Category Archives: Education

Oxford University Press Empowers Minds Through World Literacy Day

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Hanri Pieterse – MD of Oxford University South Africa

International Literacy Day is celebrated annually around the world on 8 September and Oxford University Press observes the day in support and endorsement of literacy in all its forms.

Founded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1967, International Literacy Day celebrations have since taken place across the globe to remind the international community of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society. (1)

In its simplest definition, ‘literacy’ refers to the ability to read and write. In broader terms, it encompasses ways of thinking and doing reading and writing with the purpose of understanding and expressing thoughts or ideas in written form within specific contexts.

 Global literacy is a cause for celebration since the rate for adults 15 years and above stands at 86,3% in 2023. (2) While, on the surface, this is a successful statistic, closer inspection reveals a deeply unequal divide.

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“Sound of Freedom” releases in cinemas on 18 August 2023

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The independent film, Sound of Freedom, that is based on the incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante, who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from human trafficking, will release in South African cinemas nationwide on Friday 18 August 2023. The film has been dubbed the “sleeper hit” of the year by critics internationally who did not foresee the remarkable success that it has achieved at the American and European box offices.

During the weekend of 21 – 23 July, Sound of Freedom outperformed Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, according to Rotten Tomatoes, taking third place in earnings behind the “Barbenheimer” behemoth in America. In the weekend prior to that, it outgrossed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Sound of Freedom is based on the real story of Tim Ballard, a former U.S. Department for Homeland Security agent who conducts sting operations to rescue a young brother and sister from human trafficking in Colombia. Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” plays Ballard in the movie.

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Trees For Schools On Mandela Day

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This year marks ten years since the passing of former president Nelson Mandela, and one retailer plans to plant trees to honour the iconic statesman’s visionary life. Through a campaign dubbed “It’s in your hands, let’s plant our schools green,” the Cotton On Group aims to plant trees in schools supported by the Cotton On Foundation in South Africa. Symbolizing the visionary leader’s lasting contribution to South African society, the intention is to benefit these areas for many years to come. 

Through its chain of stores that include Cotton On, Factorie and Typo, shoppers are encouraged to support the initiative by purchasing Cotton On Foundation products such as tote bags, breath mints, wipes and sanitizers that are available both online and at the till points in these stores.

The full proceeds of the sale of these items, from 3 to 23 July 2023, will be channelled to planting trees at the schools that the Cotton On Foundation supports in KwaZulu-Natal, namely Ethekwini Primary and Dr JL Dube High School, which it is currently rebuilding. Shoppers are also welcome to donate to the project.

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Free Internet for over 300 Schools in South Africa, thanks to Cool Ideas

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Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury, but rather a necessity as access to information has become an essential part of modern-day life. UNICEF recently reported that connecting schools has the potential to boost GDP by up to 20 percent in the world’s least connected nations.

Sadly, many schools across South Africa struggle with the costs and infrastructure required to provide this for teachers and learners. Now, one Internet Service Provider (ISP) is stepping up to help.

Over the past eight years, ISP Cool Ideas has been expanding its fibre and LTE networks across the country, to expedite access to digital information, through high-speed connectivity. While doing so, through their Cool Schools initiative, they have collaborated with schools across eight provinces to date, to ensure that as the network grows, so does learner access to information, with the result that education can benefit.

The project started in 2015, when the first school, Parkhurst Primary in Johannesburg, was connected on a trial basis, and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, new schools have been added every month with the result that Cool Ideas currently supplies over 300 schools with fibre access throughout the year. Additionally, the organisation has collaborated with fibre providers such as Vumatel, Evotel, Octotel and Frogfoot to ensure further support.

The Cool Schools Initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in South Africa by providing internet connectivity to underprivileged schools and schools in Cool Ideas coverage areas. Through this remarkable upliftment project, a free internet connection with speeds of up to 1 000Mbps (1Gbps) is provided to qualifying schools, enabling learners to access educational resources online. This way, the leaders of tomorrow are given the resources need to support their growth. Learn more about Cool Schools here.

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Cannes Lions International Festival hosted by Ster-Kinekor

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The 70th edition of the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity took place in Cannes, France, from 19 to 23 June this year. This much anticipated and globally celebrated festival is recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the creative industry but, like the Academy Awards, not everyone gets invited!

If you are in Johannesburg or Cape Town however, you’re in luck! Ster-Kinekor, as the official representative of Cannes Lions in South Africa, will be hosting two Cannes Lions Wrap-Up events to bring you the highlights from this year’s festival.

As in previous years, Ster-Kinekor and an expert industry panel including some of this year’s Cannes jury members, will share highlights of their personal Cannes experiences, discuss current and future trends emerging from the festival that got their creative juices flowing, and showcase some of the award-winning work across the categories they are judging.

The two official Cannes Lions Wrap-Up events take place from 10:00 – 12:30 on 12 July at Ster-Kinekor Mall of Africa (Midrand) and 14 July at the Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront cinema complex in Cape Town. Tickets are R100 per person, with all proceeds going back into the creative industry to support various deserving projects.

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