Regional Aviation & AI Infrastructure: South Africa’s Transport Minister Barbara Creecy urged SADC to speed up the Single African Air Transport Market, pairing “liberalised skies” with AI-enabled climate-resilient infrastructure to move from pledges to real connectivity. Public Safety Tech in Protests: Gauteng police warned June 30 anti-illegal immigration demonstrators they’ll be tracked and arrested, citing drones, helicopters and 33,000 CCTV cameras. Vehicle Tech in SA: Audi launched the third-gen Q3 in South Africa with digital matrix LED headlights, OLED rear lights and a “digital stage” cockpit plus a large infotainment screen. Climate-Smart Farming Finance: Standard Bank committed about R3.4bn to climate-smart agriculture, backing solar-powered systems, water-efficient irrigation and precision farming to protect food security. Corruption Case Update: “Cat” Matlala agreed to become a state witness in a major SAPS-linked scandal, with a proposed 15-year sentence (7 suspended) pending court acceptance. Drones & Airspace Safety: South Africa’s commercial drone growth is outpacing airspace safety rules, with calls for better visibility and tracking as drones share controlled airspace with aircraft. Education & Research Rankings: UCT held Africa’s top spot in US News Best Global Universities Rankings, rising to 122nd globally. Tobacco & Vaping Regulation: Parliament’s health committee backed the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill to proceed, but MPs want major amendments before it becomes law. Engineering Skills Push: The Academic Institute of Excellence launched five new engineering qualifications to tackle South Africa’s engineering shortage and the retirement of legacy credentials.