In what might be construed as a vote of confidence for the power of social media, the United Nations has just launched a new group of high-profile Internet users to inspire and involve social media audiences in the effort to combat malaria.

Ask any non-profit or community-based organisation what their biggest challenge is an inevitably it comes back as one word – funding. Whether they apply to the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) or the National Development Agency (NDA), the time it takes to actually apply and then receive (hopefully) the funds can mean life or death for many small operations, with the real affect being felt by the people they support.

Three of the country’s top magicians, Jacques le Sueur, the only person to ever successfully steal (and return) former President Nelson Mandela’s wrist-watch (twice), Andrew “Magic Man” Eland, one of the most experienced and well-travelled magicians in the country and Marcel Oudejans, recognised both locally and abroad as one of the busiest corporate event entertainment specialists in Africa, will delight audiences at a charity benefit hosted by the UPliftment Programme at the Grand West Casino on 20 February. 

It’s always great winning competitions, but even better when you know that your entry has helped eradicate poverty in the process. Now that’s a prize worth aiming for.

Do you remember the good old days when toxic products were marked by scary images of skulls and cross bones so you could distinguish the dangerous from the safe? Well no longer. According to a recent study into local leather shoes, your favourite pair of moccasins could be toxic to yourself and the environment.

With so many diseases and disasters plaguing our continent, we often forget about the individuals and the lives they affect. Like 17-year-old Radhiyyah, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and is currently receiving treatment at Groote Schuur Hospital. What does she want most in the world? 

It’s a good year for the Halfway Toyota Midmar Mile – not only is it boasting a newfound status as the world's biggest open water swimming event but some of the world’s top swimmers are lining up to raise money for charity.

It’s always exciting when a project from a South African university beats thousands of entries from the likes of Harvard or MIT to win a prestigious prize. It’s even better when that project has the potential to help small businesses in Africa become globally competitive.

Making the transition from high school to university can be a daunting leap for some. Even if students make good grades, many aren’t equipped with the life skills needed to help them balance the heavy workload with an active social life. For this they need mentorship, which is exactly what the Rachel’s Angels mentorship programme gives them, but also so much more.

By now you know that Andrew Booth did not win the Hansa Powerade Dusi Canoe Marathon – that honour went to the power duo of  Andrew Birkett and Jason Graham. So why is Andrew Booth being hailed champion of the river?

Leading restaurants in the Stellenbosch and Paarl winelands are ploughing back into the community through StreetSmart SA, the non-profit organisation dedicated to the social integration and upliftment of street children. The new StreetSmart restaurants include Rust en Vrede, Wedgeview Country House & Spa, Overture, The Big Easy, Bodega and Jordan Restaurant. Johan Swanepoel and Nic Dupper of River Manor Boutique Hotel and Spa are the driving force behind the Stellenbosch committee.

Every morning, since 12 January 2010, South Africans have woken up to the news of the growing devastation and desperation in Haiti, with little recourse to do anything. South Africa’s Gift of the Givers prepared an aid package of about R 5 million and has already sent a search and rescue team to help, but the question still remains – how can ordinary SA citizens aid this emergency operation?

The Nelson Mandela Institute (NMI) has brought to life 14 rural Transkei schools adopted by former president Nelson Mandela. A group of five volunteers from the NMI, a subsidiary of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, spent most of their December holidays in the Mqanduli area renovating primary schools to create an environment conducive for learning.

If global trends are anything to go by it the unregulated South African bottled mineral water market, which is estimated to be worth close to R2 billion per year, might just come under attack in the future. Campaigns against bottled water, which are considered to be based on a misrepresentation of heath factors involved and is said to contribute massively to plastic pollution and CO2 emission levels, are spreading like wildfire internationally.

Solar energy, wind power, hydropower schemes and bioenergy could become an engine for economic and social development in all African countries, World Energy Council (WEC) Africa regional manager Dr Latsoucabé Fall stated on Thursday.

An international organisation is set to start an 12 874km charity drive that will start in Berlin, Germany, and end in Cape Town in time for the World Cup.

Give for Life, an innovative initiative that harnesses business principles for charity, provides a unique fundraising solution where participants earn returns for their efforts while charities still reap the maximum benefits. Homemaker Marie Botha has earned over R115,626.82 for charity and an income of R58,000 for herself, after just a year of owning her Give for Life business.

Cassim Moolla of Lenasia who owns and runs the Multi Serve franchise store at Trade Route Mall in Lenasia was the winner of the Inseta National Disability award in the category Young Leader Future Entrepreneur 2009.

The R1 Billion Tsitsikamma wind farm project launched yesterday moved South Africa another step closer to increasing its production of cleaner and renewable energy.By 2013 the wind farm will produce 40 megawatts of electricity, which will be sold to Eskom. It is the first community-owned project of its kind in the country.

East London will soon have a youth centre like no other in South Africa. Something Marius Gradwell, project founder, says is really needed. “I did a lot of research and studied other programmes around the country and we’ve not seen another programme like this. Our Gap programme will teach youngsters everything they need to empower themselves from writing their CV’s (curriculum vitae), applying for a job and how to prepare for a job interview.