poverty

The number of South Africans with bank accounts grew by 11% between 2005 and 2006, reaching just over half the adult population - with low-cost account Mzansi claiming the lion's share of new customers.

South Africa is to roll out a R6.1-billion literacy campaign over the next five years, targeting 4.7-million people who were denied access to education under apartheid.

Entrepreneurs Sara Blakely and Richard Branson are backing South Africa's Women on the Move programme, which empowers young women to take control of their lives and help build responses to HIV/Aids and poverty in their communities.

"Are we about to witness an ideological shift in the ANC? I don't think so." Sir Anthony O'Reilly, chief executive of Independent News & Media, explains why he regards South Africa as a modern-day miracle - and why he thinks the miracle isn't over.

The South African Police Service is to work more closely with communities and government departments to address the social causes of violent crimes in the country - which in the great majority of cases involve perpetrators who are known to their victims.

Bill Lynch, who built Imperial into South Africa's largest transport and mobility conglomerate after arriving in the country 35 years ago with little money and no job, has been named 2006 Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Describing South Africa as "a country enjoying the benefits of high commodity prices, solid growth and low interest rates", a special report by London's influential Financial Times has expressed qualified praise for SA's economic successes.

President Thabo Mbeki has joined the rest of the world in congratulating the Holy See on electing Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new pope to succeed Pope John Paul II.

Recent parliamentary hearings on a draft Children's Bill, drawn up by the SA Law Reform Commission to bring together all legislation relating to children, were tense as welfare organisations and the government argued over key points excluded from the original draft Bill.

South Africa is the second least corrupt country in Africa, with a slightly improved score in the 2006 Corruption Index by Transparency International. The country is also way ahead of similar major emerging market countries such as China, India and Brazil.