA! 2026 is Choreographies of Activism: Moving Bodies as Disruptive Presencing. Curator and Artistic Director Dr Lliane Loots explains: “Whether confronting histories of colonialism, racial injustice, environmental catastrophe, gendered violence, displacement, disability or belonging, dance remains one of humanity's oldest and most powerful ways of making ourselves visible. This year's JOMBA! asks what it means to move as an act of presence - and to dance as an act of activism.”

Honouring a Lifetime of Dance Activism

Each year JOMBA! celebrates a South African artist whose contribution has reshaped the country's dance landscape, and this year’s Legacy Artist is the acclaimed choreographer, curator and arts activist PJ Sabbagha, Founder and Artistic Director of the Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative. He presents Noah, the concluding work in his Noah trilogy that combines multimedia performance, dance theatre and powerful visual imagery, to reflect on climate crisis, loss, memory and survival. 

Celebrating South African Choreographic Excellence

Two of South Africa’s most influential choreographic voices, and previous JOMBA! Legacy artists, Mamela Nyamza and Vincent Mantsoe. Mamela Nyamza, presents her breath-taking ensemble work THE HERD/LESS, a visually arresting meditation on community, conformity, vulnerability and survival. 

Internationally celebrated choreographer and performer Vincent Mantsoe, whose deeply embodied practice has long bridged ancestral knowledge with contemporary performance, brings his new solo, Desert Poems, which offers an intimate meditation on endurance, spirituality and transformation.

A Global Conversation Through Dance

Jamaican guests and one of the Caribbean's leading contemporary dance companies L'ACADCO: A United Caribbean Dance perform in an exhilarating programme 1LUV. Founded and directed by the legendary Dr L'Antoinette Stines, L'ACADCO has a distinctly Caribbean contemporary dance language rooted in African diasporic histories, Jamaican cultural traditions and the internationally acclaimed L'Antech technique. This is a powerful celebration of Black creativity, spirituality and resilience. 

Another major highlight is HEROES, presented by the acclaimed Dutch company Introdans in collaboration with Uganda's Joseph Tebandeke and Durban's FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY. This remarkable programme spans internationally celebrated choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich, alongside South African choreography by Zinhle Nzama, and the inclusive masterpiece IUNGO by Adriaan Luteijn, bringing together performers of different backgrounds, generations and physical abilities.

Tanzanian-based French choreographer Matthieu Nieto, presents PEPONI (Paradise in Swahili), the debut of the House of Wondar, created in collaboration with Tanzanian performers and South African poet and dramaturg Koleka Putuma. The work explores the idea of paradise from an African perspective, and whether hopeful futures can be imagined and created. 

Nigerian-born, Ireland-based choreographer Mufutau Yusuf, whose intimate site-responsive solo Proses on neither here nor there forms part of the KZNSA Gallery programme. Through movement, meditation and quiet physical intensity, Yusuf reflects on mortality, memory and renewal - an immersive encounter that blurs the boundaries between performance, ritual and public space.

Spanish Focus: International Collaboration and World Premiere

Following recent successful international Spanish partnerships, JOMBA! offers a focus on contemporary dance from Spain, in partnership with the Embassy of Spain in South Africa.

One of Europe's most exciting choreographic collectives Barcelona-based Iron Skulls Co., with their innovative fusion of breakdance, hip-hop, physical theatre and contemporary dance are the festival’s Artists in Residence. They will develop the world premiere of Accumulation of Unaccountable Awakenings, created with South African choreographer Tebby W.T. Ramasike. This ambitious work brings together Iron Skulls' explosive urban physicality and Ramasike's distinctive Afro-Butoh practice, creating a powerful dialogue around memory, resistance, spirituality and healing. 

Other features of the festival include: 

The JOMBA! Durban Edge Solo Grants, presented in partnership with the KZNSA Gallery, showcase two newly commissioned works by Durban artists Skyla Buchanan and Mthokozisi Mkhwanazi.

Digital artists include Cape Town's award-winning Darkroom Contemporary, and Brazilian choreographic duo Davi Pontes and Wallace Ferreira, with the acclaimed film Delirar o Racial (Delirium of the Racial).

JOMBA! DIGITAL OPEN HORIZONS, showcases new screen dance from emerging filmmakers and choreographers; the JOMBA! LIVE OPEN HORIZONS provide a professional performance platform for emerging and established choreographers, and the much-loved JOMBA! YOUTH OPEN HORIZONS, in partnership with the Stable Theatre all add to the festivals’ rich offerings.

The FEMME FORWARD Residency, has expanded its commitment to supporting emerging women-identifying dance artists in KwaZulu-Natal. This year's residency focusses on dance for the screen, in partnership with Darkroom Contemporary, with five Durban-based artists. 

JOMBA! Talks Dance are post-performance conversations on stage, while the JOMBA! Forging Futures, is a free dialogue to debate questions facing contemporary performance in South Africa and beyond. The JOMBA! KHULUMA Dance Writing Residency supports emerging dance writers, particularly postgraduate dance and performance students, by building their critical writing skills within the festival environment.

Local dancers can take part in professional workshops and masterclasses led by visiting South African and international artists. Booking is essential.

For more information go to: www.jomba.ukzn.ac.za or to book go to Webtickets. Special full festival passes at a discounted rate are available.

Action in Autism Invites Businesses, Schools, and Individuals to Make Every Minute Count this Mandela Day

This Mandela Day (July 18) Action in Autism invites the community to turn compassion into action by helping create meaningful and lasting change in the lives of autistic children, young people and their families.

Action in Autism (AiA) is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to advocating for the rights of autistic people. Through innovative educational programmes, training and support services, AiA promotes a culture of acceptance, inclusion, enrichment and empowerment for autistic individuals and their families. As a non-profit organisation, AiA relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses and community partners to help sustain and enhance these vital services.

The focus of this year's 67 Minutes Mandela Day Campaign is Adopt a Classroom. This initiative aims to transform the learning environments within AiA's Early Learning Intervention Centre (ELIC) and Shahumna Centre. Thanks to the generosity of donors over the years, AiA has created specialised classrooms that meet the unique learning needs of autistic children. However, after years of daily use, these spaces require refurbishment to ensure they remain safe, welcoming and conducive to learning.

The campaign will upgrade four ELIC classrooms, the Shahumna Centre (adult training centre) and dedicated calm rooms through painting, repairs, improved lighting, sensory-friendly enhancements and specialised visual supports. A key feature of the project is the enhancement of calm rooms and sensory spaces. These dedicated areas provide autistic learners with a safe, quiet environment where they can regulate their emotions and sensory experiences when feeling overwhelmed. Equipped with sensory tools, visual supports, soft lighting, textured materials, visual timers and noise-reducing resources, these spaces enable children to return to the classroom feeling calm, confident and ready to learn.

"Every child deserves a learning environment where they feel safe, understood and empowered to reach their full potential. By investing in our classrooms, we are investing in the future of autistic children," says Director of Action in Autism, Mariah-Singh.

The organisation is inviting community members, schools, businesses and corporate partners to contribute their 67 minutes by painting classrooms, assisting with maintenance, creating educational resources, assembling sensory materials or sharing professional skills. Donations of paint, classroom furniture, educational resources, stationery, sensory equipment, educational toys, storage solutions and décor are also welcomed.

In addition to the Adopt a Classroom campaign, Action in Autism is encouraging the public to support several other Mandela Day initiatives:

• 67 Stationery Packs: Equip a child for success by providing essential learning materials.

• 67 Sensory Packs: Sponsor sensory tools that promote regulation, communication, focus and participation.

• 67 Hygiene Packs: Help autistic children build confidence and independence through resources that support daily living skills.

• 67 Food Vouchers for Families: A grocery voucher of R250 can provide much-needed relief to families facing the financial demands of therapy, transport and caregiving.

• Volunteer 67 Minutes: Share your skills, expertise, services or time to support Action in Autism's programmes, facilities and learners.

“Mandela Day reminds us that lasting change begins with collective action. Whether through volunteering, donating resources or sponsoring a classroom, every contribution helps create opportunities for autistic children and their families to thrive,” says Diane Mariah-Singh.

To support Action in Autism's Mandela Day initiatives or learn more, contact Action in Autism on 031 563 3039, or email aiadirector@actioninautism.org.za / info@actioninautism.org.za.