NUGGET (28 NOVEMBER 2025)
Nuggets! (Bite size updates on the real important stuff related to Tech, Trends, Business and the Planet.)
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Pre-note…
That time of year has come, my final installation of nuggets for the year. And this is a jam-packed one! Enjoy!
SHOH, THAT WAS FAST!
Not the year, but the animal! Heard of Project Cheetah? Some time back, India ‘lost’ its cheetah population. Project Cheetah is meant to resolve this. It’s interesting how often conflicting sides of a story are found.
Here is a positive: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/c6DCG_N3NQk
Here is a negative: https://www.conservationaction.co.za/project-cheetah-is-an-ill-advised-wildlife-relocation-that-seems-doomed-to-failure/
I GOT A WIKIPEDIA PAGE!
This must mean I hit the big time, right? It covers information on my career, some of my keynote and guest speaking work, articles, and publications. Here it is, and feel free to contribute: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Pierre_Murray-Kline
THE GLOBAL TIPPING POINTS REPORT 2025
Heard of it? The most important thing it highlights is that, in terms of climate change, we have basically achieved a 1.5-degree increase. Here it is:
https://wwflac.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/gtp_summary_report_2025-v4-pages-lo-res–1-.pdf
SOON, VERY SOON.
We are one step closer to using tiny micro-robots to deliver medicine. This is a great little video update on medical innovation, which is a subject I love to research and write about. See here:
WIKIPEDIA NO MORE?
Did you know that the Wikipedia website has experienced a year-on-year reduction in human visitors (we need to specify ‘human’ because robots also visit websites), and they are now having to adapt and deal with AI bots trolling the site to try and get free content? How rude! One report I found in my studies said: “With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.” This is a real red flag and a negative trend for content websites around the globe. We are facing the possibility of the internet having less content created by humans than by robots in my lifetime. Wikipedia has responded and issued an update on its AI strategy and policy, and names it: Putting humans first. You can read it here:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/04/30/our-new-ai-strategy-puts-wikipedias-humans-first/
WHAT A MESS.
The Emalahleni Local Municipality in Mpumalanga has been fined R650 million this month after pleading guilty to environmental violations (disposal of waste and untreated sewage between 2019 and 2025), with a lot of damage being done to the Olifants River and surrounding water bodies. As an environmentalist, I hope you can imagine how sad and angry this made me! This is a lose-lose situation. Criminal implications against officials, I believe, would be a real deterrent. Let us also remember that the fines imposed on a municipality will be paid by citizens, not those who broke the law. I am grateful for the court and those change champions who used our legal system to fight these shenanigans!
OLD SOUL?
Nope… just an old brain! Our oldest organ is our brain. Yup, it develops early in fetal life. Almost all other parts of us are fully replaced during our lifetime through natural regenerative processes, with exceptions of some cells in our brains and eyes. Yup, you are literally a brand new person every few years! So, how do we keep our brains fit? Here are some tips backed by scientific research! Let’s start with my favourite: practice optimism. Cultivate a positive outlook on life, as higher optimism levels are linked to younger-looking brains.
• Prioritize quality sleep. Put your cellphone away! Improve sleep habits to reduce sleep-related impairments, which will support your brain’s health and slow down aging.
• Maintain strong social support. Yes, social people have healthier brains! Fostering meaningful relationships with family, friends, and loved ones can protect brain function! You cannot do this on Facebook!
• Manage stress effectively. I need to personally practice this one!
• Stay physically active and maintain healthy body composition. Maybe it’s time for that gym membership to actually be used?
• Avoid tobacco use and alcohol.
I am all about a good work-life balance!
CAN PLANTS SURVIVE CLIMATE CHANGE?
I want to share the first article I have come across about a plant that, within a 2-week period, adapted to extreme increased heat exposure: 45 degrees Celsius (or 113 degrees Fahrenheit), higher than any known crop species. Read here: https://scitechdaily.com/this-death-valley-plant-thrives-in-120f-heat-and-could-save-future-crops/
A point worth making is that humans would not survive this sort of heat.
GROWING SOMETHING YOU THINK YOU COULDN’T.
Out of my group of friends and colleagues, there are a few who complain about thinning hair, and for some, it’s true! There are also some who might say their teeth are not in the best shape. For the ones with thinning hair, I have no advice in this article to share, but for those with dental problems, I am thrilled to share some science news you might find interesting and perhaps even useful! There are some clever people at the University of Nottingham who have created a fluoride-free, protein-based gel that helps teeth regrow enamel! Literally, apply some gel—and Bob’s your uncle! Their innovation does this by mimicking natural formation, and when applied, it forms a thin, durable coating that penetrates microcracks and guides new mineral growth by drawing calcium and phosphate from saliva. Well done, Dr. Abshar Hasan and team!
WONDERFUL NEWS!
South Africa has launched its first fully locally made vaccine in over 50 years! It is an oral cholera vaccine developed by Biovac with the SA Medical Research Council. African self-sufficiency in medical and other sectors must be a priority for us, and it cannot take another 50 years! This is an opinion I share often in my books and keynote talks at events.
TO RENT OR TO BUY
That is a question asked very often in my company, especially by younger people. I want to share a good article that offers a scenario to help you answer the question yourself. What is missing from this article (no offense to my fellow authors) is the fact that it’s much easier to get a rental agreement accepted than a homeowner’s bond, even if the rental value on a monthly basis is much higher than a bond instalment. Now, that is a real problem and a major factor to address if we are ever going to truly tackle the housing crisis in South Africa: we need to narrow the gap between bond and rental approval.
https://dailyinvestor.com/property/109214/buying-vs-renting-property-in-south-africa-the-winner-is-clear/
GET A DIPLOMA
Before you share opinions on social media? Should we be held responsible for how we behave online? I believe we should. What do you think Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla? In the coming years, we will see governments imposing regulations on our e-behaviour. China’s new influencer law, which came into effect on October 25, requires content creators discussing topics like medicine, law, education, or finance to hold formal qualifications such as degrees or certifications. I think this is an exceptional idea, but I would like to counter propose that social media platforms have an icon available that the poster must include, declaring the content to be either an ‘opinion’ or a ‘fact,’ so the reader knows upfront what they are consuming. Other regulations are emerging, such as Spain’s influencer registration laws and platform policies from YouTube and Instagram, to ensure transparency and credibility.
NEXT BIG GOLD RUSH
We are about to witness it. I recently learned of the first ‘African’ corporate space deal (of any significant standard) that I have come across. But I don’t believe it will be the last.
I am very interested, and I believe you should be too, in off-world opportunities.
Helsinki-based cryogenics company Bluefors (https://bluefors.com/) signed an agreement with space commercialization startup Interlune (https://www.interlune.space/—visit their website, very interesting) last month to purchase up to ten thousand liters of lunar helium-3 extracted from the Moon.
The value of this deal could be as much as $300 million. Helium-3, a stable isotope of helium, is a highly sought-after resource, as it could fuel nuclear power reactors either on the Moon or back on Earth, or help cool quantum computers. The USA and China are racing to return to the Moon, with ambitions to be there between 2028 and 2030. The question for me is which African nation will get their first?
NUDES?
No thanks. Now imagine your smart car saying, “Send me some nudes.” Well, apparently that recently happened. Grok, the AI in a Tesla, did just that to a child, and the parent is understandingly not happy. But, remember, we set the example for AI, so don’t be so quick to blame it!
Read about the incident here: https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/tesla-ai-inappropriate
ZADNA
That is the name of our .za domain name authority, responsible for the administration and management of the South African domain namespace (.za). But… what would happen if they become bankrupt? This is a scenario we should consider because they almost appear to be heading in that direction. (Scenario planning is something I do all the time!)
So…
What might happen if they do? Well, several implications could arise, such as disruption of domain services, regulatory issues, and impact on the internet ecosystem—just to name a few! At the time of preparing this article and research material, ZADNA currently has only about R40,000 left in their account, hardly enough to cover even the coffee needed by tech nerds at such an organization, and also a significant decrease from the millions they once had.
RUN OUR COUNTRY LIKE A BUSINESS
Generalizing now, but still a fact: South Africans do not support South African businesses. To help our local economy thrive, we must avoid sending money overseas unless absolutely necessary. We should resist purchasing from overseas and flooding our country with cheap goods. Trust me, in the long run, we pay several times more. This is not about being proudly South African or African, (although I am), its just good business sense! I want to share an article supporting this opinion, one of many I could share. Read:
https://dailyinvestor.com/south-africa/109096/iconic-south-african-industry-being-decimated/
PRESENTED BY A BILLIONAIRE PRESIDENT
“… the report shows that the world’s top 1% captured 41% of all new wealth, while just 1% went to the bottom 50%.” So said a certain president worth billions of Rands.
And for a personal statement by me, and written with a lot of sadness:
“The G20 will not translate into any good for the average person in South Africa or Africa.”
We have had solutions for decades; it’s the will to change that is lacking, and this is hindered by the richest of the rich – by their design. We must break this cycle of abuse. Leaders should lead by example.
Here’s an article for context:
https://g20.org/g20-media/landmark-g20-report-led-by-nobel-laureate-joseph-stiglitz-sounds-alarm-on-inequality-emergency-and-calls-for-international-panel-on-inequality/
COULD BE A NICE PIE
Want a piece of this? “Africa’s space economy is on track to reach USD 22 billion by 2026”.
No one has eaten a pie in space, but we have sent Pizza to the Space Station.
CHIP UP AFRICA!
Cassava Technologies (https://www.cassavatechnologies.com), a prominent African technology group owned by a privately held company founded and controlled by Zimbabwean billionaire and entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa, has launched the first GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) on our continent, utilizing Nvidia’s AI computing technology.
What does this mean for us?
This cloud-based service offers remote access to these GPUs across multiple data centers located in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.
Why is this important?
As the first Nvidia Cloud Partner in Africa, Cassava is set to enhance our region’s AI capabilities, and this move will certainly cement their position as a GPUaaS provider.
Their company’s President and CEO, Hardy Pemhiwa, has emphasized the importance of empowering African businesses to become leaders in the AI industry, focusing on developing local computing infrastructure that supports AI advancements using indigenous data and languages, a comment that aligns well with my hopes.
But what is a GPU?
Good question. Let me start by saying it’s nothing like a GNU. A GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, is a specialized electronic circuit that accelerates the creation of videos, images, and animations for display on a screen. They can also be used for computationally intensive tasks outside of graphics, such as artificial intelligence and scientific simulations!
IS HUMANITY GETTING CLOSER TO TELEPORTATION?
It appears so, and I can imagine the implications and applications! Very exciting!
Here is an interesting video update, and perhaps we will see this technology perfected in my lifetime! See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQvIqEEBnps&t=277s
4300 HOUSEHOLDS
That’s a lot of homes in Cape Town getting electricity from landfill gas. The Mother City recently switched on a very innovative gas-to-energy plant, which cost about R93 million to set up. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that means that once those houses have spent around R24,000 on electricity (perhaps within 1½ years), the plant has just about paid for itself. That’s not bad!The project’s aim is to reduce emissions, produce renewable energy, and generate carbon credits, with a further pledge to invest an additional R82 million to expand such infrastructure across other landfills. This is exactly the kind of solution you will find in Future Smart Cities!
MONEY!
South Africa’s net foreign reserves rose to $71.550 billion USD in October, up from $69.739 billion USD the month prior.
What does this mean for us?
In short, it’s a positive sign. We’re not going backwards, and our reserves are increasing, which is encouraging!
I’m not an economist by trade (but I do study economies), and I understand that a country’s net foreign reserves are the total foreign assets minus external liabilities, including currencies, gold, and IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). Such ‘things’ help assess whether our country can meet its external debt obligations and reflect our ability to stabilize the economy: positive reserves indicate good economic health, while negative reserves may signal financial instability.
Other African countries with significant reserves include Angola and Morocco, but Nigeria generally leads!
COULD THE USE OF AI INCREASE SUICIDES?
Sure… AI ‘could’ play a part in people’s deaths, but no more than driving a car or swallowing food without chewing. I believe we must educate ourselves on the responsible use of technology and hold those who fail to test their innovations accountable.
Do I think OpenAI “drove people to suicide”? No, I don’t. The legal case in this article link will be an interesting one to follow and all about these questions. Here is the link:
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/openai-faces-7-lawsuits-claiming-chatgpt-drove-people-127279676
The END!
(I will see you in the future! January 2026!)
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Who is Jean-Pierre Murray-Kline?
Jean-Pierre is a South African serial e-entrepreneur, published author, and change champion who has worked in over 300 types of industries in some capacity or another. His own online businesses have generated millions of Rands and involved sectors such as law, web & app development, events & entertainment, property, technical services, media, and tourism.
He has traveled to over 180 cities worldwide and is extremely active as a business and environmental technologist. In addition to his own projects, he researches and consults on all things online: marketing, reputation, compliance, law, and e-security, and also offers strategy workshops and scenario sessions on future thinking with a key focus on technology, the environment, and global influences.
Jean-Pierre is often asked to be a guest speaker on a variety of subjects he continuously studies and writes about.
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