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TUESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2026, 22:27

Top Stories

BROKEN PROMISES: Joburg’s 188 hijacked buildings: Nine years, seven court orders, only one eviction

Today at 22:11 PM, via Daily Maverick

Weeks of raids on hijacked buildings in the Joburg CBD by city departments and the JMPD followed the murder of DJ Warras, creating the impression that Joburg was finally moving decisively against hijacked buildings. But the numbers tell a different story. The city still has at least 188 hijacked buildings in the inner city, with court orders in place for just seven, and even those remain...

Top Stories

Looming water supply ‘bankruptcy’ puts billions at risk, UN report warns

Today at 21:24 PM, via Daily Maverick

Jan 20 (Reuters) – The world is facing irreversible water “bankruptcy”, with billions of people struggling to cope with the consequences of decades of overuse as well as shrinking supplies from lakes, rivers, glaciers and wetlands, U.N. researchers said on Tuesday.

South Africa

South African Startup Launches AI Platform to Improve Road Safety, Fleet Efficiency

Today at 20:24 PM, via iAfrica

A newly established South African startup has launched an artificial intelligence platform aimed at reshaping transportation and mobility across Africa, targeting infrastructure and safety challenges that often limit growth in emerging markets. Founded in late 2025, the company is developing digital tools designed to reduce vehicle breakdowns and road accidents in fast-growing urban areas....

South Africa

UNESCO, World Bank Urge African Policymakers to Prioritize Sustainable AI

Today at 20:22 PM, via iAfrica

UNESCO and the World Bank convened senior information and communication technology policymakers from across Africa to examine technical and policy approaches for building more resource-efficient and sustainable artificial intelligence systems. The workshop, held Nov. 11 in Conakry, Guinea, brought together policymakers, regulators and industry leaders alongside experts from UNESCO and the World...

South Africa

“Small AI” Is Driving Africa’s Next Wave of Adoption

Today at 20:20 PM, via iAfrica

Across Africa, artificial intelligence is increasingly being shaped not by billion-dollar data centers or massive compute budgets, but by the rise of “Small AI” — lightweight, mobile-friendly tools designed for affordability, accessibility and real-world use. This shift is helping African countries overcome longstanding barriers such as limited infrastructure, uneven connectivity and...

South Africa

AI Literacy Is Becoming a Baseline Skill in South Africa’s 2026 Job Market

Today at 20:18 PM, via iAfrica

South Africa’s job market is shifting as artificial intelligence literacy becomes an expected workplace skill, even in roles not traditionally linked to technology. Rather than focusing on coding or specialist technical expertise, the change is centered on the ability to work alongside AI tools to improve productivity, decision-making and output. In 2026, that capability is […]

Education

Nigeria: Teaching Requires Dedication, Bauchi Official Tells Teachers, Others

Today at 22:02 PM, via AllAfrica

[Leadership] Area education officers, school support officers, and Arabic visiting teachers in Dambam local government area of Bauchi State have been urged to show greater commitment and diligence in the discharge of their duties as schools resume for the academic session.

Entertainment

24 hours in pictures, 20 January 2026

Today at 20:46 PM, via The Citizen

Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.

Science/Tech

Anthropic CEO Says Government Should Help Ensure AI’s Economic Upside Is Shared

Today at 22:02 PM, via Slashdot

An anonymous reader shares a report: Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei predicted a future in which AI will spur significant economic growth — but could lead to widespread unemployment and inequality. Amodei is both “excited and worried” about the impact of AI, he said in an interview at Davos Tuesday. “I don’t think there’s an awareness at all of what is coming here and the magnitude of...

Science/Tech

AI Agents ‘Perilous’ for Secure Apps Such as Signal, Whittaker Says

Today at 21:22 PM, via Slashdot

Signal Foundation president Meredith Whittaker warned that AI agents that autonomously carry out tasks pose a threat to encrypted messaging apps [non-paywalled source] because they require broad access to data stored across a device and can be hijacked if given root permissions. Speaking at Davos on Tuesday, Whittaker said the deeper integration of AI agents into devices is “pretty perilous”...