October 2024 Archive — What mattered this month

October was busy. You’ll find clear, practical coverage here: the start of matric finals, big football fixtures, rising geopolitical tensions, a major bank move in Africa, and local political shake-ups. This page groups our key stories so you can catch up fast and follow developments that affect students, sports fans, and anyone tracking politics or business across the continent.

Top stories from October 2024

Education: Matric season took centre stage. NSC and IEB final exams began in late October, with NSC languages kicking off on October 21 and IEB papers starting earlier (CAT on October 16). There’s a scheduled break on October 31 and exams run through late November. We flagged the main dates and reminders students need — exam day prep, checking venues, and staying updated with school notices.

Sports: Several football and boxing stories grabbed attention. The Carabao Cup draw was set for October 30, with quarter-finals pencilled for the week of December 16 and coverage available on Sky Sports and Sky Go. Chelsea’s Conference League trip to Panathinaikos, Arsenal Women’s Champions League win under interim coach Renee Slegers, Inter Milan’s looming tests against Roma and Juventus, and Bukayo Saka’s injury update from England’s camp all featured. In boxing, Dmitry Bivol is pushing for a rematch with Artur Beterbiev after a narrow loss. And on the international stage, Brazil sealed a late World Cup qualifying win over Chile — Luiz Henrique’s stoppage-minute goal turned the game around.

Geopolitics and conflict: Tensions between Israel and Iran rose in October, prompting public appeals from the US and UK to de-escalate. We covered Israel’s strikes on Iranian-linked targets, Iran’s defensive posture, and the broader regional unease that followed. Separately, Israel marked the October 7 attack with memorial events, while the fighting around Gaza and Hezbollah activity kept the situation tense and uncertain.

Business and local politics: JPMorgan Chase moved forward with plans in Africa after gaining approval to open a representative office in Kenya — a sign of increased global banking interest in the region. Back home, ActionSA and ANC coalition moves led to Nasiphi Moya emerging as Tshwane’s likely mayor, a development with immediate local governance implications.

How to follow these stories

Want quick updates? Check our site for live match links and TV broadcast tips for sports. Students should keep their school or exam board channels handy for last-minute timetable changes. For fast political or business alerts, follow our breaking news tag — we post concise updates as events develop. If you're tracking a specific story (exams, a fixture, or diplomatic moves), use the site search with the headline keywords we used in our posts.

October’s coverage mixes practical info (exam dates, TV schedules) with on-the-ground reporting (political shifts and conflict updates). If you missed something, click any headline to read the full article and get sourced details, timelines, and what to watch next.