{"id":297661,"date":"2026-06-11T13:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/?p=297661"},"modified":"2026-06-11T13:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:56:18","slug":"progressive-online-platform-launching-on-youth-day-is-all-about-the-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/progressive-online-platform-launching-on-youth-day-is-all-about-the-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Progressive online platform launching on Youth Day is all about the schools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NovaNews<\/a> is launching the Schools Zone, a dynamic digital home for school news, sport, achievement, and community stories across South Africa on Youth Day, 16 June, a day that celebrates young people as powerful agents of change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Schools Zone will have a dedicated site for school sports in the School Sports Zone. Central to this launch is the incorporation of the beloved Schools That Rock website into the NovaNews Schools Zone. For more than 11 years, Schools That Rock has been South Africa&#8217;s trusted platform for celebrating school achievements, cultural milestones, sporting excellence, and extraordinary learner stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-every-child-has-a-success-story-worth-sharing\">&#8216;Every child has a success story worth sharing&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Founded by Christo du Randt in 2009 with the community newspaper <em>KRANT <\/em>in Bloemfontein, followed by the Schools That Rock website in 2015, the platform has grown into one of South Africa&#8217;s largest school news destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Over the past 11 years, Schools That Rock has published thousands of articles and photos <strong>\u2013<\/strong> a true digital archive of pride and achievement,&#8221; said du Randt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Every story, every smile, and every victory has reinforced the vision: Every child has a success story worth sharing with the world. I am proud to continue with this legacy on the NovaNews platform.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By joining the NovaNews ecosystem, Schools That Rock now reaches a significantly larger national audience through NovaNews&#8217; more than 389 000 active users, 1 million Facebook followers, and distribution across 21 community newspaper titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-this-is-our-contribution-to-youth-day\">&#8216;This is our contribution to Youth Day&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The launch of the Schools Zone and School Sports Zone on Youth Day is deeply intentional,&#8221; said Bettie Giliomee-Rossouw, NovaNews head of digital and editorial commissioning. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We believe that every school has a story worth telling, every learner has an achievement worth celebrating, and every community deserves to see their young people recognised on a national platform. By bringing Schools That Rock into our ecosystem, we are honouring 11 years of extraordinary work and taking it to an entirely new level. This is our contribution to Youth Day <strong>\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>giving every South African school a louder, stronger voice.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the heart of the School Sports Zone is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCx4kwHEoAdFl79FLWKrOkiw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Rugby Factory<\/a> <strong>\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>NovaNews&#8217; weekly schools rugby vodcast hosted by Andy Daniel, with over 10 000 subscribers in just two months and episodes exceeding 54 000 views. Proudly sponsored by the Bossa Restaurant Group, the 33-episode series broadcasts across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and all NovaNews channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ALSO READ<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/school-rugby\/bishops-rondebosch-bish-bosch-derby-rugby\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beware the underdog bite as Bish-Bosch rivalry reignites<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Together, let&#8217;s celebrate every school, every achievement, and every community that makes South Africa extraordinary,&#8221; said Giliomee-Rossouw.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Send stories, achievements, photos, and videos to Dustin Wetdewich, national digital sports editor at dustin.wetdewich@novusmedia.co.za.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scan the accompanying QR code to visit the Schools Zone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Every school has a story worth telling, every learner has an achievement worth celebrating, and every community deserves to see their young people 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