RSV prevention push: SK bioscience has submitted a Clinical Trial Application to SAHPRA to start a global paediatric Phase 1b trial of its RSV preventive antibody RSM01 in South Africa, enrolling about 80 infants to test safety and pharmacokinetics. AI skills for Africa: FATE Foundation and AIMS, with Google.org funding of $1.1m, are rolling out an AI upskilling programme across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa aimed at training 30,000+ students and embedding advanced AI into partner university curricula. Packaging intelligence lands locally: Vollherbst is expanding in South Africa with “Label Intelligence”, using consumer insights and production expertise to help brands make better packaging decisions, with wider market rollout planned for Q4 2026. Policing tech delayed: Growing criticism is mounting over SAPS body-worn camera rollout delays, with MPs saying accountability and transparency are being undermined by unclear timelines. Health research and access: AIDS 2026 in Rio highlighted the message “innovation without access is injustice” as global HIV funding pressures continue. Water crisis pressure: Public hearings on South Africa’s Water Services Amendment Bill spotlight leaking pipes, broken pumps, unreliable supply and weak enforcement. Science in the news: A fossil find in Argentina suggests live birth (viviparity) may have evolved far earlier than previously thought, with South African research teams involved. Local environment watch: Lab tests confirm pilchard herpesvirus genetic material in sardines linked to a Western Cape mass mortality event, though scientists are still assessing whether the virus caused the die-off. Regional integration: South Africa took the SADC Council of Ministers chair, pushing for stronger integration, critical-mineral beneficiation and intra-regional trade.