Koa Academy

Young Entrepreneurs in Action: Koa Academy’s 2026 Online Entrepreneurship Challenge

Following the success of last year’s challenge, Koa Academy’s 2026 Online Entrepreneurship Challenge once again invited students between the ages of 9 and 16 to step into the world of business, creativity, and real-world problem-solving. Over five weeks, students worked through the process of identifying a problem, developing a solution, testing their ideas, refining their business models, and learning how to present their thinking with confidence. Through weekly live coaching sessions, online coursework, and mentor support, students were encouraged to think critically, solve problems creatively, listen to feedback, and take action, even when the process felt challenging. By the end of the challenge, these young entrepreneurs had not only developed business ideas but had also practised the kind of skills that matter far beyond a single project: resilience, communication, problem-solving, collaboration, confidence, and courage. Did you know? The challenge was adapted from the Business Expo project that Koa students take part in each year, giving students beyond Koa the chance to experience a taste of project-based learning in action. It reflects something we care deeply about at Koa: creating opportunities for students to take what they are learning and apply it in meaningful, practical ways. Pitch Day  Pitch Day was a chance for our finalists to share what they had built, reflect on what they had learned, and present their ideas to a panel of judges. From products designed to support children with ADHD, to proudly South African engineering kits, bug education boxes, refurbished e-waste devices, gluten-free treats, and shoe-cleaning services, the range of ideas was both thoughtful and inspiring. What stood out most was not only the creativity of the business ideas, but the growth behind them. These students had taken their ideas seriously. They had spoken to potential customers, tested their thinking, made changes, handled setbacks, and pushed through moments that felt uncomfortable. That is what made this challenge so powerful. Meet the 2026 Winners Junior Category Ryan Wagner: Ryan’s Bug Class Co-op – Junior Winner Ryan’s Bug Class Co-op brought together his love of bugs and his passion for helping others learn. His offering included Bug Fact Cards, Bug Surprise Boxes, and online classes. For Ryan, the challenge helped him realise that something he genuinely loves could become a real business. “The Entrepreneurship Challenge helped me realise that my love for bugs could become a real business. Seeing families buy my Bug Fact Cards and Bug Surprise Boxes gave me the confidence to believe that other kids can learn to love the unloved things too.” Ryan’s idea is a wonderful example of what can happen when students are encouraged to pay attention to their interests and ask, “Could this become something more?” Amani Alli: Busy Bee Pads – Junior Runner-Up Amani created Busy Bee Pads, a business that makes fidget pads for children with ADHD. For Amani, one of the biggest highlights was seeing an idea become something tangible. “The most rewarding part of the challenge was turning an idea into a real product and making my first sale. Knowing that people in my community were willing to support something I created showed me that age should never stop you from pursuing an idea.” This is exactly what real-world learning is about: helping students see that their ideas can move beyond the page and into the world around them. Senior Category Caleb and Simeon de Greef: InventZA – Senior Winners Caleb and Simeon developed InventZA, a proudly South African business offering engineering boxes. Working together came with its own set of challenges, but it also created one of the biggest learning opportunities of the process. Simeon shared: “This challenge taught me the importance of teamwork. We faced many obstacles and didn’t always agree, but in the end, we were able to come to an agreement and work through it together.” For Caleb, the challenge opened up a whole new way of thinking about what is possible. “The most rewarding part of this challenge was making it to the finals and learning something I never thought was possible – starting my own business!” Their experience is such a good reminder that entrepreneurship is rarely just about the idea. It is also about working with others, making decisions, navigating disagreements, and learning as you go. Aiden Getkate: Aiden’s Epic Work – Senior Runner-Up Aiden’s business, Aiden’s Epic Work, focuses on using e-waste to refurbish devices. In a world where technology is constantly changing, Aiden’s idea speaks to both innovation and sustainability. Through the challenge, he began to see the potential of his business more clearly. “I enjoyed learning new things about business. It made me realise my business has big potential.” Sometimes, the most powerful part of a challenge like this is that students begin to see their ideas differently. What may have started as a simple concept becomes something with possibility, purpose, and room to grow. Why This Challenge Matters At Koa, we believe that learning should prepare students for the real world. That does not only mean covering the curriculum or completing tasks. It means giving students opportunities to think, create, test, reflect, collaborate, communicate, and build. The Entrepreneurship Challenge does exactly that. Students are not simply learning about business in theory. They are identifying real problems, speaking to real people, thinking about real customers, and learning how to present their ideas to others. They are also experiencing what it feels like when things do not go exactly as planned, and discovering that setbacks are part of the process. That kind of learning builds confidence in a very different way. It helps students realise that they can take action, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to the world around them. It also shows what is possible in an online learning environment. Students from different places can come together, learn from experienced coaches and mentors, connect with peers, and take part in a high-quality, practical learning experience without being limited by location. For us, that matters deeply. A Huge Thank You A challenge like this is only possible

August 10, 2026
Cartoon Network Africa

Goat Girl Returns: Gigi Trades the Mountains for the Classroom

She was raised by goats. Now she has to survive high school. Goat Girl is back with brand-new episodes premiering Monday, 10 August 2026, exclusively on Cartoon Network — and this season takes our favourite mountain-raised teen somewhere she’s never been before: boarding school. Gigi is your typical 13-year-old… except for the small detail that she was raised entirely by mountain goats. She’s spent her whole life scaling cliffs and following her herd, but now her beloved guardians, Nanny and Billy, think it’s time for Gigi to spread her wings (or, well, her horns) and try something new. That “something new” is boarding school — a world of actual humans, actual classrooms, and actual social rules, none of which Gigi has ever had to deal with before. Watching her navigate hallway politics with the same instincts she’d use to navigate a rocky mountain pass is exactly the kind of fish-out-of-water comedy that makes this show so charming. With 13 new episodes (114–126) joining the flock, there’s plenty of goat-meets-girl chaos to look forward to. Quick Facts:

August 10, 2026
Bonitas – innovation, life stages and quality care

Should I be exercising while pregnant, and if so, how much?

For most exercise is a part of life, so it is natural to want to keep active for as long as possible while pregnant. You may wonder how much exercise you can keep doing as your baby develops, and what routine changes you’ll need to make as your baby grows bigger. If you have a complicated pregnancy or are dealing with a weak cervix, a low placenta or suffering from a heart condition, diabetes or asthma, it is best to consult with a doctor or health professional before putting together a pregnancy exercise plan. What are the benefits of exercise during pregnancy  Improving overall health and wellness, exercise is a vital part of keeping you feeling your best and can help with backache caused by pregnancy, as well as prepare you for labour and delivery. If you were active before your pregnancy, you should be able to keep training with modifications made to your program. Exercises that are low impact and carry small risk of injury are best and you should be able to remain active until birth. Exercising during pregnancy can help boost your mood and energy levels, improve muscle tone, strength and lessen back pain. Exercise can also help reduce fatigue and stress, as well as help improve your sleep, all of which helps make your pregnancy easier on your body and mind. Staying fit can also help shorten your post delivery recovery time, however, getting back into exercise postpartum can be difficult and you should avoid pushing yourself too hard in the beginning. Exercising during pregnancy isn’t only good for your overall wellness, but studies show that it can also improve your baby’s health. What type of exercise should I be doing?  During pregnancy it is important to keep tabs on how your body is feeling. If you have been exercising frequently pre-pregnancy it should be fine to continue to do so in moderation, however, if something feels strange or uncomfortable it is best to consult a health practitioner. Swimming, prenatal yoga and pilates, walking and water aerobics are all exercises that you can focus on during your pregnancy. Water activities are good as they give you buoyancy and put very little strain on your body, especially when you are close to giving birth. If you were an avid runner before, you should be able to continue into pregnancy with some alterations to your program.  Exercise to avoid High impact sports with a risk of falling should be avoided. These include horse riding, mountain biking, downhill skiing. Contact sports, such as rugby, kickboxing and soccer are also preferable to avoid as there is a risk of being hit. Scuba diving is a big no-no as the baby has no protection against decompression sickness.

August 10, 2026
Sugar Bay Holiday Camp

5 benefits of holiday camp for children that go far beyond having fun

Parents want their children to become confident and independent, but safe opportunities to practise these skills can be hard to find. A well-run residential holiday camp gives children room to make decisions, form friendships, try unfamiliar activities and manage ordinary challenges, while trusted adults remain close by. Most parents want their children to become more independent. We want them to remember their belongings, speak up when they need help, cope when plans change and feel comfortable meeting new people. Then everyday life gets in the way. We find the missing shoes because school starts in ten minutes. We remind them about the sports bag. We step into disagreements because it is quicker than waiting for everyone to work things out. We keep in regular contact because phones make it possible and because South African parents have understandable concerns about safety, transport and where their children are. None of this is bad parenting. It is simply how family life often works. The difficulty is that children become capable through practice. They need safe opportunities to make choices, get things wrong, ask for help and discover that they can handle more than they expected. This is where the benefits of holiday camp for children become easier to understand. A residential holiday camp cannot completely change a child in one week. What it can do is create several days of repeated, real-life practice. From breakfast until bedtime, children make decisions, live alongside other people, take part in activities and work through the small challenges that naturally arise when they are away from home. At Sugar Bay Holiday Resort in Zinkwazi Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, children and teenagers aged 7 to 17 stay in a supervised residential environment, share cabins with their peers and choose from a wide range of activities. The fun matters. So do the beach, the games, the themed events and the excitement of camp. But the value parents often notice afterwards comes from what children had to do for themselves while they were there. 1. Children practise real independence Independence at camp does not mean leaving children to cope alone. It means giving them age-appropriate responsibility inside a safe structure. At home, a parent usually knows where everything is. At camp, a child has to keep track of a towel, shoes, clothing and personal belongings. They need to get ready for the next activity, listen to instructions and arrive with what they need. When something goes wrong, they cannot immediately call a parent to solve it. They need to think about the next step. That may mean looking properly for the missing item, asking their cabin counselor for help or explaining a problem to an unfamiliar adult. These are small moments, but they matter. A child learns that asking for help is something they can do for themselves. They also learn that a minor problem does not have to become a crisis. Choice is another important part of independence. Sugar Bay campers choose from more than 100 activities, including water sports, outdoor adventures, creative activities, team sports and evening entertainment. Activities are not compulsory, so children have to consider what they would like to try rather than simply following a timetable chosen for them. Making a choice sounds simple. For children who are used to adults organising most of their day, it is useful practice. They may choose something familiar one morning and take a chance on something completely new that afternoon. They begin to notice their own interests, preferences and limits. One week at camp will not make every child perfectly organised. The more realistic benefit is that they return home with evidence that they can manage without a parent directing every step. The next time they face a small problem, there is a better chance they will think, “I handled things at camp. I can handle this too.” 2. They learn how to live with other people Children today are often in constant contact with friends. They send messages, share videos, play games together online and keep up with one another throughout the day. Those friendships are real and important. However, living in a cabin with other children asks for a different set of social skills. There is no mute button when someone is irritating. A misunderstanding cannot always be left unanswered. Children have to read facial expressions, listen to tone, wait their turn and notice how their behaviour affects the group. They may have to join a conversation when they feel shy. They may need to share space with someone whose habits are different from theirs. At times they will need to apologise, compromise or explain what they meant. These situations happen naturally at residential camp. Campers eat together, take part in activities together and spend their evenings as part of a cabin group. Friendships often grow through these shared routines rather than through a carefully arranged social event. A child may connect with someone during an activity, while waiting for a meal or during a quiet conversation before bed. Because the group spends sustained time together, children have repeated opportunities to get to know one another properly. Camp does not guarantee that every child will make a lifelong best friend. Group culture and adult supervision matter. At Sugar Bay, each cabin group has dedicated counselors who live and participate alongside the campers. Their role includes helping children settle in, noticing when someone is being left out and supporting the group when disagreements arise. The goal is not to remove every uncomfortable social moment. Children need guidance, but they also need opportunities to work things out. For many campers, one of the most valuable discoveries is that they can enter a group where they know nobody and gradually find their place. That confidence can make future school changes, sports tours, social events and new environments feel less intimidating. 3. Confidence grows from doing difficult things Children are often told to believe in themselves. The message is well meant, but confidence becomes far more convincing

August 7, 2026
Cartoon Network Africa

Girl Power Go! Cartoon Network Celebrates Women’s Day With Its Boldest Heroines

This August, Cartoon Network is throwing the spotlight on some of its most iconic female characters with Girl Power Go!, a special Women’s Day stunt programming block packed with heart, humour, and superpowers. It all kicks off Sunday, 9 August 2026, running through Monday, 10 August 2026. The lineup brings together an incredible roster of heroines from across the Cartoon Network universe: Totally Spies! follows Sam, Clover, and Alex — three Beverly Hills university students who moonlight as secret agents for WOOHP (the World Organisation Of Human Protection). Juggling exams and international espionage has never looked this stylish. Jade Armor introduces Lan Jun, the newest hero to inherit the legendary and mystical Jade Armor. Even she can hardly believe that destiny has chosen her for something this epic. From The Amazing World of Gumball, the spotlight lands on Nicole and Anais Watterson. Nicole is fiercely protective of her family (anger-management quirks and all), while four-year-old Anais proves, once again, that she’s the smartest member of the household by a mile. Teen Titans Go! brings us Starfire and Raven — the sunny alien princess still adjusting to life on Earth, and the sardonic half-demon who’d honestly rather be left alone but always shows up for her team anyway. And of course, no celebration of Cartoon Network’s female icons would be complete without The Powerpuff Girls — Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, Townsville’s most capable (and most sugar-and-spice) line of defence. The block also features a super-powered movie duo starring the DC Super Hero Girls: Quick Facts: All programming exclusive to Cartoon Network. Check local listings for CAT scheduling.

August 7, 2026
Freebees PR

Streamline Your Life: Smart Multi-Tasking Tips That Save Time, Effort and Mental Energy

Between work deadlines, family commitments, household chores and trying to find time for yourself, it’s no wonder many of us feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. The good news? Saving time isn’t necessarily about working harder, it’s about working smarter. The secret lies in finding opportunities to combine tasks, simplify routines and eliminate unnecessary steps. Small changes can add up to significant time savings over the course of a week, helping to reduce stress and free up more time for the things that matter.  1. Create “Power Hours” Instead of tackling tasks as they arise, designate a specific hour each week to complete similar jobs together. Use a Sunday afternoon to prepare vegetables, portion snacks, update the family calendar, and plan meals and even outfits for the week ahead. By batching tasks together, you reduce the number of decisions you need to make during busy weekdays. This approach can also be applied to household admin. Rather than responding to emails, paying bills or organising paperwork throughout the week, dedicate a single block of time to getting it all done. 2. Let Products Do More Than One Job One of the easiest ways to save time is to simplify your cupboards. Look for products that can serve multiple purposes rather than having a separate item for every need. Fewer products mean less clutter, fewer shopping trips, and simpler routines. For example, the lightweight SKNLOGIC Omega Oil containing a powerful antioxidant blend of Vitamin C & E, can be used as a stand-alone moisturiser, underneath a prescribed moisturiser, and as a primer for foundation. The multi-tasking SKNLOGIC Derma Repair Balm is packed with powerful ingredients like prickly pear extract, jojoba, and shea butter to deeply hydrate, sooth and restore damaged skin. From repairing sensitive skin barrier, to everyday skin irritations like rashes and insect bites, to post-treatment care after chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and microneedling, this balm will soothe, protect, and heal. Similarly, Sanosan Mama Nipple Salve made from 100% pure, natural Lanolin isn’t only useful during breastfeeding – many women use it on dry lips, cuticles and other dry skin areas, reducing the need for multiple specialised products. 3. Stack Habits Together Behaviour experts often recommend “habit stacking” – pairing one task with another you already do automatically. Listen to a podcast while preparing meals, fold the laundry while watching television, catch up with a friend during your daily walk or review your shopping list while waiting for school pick-up. The goal is not to rush through life but to make use of moments that would otherwise be unproductive. 4. Keep Quick-Fix Essentials Within Reach How much time is lost searching for everyday essentials? Create mini stations around your home. Keep lip balm, hand cream and tissues on your bedside table, in your handbag and at your desk. Store cleaning supplies where you use them most often, and keep frequently used items in easy-to-reach locations. A versatile product such as SoyLites Lip Balm can be useful not only for dry lips but also for soothing chafed noses during winter colds, making it a practical item to keep close at hand. 5. Adopt the “Clean As You Go” Rule Cleaning often feels overwhelming because we wait until jobs pile up. Instead, wipe kitchen counters while waiting for the kettle to boil, unload the dishwasher while preparing breakfast or quickly tidy a room before leaving it. These small actions take only minutes but prevent larger cleaning sessions later. Using a multi-purpose product such as Earthsap All Purpose Cleaner can further simplify the process by reducing the need to switch between multiple cleaning products. 6. Turn Self-Care Into Part of Your Existing Routine Many people skip self-care because it feels like another task to schedule. Instead, integrate it into activities you’re already doing. Apply a nourishing body lotion immediately after showering, enjoy a calming candle while working from home or listening to an audiobook, or keep skincare products visible so they become part of your daily habits. The BodyLab Science Vitamin C Complex Body Lotion is one example of a product that combines daily moisturising with the added brightening skincare benefits associated with vitamin C, helping to simplify body care without adding extra steps. The “dark showering” trend – using candles or special low lights in the bathroom – is said to have multiple benefits including better, faster sleep due to lower light in the evening signalling to your brain that it is time to wind down, calming the nervous system through reduced light stimulation, and promoting mindfulness. A true multi-use product, the SoyLites Soy Candle is the perfect accompaniment to your dark shower; while these candles burn beautifully and are environmentally friendly, the warm oil that forms around the wick is full of Vitamin E and Lecithin and is an amazing moisturiser – so step out, dry off, and slather on your skin while it’s still damp.  7. Follow the “One-Touch” Principle A simple productivity rule is to deal with things the first time you pick them up whenever possible. Hang up your coat instead of placing it on a chair. Respond to a simple email immediately. Put dishes directly into the dishwasher. Return items to their proper place after use. These small actions prevent minor tasks from becoming overwhelming piles of work later. Small Changes, Big Results The most effective time-saving strategies aren’t usually dramatic life overhauls. They’re small, sustainable habits that reduce friction in everyday life. Whether it’s preparing meals ahead of time, simplifying your cleaning routine, choosing products that perform multiple functions or combining activities strategically, every saved minute adds up. Over time, these simple adjustments can create more space for rest, family, hobbies, and the moments that make life feel less rushed and more enjoyable.

August 6, 2026
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