Category: Announcements

Sea Point, Cape Town – In keeping with the World Oceans Day theme for 2023, Changing the Tides, Southern Sun and the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Programme joined forces with 70 students from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Visions of Change, Ardagh Glass Packaging, and Skin Renewal to clean-up at Sea Point beach in Cape Town.

“Bringing young people in to help clean up and look after their local spaces shows a commitment not only to their planet and their ocean but to their community as well.” explained Ella Bella Constantinides-Leite, Educational Officer from the Miss Earth South Africa programme, which celebrates 20 years of environmental advocacy this year. “We have to include people from all walks of life to commit to ‘people and to planet’. This planet of ours, the oceans, the lands, the animals are all resources to us, and we must nurture and protect as much as we can, not just for future generations but for now.”

Candy Tothill, head of corporate affairs, brands and marketing for Southern Sun, commented: “As a hospitality group we are mindful of sustainable sourcing practices, and we incorporate them wherever possible. For example, our commitment includes a long-standing seafood procurement policy of only serving seafood on the on SASSI green list to protect our oceans and their inhabitants.” Southern Sun’s group environmental policy includes a ban on plastic straws and stirrers, and all hotels use only straws made of paper or corn starch and stirrers made of wood. Likewise, hotel in-room amenities such as shampoos are recyclable, while ‘forget me not’ items such as razor blades are made from corn starch and wheatgrass. “Through the relatively simple act of eliminating the use of plastic straws and drink stirrers in our hotels, we can significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean down the chain – something we have consciously been working on for a number of years,” she said.

To learn more about Southern Sun, visit the website at https://www.southernsun.com/. To learn more about Miss Earth South Africa’s leadership programme visit their website at https://www.missearthsa.co.za/.

Southern Sun partnered with the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme to commemorate World Oceans Day with a beach clean-up in Sea Point, Cape Town on Thursday, 8 June 2023. Pictured with the programme’s Educational Officer, Ella Bella Constantinides-Leite (far right), are 2023 delegates (from left to right) Jessica Josias, Senamile Sishi, Jessica Williams and Lesego Matlou.

Southern Sun partnered with the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme to commemorate World Oceans Day with a beach clean-up in Sea Point, Cape Town on Thursday, 8 June 2023. Pictured with some of the programme’s 2023 delegates (far left and far right) Jessica Williams and Senamile Sishi, is Mr Mholi Mabutho Hlanzi from Cape Peninsula University of Technology – 20 students from CPUT lent a hand in the clean-up.

Southern Sun partnered with the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme to commemorate World Oceans Day with a beach clean-up in Sea Point, Cape Town on Thursday, 8 June 2023. Pictured here is one of the 2023 delegates, Lesego Matlou.

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Cape Town, 5 June 2023: Cape Town has earned its reputation as a tech capital of Africa, by being home to some of the leading technology companies across the globe. Fuelling this growth, however, requires a sustainable stream of skilled, work-ready, young talent to match the needs of the industry. One local organisation is taking an innovative approach to skills development and training to tackle this challenge head on.

At the start of youth month, redAcademy, an experiential learning hub specialising in teaching coding and technology skills, celebrates the successful graduation of its first cohort of Sprinters as Junior Software Developers, who have achieved the Red Standard of Excellence after completing their 12-month Career Sprint, all with employment contracts as per the promise of the Academy.
 
The Graduation Ceremony took place on Wednesday, 31 May 2023, at redAcademy’s Mowbray Campus, and marked an momentous milestone in the students’ journey towards becoming skilled professionals in the digital industry.

The Sprinter Graduation celebrated the hard work, commitment, and drive of the students, who have now transitioned into permanent employment. Throughout the program, the Sprinters have embodied harmony, accountability and pride as redAcademy’s values during their journey.

As part of the one-year programme, Sprinters spend a six-month period engaging with software project development and project delivery into clients’ organisations during their time in the academy. By developing real-world tech solutions for leading enterprises in South Africa, graduates have acquired invaluable knowledge and skills that set them up to enter permanent roles within a software development organisation.

The ceremony commenced with a keynote address by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth at the City of Cape Town. Alderman Vos commended the graduates, highlighting their alignment with their life’s purpose and their embodiment of the determination and drive that Cape Town’s economy needs. He emphasised the significance of starting their careers with a job and acknowledged their possession of some of the most sought-after skills in Cape Town, the tech capital of Africa.

Alderman Vos also emphasised the importance of collaboration between the private sector and the government in ensuring job readiness for graduates across the tech industry. Speaking to the opportunity that Cape Town presents for youth in its tech industry, Alderman Vos stated “I urge you to understand the value that you bring to our community and country, and that you choose Cape Town. Our city has over 20 active incubators and accelerators that play a vital role in providing business and tech support, mentoring and networking opportunities, and links to markets and funders. Because you can find 25 co-working spaces to get started in. Choose the Mother City because it is home to nearly 60% of South Africa’s tech start-ups. Choose Cape Town because over 550 tech companies did. Choose Cape Town, because we will choose you”.

Closing the ceremony, Jessica Hawkey, Managing Director of redAcademy shared her gratitude for the academy’s partners for their role in achieving this milestone: “Thank you to the Lewis Group for sharing our vision to invest in the future talent of South Africa and thereby adding jobs to the economy.”

“We would like to express our gratitude to redPanda Software hosting the academy, mentoring our Sprinters and for their dedication in sharing technical expertise as leaders in the retail software development world. We are proud that our Sprinters have achieved the Red Standard of Excellence and with the support of our partners, they enter their career immediately with permanent employment in the digital ecosystem.” concludes Hawkey. The academy’s partnership with these organisations has contributed significantly to building South Africa’s tech talent and fostering the growth of the country’s digital industry.

The academy remains committed to its vision of building a sustainable tech talent pipeline for the future and will continue to provide innovative and experiential learning opportunities to build and nurture the next generation of digital talent in South Africa.

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Captions – girls being measured and receiving bras from the Impilo Foundation collection and Terisa Hsu-Lee with members of the Jessica Matheson Foundation Glorious Ngwenya, Terisa Hsu-Lee, Steven Matheson and Whitney Bryant.

Mrs South Africa finalist aligns herself with two NPO foundations

Terisa Hsu-Lee, a Kyalami resident, mother, and business owner, has been chosen as a semi-finalist for Mrs South Africa 2023. Her resume includes being a Fourways passion-preneur and the owner of Ever Beauty SA Emporium located in the Pineslopes shopping center. Hsu-Lee was informed of her selection last month following the National Casting event at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. The semi-finalists participated in a two-day conference with motivational talks, workshops, upskilling sessions, socialising, networking and were introduced to the Mrs SA sisterhood.

Mrs South Africa is a self-discovery and empowerment programme that highlights diversity, ambition and confidence. It showcases some of the country’s most remarkable and talented women and equips them with the skills and tools necessary to achieve their dreams.

Hsu-Lee expressed her appreciation, stating that it was an honour to be a part of a platform that aligns with her personal values and passions. The programme is designed to empower married women and the CEO of Mrs SA, Joani Johnson, is proud to work with so many strong, inspirational and formidable women. The programme teaches leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, self-promotion and self-discovery to ensure that all participants have a life-changing experience.

Mrs. SA received an impressive number of high-quality entries this year. The panel was looking for women who are interested in empowering others, who display strong family values and are passionate. Johnson notes that the National Casting day was challenging as so many of the entrants had what it takes to make a success of the programme.

Hsu-Lee’s decision to join the pageant was inspired by experience she gained as a cast member in an international reality TV show franchise and is now dedicated to using tools that she has acquired to bringing self-love and self-worth to the masses. Her mission is to teach people that the cars we drive, the brands we wear, our sexual and racial identities, addresses, education and titles do not define us. Instead, our self-perception is what truly defines us, and she aims to help people to strive to living a harmonious way of life.

This year Terisa is working very closely with two NPO foundations, Impilo Foundation and the Jessica Matheson Foundation.

Impilo Foundation believes in uplifting and empowering victims of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)through various social projects, such as #EmpowerHER bra drive, an initiative which empowers and restores dignity to young girls. Impilo Collection Foundation was alerted to the need for quality bras for women in need and teenage girls who cannot afford their first bra and due to their changing bodies are often objectified. Bras collected are donated to women and girls facing these challenges in impoverished communities as well as to women’s shelters around Gauteng.

Terisa was also approached by the Jessica Matheson Foundation to be their official spokesperson. 16 year old Jessica Matheson suffered from bioplar disorder and committed suicide on the 20th April 2022. In her memory the Foundation is working towards having a counsellor or social worker available at every government school to deal with depression, anxiety, drug addiction and other mental illnesses affecting school children.

Terisa Hsu-Lee fully embodies the values that Mrs SA holds most dear and is representative of our tagline for the year: #EveryWoman. We look forward to going on this journey with her and her fellow sisters,” concludes Johnson.

Be sure to support & follow Terisa Hsu-Lee’s journey on her social media profile @terisahsulee.

Give Terisa the support to make it to the finals by following her on social media @terisahsulee & @mrs_south_africa  the Mrs South Africa Instagram and Facebook page, find, like & comment on her photo & also sms Terisa Hsu Lee to 47587, you can vote as many times as you like. (R3/sms)

Share her posts, comments with her hashtag #terisaformrssa & tag below #mrssa2023

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The SMZEE Show is a fun and interactive radio station run by Muppets: Zee – our 6 year old muppet DJ, is well known for her electric personality and magnetic smile.  Musasa – 8 year old muppet DJ whose personality is a little more introverted but wise beyond his years, he knows far more than his zany personality often lets on. Mmangwane – our studio co-host who carries a magical bag filled with storybooks, puzzles and other mystery items that she uses to expand the kids imagination. Brainzy the computer – has answers and facts to all questions big or small, from plants to ants, numbers and animals. Then we have Simoo – our roving reporter who travels across the country finding different interesting places and meeting different friends. He has first-hand experience of the place he is visiting and learns about various cultures and traditions, how things work, different foods, new songs and always a dace move or two. Our vibrant in studio hosts and roving reporter keep our listeners enthralled and entertained with their bubbly personalities, fun and games while learning through play. The SMZEE Show stands for Simoo, Musasa and Zee.