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thalia randalllatest news & developments
Retro wheels.

Bicycle goes lifestyle

Taking a ride on a Felt cruiser makes you feel like it is springtime in the Sixties somewhere in the American Midwest.

All that glitters: Artist Yiull Damaso customised his Vespa by covering it with 43kg of mirror fragments.

Retro ride is roaring into the modern era

The latest hipster accessory comes with a tank of petrol for R70. This is how Vespas became the new black.

Father Michael Lapsley says the Marikana shooting is a symptom that shows South Africa remains a traumatised nation.

Michael Lapsley: We are a traumatised nation

Struggle veteran Father Michael Lapsley speaks to Thalia Randall about his new memoir, his calling "to become a healer" and the Marikana shooting.

If you are between the ages of 13 and 65

Harnessing your inner Fomo

If you are between the ages of 13 and 65, own a cellphone and have heard of a web browser, you may understand the phobia of missing out.

Wole Soyinka prize for literature recipient Sifiso Mzobe.

Soyinka prize goes south again

Sifiso Mzobe has become the second South African author to win the Wole Soyinka prize for literature in Africa.

Parents face harder decisions about where to get the best education for their children.

Low-fee schools on the rise

South Africa is experiencing a significant rise in affordable independent learning facilities.

‘Savings to the customer is Pick n Pay’s one and only selling point.’

A whole continent of shoppers

Opportunities for business in Africa are mounting as its middle class has become the fastest-growing in the world.

At midnight the price of petrol 93 (ULP & LRP) will decrease by 58 cents a litre and the price of petrol 95 (ULP &LRP) will drop 72.00c/l. (File photo)

Massive rise in petrol price expected

South Africans may face a petrol price hike of up to 78 cents a litre next month, according to ETM Analytics managing director George Glynos.

The South African agricultural sector is on solid ground for now and we shouldn’t be worried — but we should be vigilant.

Maize crisis looms in SA

Food prices globally are at record levels and there is pressure on goverments not to hoard or restrict exports.

Team South Africa waves to supporters when they arrived back from London.

Some medals cheaper than others

Not all Olympic medals were created equal. Or at least, some Olympic medallists are cheaper than others.

Agrineth Shiburi

Tale of two very different bakeries

Not far from a branch of retail giant Pick n Pay, a home-run bakery in Alexandra is thriving.

Doing business with local government can either be excellent or dreadful for your company’s cashflow – depending on where in the country you are operating.

Municipalities: Slow payers and fast players

Municipalities have a bad name in business, but choose the right one and you’re set.

If medals were redistributed according to GDP

Medal tally: Size matters

The Guardian commissioned a team of statisticians to recalculate olympic results in terms of GDP size, team size and money spent on athletes.

Job creation was a major topic in last week’s budget, which was released the day after South Africa’s devastating unemployment statistics made headlines.

Public sector employment defies trends

The public sector increased employment levels throughout the economic recession according to the South African Reserve Bank.

South African business owners were a lot more optimistic about the economic conditions for the year ahead.

Citizens upbeat but taxes bother

Despite levels of pessimism worldwide about economic conditions, local business owners are more optimistic than their international counterparts.

Nik Rabinowitz on Juju surfing and racy hedgehogs

Speed dating isn’t exactly the normal way of marketing a book, but then Nik Rabinowitz isn’t a normal sort of a bloke.

Malaria.

Setback in fight against malaria

Scientists warn that mosquitoes are building up a resistance to insecticide-treated nets, writes Thalia Randall.

A series of money supply updates

Government is closing BEE loopholes

The department of trade and industry is revising the legislation to expose abuse such as fronting, writes Thalia Randall.

Author Thando Mquolozana said the decision by the National Arts Council showed that it “clearly doesn’t understand the function of arts in society.

Writers blocked: Programme scrapped after funding is withdrawn

With only two weeks until the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, part of its iconic sister programme has been gagged, writes Thalia Randall.

E-books in France have been slow to catch on as readers overwhelmingly prefer the printed page.

Axed books fest a blow for writers

The National Arts Council has been accused by an acclaimed author of ‘killing the culture of reading and writing’ by refusing funding to WordFest.