The Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) 'Farmer of the Year' contest annually provides valuable insights into the progress of developing grain farmers. This year, 16 finalists participated, representing approximately 2,390 hectares of land across six provinces.
These participants reflect the successes of farmers in strengthening their agricultural enterprises and transitioning to commercial grain production. The evaluation process included visits to farms in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, and North West provinces. During the visits, a general trend was noted: farmers are increasing production volumes, expanding their operations, and strengthening their businesses.
However, the assessment also showed that continuous access to financing, production support, markets, and strong partnerships is critically important for more developing grain farmers to establish sustainable commercial enterprises.
According to Grain SA, this is why the contest is so significant. The organization emphasized that the goal of the contest is not only to recognize excellence but also to understand the areas of farmer success, remaining challenges, and how the agricultural sector can collectively create more opportunities for developing grain farmers.
Grain SA reported that the PGP Farmer Development Program currently supports 6,783 developing grain farmers across South Africa through training, mentorship, and production support. The 'Farmer of the Year' contest serves as an annual review of this broader work and the progress farmers are making at different stages of their journey toward commercialization.
The contest categorizes farmers into four groups: 'Subsistence' (1 to 3 ha), 'Smallholder' (4 to 49 ha), 'Potential commercial' (50 to 249 ha), and 'New-era commercial' (over 250 ha). These categories illustrate different stages of farmer development and show how they can grow from small-scale production to establishing commercially viable grain enterprises.
This year's finalists also serve as prime examples of such progress. Lubabalo Jordan from the Eastern Cape and Mnkulwane Mphaniseni from KwaZulu-Natal moved from the 'Subsistence' category to the 'Smallholder' category after expanding their farming operations. Other participants also demonstrated growth: Masiu Farming increased its cultivated area from 30 hectares to 550 hectares, and Kopano Lentswetshipi expanded its area from 90 hectares in the 2022/23 season to 367 hectares in the 2025/26 season. These examples clearly demonstrate what can be achieved with consistent support and continued investment in their business by the farmers.
Sibuso Mabusa, CEO of PGP, noted that the 'Farmer of the Year' contest allows one to see the farmer development process in action. He stated that every year they meet with farmers who are improving production, strengthening their business management, and seeking opportunities for growth. Farmers moving into new categories and significantly increasing production demonstrates potential when proper support is available.
Mabusa also reminded that no farmer's success is achieved in isolation. He stressed that for more developing grain farmers to become successful commercial producers, ongoing interaction between farmers, government, financial institutions, and industry partners is necessary.
The finalists will be recognized at the PGP Ukukhula Conference and Day of Celebration on October 8, 2026, at NAMPO Park, Botoll. The event will also honor the members of the Prestige 250 Ton Club, which recognizes farmers who have achieved significant production figures and demonstrated measurable growth on the path to commercial grain production.
Mabusa concluded that having seen the achievements of developing grain farmers with the right support, it is now their responsibility to ensure similar opportunities for a greater number of farmers. He emphasized that commercialization is not the responsibility of one organization but requires the collective effort of the entire agricultural sector.
Apple has managed to surpass Nvidia, taking the top spot among the world's most valuable companies. This shift in the ranking of tech giants occurred on Friday as investors began reassessing the prospects for artificial intelligence development.
At the time of comparison, Apple's stock value was $4.88 trillion, while Nvidia was valued at approximately $4.86 trillion after a 3.5% decline. This change in hierarchy indicates that investors are broadening their focus beyond the most obvious beneficiaries of the AI boom, such as Nvidia, which held the leading position for almost a year.
Apple regained the top spot for the first time since April of last year. Tony Meadows, head of investments at BRI Wealth Management, noted that Apple was previously considered lagging in the AI race due to insufficient spending on model development, but sentiment has now changed.
Meadows added that Apple is less susceptible to intensive capital expenditures and is better positioned to monetize AI through its ecosystem, services, and hardware updates. He emphasized that the revaluation reflects confidence in sustainable revenue rather than speculative AI potential.
For a company often perceived as behind in AI, reaching this milestone signals Apple's efforts to strengthen its position among the sector's leaders. This may also influence the perception of CEO Tim Cook's recent months, as he prepares to hand over his duties to hardware veteran John Ternus in September.
Last month, the company released the long-awaited Siri update, hoping that the improved assistant would help close the gap with competitors from the big tech sphere and next-generation startups in the critical AI race.
Some analysts believe that Apple possesses an 'AI goldmine' in the form of personal data stored on every iPhone. This data could make Siri's responses more useful and enhance the assistant's capabilities. However, there is a challenge: such data is protected by operating systems for privacy, and the company needs to find a way to unlock its value.
Nvidia became the first company in the world whose market capitalization exceeded $5 trillion in October, placing it at an exceptional level inaccessible to competitors. Nevertheless, Apple's displacement does not necessarily mean a permanent change in the relative standing of the companies. The chip manufacturer remains a significant beneficiary of AI-related funds, and its GPUs drive much of the generative AI excitement. Nvidia could also regain the top spot if overall sentiment shifts.
Furthermore, Apple is in a delicate position as it has been raising prices to offset rising costs—a strategy that could negatively affect demand. Benjamin Hall, Vice President of Alpha Research at Segal Marco Advisors, stated that he sees no significant differences and believes Nvidia will likely remain a key player in any future developments.
Nevertheless, enthusiasm for AI has spread to other segments of the semiconductor industry. The biggest winners this year have been memory chip manufacturers like Micron, whose market value surpassed $1 trillion in May, as investors recognized the importance of memory chips in AI infrastructure. South Korea's SK Hynix also listed on Nasdaq earlier this month, adding another participant to the race for investor attention.
Hall noted that new market entrants can diffuse focus away from the narrow circle of the 'Magnificent Seven' to a broader range of companies. However, the chip price boom faced turbulence in July when investors reassessed the sustainability of the AI deal, leading to a nearly 19% drop in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index from historical highs. Despite the sharp decline, the index has shown better performance than Nvidia this year so far.
The new MG4 Urban was launched with a competitive pricing policy and good technical specifications. A comparison was made between the entry-level Comfort version of the MG4 Urban and the Geely EX2 Max, which has a similar price and high demand.
Both vehicles are scheduled for production in Brazil by the end of this year. Geely plans to use the Renault factory in Paraná, while MG Motor opted for the Pace unit located in Ceará. Currently, both models are still imported from China.
To assist consumers interested in electric cars in the R$ 130 thousand range, a detailed analysis was conducted between the MG4 Urban and the Geely EX2 Max, highlighting the strengths of each.
The MG4 Urban Comfort is listed at R$ 129,990, although this is a launch price without a defined date, and the brand has not informed the final price after the promotion ends. The Geely EX2 Max was introduced at R$ 135 thousand, but its current listed price is R$ 136,800. While the MG Motor offer remains valid, the MG4 Urban has an advantage in this aspect.
In terms of range, the MG4 Urban Comfort presents 299 km, surpassing the 289 km of the Geely EX2 Max. This pair of vehicles demonstrates good efficiency within the entry-level electric category. The Geely EX2 Max uses a 39.4 kWh battery, while the MG4 Urban Comfort has a 42.8 kWh battery. It is worth noting that the top-of-the-line version of the MG4 Urban has a larger battery, offering an additional range of 50 km.
In charging power, the MG4 Urban Comfort proves superior in both slow charging (alternating current) with 11 kW and fast charging (direct current) with 82 kW, compared to 6.6 kW (AC) and 70 kW (DC) of the Geely EX2 Max. Regarding overall performance, despite the MG4 Urban having an advantage of 34 hp and 10.2 kgfm, the difference is not drastic. The Geely EX2 compensates for the less powerful engine with a lower weight of 142 kg and the presence of rear-wheel drive, which aids acceleration.
Although the MG4 Urban Comfort is the entry-level version and thus has fewer features, it already comes equipped with the complete ADAS package. Differences compared to the Luxury model include items such as 360-degree camera, heated seats and steering wheel, electric driver seat adjustment, 17-inch wheels, wireless charging, and folding mirrors. The main standard items of the MG4 Urban Comfort include full-LED headlights, 7-inch digital panel, 12.8-inch multimedia center with wireless connectivity (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), one-pedal driving mode, automatic air conditioning, rear ventilation outlet, dusk sensor, rearview camera, seven airbags, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure assist.
The Geely EX2 Max, being the top-of-the-line model, competes strongly with the entry-level MG4 Urban. Its highlights include full-LED headlights, 8.8-inch digital panel, 14.6-inch multimedia center with wired connectivity, a more robust sound system, 360-degree camera, synthetic leather seats and steering wheel, customizable ambient lighting in 256 colors, electric driver seat adjustment, and six airbags. The Geely EX2 Max gained an advantage in convenience items such as the 360-degree camera and the more complete sound system, but neither vehicle offers a spare tire.
The medium hatchback size of the MG4 Urban allows it to stand out among compacts in the category, presenting a length of 4.39 meters, which is superior to some compact sedans, and a wheelbase of 2.75 meters, longer than the Toyota Corolla's. The Geely EX2 also offers good passenger space due to its rear-wheel-drive platform.
Regarding the trunk, the MG4 Urban accommodates 477 liters, a volume comparable to a Renault Duster, considering the underfloor space. The Geely EX2 has a rear trunk of 375 liters and a front trunk of 70 liters, totaling 445 liters, slightly losing to the competitor.
Geely operates in Brazil in partnership with Renault, holding 26% of the French operations, which implies sharing distribution infrastructure for parts and cars. Currently, Geely maintains 40 dealerships in the country. MG Motor started its operations independently, represented by the Saic headquarters, and its network has 28 points, with projections to reach 40 by the end of the year. In this regard, Geely is in a more advantageous position.
Regarding warranty, both Chinese brands compete with different strategies, focusing on time or mileage, depending on use. The 7-year warranty offered by MG Motor is the longest in the segment, matching Geely in mileage, and both extend battery coverage by an additional 10 thousand km, without changing this coverage for commercial use vehicles.
The MG4 Urban Comfort demonstrated superiority in most aspects evaluated during this contest. The Geely EX2 Max gained specific advantages in equipment packages and dealership network. Despite being a fierce competition and the models being equivalent in several aspects, the MG4 Urban Comfort was declared the winner of the best electric hatchback in the R$ 130 thousand range.
Scammers are sending emails that imitate official notifications from X with the aim of stealing users' credentials and gaining access to their accounts. These messages inform about a supposed login from a new device, prompting the victim to act without verifying the communication's authenticity.
At a quick glance, the email appears authentic. It reports that a login occurred on an unknown device and in an inappropriate location, asking the user if they performed this login themselves. The email then recommends changing the password and checking connected applications, which aligns with X's standard security measures. However, the problem lies in the links, which lead to fraudulent pages created to steal passwords or grant attackers access to the account.
The scammers' goal is to obtain the username and password for X, or to prompt the user to approve a malicious link that will give them access to the account without needing to know the password. After the account is compromised, it can be used for other types of fraud, such as cryptocurrency attacks, phishing, and disinformation campaigns.
Visually, the email reproduces the logos, colors, formatting, and even the wording of genuine notifications from X, making it difficult to recognize the deception. Nevertheless, there are details that help identify the attempted fraud:
According to X statements, official emails are sent exclusively from @X.com or @e.X.com domains. The company also emphasizes that it never requests passwords via email, private messages, or reply messages, nor does it send attachments in such communications.
Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity consultant from ESET, advises remaining calm before taking any action. He asserts that the most important thing when receiving such an email is not to panic and not to click on links to provide personal data. Instead, one should open the official application, as any security issue will appear there.
Before clicking any link, it is recommended to check the message headers and ensure that the address belongs to the X.com domain. It is also possible to report suspicious emails using the spam and phishing tools in the email service.
If only the fake page was opened, Moore believes there is likely no cause for concern. However, if a password or authentication code was entered, it is necessary to change them immediately, ensure that two-factor authentication remains active, and follow X's help guide. According to the platform, accounts showing signs of compromise may have a reset password and receive a secure email link to create a new account.
