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Mobile brand Tecno Mobile launched its latest offering, the Tecno Spark 7 Pro, last week.
Available for sale in South Africa next month, it offers a 48MP Clear Triple Camera and a new Helio G80 chipset.
The phone also has a 6.6-inch edge-to-edge display, complete with Super Night Mode. Stephen Ha, the general manager of Tecno Mobile, said the company was focused on what younger generations wanted from their smartphones.
It was time to party as Nescafe RICOFFY celebrated turning 50 years old this week, at one of Joburg's hidden gem venues, the Hallmark House, that overlooks the beautiful skyline this city has to offer.
The 50th birthday party was attended by the who's who of Mzansi, and guests were serenaded with epic performances by legends, that one would otherwise have had to spend a fortune to see.
Imagine getting a front row seat to watch performances from global superstar Master KG, renowned duo Mafikizolo and even Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, during a pandemic? A once in a lifetime experience.
Under the theme "Express your South Africanness", guests put their best foot forward in varying interpretations of what African Heritage means to them, creating a myriad colours and creativity that Mzansi is best known for.
Before being admitted to the party, guests were tested for Covid-19, but the regulations continued inside the venue, which made guests like myself feel more relaxed.
The party was hosted by multi-talented Jason Goliath and a string of celebrities adorned the top floor with actress Thembi Seete, who never seems to age a day in her life, dazzling in a red and floral top, and designer Gert Johan Coetzee joined the flaming red squad (which seemed to be the dominating colour) in a beautiful red short suit, with a white T-shirt and sneakers.
The Princess of Africa Yvonne Chaka-Chaka calmed the fiery situation with her elegant blue dress, Hotstix keeping it simple in black, and Mafikizolo duo Theo Kgosinkwe and Nhlanhla Nciza never disappointing with style.
Nhlanhla shone bright in a pink tutu dress, while Theo kept it smart yet elegant in black.
And you know you've made it when even celebrities want to take a picture with you, right? The humble, and seemingly shy, Master KG was the centre of attention, as stars lined up to grab him for a quick snap. All he could do was smile and nod. Shame man!
The rest of the day, right into the early night, as the sun descended and caressed Johannesburg's buildings, giving off wonderful spring hues, performances continued and guests danced, all in celebration of a brand that has been a part of Mzanzi's heritage for 50 years.
The world has truly become an oyster for the Ndlovu Youth Choir, who are set to feature in a spectacular new Disney production in the US.
The choir made the announcement on its social media platforms on Thursday, much to the delight of fans.
"We are incredibly excited to announce that we are part of a cast of musicians from around the world that perform in Disney's new production, Harmonious.
"The show is one of the largest night-time spectaculars ever created for Disney Parks.
"We're youth from Moutse, Limpopo, and are now part of a global production in one of the biggest shows ever created. Dreams do come true."
According to Disney World, the nightly show kicks off on October 1 at Epcot theme park in Florida, US.
"The heart of the Epcot transformation comes to life with Harmonious, one of the largest night-time spectaculars ever created for Disney Parks.
"The show is a beautifully crafted medley of classic Disney music and visuals reinterpreted by a culturally diverse group of 240 artists.
"This magnificent new show brings to World Showcase Lagoon an innovative combination of floating giant screens, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics and lasers in a 360-degree view," Disney World said.
The choir's fans could hardly contain their excitement.
"Amazing! Congrats! Go show them what South African talent is all about!" one fan said.
"The world is now your oyster! What an opportunity," another said.
Thuso Mbedu's star keeps shining brighter and we can't help but be proud.
The Underground Railroad star will be one of the celebrities making an appearance on Rihanna's Savage x Fenty Vol. 3 show.
Rihanna shared a trailer of the show on her Instagram account, ahead of appearing at the Met Gala.
This is another achievement for Mbedu, whose critically acclaimed performance on Railroad earned her a Hollywood Critics Association Award, and also a role on Tristar Pictures' The Woman King, alongside Viola Davis.
Mbedu recently shared a campaign with French luxury maison, Christian Dior, for their Miss Dior perfume.
She is also currently on the cover of W magazine, where she has been named one the new pop culture icons.
The fashion show/concert, which showcases the latest range from Rihanna's lingerie brand, will premiere on Friday, September 24, on Amazon Prime Video.
Teasing the upcoming show, Rihanna said: "We want to make people look good and feel good. We want you to feel sexy and have fun doing it."
The Savage x Fenty lingerie show has become one of the most anticipated shows since it launched in 2019, and it is mainly due the art direction, the diversity the show features and, of course, the garments.
YouTube has announced that the Youtube Nextup programme will be available in Nigeria and South Africa. The programme is an opportunity for creators to take their content creation to the next level.
Twenty creators with eligible channels will be selected to win a production stipend of $1 000 (about R15 000) to be used for the acquisition of production equipment to advance their Youtube careers.
The selected creators will also have the opportunity to attend a week-long intensive "Creator Camp", learn new skills and access support by the Youtube partnerships team.
The Youtube Nextup programme is available to creators who are committed to advancing their Youtube careers and producing fresh and compelling content.
Eligible channels for selection into the Youtube Nextup programme should have 10 000 to 100 000 subscribers and at least three pieces of original and native video content uploaded in the past three months.
Channel accounts must be compliant with the Youtube community guidelines and have no strikes. Participation in other Youtube creator master classes is also a basis for acceptance.
"We believe that the next generation of successful creators are already honing their skills on Youtube," says Addy Awofisayo, Youtube Content Partnership in Sub-saharan Africa.
"We are excited that the Youtube Nextup programme will help take creators to the next level in their Youtube careers, enabling them to develop whole new genres and online experiences for audiences around the world."
Applications for the Youtube Nextup programme are open.
To apply for Youtube Nextup, each creator must submit an entry form with the video they are most proud of and that best represents their technical production skills, creativity and storytelling ability.
The Met Gala, which finally took place at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night after months of postponements, is the most coveted ticket on the international celebrity red carpet parade (and this year only a third of the usual guest list was invited to participate in fashion's biggest night).
It garners a lot of attention, so you probably know the theme was "American Independence", which gave the exhibitionists among the famous and fabulous attendees (and, let's face it, most of them are) plenty of room for interpretation, from founding fathers in powdered wigs, rhinestone cowboys and star-spangled gowns, to Lady Liberty cosplay and lime sequined takes on American football gear — all saying something about America's varied heritage.
A$AP Rocky wore a memory quilt made with fabric and antique quilts sewn together, including a few personal effects such as his dad's bathrobe, to represent his take on America.
Spanish singer Rosalia wore a tasseled red leather number to represent her Spanish roots. Who knows what Germany-born singer Kim Petras was trying to say about America with the giant horse head she wore on her chest.
Perhaps a reference to America's Mafia history, if you know your Godfather movies, or maybe she was just giving Megan Thee Stallion a run for her money.
It would be interesting to see what local celebrities would came up with if they had to wear an outfit that represented SA. I'd love to see Somizi in a sequinned rainbow jumpsuit. We also have great traditional outfits to draw on, which we usually see on our streets across the country on Heritage Day (Friday, September 24).
Not willing to allow anyone to dim her light, singer and Jerusalema hitmaker Nomcebo Zikode will soon make an appearance on the US reality show Love & Hip Hop.
Zikode shared the news on Instagram, saying how excited she was about the opportunity.
"Guess who's gonna be on the biggest show of America: VH!'s Love & Hip Hop," she captioned her snap with the show's producer, Mona ScottYoung.
Zikode is still on her international Jerusalema tour and is set to rock North America next month.
In a video she shared, giving followers a sneak peek into what had happened behind the scenes, she is seen strutting her stuff with two of her dancers on set.
In the comments section, Scott-Young thanked the singer for taking time out to be on the show and said it was her pleasure to meet the Xola hitmaker.
"It was absolutely wonderful spending time with you and again, thank you!" Scott-Young wrote.
While Jerusalema remains one of the biggest songs ever to come out of Mzansi, the politics behind the anthem-like song have hogged headlines in recent months.
The fights behind the scenes for royalties and profits were exposed when Zikode released a statement two months ago saying she hadn't received a cent from the hit song, despite its global success.
She alleged that, instead of getting paid what she was due, she was being ridiculed and that her contribution was being "minimised" by the record label.
Fresh-faced teen sensation Nefisa Mkhabela rebelled against her father's wishes to pursue a law career by taking her breakout role in novice soapie, House of Zwide.
It has all paid off for the 19 year-old newcomer, who has emerged as television's biggest breakout star of 2021.
The e.tv daily drama has been ratings gold, with a viewership of 4.24 million in July and 4.37 million last month, according to data by Broadcast Research Council of SA.
It comes as no surprise considering how irresistibly charming Mkhabela's wideeyed gaze and radiant smile lights up the screen before she even opens her mouth to speak.
Surely, young girls across the country are recreating her character Onalerona Molapo's bright-hued hairdos and punk style as much as they have done with Sho Madjozi.
But what has won the hearts of viewers is Onalerona storyline that depicts a relatable tale of a talented and aspirant fashion designer from Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, defying her father's orders to study marketing in pursuit of her fashion dreams in Rosebank.
So, you can imagine that I ' m hit with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu when Mkhabela details how in real life she also disobeyed her father.
A year ago, Mkhabela was a grade 12 learner, stressing about writing her matric exams in the age of a pandemic.
Her matric dance, which she was looking forward to, was scheduled for March 27 – but the national lockdown upset those plans when is started on March 25.
"It has always been my dream to be in the spotlight, but I never thought that I will be living the reality I am right now. It is one thing to dream, but to achieve one of the biggest dreams you thought will come later in life so early is incredible," she gushes.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber never resorted to playing the "R" (referee) card in explaining away the national side's 28-26 loss to the Wallabies on Sunday.
Though there were definite questions about the quality of the officiating, the bottom line is that the Australians didn't so much win the match as have it handed to them by the Boks.
Nienaber was gracious in saying the Wallabies deserved to win … because they did.
But Springbok indiscipline saw their opponents being given 23 points in goaled kicks. That made the difference and the overtime penalty of Quade Cooper just put the bow on the show for the Wallabies.
However, if (and this is a big if) the Boks learn from their mistakes and tighten up on discipline, then the next game could be a wholly different affair.
Even losing as they did, the Springboks were ahead in the try count, three to one, and the South African power mauling – which has scared many an opponent in the past – was still alive and well.
Kicking by Handre Pollard was also not up to scratch … but that can be rectified.
All in all, Sunday's loss makes the next encounter all the more appetising ... because a Bok bounce back is beautiful to behold.