Star 2024-12-31

Award-winning child influencer Kairo Forbes, the daughter of DJ Zinhle and the late rapper AKA, is at the centre of a social media storm after appearing in Ackermans’ latest back-to-school advertising campaign. The campaign, which also features Scandal! actor Khumo, has sparked criticism from some who believe the retailer should have given the opportunity to less privileged children. Facebook user Gomolemo Moela voiced their concerns, writing: "I'm not against Ackermans using Kairo and Khumo to advertise uniforms. But these kids are already privileged. Khumo has a role on Scandal! and Kairo is the daughter of DJ Zinhle and the late hip hop star AKA. "They probably go to schools that don’t even wear uniforms they’re advertising... Ackermans real customers are grandmothers from villages who swipe their SASSA cards to buy…

Actor and director Justin Baldoni, 37, has been accused by actress Blake of sexual harassment on the set of their movie It Ends With Us and according to the Daily Mail, he is now preparing to submit legal documents of his own. His lawyer Bryan Freedman also told Deadline: “I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative. “It will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story. In over 30 years of practising, I have never seen this level of unethical behaviour intentionally fuelled through media manipulation.” Daily Mail added Baldoni’s lawsuit would flip Lively’s narrative that the…

This year, South Africa’s entertainment industry has experienced several deaths, from screen actors to those behind the scenes. In April, boxing icon Dingaan Thobela died after an illness at the age of 57. Thobela’s death was confirmed by friend Eddie Mutungutungu, who said the alarm was raised when his family struggled to contact with. In May, actor Mpho Sebeng died in a car accident around Klerksdorp. He made his television debut in the SABC drama series, Justice for All. Sebeng became a household name for his role in the Mzansi Magic drama, Ring of Lies, which earned him a Best Actor South African Film and Television Awards (Safta) nomination in 2018. He also appeared on Netflix’s Savage Beauty, The Brave Ones, Miseducation, Mzansi Magic’s The Queen, The Throne and Scandal!…

Looking back on this disorienting year, I think I wanted to hear music that promised some kind of future. I wanted to hear Kim Gordon make fresh noise on new margins as she entered her 70s. I wanted to hear Vijay Iyer imagine new forms of virtuoso co-operation. I wanted to hear how Kendrick Lamar really feels about where this planet is headed. I was so future-hungry that I even wanted to hear contrasting futures overlap – which meant wanting to have a Brat summer and a Pratt summer (see below). These are the pop albums of 2024 that held the most promise and made the most sense. Elori Saxl, Earth Focus (Original Score) Composer Elori Saxl’s music resides on the fault line between nature and technology, juxtaposing manipulated field…

Tributes continue to pour in for internationally renowned dancer and choreographer, Dada Masilo, who died after a short illness on Sunday, age 39. Only weeks before her death, Masilo was acknowledged by the City of Joburg as one of 44 “artistic icons in the City of Gold” with a star embedded into the wall of Soweto Theatre. The respected Soweto-born star received many local and global awards, among them an Italian lifetime achievement award for classic and contemporary dance in September 2024 at the Premio Positano Léonide Massine for the Art of Dance. Masilo began her meteoric career at the Dance Factory in Newtown, Johannesburg in the 1990s. She was born in February 1985, and at the age of 11, grabbed the attention of the dance industry when she…

Motorists are bracing for yet another fuel price increase as they welcome the new year, marking the third consecutive adjustment that adds to the financial burden faced by consumers. Effective from 00:01 tomorrow, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced increases across petrol and diesel categories, while households relying on illuminating paraffin will see a slight decrease in prices. Petrol 93 ULP & LRP: 19 cents per litre increase. Petrol 95 ULP & LRP: 12 cents per litre increase. Diesel (0.05% Sulphur): 7.50 cents per litre increase. Diesel (0.005% Sulphur): 10.50 cents per litre increase. In contrast, there is a slight reprieve for households relying on illuminating paraffin for heating and lighting, with a decrease in prices: 9.50 cents per litre decrease (wholesale). 13 cents per litre decrease in…