Inner City Gazette

Focus on gender bias in business

Johannesburg - Though progress has been made by women entrepreneurs over the last decade, some challenges persist, according to Gugu Mjadu, executive manager of marketing at Business Partners Limited.

“As the public and private sectors work together towards building a more inclusive economy, their goal should encompass creating an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs,” she says.

Mjadu explains that issues such as economic inclusion provide broader issues such as gender equality, socioeconomic empowerment of women and even issues of genderbased violence.

“Tackling these issues will involve dismantling structural obstacles and gender biases, which perpetuate out-dated systems of thinking about the role of women, and female entrepreneurs in particular,” she says.

Mjadu adds that access to funding and business finance continues to thwart the success of women. A number of possible reasons for this as cited by experts include the perception that lending to women is riskier, a lack of understanding around gender-specific challenges faced by entrepreneurs and stifling

legal and regulatory frameworks.

In Africa there is an estimated US $42 billion financing gap for African women across business value chains, according to the African Development Bank.

A report by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition found that out of 170 women across four provinces, only seven were familiar with available financing options for SMEs.

For Mjadu this points to that inequality in terms of business finance is a multi-faceted challenge.

“You cannot take advantage of an opportunity you do not know exists. Any viable solution needs to include an awareness campaign. However, a long-term solution lies not only in equipping financial institutions and independent financiers with gender-informed policies, it’s also about granting women access to financial literacy programmes. Putting together a business plan, understanding the long-term impact of financing and learning how to manage cash flow are the fundamental aspects of business finance that aspiring women entrepreneurs need access to,” Mjadu adds.

A study conducted by the Vaal University of Technology identi-

fied gender discrimination based on biases to be one of the most prevalent challenges facing women. The traditional image of the ‘male breadwinner’ has exacerbated this reality. However, a study by Stats SA revealed that by 2021 over 40% of South African households were headed by females.

Women who bear a large proportion of caretaking and child-rearing duties, face additional pressure upon trying to enter the SME sector due to financial strain from difficulty in accessing business finance or even market opportunities.

“Gender bias is often difficult to quantify due to its insidious nature, but it poses a threat to women who want to become business pioneers. It is because women are discriminated in a male-dominated business world that initiatives need to be introduced to support women to start and sustain their own businesses. We can work towards a solution by building networks for female entrepreneurs, some of these proliferate on social media. Aspiring female entrepreneurs are encouraged to join and interact with such platforms, to lean on business advice that stems from the female perspective,” Mjadu explains.

Lack of training and education for women also presents a challenge for those wanting to start their businesses. Many female entrepreneurs in the microenterprise and informal sector cannot progress due to limited access to education and training.

This is particularly true in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) industries which are notoriously male dominated.

A report by PwC indicated that women occupy less than 20% of the jobs in the ICT and related industries. Women without access to formal training in these areas will not be able to leverage opportunities in the digital technology space.

“Access to training and education opportunities remains one of the most prominent topics around developing female entrepreneurs. The solution lies in community-based ICT and STEM programmes, supported by government and the private sector. The push to get more women into these programmes needs to be initiated at school level by helping teachers and roleplayers to identify potential talent and opportunities to develop gifted young girls,” Mjadu says.

Business Partners Limited marketing manager Gugu Mjadu

“Economic inclusion provide broader issues such as gender equality, socioeconomic empowerment of women and even issues of gender-based violence.”

Cyber crooks demand R13 million ransom

This

Tech Reporter

south aFrica’s youth bear the burden oF the country’s unemployment burden

While the unemployment rate rose an unexpected 0,6%, South Africa is still facing a mass unemployment crisis, with 44.1% of the labour force without work in the second quarter.

This is testament to the fact the country’s jobless rate is highest of 82 nations monitored by Bloomberg.

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey released on Tuesday shows 8 million jobless people still searching for jobs, an increase from 7.9 million in Q1. Additionally, there are 3.6 million discouraged workers and 700 000 South African’s who have stopped their job search for other reasons.

Stats for SA youth

“The recently released stats highlight the fact that South Africa’s youth are bearing the brunt of the unemployment burden,” says Ari Katz, CEO Boston City Campus.

Youth aged 15-24 and 25 -34 recorded the highest unemployment rates of 61, 4% and 41, 2% respectively.

Approximately 3,7M (35,7%) out of 10,2 M young people aged 15-24 years were not in employment education or training (NEET).

This means that more than 1 out of 3 young South Africans between these ages were disengaged with the labour market, precluding them from gaining experience or further skills and perpetuating intergenerational poverty.

The NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) rate, seen in conjunction with high youth unemployment rate of over 60%, suggests that the youth face extreme difficulties engaging with the labour market in South Africa.

“Companies and institutions need to actively participate in providing and sourcing gainful employment for these youth” says Katz. “We need to be as proactive and as active as possible. We at Boston have an entire department dedicated to coaching, mentoring and assisting students who are in the

job-seek space. Students and graduates have a gap in exposure to workplace behaviours and they need extra input in order to secure great jobs!”

Jobs in demand

CareerJunction reported that year-onyear, hiring activity increased by 23% between June 2021 and June 2022. However, we need to be cognisant of which skills are in demand when we choose a qualification. Vacancies over 2022 show these sectors as the most highly sought after: Finance Sales IT Business & Management Manufacturing & Assembly

Admin, Office & Support Building & Construction. According to Stats SA, Graduates fared better in the workplace environment with the graduate unemployment rate at 10.2%.

Graduates need a holistic set of skills - both in terms of their field of expertise, technical know-how to participate in an increasingly digitised work environment and also so called soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving, self-discipline and time management.

Recent data from Boston Consulting Group reports that “there is more than 50% of a skills mismatch between the current South African workforce and the demands of the work environment.” This means that we need to be careful when choosing a qualification, but also that we need to adopt a mindset of lifelong learning and upskill even if we are in a job, to remain relevant.

“Skills mismatch (where graduates don’t have the skills to meet the demand, or find themselves in a job where they can’t perform because they have inappropriate skills) is a key contributing factor to the jobless crisis,” says Katz. “It is essential for tertiary institutions to have direct communication and interaction with the workplace, so as to create an efficient ecosystem that supplies matching skills to quality jobs in order to build our economy and stimulate graduate entry into the workplace.”

This requires a reciprocal interaction by education and private businesswhere corporations manage training programming and upskilling their employers so that education is informed.

“Additionally, government need to take the necessary steps to improve the responsiveness of education and training and academic institutions to develop the necessary qualifications to facilitate skills delivery and meet the evolving needs of the business environment,” says Katz.

A new piece of ransomware called Agenda has been detected in South Africa, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand by cybersecurity company Trend Micro.

The ransom demanded, for the victim to regain access to their system has gone up to R13.6 million.

Ransomware, a type of malware, prevents or limits users from accessing their system until a ransom is paid. Attacks have increased over the past year, with cyber criminals even targeting government departments and state-owned enterprises.

In a statement Trend Micro said:

“Every ransomware sample was customised for the intended victim. Our investigation showed that the samples had leaked accounts, customer passwords and unique company IDs used as extensions of encrypted files.”

This ransomware is particularly dangerous as it can reboot systems in safe mode, stop server-specific processes and services, and runs in multiple modes. Agenda terminates antivirus processes, changes the default user’s password, and while encrypting data, enables automatic login with new login credentials. It also compromises an entire network and shared drivers.

“We believe the username associated with posts on the dark web or the Agenda ransomware group offers affiliates options to customise configurable binary payloads for each victim, including details such as company ID, RSA key and processes and services to kill before the data encryption. Also, the ransom amount requested is different per company, ranging from R851 000 to R13.6 million,” Trend Micro explained.

Ransom negotiations published by

Trend Micro show demand for R3.4 million to unlock a victim’s system. “Ransomware continues to evolve, developing more sophisticated techniques. The new ransomware is written in the Go language, making it harder to detect and analyse. It has techniques for evading detection by taking advantage of the safe mode feature of a device to proceed with its encryption routine unnoticed. The ransomware also takes advantage of local accounts to log on as spoofed users and execute the ransomware binary, further encrypting other machines if the login attempt is successful. It also terminates numerous processes and services,” said Trend Micro.

To protect a system against ransomware, Trend Micro recommends enabling multifactor authentication (MFA) to prevent attackers from performing lateral movement inside a network; and using the 3-2-1 rule when backing up important files, including creating three backup copies on two file formats, one of the copies stored in a separate location.

Cyber criminals continue developing more sophisticated techniques

ransomware can reboot systems, stop server processes and runs in multiple modes

Boston City Campus CEO Ari Katz

Gauteng school wins economic challenge

Johannesburg - Gauteng schools took honours at the recent South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) schools challenge.

The SARB school competition is held in partnership with the Department of Basic Education. It is one of the channels the SARB uses to engage learners on how the MPC sets the repurchase rate. It offers learners an opportunity to grow understanding of how the economy works, and significance of monetary policy in ensuring the economic well-being of all South Africans by giving learners an opportunity to put classroom economics into practice.

The challenge also aims to increase the level of interest in economics for post-matric studies and was extended to independent schools this year. The SARB said learners must take a combination of Economics and Pure Mathematics as subjects.

Each participating school sets up an MPC team modelled on the SARB’s MPC. Students are provided with the resources and economic data needed to compile their respective MPC ‘statement’, announcing their interest rate decision, and a thorough adjudication process determines the winning team.

The competition was piloted with 70 Gauteng schools in 2012 and has grown to a national competition which includes over 400 schools, and has impacted over 1 800 students in all provinces.

Marais Viljoen High School of Alberton took the top spot, and Horizon High School of Turffontein took the second position, followed by Paarl Girls’ High School from the Western Cape.

In a statement the SARB said the Marais Viljoen High School would receive R35 000 for its win, while each participating learner from the school got R16 000 and an iPad for each learner and the educator.

“The second place winner, Horizon High School received R25 000 for the school and R11 000 for each participating learner. Paarl Girls’ High School received R18 000 for the school and R9 000 for each participating learner,” the SARB said.

Hoërskool Garsfontein from Gauteng was placed fourth and received R14 000 for the school and R8 000 for each participating learner. In fifth place was Hoërskool Waterkloof, also from Gauteng, receiving R11 000 for the school and R6 000 for each participating learner. Midrand High School, which came in sixth place, received R8 500 for the school and R5 000 for each participating learner.

In seventh place, Norman Henshilwood High School from the Western Cape received an amount of R7 000 for the school and R3 500 for each participating learner. Qedela Secondary School of Mpumalanga took the eighth position and received R5 000 for the school and R2 000 for each participating leaner, SARB said.

Minister Angie Motshekga, Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago with Marais Viljoen High learners and teacher Anita Last

Team ‘represents women’ in hackathon

Johannesburg - A team of female University of Johannesburg students has won the inaugural Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) cyber security hackathon, in partnership with Telkom and Amdocs.

Under the theme Fraud Management - Innovating against digital identity theft, business email compromise and insider threat in a cloud-based world, the hackathon encouraged teams to address technical weaknesses in the ICT sector.

As businesses establish cloud-based infrastructure the risk of cyberattacks increases. It has been noted that 45% of cyber security breaches are cloud-based; highlighting the risk this technology poses when not coupled with appropriate security practices. The telecommunications industry suffers huge losses from SIM-swap fraud, digital identity theft and other breaches, with an estimated cost of R60 million per breach.

Telkom IT services executive Portia Maluleke said: “From flexibility

Media specialists launch journalism academy

In a world where information overload is fuelling the spread of disinformation, journalism’s challenge is to deliver accurate news that is relevant and useful to audiences, helping citizens make informed decisions.

to cost optimisation, cloud computing benefits are unparalleled. But that does not mean we can ignore the risks that organisations are exposed to through this technology.”

Ten teams of developers and strategists aimed to design a solution that could counter unauthorised SIMswaps, digital identity theft and business email compromise.

After attending master classes and accelerator sessions, the teams had to develop and present their solutions.

The SecureIT team of Lethabo Makopo, Angelique Mokwena and Lerato Tlhako topped the list.

Tlhako said the solution relied on the use of graphical passwords, as opposed to traditional ones that can be uncovered using keyloggers. “We made sure to mitigate major cyber security vulnerabilities using a variety of coding techniques,” she said.

The SecureIT team won the hackathon at the annual SATNAC event in George, Western Cape. They also received R80 000 and a chance to present their solution to the entire cohort of SATNAC attendees.

“As an all-female team, we worked hard to break barriers, challenge ourselves and represent women in technology,” Mokwena said.

Johannesburg - Top South African and African industry specialists have launched Nala Academy for Media and Journalism Training, a new training academy to grow and develop the next generation of news editors, journalists and presenters, under the mentorship of expert facilitators.

With some of the continent’s most recognisable names in news and media at its helm, the academy aims to provide world-class and future-fit training that helps journalism flourish in a multi-platform world.

In a world where information overload is fuelling the spread of disinformation, modern journalism’s challenge is to deliver accurate news that is relevant and useful to audiences, helping citizens make informed decisions.

Journalists have a critical role in restoring public trust both in media and democracy.

Newsroom development leader and Nala Academy director Katy Katopodis says: “This launch is a chance for us and our team of ex-

Nala Academy director Katy Katopodis

pert facilitators to inject decades of industry knowledge, experience and passion directly into newsrooms in South Africa and across Africa, while also equipping them with skills they need to thrive in the digital world.”

The Nala Academy has also introduced new corporate training offerings, which blend traditional media and communications training with the latest knowledge on emerging platforms and a healthy dose of digital media literacy.

The academy’s head of training Camilla Bath says: “We are launching a brand-new training course called Media LIT to help citizens suss out the online media landscape, help stop the spread of fake news and flex their critical thinking muscles, so they can think like a journalist when evaluating information.”

These latest offerings equip corporates with skills to thrive in a world where media literacy has become a business competency. The academy is already working across South Africa and Africa.

Cop killer Zama-zama gets life jail

Johannesburg - The Gauteng High Court has sentenced an illegal miner to life plus 103 years imprisonment for the murder of an Ekurhuleni metro police (EMPD) officer.

The court found that illegal miner Bhekisisa Dlamini shot dead officer

Johannes van der Linde.

The court heard that Van der Linde and five EMPD colleagues were on a raid at an illegal mine situated near Primrose in June last year when Dlamini and four of his accomplices opened fire at them.

NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Dlamini was arrested at the scene while the others escaped.

“The accused has been convicted

of murder, five counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition,” Mjonondwane said.

State advocate Thamsanqa Mpekana detailed the late Van der Linde’s family’s financial and psychological trauma following his murder, and argued for a hefty sentence.

He said EMPD officers were at risk during confrontations with illegal miners armed with illegal guns.

“The country has been calling for law enforcement to be robust in dealing with illegal miners who have placed the country under attack by committing alarming crimes,” Mpekana said.

Knifeman jailed 20 years for killing woman

Cleveland - The Johannesburg magistrate’s court has sentenced a 31-yearold man to 20 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of murder.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan Jordaan said the murder happened on 10 January 2019 in Main Reef Road, Denver.

“The convict, Mduduzi Dubazane stabbed 29-year-old Brenda Zwane multiple times with a knife; and she died on the way to hospital. Police at-

tended the crime scene and Dubazane was arrested for murder. The case was handed to Warrant Officer Raletsemo for investigation. After many court appearances Dubazane was convicted for murder and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment,” Jordaan said.

Station commander Colonel Motaung recommended the member for his good work. “We arrest people for violent crimes and ensure they pay for their crimes,” Motaung said.

Lethabo Makopo, Angelique Mokwena and Lerato Tlhako of the SecureIT team

Group launches fashion magazine

Johannesburg - African Fashion International (AFI) has launched a digital magazine.

The HON by AFI digital magazine will be released every quarter with each edition having a different theme.

The launch issue was released on the AFI website on 1 September, covered by four Banyana Banyana players styled in spring looks by African designers.

AFI founder and chairperson Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe said: “We

have spent 15 years building the one-stop lifestyle platform for consumers looking for unique African fashion and guiding sellers reach a global premium market. The latest introduction to the AFI brand is this digital publication, which aims to educate audiences, publicise talent, tell stories and share thought leadership, contributing to transforming the industry from Africa to the diaspora.”

After 15 years as a participant in the global fashion industry cham-

Employers urged to take action against workplace harassment

Johannesburg - The Department of Employment and Labour has called on employers to stem the tide of harassment in the workplace.

Employment and labour deputy director for Employment Equity (EE) Registry Lucia Rayner said harassment culprits must be held accountable and disciplined.

“Employers need to have a harassment policy in place to specify disciplinary sanctions proportionate to the seriousness of the harassment. Sanctions must include warnings to the perpetrator, dismissal, transfer and encouraging the complainant to lay criminal charges or institute civil proceedings against the perpetrator.”

Rayner was speaking to dissect the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace published earlier this year. According to the code, the EE Act states that harassment of an employee is a form of unfair discrimination and is prohibited, or a combination of grounds of unfair discrimination listed in the legislation. It is intended to address prevention, elimination and management of all forms of harassment that pervade the workplace. The code defines harassment to include the use of physical force, threatened or actual, against another person or group or community, which either results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in social injustice, economic harm, injury, death, physical and psychological harm and deprivation.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has jurisdiction to conciliate all workplace-related harassment disputes.

CCMA senior regional commissioner Letsema Mokoena said during 2019/2020, the CCMA dealt with 1 834 disputes; in 2020/21 the cases dropped to 1 157; and during 2021/2022 there were 1 260 disputes.

“The dip in the number during 2020/21 may have resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic and the workfrom-home phenomenon. With people going back to workplaces the number of disputes is expected to rise,” Mokwena said.

Mokoena noted that there was a low number of sexual harassment referrals or unresolved workplace incidents or low level of sexual harassment in the workplace.

“Some people end up in psychiatric wards because they are afraid to report incidents. Some of the reasons that make complainants remain silent include fear to lose jobs, making the harasser angry, not being believed, being seen as trouble-makers, being blamed or accused of ‘asking for it’, and getting the harasser into trouble,” he said.

The department announced that the EE annual manual and online reporting season opened on 1 September. The reporting deadline is 1 October, while online reporting submission closing date is 15 January 2023. For more information visit www.labour.gov.za.

pioning African fashion, AFI believes it has become a purveyor of pan-African talents and creativity.

“It has done this by harnessing our continent’s creative capital; translating this into cultural, social, and economic success for our designers and artisans; and ensuring that consumers have access to this vast talent through AFI Fashion Weeks,” Moloi-Motsepe said.

In a statement AFI said it has learned that fashion thrives when people fall in love with it, and it

is through the emotions fashion evokes, that the team believes will allow them to tell stories.

The magazine’s editor Buhle Mbonambi said: “When we started conceptualizing the magazine, the aim was telling stories of what designers and creatives in the African continent and the diaspora are doing. It is to show the world how brilliant and necessary the African creatives are in the global fashion industry and their contribution to the luxury fashion industry.”

AFI founder and chairperson Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe

‘Fashion thrives when people fall in love with it, and it is through the emotions fashion evokes, that the team believes will allow them to tell stories’

Saftas tribute to top artistes

Johannesburg – The South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) recently honoured top artistes in the industry.

Top reggae group in Africa tour

Arts Correspondent

Jamaican reggae band Morgan Heritage has announced an extensive Africa tour from 2 October to 26 November.

Dubbed the Island Vibes Africa tour, it will see the Grammy-winning group make stops across eight cities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Addis Ababa, Harare and Accra.

Comprising of five children of reggae artist, Denroy Morgan, the band has released numerous reggae albums and toured extensively internationally.

Formed in the United States in Brooklyn, New York in 1994, after its success with its Miracle album, the band moved back to Denroy’s native Jamaica.

The Morgan Heritage members are Peter Morgan, vocals; Una Morgan, vocals and keyboard; Roy Morgan, also vocals and keyboard; Na-

khamyah Morgan, rhythm guitar and Memmalatel Morgan on vocals and percussion.

The group has made 13 videos and released 19 albums, and also worked with well-known DJs and reggae bands that include Beres Hammond, Capleton, Gentlemen, Luciano and Junior Kelly.

The tour is produced and managed by RAVE and Morgan Heritage’s CTBC Music Group.

In a statement the group said the partnership with RAVE, a Pan-African live events company, is to act as the ignition point to bring performers, labels, promoters and fans together to scale the live touring circuit.

The Morgan Heritage group will perform from their extensive catalogue hits and new material. They will also look to work with local talents on a collaborative album.

“Africa has always been home to us, which shows in the immense support

we have enjoyed over the years, this tour is our gift to our brothers and sisters at home. We look forward to entertaining every fan as we continue to strengthen the bonds between Africa and the Caribbean,” the group said.

Producer and RAVE CEO Ruddy Kwakye said: “We look to systematise, scale and sustain the live entertainment ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa through innovative partnership modelling, technology resourcing and high production values. This tour will allow us to deliver memorable experiences for the fans.”

For more information visit the Island Vibes Tour website.

The Island Vibes Africa tour dates are set for 2 October in Johannesburg; 5 October in Cape Town; 14 October in Harare; 15 October in Kadoma, Zimbabwe; 22 October in Lilongwe, Malawi; 29 October in Addis Ababa; 12 November in Accra; 26 November in Pamplemousses, Mauritius.

Veteran actress Nthati Moshesh won Best Actress in a Telenovela for her role as Mother Mary in Isono on Bet Africa. Late Shaleen Richards, remembered for her role as nurse Muriel Foster, got the Best Supporting Actress in a Telenovela award for kykNET’s Arendsvlei. Bonko Khoza and Abdul Khoza from The Wife won Best Actor in a Telenovela and Best Supporting Actor in Telenovela. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to legendary Connie Chiume for her 45 years in the industry. Chiume joins previous achievers including Thoko Ntshiga, Thembi Mtshali and Lydia Mokgokoloshi.

The SABC got wins from reality show Taste Masters SA, winning Best Competition Reality Show, while SABC 1’s The Braai Show with Cassper received Best Variety Show and actress Manaka Ranaka got Best Actress in TV Soap for Generations: The Legacy for her role as Lucy.

SABC 3 documentary Murder in Paris won Best Achievement in Sound Documentary, while Best Entertainment Programme went to SABC 2’s Musiek Roulette. MultiChoice won 54 awards in the Craft Show and Main Show on Mzansi Magic and S3; in Best TV Soap for kykNET’s Suidooster, Best Telenovela for Mzansi Magic’s DiepCity, Best Achievement in Directing - TV Soap for Binneland-

ers and Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - Telenovela for Legacy Showmax got 17 wins from Tali’s Baby Diary, The Wife and Dam. Netflix won seven awards for films; I am all Girls, Angeliena and comedy How to Ruin Christmas-Season 2

Etv’s House of Zwide got four wins at the Craft Awards and Scandal the best supporting actor and actress roles. The platform won 11 awards where Best Actor in a TV Soap was won by Thabo Malema for his role as Bohang in Scandal

In the Public Vote Thembisa MdodaNxumalo was voted as Best TV Presenter for hosting Old Mutual’s Amazing Voices, and DiepCity voted as the Most Popular TV Soap/Telenovela.

Join the Joburg ‘City Clean Up’ on ‘World Clean Up Day’ in the prelude to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K

Jozi runners are invited to join the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Team at a fun ‘City Clean Up’ that coincides with ‘World Clean Up Day’ this coming Saturday 17 September 2022 in the build up to one of Joburg’s most iconic mass participation road races, the 5th annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K that will return to this iconic city for the first time in two years on National Heritage Day (Saturday 24 September 2022).

“We are excited to celebrate the return of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series to the streets of Jozi on 24 September,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “As with all the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series events, we are proud to play our part in keeping our host city clean and would like to invite all Jozi residents to join in on the fun. What better day to host a ‘City Clean Up’ than on ‘World Clean Up Day’. Jozi residents will get the opportunity to help keep their wonderful city clean while spending the morning with fellow residents, runners and RUN YOUR CITY Series supporters.”

“It really is a great way to get the community involved, while building excitement for the upcoming race,” continues Meyer. “We would like to invite all residents to join in on the fun. The RUN YOUR CITY Series will provide refuse bags and gloves for all who attend the ‘City Clean Up’, while the City of Johannesburg will arrange for the collection of the filled bags post Clean Up. If you have not yet done so, enter the 2022 event and enjoy running through the streets of Jozi, which you helped to clean, on National Heritage Day at the 2022 Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K.”

JOIN THE CITY CLEAN UP: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K ‘City Clean Up’ will take place on Saturday 17 September 2022 between 08:30 – 10:30. Residents that would like to join in on the fun and make a change can meet the event team at Absa Towers West, 15 Troye Street, Johannesburg.

Single Use Plastic (SUP) Management Campaign: The Joburg ‘City Clean Up’ ties in perfectly with the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series’ SUP Manage-

ment Campaign that aims to drastically reduce the usage of single-use plastics by 85% at all three events which includes the: Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K (Sunday 15 May 2022), Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K (Sunday 10 July 2022) and Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K (Saturday 24 September 2022).

“Our ultimate goal is to host a mass participation road running series that is plastic free and highlights the splendor of its host city while celebrating its people, their talent and the amazing sport,” says Meyer. “We are proud to continue our partnership with #RunClean and will be implementing strict ‘litter zones’ on event day to ensure a litter free route. With #ICarryMyOwn we are once again encouraging runners to be self-sustained by running with the DHL water bottle that they will receive in their race packs compliments of our awesome logistics partner. Jozi runners support our campaign and help keep the City of Gold clean as you #RunYourCity.”

For more information on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series SUP Management Campaign please visit: https://www.joburg10k.com/event-info/

Race Pack Collection:

Venue: Ellis Park Arena

Dates and Times:

1. Tuesday, 20 September 2022 (09h00 –19h00)

2. Wednesday, 21 September 2022 (09h00 – 19h00)

3. Thursday, 22 September 2022 (09h00 –19h00)

4. Friday, 23 September 2022 (09h00 –19h00)

PLEASE NOTE: There won’t be Race Pack Collection on Saturday (Event Day).

CHARITY SUPPORT: When entering the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K online entrants can choose to support four local charities:

1. Reach For A Dream Foundation (RFAD),

2. Cotlands,

3. Johannesburg SPCA and

4. Johannesburg Heritage Foundation.

WIN a Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Urban at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K: All runners (and walkers) that enter the 2022 Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K will stand a chance to win a stunning Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Urban vehicle to the value of R289 900.00 on event day. To be in the running to win the vehicle you must enter the event (and pay the entry fee), collect your race number from Race Pack Collection during the stipulated days and times and be on the start line on race day.

For more information visit https://www.joburg10k. com/2022/07/25/enter-the-absa-run-your-cityjoburg-10k-and-stand-a-chance-to-win-a-cherytiggo-4-pro-urban/

Facebook: @Joburg10k

Instagram: @Joburg10k

Hashtag: #RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity Websites: www.runyourcityseries.com

Members of the Morgan Heritage reggae group

Veteran actress Nthati Moshesh

Jozi runners are invited to join the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Team at a fun ‘City Clean Up’ on Saturday 17 September 2022

Photo: Backtrack

Banyana prepare for World Cup

Sports Reporter

As Banyana Banyana prepare for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year South African Football Association (SAFA) president Dr Danny Jordaan has said they will continue to back coach Desiree Ellis.

Banyana recently played two friendly internationals against Brazil at Orlando Stadium and at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, and SAFA has promised to arrange more matches against tough opponents to assist Ellis in her preparations.

Dr Jordaan said the coach has a complete programme already in place.

“Adjustments may have to be made, but it is the decision of the coach and we will support whatever she wants, as we want this team to do well. We did not have Noko Matlou and Thembi Kgatlana for the matches against Brazil. Not that one swallow makes a summer, but sometimes it

makes a difference if you have players that generate confidence to those around them,” he said.

Sasol manager for group brand and sponsorship, Nozipho Mbatha commended Banyana for their effort despite the results against Brazil.

“The Brazilian team is ranked ninth, while we are at number 54 on the FIFA Women’s World rankings, but this did not deter our ladies. Noting that this was part of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup preparation, it is these kinds of friendly games that will allow Banyana to build their confidence. We want them to continue to give their best and remember that nothing is impossible,” she said.

Banyana will also face Australia in a friendly international to be played in London on 8 October.

The draw for the women’s World Cup will be held in Auckland on 22 October. The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four, where New Zealand will be in Group A and Australia in Group B.