chess

Hunger was the motivation for Uganda's Phiona Mutesi to attend chess classes at a local church: she signed up because they also provided a bowl of porridge. Today, her story is being made into a Hollywood movie.

Kenny Solomon chose a very different path from the boys he grew up with in Cape Town's Mitchells Plain. He changed his fate when he began playing chess at the age of 13; now, 22 years later, he has become a chess grandmaster and an inspiration to youngsters everywhere.

Kenny Solomon chose a very different path from the boys he grew up with in Cape Town's Mitchells Plain. He changed his fate when he began playing chess at the age of 13; now, 22 years later, he has become a chess grandmaster and an inspiration to youngsters everywhere.

In her State of the Province Address delivered on Friday 20 February, Premier Helen Zille outlined the Western Cape government's five strategic goals to build a highly skilled, innovation driven, resource efficient, connected and high opportunity society for all. Read the full speech here.

Over the past seven years, 80 individuals have been recognised for their personal giving that has contributed to sustainable social change in South Africa. This year, 12 more individuals were added to the list at the eighth annual Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards, held at Zip Zap Circus in Cape Town.

Four Corners, a story of gangsterism, chess and redemption - and South Africa's submission to the 2014 Academy Awards - releases locally on Friday 28 March. Watch the trailer here.

In delivering the third Mandela Colloquium lecture, his old friend Ahmed Kathrada spoke with great affection, always recounting his memories of their years together in the present tense, as if Mandela was still present in his life. They met when Kathrada was a teenager, and he was inspired by the former leader's strength, courage and deep sense of equality.

Eleven-year-old schoolboy Daniel Barrish held former world chess champion Garry Kasparov to a draw during a series of matches played in Khayelitsha, Cape Town on Friday to mark the launch of the Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa, in collaboration with local organisation Moves for Life.

Uniforms, stationery and a vegetable tunnel were donated to underprivileged schools by Nedbank through its Back-to-School programme, one of the bank's many investments in education.
• Needy pupils kitted out for school

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall had a busy first day of their trip to South Africa on Thursday, paying a visit to Soweto, to the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg and to a women's refuge project in Pretoria.