Last year’s newcomer of the year, Uganda’s Deogratious Wamala, won the overall Sanlam Financial Journalist of the Year 2025 award at a gala dinner in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the event marked its 51st anniversary this July.
A comprehensive recent report, Weaponising the Law: Threats to Media Freedom in South Africa, paints a sobering picture of our current landscape: 50 percent of surveyed journalists in South Africa have faced legal threats directly linked to their reporting.
Social media has become a second battleground during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where millions of fans celebrate victories, debate controversial decisions, and share their opinions in real time. Platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook have transformed the tournament into a global digital conversation. Fans no longer simply watch matches; they actively participate by posting reactions, creating memes, sharing highlights, and discussing every major moment as it happens. This has made social media an essential part of the modern World Cup experience.
In today’s competitive world, a brand is more than just a logo, a product, or a service. It is how people feel about an organisation based on their experiences and perceptions. This is known as brand reputation, where a strong reputation helps organisations build trust with customers, employees, investors, and the public. Without trust, even the most successful businesses can struggle to maintain support and loyalty.
Algorithms play a major role in shaping public conversations online. Social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube deploy algorithms to decide what content users see on their feeds. These systems are designed to study user behaviour, including what people like, comment on, watch, and share. Based on this information, the platforms continue showing users similar content to keep them engaged for longer periods. As a result, algorithms influence which stories, opinions, and trends become popular in public discussions.