Sunday Tribune 2025-08-10

While consumers in South Africa who are paying back loans were given some financial relief after the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) cut interest rates, fuel price adjustments for August brings a mixed bag. This past week, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announced that from Wednesday, August 6, both grades of petrol decreased by 28 cents, while diesel went up by between 63 cents (50ppm) and 65 cents (500ppm). That means petrol 95 Unleaded will now cost R20.80 at the coast and R21.59 in Gauteng, where the slightly less expensive 93 ULP will retail for R21.51. The wholesale price of 50ppm diesel will reach R19.28 at the coast and R20.04 inland. While the decrease in the price of petrol has been welcomed by some motorists, Neil Roets, CEO…

Murendeni Nefale’s journey from reluctant reader to purpose-driven entrepreneur is one marked by resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to empowering South Africa’s youth. As the founder and CEO of Chosen Epics, a youth-led storytelling and literacy venture, Nefale has placed the power of narrative at the heart of social change. “I was not a big reader growing up. To this day, I am still not a big reader, I am a big story consumer,” Nefale said. His inspiration came from early experiences with visual storytelling, such as the Supa Strikas cartoon in local newspapers and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which blended traditional books with cartoon-style storytelling. These moments showed him how engaging, relatable content could ignite imagination and fuel literacy. Chosen Epics is no ordinary publishing or reading…

There is no arguing the fact that trade finance does not necessarily sound sexy. But for the women we work with, it is the difference between a good idea and a growing business. At Aions, we have seen first-hand what happens when you back a woman with a viable business and a plan. Whether she is selling vetkoek in Soweto or supplying glass bottles to ABI, she has already proven she can hustle. What she needs now is not another grant, but a fair shot at real growth. Most corporate enterprise and supplier development (ESD) models start with the right intentions. Telkom’s Future Makers programme, for example, offers early-stage capital to emerging black-owned businesses (EMEs) in the ICT sector. This is enterprise development in action. You give a startup the…

The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre is back with another hit series. Lorre’s latest production, Leanne, which is streaming on Netflix, follows a Texas woman as she navigates life as a singleton. After 33 years of dedicating her life to her husband, two adult children and the family business, Leanne, played by popular comedian Leanne Morgan, has to get back on the saddle after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. This setup sets the stage for both comedic and heartfelt moments as she relies on her family, friends and church community to help her face the storm ahead. The series features a talented ensemble cast that includes Kristen Johnston as Leanne’s sister Carol and Ryan Stiles as her estranged husband, Bill. Celia Weston and Blake Clark play…

What began as one of the most promising matches on Married at First Sight Mzansi has ended in divorce. Litsoanelo “Dee” Seturumane, a participant in the first season of the reality dating experiment, has publicly confirmed that she and Khutso Mokoena have parted ways. The show, which aired on Mzansi Magic and Showmax, followed eight brave singles who agreed to marry strangers, relying on a team of relationship experts to match them based on compatibility. After exchanging vows and saying “I do”, the couples move in together for six weeks to see if they are indeed compatible and if they would still adhere to the sweet words they shared at the altar, where they officially met and saw each other. Seturumane and Mokoena quickly became one of the fan favourites.…

It’s fitting that the second season of Wednesday, Netflix’s Addams family spin-off, launches on Wednesday. It’s not exactly a joke, and it’s not really that clever, but it feels right. That’s not the worst analogy for how its first season found wild, record-breaking success, becoming the streamer’s most-watched show. Sure, there was wacky, thematically incoherent plotting, but the series could coast on its rich combination of sensibilities (Tim Burton style plus CW-era showrunners) alongside monsters, witches, child detectives, high school drama and pure nostalgia - not to mention Christina Ricci’s thrilling appearance, which felt like an implied benediction from the actor who made Wednesday a goth icon in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values. The first season followed Wednesday (played by the inimitable Jenna Ortega) as she struggled to…