Gadget

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. When people talk about the smart city of the future, the conversation often turns to visible infrastructure: transport networks, renewable-energy installations, smart meters, digital services and data platforms. These are all important, but some of the most powerful opportunities are far less visible. They are already sitting inside our homes, plugged into the wall, and quietly consuming electricity every day.

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. Between doom-scrolling, rapid-fire Slack notifications, and algorithmic video feeds, the average employee is trapped in an aggressive, highly engineered dopamine loop. Because of the mobile revolution and social media, the human brain has adapted to filter out boring, repetitive, or non-engaging stimuli faster than ever before.

Kruger Shalati, also known as Train on the Bridge. Photo courtesy Kruger Shalati. The series finale of Hidden Gems: South Africa reveals the viewer-voted winning stay after a season spent exploring lesser-known luxury escapes across the country. The last episode streams on BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174) at 8pm SAST tonight (8 July 2026). The show debuted on 6 May.

Photo: SHERYL GOLDSTUCK. After spending time exploring Mpumalanga’s winding mountain passes, open highways and gravel roads, the new Toyota bZ4X (beyond Zero 4 by 4) rolled into Innibos in Nelspruit, where it quickly became one of the stars of the popular arts festival. Surrounded by live music, bustling crowds and curious onlookers, Toyota’s electric SUV attracted almost as much attention as the performers on stage.

Photo courtesy Acer. Acer Africa has partnered with Syntech, a South African distributor of technology and gaming peripherals. Under the agreement, Syntech will support the growth, local availability, and retail market share of Acer’s Nitro gaming brand. The initial product rollout centres on the Nitro V15 range, with configurations that include Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series and RTX 50-series graphics options, paired with AMD Ryzen and Intel Core processors.

To mark the midpoint of 2026, Plot Twist Picks has rounded up ten of Africa’s biggest awards-season contenders, all available to stream for free on YouTube. These include 2026 Oscar, Emmy and Webby nominees, alongside winners from the Clios, D&AD and the Royal Television Society Awards. Launched during Africa Month, Plot Twist Picks has curated over 300 acclaimed African films to stream on YouTube. Subscribe here for handpicked African films every Tuesday and Thursday. Photo supplied.

Paul Mashatile delivering a keynote address at the Chery Rosslyn manufacturing plant. Picture supplied. When Chinese car maker Chery opened the doors of its Rosslyn manufacturing plant in Pretoria on Friday, the symbolism was stark. Nissan, a stalwart of the era in which Japan, Europe and the United States ruled the South African motor industry, had handed the keys to the high-tech leader of the new era. Nissan built vehicles on this site for six decades.

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. South Africa’s latest labour data raises an uncomfortable question: if even graduates are struggling to find work, is a qualification on its own still enough to build a career on? According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2026, the official unemployment rate rose from 31.4% to 32.7%, and the economy shed 345,000 jobs in three months.

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. As governments around the world compete for investment, visitors, major events and global talent, South Africa has an opportunity to reposition tourism as one of its most significant long-term economic growth sectors—not simply through marketing campaigns, but through deliberate investment in destination development.

When South Africa was grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2023, financial institutions had their work cut out. Policies were rapidly reviewed, controls swiftly strengthened, and resources were aimed towards addressing the shortcomings that had been identified.