The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted all components of the economy – all sectors in terms of demand and supply, employment, investment, growth, confidence and exports.

An initiative from the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) was recently honoured with an international award from the Covid-19 Innovation Challenge of the United Nations (UN) Africa Innovation and Investment Forum 2020.

As the world continues to face the unprecedented challenges meted out by the global Covid-19 pandemic, many countries and institutions around the world are developing new and technological means of maintaining health standards and creating safe environments for people to interact in and go about their usual day-to-day business.

North-West University (NWU) alumnus Sydwell Sihlangu and founder of Eco-Agro Enterprise Pty Ltd has been selected as one of the winners of Africa-France Summit and Digital Africa’s 1 000 Entrepreneurs Challenge competition.

 Is there really a problem?

The benefits of exercise, a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle are undisputed in modern life, and the positive impact these have on well-being and performance is no secret.

 “The current coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have disrupted routines unexpectedly and overwhelmingly. This has caused concern across the world about the impact on the mental health of not only adults, but also of children.”

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Avuyile Ndzimela is living his dream of being a top bodybuilder, and in the process he is paying homage to his childhood hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in more ways than one.

Like for so many sports people the Covid-19 pandemic has called a halt to the rugby dreams of the 20-year-old Hugo Scott of the North-West University (NWU). This crack scrum half of the first rugby team on the Vanderbijlpark Campus was, among other things, looking forward to representing the campus in the company of his older brother, Hardus (23) this year.

Who could have guessed that distance education would be the compass of 2020! This is not only the alley for students and lecturers alike, but it opened up new horizons with unending possibilities and ongoing potential in the world of technological communication.

Life can be difficult for Grade 11 and 12 learners who have to master challenging subjects such as mathematics in their final years in high school. It can even be more trying when a coronavirus pandemic and its resulting lockdown are added to the mix.