There seems to be so little good news these days. The madness of war in Europe affects us all – even if it is only because of the prices of fuel and food, unemployment in SA is at a ridiculous 35.5% and just when we thought we’ve braved the Covid storm, Shanghai is in lockdown. Of course, one needs the complete picture, but please, give me some good news!
Luckily, there are some positive stories too! You don’t have to wait for tourism figures to know that we have plenty of international tourists back in South Africa. Just drive through Franschhoek’s Main Road for the heart-warming sight of street cafés at capacity, even if that means you can’t find parking. While the real tourism comeback is expected for 2023, more direct flights from the US and the return of trade shows are also good news for SA tourism. (Read more) Let’s hope that an uptick in tourism also results in more employment – especially opportunities for the unemployed youth – and may the economy allow local tourists to continue exploring and enjoying the offering too!
While China is fighting a fresh battle against Covid, South Africa’s state of disaster has been lifted. And like two years ago, the virus might again attack us a few months after its onslaught in the East, but at least we now have access to better information and an efficient vaccine programme.
With petrol price hikes and living costs rising, we all feel the pinch, but I guess we should be relieved that Moody’s has upgraded our credit outlook from negative to stable even though it stays at two levels below investment grade. (Read more)
Manufacturing is important in a country with low employment rates and it is a reason for cautious optimism that the SA manufacturing sentiment rose to the highest level in almost 23 years indicating recovery for this industry. “Absa’s purchasing managers’ index, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research, climbed to 60, from 58.6 a month earlier.” (Read more)
f you need a feel-good fix, we have quite a few sources dedicated to sharing positive stories. I guess a demand for such pages with positive news, says something about our situation, but the stories are inspiring. Follow the Good Things Guy or read SA Good News, Good News Daily and the News24 Feel Good page. From conservation and rescue attempts to humanitarian efforts, overcoming personal odds and finding international success. Some will make you proud and some will make you smile or tear up, but they all remind us that while it might be the negative news that sells papers or increase click through rates, the good things are still happening around us every day. Big picture is what I always preach, but sometimes it is good for your heart and mind to focus on the little ones.