With many frontline workers lacking regular access to email or workplace computers, South African businesses are using WhatsApp to provide payslips, leave applications and HR support — but privacy, data costs and digital exclusion remain concerns.

Instead of chasing every fleeting trend in a frenzy, China stays focused on innovation within chosen sectors. Instead of faltering amid headwinds, it stays anchored to the goal of fostering new quality productive forces.

Carling Knockout holders Orlando Pirates will host Betway Premiership rookies Milford FC in the opening round of the competition. The round of 16 draw was conducted at the Langhams Lifestyle Estate in Fourways, Johannesburg, on Wednesday night. Kaizer Chiefs are also at home against TS Galaxy, while Mamelodi Sundowns will face Marumo Gallants in a repeat of last season’s round of 16 fixture. Dates, venues and times will be announced by the Premier Soccer League at a later stage. The full draw: Kruger United vs AmaZulu FCMamelodi Sundowns vs Marumo GallantsGolden Arrows vs Chippa UnitedDurban City vs Stellenbosch FCOrlando Pirates vs Milford FCPolokwane City vs Siwelele FCSekhukhune United vs Richards Bay FCKaizer Chiefs vs TS Galaxy

We bring you a visual snapshot of the day’s news events, featuring people praying for Pope Leo XIV outside a Rome hospital where he is recovering after surgery, conservation officials examining an orangutan rescued from a forest fire in Indonesia, and the giant pumpkin that won the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in California. These are some of the compelling images from around the world. (For best view, click on image for fullscreen) People pray at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli University Hospital, where Pope Leo XIV is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung, in Rome on October 14, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP) A woman stands beside caskets bearing the remains of fallen soldiers at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14, 2026. Vietnam held funeral rites for more than 700 of its war dead on October 14, unearthed in a major push to identify those missing from decades of conflict with France and the United States. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP) Travis Gienger’s pumpkin that won the 53rd Annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off is lifted on October 12, 2026 in Half Moon Bay, California. Dozens of pumpkin growers competed Monday to see who grew the heaviest pumpkin of the season. (Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images) A fan cheers after Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova beat USA’s Caty McNally during their women’s singles match at the Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, China’s Hubei province on October 14, 2026. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP) Former Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya appears at Randburg Magistrate’s Court for further bail hearing on October 14, 2026 in Randburg, South Africa. Sibiya is accused of sexually grooming a 16-year-old girl and raping an 18-year-old woman. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo) General view shows the visitor walkway at the Iguazu Falls over a strong current seen from the Brazilian side of the triple Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay border, in the city of Foz do Iguacu, Parana state, Brazil, on October 13, 2026. Authorities temporarily closed tourist access to Iguazu Falls due to the rising level of the river of the same name, while increases have been recorded in the flow of the Parana and Uruguay rivers as a result of rains associated with the El Niño phenomenon. (Photo by CHRISTIAN RIZZI / AFP) An army robot dog “Optimal Prime” is pictured in the field on the last day of ARTEX26 Army Technological Experimentation and European Defense Agency’s HEDI OPEX26 High Visibility Event (HVE) experimentation campaign, at Santa Margarida Military Camp in Constancia, on October 14, 2026. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP) People look at the Budhi Gandaki river on a damaged bridge connecting Nepal’s Dhading district and Gorkha district on October 14, 2026, in the aftermath of a flash flood caused by a dry landslide. Nepali rescuers searched for five missing people on October 12, a day after devastating flash floods swept away more than 200 houses and five bridges along the Budhi Gandaki river as the country still recovers from the devastating August 26 floods, triggered by a mountain glacial collapse, which killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP) Itamar Ben-Gvir (C), Israel’s national security minister and head of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, tours a market during a meet-and-greet as part of his campaign ahead of Israel’s legislative election, in Ramle on October 14, 2026. Israel heads to the polls on October 27 in its first election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, in what is seen as a referendum on the prime minister. (Photo by Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP) Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) officials examine an orangutan after it was evacuated from a forest and land fire in the Baamang area of East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan on October 14, 2026. Toxic haze has shrouded parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Borneo and Sumatra, with the smoke drifting across the region. (Photo by REINA / AFP) A Merlin Mk II helicopter from Royal Navy Air Station Culdrose, lifts one of 18 historic cannons to the nearby mainland for restoration, at St Michael’s Mount on October 14, 2026 in Penzance, England. The cannons have been painted in the past, but where the paint has failed, salt spray has caused them to rust. Initial examination suggests all the cannons are English, possibly from the reign of King George II (1727 to 1760). (Photo by Hugh R Hastings/Getty Images) A car swept away by floodwaters lies on a beach as torrential rain and storms hit the Dodecanese, in the area of Stegna, near the village of Archangelos, on the Greek island of Rhodes on October 14, 2026. A 62-year-old man died in the area after his car was swept into the sea, authorities said, as the mayor requested that the island be declared in a state of emergency. (Photo by Eurokinissi / AFP) A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire burning on the roof of the construction site of Bouygues Bâtiment Île-de-France next to the Gare d’Austerlitz railway station in Paris on October 14, 2026. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) Aquaculture workers navigate boats through an abalone farming area to carry out maintenance work at a marine ranch in Guanwu village, Lianjiang county, Fuzhou, in eastern China’s Fujian province, on October 13, 2026. (Photo by CN-STR / AFP) Dancers from Nehaal Productions perform a devotional dance during Navratri celebrations at the Gujarati Hindu Sanskruti Kendra in Durban, 13 October 2026. Navratri, meaning “nine nights” in Sanskrit, is a Hindu festival honouring Goddess Durga and her nine forms and celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Devotees mark the festival with prayer, fasting, devotional music and traditional dances. The festival is celebrated by millions of Hindus worldwide. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal A woman pushes an electric bike loaded with cabbages at a market in Shenyang, in China’s northeast Liaoning province on October 14, 2026. China’s producer prices rose sharply in September even as consumer inflation remained subdued, official data showed October 14, as conflict in the Middle East continued to push up oil prices and squeeze supply. (Photo by CN-STR / AFP) Larry the cat poses for a photograph outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of Britain’s Prime Minister, on October 14, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP) A supporter wearing a Salvador Dali mask from the Spanish Netflix hit series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) poses during a campaign rally in support of Brazil’s President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia on October 13, 2026, ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff. (Photo by Sergio LIMA / AFP) Protesters, one holding a flag, clash with police amid a jet of blue-tinted water as violence erupts for a second consecutive day during demonstrations demanding the resignation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (not pictured) and better education, in central Tirana on October 14, 2026. The renewed clashes followed violence the previous day, when protesters threw stones, smashed windows at the Education Ministry, tore down a fence and set rubbish bins on fire. (Photo by Adnan Beci / AFP) Aston Villa fans pose for a photo in front of the Ozzy Osbourne mural outside the stadium before the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between Aston Villa FC and Fenerbahce SK at Villa Park on October 14, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images) 1/20 MORE PICTURES: Cosplayers, gaming and pop culture take centre stage at Comic Con Africa

On 11 October 2026, X users couldn’t help but turn a harmless post into a fun roast after photos of Nathi Mthethwa’s lookalike caused a stir on social media. FRENZY OVER NATHI MTHETHWA’S LOOKALIKE Edward ThembaSa, an X user, posted a series of photos at the Upside Down House, a popular tourist attraction in Hartbeespoort. However, fellow netizen @Makofane Dimphoo reposted the photos and jokingly indicated that Edward bears a resemblance to the late politician Nathi Mthethwa. It didn’t take long for other X users to chime in, as many agreed that Edward could easily be mistaken for Nathi. Close enough, why is your family moving to France?— Moremadi wa Ford Ranger (@MakofaneDimphoo) October 11, 2026 NETIZENS WEIGH IN  @carol_seabi: I also thought it was a young throwback. @ThatZeeZee: I thought nguye nyani [it was really him]. @masenyamakola: Heban, uyena! Nathi Mthethwa. @D_Molatoli: No man, you look too much like Nathi Mthethwa. @Lecheadi: You couldn’t wait a little longer before you resurfaced. @QondileKM: Uyena [it’s him]. NATHI MTHETHWA’S FAMILY ALLEGEDLY MOVES TO FRANCE In October 2026, rumours emerged that Nathi Mthethwa’s family would be moving back to France, where he lived with his wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi. Before his passing, Mthethwa served as South Africa’s ambassador to France after his tenure as a cabinet minister in South Africa. The passing of the seasoned politician in France has been shrouded in mystery. According to the authorities in France, they indicated that Nathi may have committed suicide after jumping from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel in September 2025.

Rachel Kolisi has been hailed a “super mom” after taking her children and their friends to watch her ex, Siya Kolisi’s Stormers homecoming match last weekend. The mom-of-two and her rugby-player ex announced their marriage split two years ago. While Siya has moved on with a woman named Rachel John, his former spouse has remained single. The 35-year-old has returned to the Cape Town club in a bid to be closer to his family. RACHEL KOLISI SUPPORTS SIYA’S STORMERS HOMECOMING On her TikTok account, Rachel Kolisi vlogged a “day in the life” video about her busy weekend This included hosting a dozen children for her son Nick’s 12th birthday celebrations and taking the  kids to watch the Stormers match against the Sharks at the DHL Stadium . In the video, Rachel dons a Stormers rugby shirt while cheering from the stands. She zooms onto the pitch, seemingly at her ex, Siya Kolisi, who celebrated his homecoming match. Rachel says in the vlog: “I haven’t been to a live game in ages, so it was super fun. The kids had a great time”. @rachelkolisi A little bit of everything, all in a day 🤍 ♬ original sound – Rachel Kolisi HAPPY TO BE HOME Like his ex, Rachel Kolisi, Siya Kolisi appears happy to be home after his return to Cape Town and the Stormers. The 35-year-old has been enjoying the sights and cuisine of the Western Province in his social media posts.

iOCO will not pay a dividend for as long as Rhys Summerton is at the helm of the company.

ID numbers, medical aid details and payment information may have been taken, Ampath has told patients.