Sunday Tribune 2025-08-17

What began as a university passion project has blossomed into one of South Africa’s most recognisable plant-based food brands. For Antoine van Heerden, founder of ButtaNutt, the path from engineering student to food entrepreneur was shaped by family roots and a love for wholesome, local produce. “My parents started farming full-time when I moved down to Stellenbosch. Holidays were spent harvesting macadamias and litchis or helping out at the farm stall. With my sister studying cooking, I was exposed to the food industry from farm to fork. The pivot to food felt natural” Van Heerden said. Founded in 2013, ButtaNutt began as a stall at local markets, selling handcrafted nut butters. But as the plant-based movement grew globally, so too did the brand’s ambition. By 2020, ButtaNutt had entered the…

Wellness is increasingly a priority for women, including nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, and preventative healthcare. An important part of a holistic wellness strategy, however, is your financial well-being, and even the best strategy can be derailed by unexpected healthcare costs, no matter how young and healthy you are. Medical aid is an essential cover to have in South Africa, but it frequently falls short of covering the full extent of medical expenses, even on the top-tier plans. A routine gynaecological procedure, an emergency surgery, or an unexpected hospital bill can derail not just wellness goals but financial ones too. This is where gap cover becomes an essential and empowering part of your financial toolkit. Your financial adviser is a key resource to assist with the alignment of your medical cover to…

When US President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs earlier this year, the move was likened to an economic tsunami, a force capable of shaking global trade foundations. Yet, much like the massive earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered Pacific tsunami warnings but caused minimal damage, the initial economic shock has not yet unleashed the devastation many feared. “It is too soon to tell, but so far economic activity inside and outside the US has held up surprisingly well,” said Izak Odendaal, Old Mutual Wealth Investment Strategist. “Global equity markets are on track for a decent year despite the considerable uncertainty,” Odendaal said. Global resilience has been buoyed by factors such as stockpiling ahead of tariff deadlines, rate cuts by central banks outside the US, and a weaker dollar…

A gripping two-part documentary titled aka Charlie Sheen is set to premiere on Netflix in September. The iconic actor will delve deep into his life marked by fame, fortune and profound personal struggles. Directed by Andrew Renzi, the documentary is an unprecedented look into Sheen’s world, showcasing his meteoric rise to celebrity status and dramatic fall from grace. With seven years of sobriety behind him, Sheen addresses rumours, scandals and the self-inflicted chaos that have defined his public persona. In candid interviews, he reflects on wild moments, the hard lessons learned and the moments of clarity that emerged from the chaos. It will feature interviews with Sheen and many of his family and friends, including Denise Richards, Heidi Fleiss, Jon Cryer, Sean Penn, Ramon Estevez, Brooke Mueller and Chris Tucker,…

It's hard to resist the allure of a romantic drama. It helps that the leads are often distractingly attractive, and their chemistry is off the charts. Of course, the script plays a crucial role as well. Common romantic tropes include friends becoming lovers, enemies developing feelings, rekindled past relationships, fake relationships turning real, immediate strong attractions and slow-burn romances. I’ve enjoyed everything from historical and modern-day to fantasy and paranormal romances. However, the ones that tugged at my heart the most were the ones that didn’t fit into the happily ever after mould. I’m talking about Dying Young, Autumn in New York, Me Before You, The Fault in Our Stars and A Walk to Remember. This brings me to Netflix’s My Oxford Year, which is inspired by Julia Whelan’s novel…

Rami Malek has bagged some of the biggest films in Hollywood. Aside from winning an Oscar for Best Actor for his electric portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, he’s proven his range time and again – effortlessly slipping between playful, serious, menacing and geeky roles. The latter was marvellously executed in the TV series Mr Robot, where his meticulous attention to detail made Elliot Alderson one of the most compelling anti-heroes in recent television history. Once again, Malek channels his inner nerd in The Amateur, now streaming on Disney+. Socially awkward but with a brilliant mind, Charlie Heller (Malek) is a happily married CIA cryptographer. His wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), not only loves him (and his coffee-making skills) but also embraces his obsessive fascination with puzzles – a quirk…