Sunday Tribune 2025-08-24

In the heart of the Northern Cape, where mining defines both opportunity and inequality, one woman is rewriting the script. Mirriam Fonang, founder of Outlwile Trading Enterprise, has turned a personal mission into a business that is reshaping how rural communities, particularly women, participate in South Africa’s mining supply chain. “I witnessed how mining shaped our community yet so few local, especially women-led, businesses were part of that supply chain,” Fonang told Business Report. “I didn’t see people like me represented in leadership or ownership. That gap inspired me. I wanted to not only claim a space in the industry but also open doors for others from rural areas, particularly women.” Building a business with purpose In 2019, Fonang established Outlwile Trading Enterprise with a bold intention: to prove that…

A recent 2023/2024 South Africa report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), highlighted that South African women are exiting their businesses at a higher rate than they are starting, with the gap between men and women entrepreneurs widening as businesses mature, with almost double the number of men owning established businesses (7.9% vs 4.1% of women). This indicates that women find it more challenging to sustain a business than to start one. Closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship has significant economics for South Africa, by creating jobs, spurring growth, and driving change where it’s needed most. But that kind of impact won’t happen through token gestures and Women’s Day speeches. It requires deep structural change. This isn’t a new problem. As the G20 refocuses global attention on inclusive growth and…

South Africans may be breathing a little easier following the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) latest decision to cut the repo rate by 0.25%, but financial experts caution that the relief is limited and household budgets remain under pressure. The repo rate, which dictates what commercial banks pay when borrowing from the SARB, dropped on August 1, bringing lending rates down slightly from recent highs. This means that consumers with loans or credit facilities should see a small easing in their monthly repayments. “The rate reduction is welcome news, but it does not mean the financial pressures facing many households have disappeared,” said Sarah Nicholson, customer experience and platform manager at JustMoney.co.za, a platform that helps South Africans make good money choices. Nicholson pointed out that while the prime lending…

Radio and TV presenter and actress Nomalanga “The Flame” Shozi takes on the lead role of Amandla Zungu on BET Africa’s new telenovela Black Gold. In the show, Shozi takes on her most ambitious role yet as a principled and passionate daughter whose world is shattered by her father’s murder and a devastating betrayal that forces her into exile. Speaking to IOL a few days after the show aired, Shozi reflected on how it was “nerve-racking”, watching that first live episode with her loved ones, the people who’ve seen her go through the early mornings and late nights. “They get to see this labour of love that we’ve been putting together, and it was just really exciting, but also just very nerve-racking. It was a beautiful night.” Shozi has had…

If you are looking for something new and casual to watch, then Tyler Perry and Niya Palmer’s political dramedy Miss Governor should be on your radar. Miss Governor follows Antoinette Dunkerson, brilliantly executed by actress and director Terri J Vaughn, as she navigates life as a working mother who unexpectedly gets thrust into the role of Mississippi’s first black Lieutenant Governor. Alongside Vaughn is rising star Drew Olivia Tillman, who is cast as Dunkerson’s rebellious teenage daughter, Lola. Tré Boyd plays her son, Titus, and Jo Marie Payton plays her mother, Cleo. Jade Novah as Shamika, Dyon Brooks as Basil and Robert Craighead as Governor Harper round off the main cast. Upon winning a government seat, Dunkerson finds herself struggling to make a substantial difference for black lives in a…

Five years after the release of The Old Guard, which was penned by Greg Rucka and based on his comic book series of the same name, the sequel has arrived on Netflix. This time around, Rucka shares the writing credits with Sarah L. Walker, and it is directed by Victoria Mahoney, an actress steadily planting her feet as a film-maker. Fans of the original had mixed feelings about the new film, despite it featuring the original cast of Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngô and Chiwetel Ejiofor, with Henry Golding and Uma Thurman adding an interesting twist to the dynamics. This time around, the storyline is anchored to the past when Quynh (Ngô), an immortal who has been imprisoned in a device on the…