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IOL News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
How Inequality and Passivity Are Eroding South Africa's Youth Potential and Threatening the 4IR
This is not just a mental health crisis. It is a national development emergency. It threatens to sabotage South Africa's Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) ambitions before they begin. Image: Andrew Brookes, Connect Images via AFP There are moments in a nation's journey where silence signals something far deeper than calm. In South Africa today, that silence echoes from households where parents have stopped asking if their children will find work, from classrooms where curiosity has faded into withdrawal and from young people whose eyes reveal exhaustion long before adulthood. It is Youth Month, yet for millions of young South Africans, there is little to celebrate. We are not simply facing high unemployment. We are facing the slow erosion of youth cognition, confidence and creative capacity. This erosion is driven by inequality, system fatigue and digital passivity. Left unchecked, this quiet crisis will calcify into something far more damaging than joblessness: a generation disengaged from both reality and its own potential. This is not just a mental health crisis. It is a national development emergency. It threatens to sabotage South Africa's Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) ambitions before they begin. In a society as unequal as ours, inequality does not just widen the wealth gap. It thins the cognitive fabric of a generation. To be young and poor in South Africa is to live under a constant hum of stress. Not only from the pressure to survive, but from the unrelenting weight of exclusion. Daily hunger, overcrowded classrooms, unsafe communities and fractured families are not only social problems. They are neurological assaults. The Journal of African Economies (2024) confirms what many teachers and social workers already observe: young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) show an average 25 per cent decline in cognitive function compared to their peers. This includes memory retention, attention and problem-solving skills – core capacities needed for learning, working and thriving in a digital economy. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ When 78 per cent of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning, it is not merely a schooling crisis. It is an early warning signal of national cognitive decline. A country cannot build future industries when the foundational circuits of thought are short-circuited by inequality. It is one thing for the youth to feel unseen. It is another when the very institutions that profit from their struggles begin to deny those struggles exist. In a recent interview, Capitec CEO Gerrie Fourie stated that South Africa's unemployment rate was closer to 10 per cent, not the official 32.9 per cent, because informal traders in townships – those selling fruit on corners or running spaza shops – should be counted as economically active. This was not a technical misstep. It was a rhetorical distortion. And in a country where millions are desperate for policy rooted in reality, it was deeply irresponsible. Former Statistician-General Dr Pali Lehohla responded publicly, calling the remarks not only false but dangerous. Stats SA's labour force surveys already account for informal and self-employed workers. To imply otherwise is to undermine decades of statistical integrity and, more critically, to invalidate the lived experience of black South Africans bearing the brunt of joblessness. When elite actors conflate survivalism with economic inclusion, they dilute the urgency of reform. They shift the focus from structural transformation to cosmetic storytelling. If a fruit vendor earning R60 a day with no pension, no sick leave and no safety net is considered a success story, what does that say about the stories we are choosing not to tell? In many South African households today, silence is no longer golden. It is algorithmic. Children sit quietly, heads bowed, not in prayer or study, but in submission to glowing screens. The home, once a place of learning, discipline and intergenerational exchange, has been rewired by bandwidth and buffering speeds. Herein lies a growing national concern. We are witnessing not just screen addiction, but a form of mental colonialism, where the attention, aspirations and identities of our youth are shaped more by global content platforms than by families, schools, or national vision. With an average of seven to nine hours of daily screen time, much of it spent on escapist and non-educational content, South Africa's youth are not only disengaging from traditional schooling. They are detaching from reality itself. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are not merely entertainment. They are mental monopolies, shaping what is seen as success, who is worthy and what is worth thinking about. What does it mean when a five-year-old learns to mimic influencers before they learn to write their name? When families eat together in silence, each person lost in their own algorithm? When attention spans shrink, not from medical conditions, but from the cumulative effect of curated distraction? International research (Lancet Digital Health, 2023) shows that excessive digital exposure in under-resourced environments is directly linked to increased anxiety, poor memory and impaired critical thinking. In South Africa, this digital drift is compounded by the absence of adult intervention, overstretched parents and caregivers fighting their own battles. We often ask what is wrong with the youth. But perhaps the harder question is: what has changed in our homes, in our language and in our expectations that has allowed this disengagement to take root? South Africa has declared its commitment to the Fourth Industrial Revolution with urgency. Digital labs, AI workshops and coding bootcamps are rapidly expanding. But behind the buzzwords lies a quieter truth. A digital future cannot be built on a cognitively unprepared present. The 4IR is not just about machines. It is about mindset. And if the mindset of our youth is marked by trauma, exhaustion and stagnation, no amount of laptops or programming apps will produce innovation. The World Economic Forum (2025) notes that South Africa faces a 15 per cent skills deficit in key 4IR sectors, largely due to foundational weaknesses in education and mental health. But these numbers hide an even more sobering reality: our collective inability to sustain curiosity, build resilience and foster adaptive thinking among young people. Innovation does not thrive in survival mode. It requires psychological safety, creative freedom and cognitive stimulation – all of which are in short supply when schools are under-resourced, homes are overstressed and national discourse remains reactive rather than regenerative. A country cannot automate its way out of disconnection. It must first restore the minds that are meant to lead it. South Africa does not need another commission. It needs a culture shift. One that begins in the places we already live, teach, parent and lead. Mental health must stop being treated as a specialist concern and instead be recognised as a developmental foundation, woven into the fabric of our public systems and social interactions. What does that look like? Make schools safe for the mind, not just the body Trauma-informed teaching must become standard. Schools must foster emotional literacy, not just exam readiness. – A maths teacher who affirms a child's artistic strength – A school that includes 'mental focus breaks' alongside academic drills – A child encouraged for who they are, not just what they score Speak differently in our homes Caregivers need practical tools to shift language from shame to support. – A parent who says, 'What's on your mind?' instead of, 'What's wrong with you?' – A grandmother who spots the signs of burnout – A meal shared without screens, a conversation that says, 'You matter' Unlock the power of peer support and mentorship Not all wisdom comes from above. Youth-led groups and 'school mom' systems, where older pupils mentor juniors, can nurture resilience through companionship. – A 17-year-old checking on a Grade 8 learner after school – A WhatsApp group for venting, reflecting, dreaming – A community centre that hosts healing circles, not just homework clubs Elevate the language of leadership Leaders must normalise mental health as a public priority, not an HR footnote. – A mayor who opens a mobile wellness van – A CEO who funds therapy access as part of youth skilling – A minister who begins a policy speech with youth mental health statistics South Africa has long been a nation of endurance. Under apartheid, we learned to bear pain in silence. But that legacy of suppression has hardened into something more troubling – a generational tolerance for despair. Today's youth are not apathetic. They are exhausted. They are inheriting not only economic exclusion, but a national script that tells them to absorb, adapt and smile while doing it. But unlike 1976, today's battle is not fought in the streets. It is waged in the mind. What happens when a generation stands to lose even more, but no longer remembers how to resist? The cost of cognitive stagnation is not measured in hospital beds or dropout rates alone. It is felt in the silence of unasked questions, the flicker of disengaged eyes, the absence of outrage in a time that demands resistance. It is Youth Month in South Africa. We owe this generation more than inspiration. We owe them infrastructure for the mind. Let us build a country where mental health is not a private burden but a public resource. Where every home is a place of healing, every school a space of stimulation, every community a site of cognitive resilience. Let us stop asking when the 4IR will save us and start asking whether we are preparing young minds to lead it. There is no revolution without reflection. Nomvula Zeldah Mabuza is a Risk Governance and Compliance Specialist with extensive experience in strategic risk and industrial operations. She holds a Diploma in Business Management (Accounting) from Brunel University, UK, and is an MBA candidate at Henley Business School, South Africa. Image: Supplied There is no innovation without imagination. And there is no future without the mental wealth to imagine it.
IOL News
20-06-2025
- Science
- IOL News
Warning signs on climate flashing bright red: top scientists
The planet's energy imbalance has nearly doubled in the last 20 years, and scientists do not know how long oceans will continue to massively soak up this excess heat. Image: Alan Kearney / Connect Images via AFP From carbon pollution to sea-level rise to global heating, the pace and level of key climate change indicators are all in uncharted territory, more than 60 top scientists warned Thursday. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and deforestation hit a new high in 2024 and averaged, over the last decade, a record 53.6 billion tonnes per year -- that is 100,000 tonnes per minute -- of CO2 or its equivalent in other gases, they reported in a peer-reviewed update. Earth's surface temperature last year breached 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels for the first time, and the additional CO2 humanity can emit with a two-thirds chance of staying under that threshold long-term -- our 1.5C "carbon budget" -- will be exhausted in two years, they calculated. Investment in clean energy outpaced investment in oil, gas and coal last year two-to-one, but fossil fuels account for more than 80 percent of global energy consumption, and growth in renewables still lags behind new demand. Included in the 2015 Paris climate treaty as an aspirational goal, the 1.5C limit has since been validated by science as necessary for avoiding a catastrophically climate-addled world. The hard cap on warming to which nearly 200 nations agreed was "well below" two degrees, commonly interpreted to mean 1.7C to 1.8C. With the 1.5C level now expected to be breached in the coming years, "we are already in crunch time for these higher levels of warming," co-author Joeri Rogelj, a professor of climate science and policy at Imperial College London, told journalists in a briefing. "The next three or four decades is pretty much the timeline over which we expect a peak in warming to happen." 'The wrong direction' No less alarming than record heat and carbon emissions is the gathering pace at which these and other climate indicators are shifting, according to the study, published in Earth System Science Data. Human-induced warming increased over the last decade at a rate "unprecedented in the instrumental record", and well above the 2010-2019 average registered in the UN's most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, in 2021. The new findings -- led by the same scientists using essentially the same methods -- are intended as an authoritative albeit unofficial update of the benchmark IPCC reports underpinning global climate diplomacy. They should be taken as a reality check by policymakers, the authors suggested. "If you look at this year's update, things are all moving in the wrong direction," said lead author Piers Forster, head of the University of Leed's Priestley Centre for Climate Futures. The rate at which sea levels have shot up in recent years is also alarming, the scientists said. After creeping up, on average, well under two millimetres per year from 1901 to 2018, global oceans have risen 4.3 mm annually since 2019. What happens next? An increase in the ocean watermark of 23 centimetres (nine inches) over the last 125 years has been enough to imperil many small island states and hugely amplify the destructive power of storm surges worldwide. An additional 20 centimetres of sea level rise by 2050 would cause $1 trillion in flood damage annually in the world's 136 largest coastal cities, earlier research has shown. Another indicator underlying all the changes in the climate system is Earth's so-called energy imbalance, the difference between the amount of solar energy entering the atmosphere and the smaller amount leaving it. So far, 91 percent of human-caused warming has been absorbed by oceans, sparing life on land. But the planet's energy imbalance has nearly doubled in the last 20 years, and scientists do not know how long oceans will continue to massively soak up this excess heat. Dire future climate impacts worse than what the world has already experienced are already baked in over the next decade or two. But beyond that, the future is in our hands, the scientists made clear. "We will rapidly reach a level of global warming of 1.5C, but what happens next depends on the choices which will be made," said co-author and former IPCC co-chair Valerie Masson-Delmotte. The Paris Agreement's 1.5C target allows for the possibility of ratcheting down global temperatures below that threshold before century's end. Ahead of a critical year-end climate summit in Brazil, international cooperation has been weakened by the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. "Governments, financiers, and businesses must put this (report) in focus in the run-up to COP30 in Brazil," said David King, former UK Chief Scientific Advisor and Chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group. "If today's data tells us anything, it's that we do not have time to delay any further."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
OBGYN: My patients' health and wellbeing will be endangered by NC House bill
A teenage girl examines a pregnancy test. (Photo: Connect Images) Earlier this month, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 519, also known as the 'Parents' Medical Bill of Rights.' As a board certified OBGYN who treats minors, I am deeply concerned about the implications of this bill. This legislation, which aims to revise the laws regarding minors' consent to medical treatment and parental access to medical records, poses significant risks to the health and wellbeing of patients across the state. HB 519 will impede the trust young patients have in their medical providers and therefore undermine the confidentiality of their care. Currently, North Carolina law allows minors to consent to treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, substance abuse, and mental health issues without parental involvement. This provision is crucial for ensuring that young patients feel safe seeking medical help without fear of judgment or repercussions from their parents. By mandating parental consent for these sensitive treatments, the bill risks deterring minors from seeking necessary medical care. This could lead to untreated STIs (which can lead to future infertility), unaddressed mental health issues, and unintended pregnancies, all of which have serious long-term consequences for our young North Carolinians' health and wellbeing. The trust between patients and healthcare providers is foundational to effective medical care. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of this trust, particularly for minors who may be navigating complex and sensitive health issues. HB 519 threatens to erode this trust by introducing parental oversight into the patient-provider relationship. Healthcare providers may find themselves in difficult positions, having to balance the legal requirements of HB 519 with our ethical duty to protect patient confidentiality. Advocates for HB 519 argue that the exclusion of parental consent in our current laws leaves children to navigate serious medical situations alone. This perspective completely ignores the role that healthcare providers like myself play in the navigation of these issues. We do not leave our young patients 'alone' to navigate their medical decisions, but instead provide thoughtful guidance, including often suggesting the involvement of their parent(s) in their medical care. Unfortunately, for some of my young patients, their medical team members are the only trusted adults in their lives, and if they are required to obtain parental consent to seek treatment, they simply will not do so. House Bill 519, while ostensibly aimed at empowering parents, poses significant risks to the health and wellbeing of minors in North Carolina. By undermining confidentiality, creating barriers to mental health and reproductive care, and hindering substance abuse treatment, the bill jeopardizes the autonomy and safety of young patients. As a physician who treats young patients, I urge the lawmakers to reconsider the implications of HB 519 and prioritize the health and rights of minors in our state.
IOL News
11-05-2025
- Climate
- IOL News
Is this the new load shedding? Experts warn of long-term scarcity
South Africa could experience a water deficit of 17% by 2030, the WWF warns. Image: Alan Kearney / Connect Images via AFP Water is life. From essential sustenance to hygiene, and the all-important irrigation for the food we eat, its importance cannot be understated. South Africa has always been a water-scarce country, but the effects of climate change add a new dimension of insecurity to our future, and that's sadly not the only existential water threat that the country is facing. Crumbling infrastructure in many of South Africa's major cities means that even when the dams are full, thousands are still left without access to water, and it's a situation that only looks set to worsen. But will a major city or region ever run out of water completely? South Africa has experienced several severe drought and flood events in the past 10 years. According to the Academy of Science South Africa (ASSAf), the country is already water insecure, even before the impact of long-term climate change is factored in. Consider that South Africa's current annual rainfall average of 450mm is almost half the world's average of 860mm per annum. The country clearly cannot afford for rainfall levels to drop further, but worryingly, the odds are stacked in favour of further declines. Droughts are poised to become more frequent, experts warn. Image: AFP The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) predicts that South Africa could experience a water deficit of 17% by 2030. Cape Town came dangerously close to 'Day Zero' in 2018, with dam levels having dipped to 13.5% when the first rains of the season broke the prolonged drought. The city's current dam levels, at just below 60%, are at their lowest levels in eight years, and with the South African Weather Service predicting a drier-than-usual winter rainfall period for the south western regions, authorities are once again speaking of possible water restrictions for the coming summer. Although Cape Town isn't facing an immediate 'Day Zero' threat, many feel that the 2018 scenario will eventually be repeated. A report compiled by Stanford University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that Cape Town faces an 80% higher chance of another 'Day Zero' drought before the end of this century, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at current rates. Admittedly, the Mother City could be in a better position to avert disaster. This is thanks to numerous measures that aim to increase the supply by 300 million litres per day, including water reuse, groundwater abstraction, and clearing of invasive plant species. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Cape Town came dangerously close to Day Zero in 2018. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Media But it's not only the Western Cape that faces the prospect of severe droughts in the future. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) expects droughts to become more frequent in South Africa in the coming decade. The organisation also says the risk of lower rainfall levels in the country is about four times higher than the prospect of increased precipitation, although the east coast could see an increase in flooding. The latter is another risk to our water supply. 'Climate change can have deleterious effects on water quantity and quality,' said Leleti Maluleke of Good Governance Africa. 'The effects of extreme weather events on water availability, predictability and pollution are increasing, threatening sustainable development, biodiversity and access to water and sanitation. 'In addition to contaminating land and water resources, flooding and rising sea levels can cause damage to water and sanitation infrastructure,' Maluleke added. South Africa is heavily reliant on rainwater, and currently, more than 60% of its dams are overexploited, and only a third of rivers are considered to be in good condition. Poor governance of the country's water systems is compounding the effects of climate change, Maluleke added. Limited maintenance of ageing infrastructure is resulting in significant water losses. A report by states that around 70 million litres of clean and drinkable water are lost each day through leaking pipes. Regions such as Gauteng are currently in a good position to attain a high level of water security, with the long-delayed second phase of the Lesotho Highland Water Project (LHWP) expected to deliver an additional 490 million cubic metres of water to the region. This second phase is expected to come on stream between 2028 and 2030. Yet, regardless of how much water is flowing into the region's water system, failing infrastructure caused by inadequate maintenance has led to frequent and prolonged water outages across the city. Many of the city's water pipes and reservoirs are old and in need of replacement, and a large portion of the water supply is lost due to leaks and other infrastructural failures. Water streams down a suburban road after a pipe burst. Image: Supplied IOL spoke to numerous ward councillors across the city, all of whom spoke of water problems caused by a lack of maintenance. 'In my ward, the infrastructure is failing and Joburg Water just keeps patching the bursts and leaks, where proper infrastructure upgrades would work better,' said Zander Shawe of Ward 89 in the Fairlands area. He said proactive and preventative measures are lacking, while the most recent financial year saw the city lose 38% of its water to leaks and illegal connections. This equates to wasteful expenditure of around R2.9 billion. Lynda Shackleford of Ward 103 (Sandton) also spoke of old infrastructure and ongoing issues. 'Some areas are without water monthly due to ongoing bursts. These areas have been on the councillors' IDP (to-do list) since 2016.' Such problems also plague KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in the rural areas, which frequently face widespread water shortages. In Durban, residents are also being brought to their knees by the so-called 'water mafia'. These criminals are allegedly damaging water infrastructure deliberately to win contracts for their emergency water tanker services. Alarmingly, a 2023 report by the Department of Water and Sanitation found that numerous water supply systems were operating close to, or beyond, their design capacity. It's no surprise that in March this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national water emergency, and called for an urgent 'national water plan' to fix infrastructure and deal with other problems such as vandalism.
Business Mayor
03-05-2025
- Business Mayor
‘Delicious seafood served with charm and ice-cold white wine': readers' favourite restaurants in France
Far away from the tourist traps of the old town, tiny seafood restaurant Coquillages Bouchet on Rue Rusca is a relative newcomer in Nice. Tucked away on a sidestreet near the port, the menu is short and the atmosphere relaxed. The young owners, Nicolas and Hugo, are best friends and their passion for fresh seafood, especially sea urchins and oysters, simply radiates. If you're after fancy, go to one of the exclusive beach clubs dotted along the coastline. If you want fresh, vibrant and delicious platters of seafood served with charm and glasses of ice-cold white wine, come here. Melanie Clarkson The perfect country bistro in Beaujolais The countryside near Saint-Amour-Bellevue. Photograph: Connect Images/Alamy Joséphine à Table, in the pretty village of Saint-Amour-Bellevue in Beaujolais, is the little country bistro you were always hoping to find in rural France. Hearty portions of rustic cuisine paysanne are the order of the day, or you could push the boat out and splurge on a sophisticated chicken in vin jaune sauce with morels. And don't forget to wash your meal down with a bottle of the local wine – there are plenty of cuvées to choose from on the extensive list, all priced unbelievably reasonably. A set main course and dessert is €24. Santé . Natasha Hughes Photograph: Charlotte Ripaille (on Instagram) – a bistro on Rue de Lorette just north of the Old Port – was the unexpected gem of our time in Marseille. Tucked down a street awash with the city's characteristic street art, diners sit at snug Formica tables drinking delicious natural wines. There's a soft glow and the hum of a local crowd having a good time. We had everything off the chalkboard menu between four. Highlights were radicchio with stilton, pear and hazelnuts; scallops in smoked lemon; grilled dorade with almond sauce; and desserts generous on the cream. The staff were brilliant: cool yet attentive. Charlotte Read More Share a tip on your trip to Portugal Pork sausage and pike parfait, Paris A visit to Les Mauvais Garçons off the Rue de Rivoli in the Marais would be worth it for the name, which it shares with the street it's on, but more so for its Lyonnais fare. After regaling ourselves with pork sausage in a sublime brioche, we moved on to the more serious work of enjoying the pike dumpling in an exotic lobster bisque. You can complete your trip down south by indulging in a fondant au chocolat that would make Baudelaire himself feel decadent. The excellent service belies the restaurant's name. Patricia Amazing value in Brittany Quiberon in Brittany. Photograph: Hemis/Alamy Port-Haliguen is a quaint fishing village close to the beautiful town of Quiberon in Brittany. Here we found La Base, a bistro overlooking the harbour. The chef lets ingredients shine with minimal fuss, such as the freshest sardines to start, then a perfectly cooked medium rare côte de boeuf for two, while the chocolate mousse is velvety smooth and comforting. The impressive house red is served at only €4 a glass and bottles at about €20. The idyllic setting, precise cooking and amazing value made this a real highlight of the holiday. James Allison Lobster ravioli in the Dordogne La Récréation in the beautiful Lot department village of Les Arques just south of the Dordogne is a fabulous restaurant. It is housed in what was once the village school and has plenty of outdoor seating for the summer months. The food is sublime and simply never disappoints. Lobster ravioli in a coral sauce and croustillants de Saint-Jacques are delicious signature dishes, but the experienced chefs are innovative and the menu changes frequently. The village itself is associated with the renowned 20th-century sculptor and painter Ossip Zadkine and attracts artists. La Récréation is a very popular restaurant, which must be booked in advance and is wholly deserving of its reputation locally. Lesley Profile Readers' tips: send a tip for a chance to win a £200 voucher for a Coolstays break Show Guardian Travel readers' tips Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers' tips homepage – Thank you for your feedback. Galette it be, Florac, Cévennes national park Photograph: Stefanie Ashall Au Pêcher Mignon (on Facebook) in Florac, near the Ardèche, is a real gem. The owner was so welcoming and a great host. They were very accommodating when our group of eight arrived for lunch and were happy to shuffle tables so we could all sit together. Our children enjoyed the cheese and beef galettes with a lovely salad. The adults enjoyed a split galette, which included wild mushroom, spices and cheese on one half and garlic, aubergine and cheese on the other – it tasted fantastic. All were homemade and used local ingredients. A very tasty cider accompanied the food. The homemade cheesecake was just delicious. All at a reasonable price. Stefanie Ashall Pick your poissonnerie, Dinard, Brittany Photograph: Mick George Le Pic à Bulot (The Whelk Pick) in Dinard is the perfect place for a seafood platter. In the Saint-Énogat neighbourhood, the restaurant serves fresh fish and seafood from its own poissonnerie next door. We visited in early April, sat on the terrace, well wrapped up, and shared an iced platter of prawns, langoustines, whelks, oysters and, in a blast from the past for me, winkles. All helped on by a bottle of head-turning Pouilly-Fuissé (it was our wedding anniversary). It's definitely worth a detour if you're visiting Mont Saint-Michel or arrived at Saint-Malo, and is reasonable with set menus starting at €15. Mick George In the gritty Capucins market quarter, Au Bistrot delivers straightforward French comfort food for hungry market shoppers. Chef Jacques In'On cooks whatever looks best on the stalls that morning in a small open kitchen, while the host, François Pervillé, pours affordable bottles from an all‑Bordeaux list. My lunch: slow beef bourguignon, deep and savoury, plus a creamy garlic‑laced potato dauphinoise. The room is tiled and the staff are relaxed and quietly efficient. Menus change daily but rarely break €25. Decent wine by the glass costs €4. Book ahead or queue. Outdoor tables spill on to pavement when the sun shines. Pamela Winning tip: A humble gem in Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais A dish at Le Chatillon in Boulogne
