BY MODERN OPULENT GAZETTE

Homeownership in South Africa is increasingly being shaped by women. According to Standard Bank data, approximately 70% of home buyers in 2025 were women, highlighting a significant shift in the country’s property landscape and pointing to a growing generation of women taking ownership of their futures through the spaces they call home. While purchasing a home is often viewed primarily as a financial milestone, it can also represent something far more personal. For many homeowners, the...

South Africa has had a particularly cold week, and the conversation in homes across the country inevitably turns to one thing: how do we keep warm? Gas heaters become the centre of attention, blankets migrate from cupboards to couches, and finding the warmest spot in the house suddenly becomes a competitive sport. For households with air conditioning, however, there is another option that can offer warmth without requiring someone to keep moving a heater around the house. Samsung is...

Behind every birthday bouquet, congratulations hamper, sympathy arrangement or late-night apology is something far more meaningful than a transaction. There is a relationship, a milestone or a moment when someone decided another person deserved to be acknowledged. Ryan Bacher For Ryan Bacher, co-founder and Managing Director of NetFlorist, those moments have offered an unusual window into how South Africans express love, gratitude, support and care. After 25 years in the gifting business,...

Every time an organisation traces a security breach back to a single click, a rushed approval or a document shared through the wrong application, it is tempting to blame human error. It is a familiar diagnosis, and an appealing one because it reduces a complex security failure to one person's decision on one particularly bad afternoon. The solution then appears equally straightforward: more training, more warnings and more reminders for employees to stay vigilant. The problem is that the same...

As South Africa marks Women’s Month, attention naturally turns to the women shaping the country’s future across business, society and industry. Yet some of the most important opportunities for women’s economic participation are emerging in sectors that do not always receive the same attention, including the circular economy. Across South Africa’s glass recycling value chain, women are already playing an important role. They collect recyclable glass, operate buy-back centres, work in...

For years, cosmetic procedures have largely been discussed through the language of surgery. Men, however, are increasingly finding different ways to talk about changing their appearance. “Maintenance”, “Brotox” and “facial harmonisation” have become increasingly familiar terms in conversations around male aesthetic treatments, reflecting a shift in how men approach cosmetic medicine. The focus is often less on having “work done” and more on looking rested, defined or refreshed without...

Entrepreneurs often believe success starts with a great idea. In reality, ideas are plentiful. What separates successful businesses from the rest is the ability to turn an idea into a product or service customers genuinely want and are willing to pay for. That ability to execute is at the heart of Engen The Making Of, a reality-based innovation competition sponsored by Engen and powered by Raizcorp. The competition places 10 entrepreneurs under intense pressure, giving them just four hours to...

From inspiring interiors and contemporary African design to property advice, gourmet food and independent makers, Decorex Joburg returns to transform the Sandton Convention Centre into a five-storey celebration of how South Africans are living, designing and creating today. Taking place from 30 July to 2 August, this year's edition embraces The Soft Life, a theme that explores how thoughtful design can create homes that prioritise comfort, connection and wellbeing. Presented in partnership...

As South Africans marked Mandela Day by dedicating time to community service, businesses across the country also stepped up with initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable communities during the winter months. Among them was The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC), which partnered with the Fountain of Love Centre by donating blankets and essential groceries to help children, families and elderly residents facing the challenges of winter. Observed annually on 18 July, Mandela Day encourages...

Watching Wimbledon has become more than simply following the action unfolding on the grass courts of London for many South Africans. In recent years, Amex Tennis Town has transformed the Grand Slam into a lifestyle experience, with fans embracing the occasion by dressing in Wimbledon-inspired outfits, gathering with friends and family, and turning the annual watch party into one of the country's most anticipated sporting weekends. That growing appetite for tennis-led experiences was on full...

South Africa's entrepreneurial landscape is becoming increasingly diverse, with women building businesses that tackle some of the country's biggest social and economic challenges. From menstrual health and sustainable manufacturing to artificial intelligence and women's safety, this year's finalists for the 2026 Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot reflect a new generation of founders using business as a vehicle for long-term impact. Now in its fifth year in South Africa, the awards recognise...

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has created a foundation for a more connected African market, but for many businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, the biggest challenge remains turning that opportunity into reality. While trade agreements can open access to new markets, the ability to move goods efficiently across borders remains one of the biggest factors determining whether businesses can scale beyond their home countries. South Africa’s commercial sector is...

Building a business that lasts three decades requires more than surviving market changes. It requires the ability to evolve, understand customers and maintain the relationships that turn first-time buyers into lifelong supporters. For South African photographic, printing and framing specialist ORMS, that journey began in a garage and has grown into one of the country’s recognised creative retail destinations. Founded in 1996 by photographer Mike Ormrod, ORMS started from a passion for...

As South Africa looks to strengthen its future workforce, inspiring young people to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is becoming increasingly important. A mobile science laboratory is helping bring that opportunity directly into classrooms. From 25 May to 9 June, more than 1,200 students from Trinityhouse Schools in Little Falls, Glen Vista and Centurion took part in Merck’s Curiosity Cube™ programme in Johannesburg, experiencing hands-on science...

South Africa’s commercial transport sector keeps the economy moving, from minibus taxis carrying millions of commuters daily to buses and freight trucks supporting the movement of goods across the country. Yet despite the sector’s critical role, many fleet operators continue to view insurance as a costly requirement rather than a tool for protecting business continuity. The challenge, according to industry experts, is not simply a lack of trust in insurers. Instead, it is a broader issue...

Lumi Glo, known for its glow-focused skincare, has introduced two new products designed to target dullness, dehydration, and skin stress. The launch includes a brightening Vitamin C serum and a barrier-repair cream aimed at restoring radiance while keeping skin calm, hydrated, and visibly healthier. From dryness and tightness to a loss of radiance, the products are designed to address some of the most common skincare concerns, especially those that worsen during the colder months. The Super...

As industries continue evolving and professional demands shift alongside them, Eduvos is expanding its postgraduate offering with two new qualifications designed to prepare graduates for the realities of a changing workforce. The institution has introduced a new Master of Commerce in Business Management alongside a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), both aimed at addressing growing demand for flexible, career-focused postgraduate study opportunities. While the programmes serve very...

Plastic has become so deeply woven into modern life that most people barely notice it anymore. It is in food packaging, clothing, water bottles, kitchen containers, beauty products and countless everyday household items. It surrounds us from morning to night, often without a second thought. But a new Netflix documentary, The Plastic Detox, is asking viewers to pause and reconsider what that constant exposure could actually mean, not only for the environment, but for human health as well. At...

The Western Cape’s tourism industry is experiencing a noticeable shift as more travellers move away from rushed itineraries and crowded city stays in favour of slower, more experience-driven travel. Rather than hopping between multiple destinations in a short period, visitors are increasingly choosing to stay longer, travel at a gentler pace and base themselves just outside major tourism hubs. Industry players are referring to the trend as “stay nearby” travel, and it is beginning to reshape...

In a world dominated by filters, flawless complexions and increasingly elaborate skincare routines, ASICS is taking a very different approach to beauty. The sportswear brand has launched its latest campaign, Get The Glow, centred around a surprisingly simple idea: the original glow comes from movement. Instead of polished beauty imagery or heavily retouched campaign shots, ASICS is spotlighting real post-exercise faces. The campaign features individuals, including ASICS athletes, photographed...

With the Cape’s winter rains approaching and unseasonably late rainfall continuing across other parts of South Africa, many households are shutting windows, turning on heaters and drying laundry indoors more often. The problem is that all of this creates the perfect environment for one unwelcome winter guest: mould. Humidity is often associated with hot summer weather, but damp indoor air can become just as problematic during colder months. In many cases, winter conditions actually make the...

When air fryers first hit the market, they did more than introduce a new way to cook. They changed how people thought about convenience, healthier living and everyday efficiency. Winter at home is beginning to experience a similar shift. For years, many households have simply accepted the discomforts that come with colder months as unavoidable. Damp laundry hanging indoors for days, wardrobes carrying a lingering musty smell, windows collecting condensation and walls quietly growing mould...

Your mother is expecting roses, flowers or maybe just another card. Catch her off guard this year. Get her something she actually needs, whether she is a gym goer, a couch potato or someone who loves wandering through parks with a playlist in her ears. Sony has you covered. Mother’s Day is the one day of the year where “she said she didn’t want anything” simply does not fly. This year, skip the predictable routine and give her something that genuinely improves her everyday life. From premium...

A homegrown digital success story is making a decisive move onto broadcast television, as Kickin’ It with Kim Jayde – Broadcast Edition returns for its third season, premiering on 25 May 2026 on Bravo Africa (DStv 124). Airing weekly at 9:10 PM across eight episodes, the series continues to position itself at the intersection of lifestyle, fashion and pop culture, led by award-winning presenter and entrepreneur Kim Jayde Robinson. What began as a YouTube-led format now enters a new phase....