Latest news with #Karoo
Malaysian Reserve
23-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Seasoned Healthtech Executive Pia Shivdasani Joins Karoo Health as COO
Shivdasani's extensive experience includes leadership roles at Boulder Care, Echo Health Ventures, and Cambia Health Solutions ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Karoo Health, a technology company enabling cardiac value-based care, today announced that it has named Pia Shivdasani as Chief Operating Officer. Shivdasani brings operational leadership and execution strategy to Karoo, having most recently served as Vice President at Boulder Care, leading clinical operations. Earlier in her career, she served at the strategic investment firm Echo Health Ventures, as well as on the payer side at Cambia Health Solutions. Karoo Health supports the transformation to value-based cardiac care through the combination of dedicated wraparound care teams, high-performing network steerage, and AI-powered technology that enables real-time patient communication, seamless data sharing, and actionable insights for both clinical and payer partners. 'Pia's unique background as an operator at a high-growth startup, an investor at a well-known venture capital firm, and a payer executive brings a distinctly unique and highly valuable perspective to our leadership team,' said Karoo Health CEO and Cofounder Ian Koons. 'We are fortunate to have her on board as we continue to scale nationally.' 'Patients navigating cardiac care need consistent, coordinated support beyond the clinical visit,' said Shivdasani. 'I'm energized by building solutions that meet these gaps, and I believe the only way to improve outcomes and lower cost of care at scale in the cardiac vertical is through the combination of deeply integrated provider partnerships, tailored patient interactions, and technology that empowers care teams to deliver more connected, effective care.' Earlier this year, Karoo Health announced a partnership agreement with Medicare Advantage insurer Zing Health to launch a value-based cardiac care program across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee. The combination of Karoo's 500-plus cardiology provider partners, AI technology, and innovative model of care, and Zing's best-in-class member experience, helps solve a critical unmet need for Americans with cardiovascular disease. Through the end of this year and early into 2026, Karoo will be continuing its rapid growth by partnering with new payers in at least five new states. About Karoo HealthHeart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States, with one person dying every 34 seconds due to cardiovascular illness. Deploying an exclusive mix of AI-powered technology and specialized care, grounded in value-based principles, Karoo Health enables cardiology provider networks, health plans, and at-risk entities to seamlessly transition to, and succeed in, cardiac value-based care and excel in outcomes-driven initiatives. For more information, visit the company at or connect with them on LinkedIn.
IOL News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Hats off the the chefs of the future
Blesbok tartare with sourdough bread and hummus. Image: Frank Chemaly Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine Where: 241 Old Howick Road, Worlds View, Hilton Call: 076 505 7538 It will be a special day today as 13 young students celebrate their graduation. And these being the budding chefs of the future, they will be celebrating in style - with great food and lots of passion. 11 of the students have completed the 18 month course. Two, the three year course. They do an intensive year's training under Chef Jackie's guidance and then go out to get experience in the industry, many finding their way into the top kitchens in the country. They come back and present their final exam - a masterful meal designed and executed by the young chef themselves. A 'salad' of seafood with grapefruit wedges. Image: Frank Chemaly Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Roast Karoo lamb with potato bake Image: Frank Chemaly I was fortunate to be invited to two of the meals this year, and am always impressed in the enormous growth in often encountering them on their first wine tasting dinners they produce - often when they're still getting used to using knives. It's a growth not only in culinary proficiency, but personal confidence. A tribute to the intense journey they have been on and a sign of hope for our promising young chefs of the future. I was fortunate to enjoy two very different meals from two talented chefs (yes I can call them that now). Shannon Atkinson and Megan Maistry certainly produced dinners that impressed Chef Jackie and their proud parents whom they invited. A milk bun with olive butter. Image: Frank Chemaly Seafood bisque with butter poached crayfish. Image: Frank Chemaly Shannon, who did her work experience at Belly of the Beast in Cape Town, tantalised us with a lovely Blesbok tartare (Daddy had been hunting), served with a good rustic sourdough and interestingly hummus. They are not a combination I would have thought of, but worked well. Then there was her very fresh seafood 'salad' - this is not quite the right description - livened up for fragrant greens and grapefruit wedges. For mains she went more traditional than all out cheffy with a lovely Karoo roast lamb, good jus and a comforting potato bake. On a cold nice day this was a real winter warmer. For a dessert there was an inspired grapefruit sorbet with tonic - yes those flavours too work really well. Another surprise. Kingklip and chocca with fresh chilli. That calamari was sliced to resemble noodles. Image: Frank Chemaly Wagyu fillet with a tantalising array of different ways with mushrooms Image: Frank Chemaly Megan who studied at Cape Town's Fyn, got us started with milk bread and a good olive butter. And then, possibly the highlight of the two evenings - a really deep seafood bisque with pieces of pan seared lobster. And then a second fish course of kingklip with chokka. This was seared kingklip matched with an almost spaghetti of calamari (or calamari noodles if you want) topped with a sauce that had a good and brave hit of fresh chilli, pulling the elements together nicely. Mains was a beef wagyu fillet done with three of four different treatments of mushrooms. A lovely and confident plate. A "trifle" of caramelised popped millet. Image: Frank Chemaly A palate cleanser of I think Yusu sorbet had a kick before a dessert of caramelised popped millet done almost as a trifle with cream, ice-cream, custard etc. It was a substantial dessert served on a raised tazza and went well with the dessert wine chosen. Both finished the meal with delightful little petit fores. While I can only tell two stories here, my congratulations got to the 225 gang of 13. They all know the work and headache they have put into getting tapped on the head today. And hopefully you will soon be able to taste some of their offerings at restaurants around the province and country. Well done team.
Daily Maverick
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and the boys on the TV
An unforgettable day down at the Golf Club pub with Blokkies Joubert, our ou vriend daar agter die bar, and Siya Kolisi and the boys on the TV. Here's a reminiscence from 2019 to get you into the spirit for tomorrow's match between South Africa and Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. I wasn't with the manne innie Royal Hotel nie, last Saturday morning at 11am, ordering an orange juice from my ou vriend daar agter die bar, because if I drink during the day I feel woozy all afternoon and the day is lost. I was in fact in the bar at the golf club just outside my home town, on a hot, sunny Cradock day that nobody would ever forget. I had, though, been in a Royal Hotel when David Kramer first released his famous song, circa 1981 as I recall, in an inn of that name somewhere in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs. A music promoter and producer, Paddy Lee Thorpe, had invited the city's arts media with some excitement to the launch of the new single by the Boland Troubadour who had been playing venues for some time and had built up quite a following. His second album was out. But this was something else, Paddy suggested, and with hindsight we were all there to witness a key cornerstone of the man's extraordinary story. A launch of his single, Royal Hotel, in the only Royal Hotel they could find in the area. You just had to imagine the part where you were somewhere in a dusty Karoo town, with leery reps ogling the waitress after a long day on the road selling their wares, and parking the old green Valiant in front of the hotel for the night. Listen while you read on… Life, history and stories are funny that way. If we're lucky, one day we can look back and know that we were there, in the room, a part of the story, even if only on the sidelines. And that song, Royal Hotel, and that launch, came to mind last Saturday morning when we were all gathered, a bunch of locals at Cradock's golf club pub, because that was where you knew the TV would be switched on to the Rugby World Cup, and some of your mates would be there, there'd be geselligheid, and at the end of it you'd have someone with whom you could either celebrate or drown your sorrows. Hier sit die manne … only there were women and kids too. Everyone, many of them clad in Springbok jerseys, from mom and dad to the kids themselves, had a vriend daar agter die bar to keep voices lubricated as they became hoarser from the rising tide of excitement and screaming at the boys on the TV. Mostly of shouted encouragement, and an occasional 'ag nee man!'. But not much of that, in this instance. And it was clear that these okes couldn't have cared less what colour the skin of the hands on the ball was. They were South African hands, and these were our manne, every one of them. There'd been something in the air that morning, and my wife will vouch for it, because as I'd picked up the car keys to leave the house, earlier, I'd said this, verbatim: 'They're going to win. I'll tell you how much by when I get home.' Kramer's Royal Hotel had come off the same album as another equally massive hit, Hak Hom Blokkies, from the album Die Verhaal van Blokkies Joubert, and the song found its way into my head last Saturday while watching the game. Hak hom, hak hom Blokkies, Blokkies hak daai bol… en ons sê druk hulle, druk hulle …. Who else but David Kramer could pen a rhyme like this: Lig julle knieë, druk julle drieë, agter die doellyn nou (For any soutpiele reading this, that means 'lift your knees, score your tries, behind the try line now'. But it works much better in Afrikaans. You'll have to ask a friend about the other word back there.) It's for the rugby writers to give a blow by blow account of the match, not for the likes of me, but suffice to say that once the first of the two tries had been scored, everyone was on their feet and screaming with their very lives, such was the excitement, and when the second try landed soon afterwards, we all felt like we were all there, in the stadium in Yokohama, and that the boys could hear us and we were part of what was happening, there in our little golf club pub in the Eastern Cape Midlands. That, maybe, Siya could sense that our motley crew and others like us were sardine-packed into pubs throughout the Eastern Cape, in township shebeens and in hotel bars, rooting for him, for our homeboy in the throes of making good, of winning a triumph of triumphs. And came a moment near the end when my mate Ludi and I looked at each other and said the same thing: We've won… we've won, there's no room for them t0 come back now, it's done… and tears came into the eyes of this motley group of farmers and white-bakkie-driving townie types, and if anyone present had once been against transformation in rugby it would be hard to believe they were now, because when Siya Kolisi finally lifted the golden trophy it was palpably clear that every last man, woman and child present knew: he's lifting that for us, for every one of us. And everyone went home eventually, and when the afternoon had been spent some hours later, braai fires were lit and chops, wors and ribs were braaied and beers cracked and Klippies and Cokes downed, on farms and in back yards, under the late afternoon Cradock sun. There'd be prayers of gratitude before the braaied meat and salads and the potatoes baked in the coals in foil were eaten, hands clasped for the prayer of thanks for the food and the hope of rain, because that's what happens here, and you fall into the local ways once you have become a part of their community; for it is theirs with me in it, and I cannot and would not presume to impose my ways on them. It would not be my place. And the prayers of gratitude would have been for Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe and Duane Vermeulen and Rassie Erasmus and Beast Mtawarira, and the now hoarse voices would have prayed for rain too; for this day had been a kind of rain, a blessed relief from the rugby drought of so very long; and now we need the wet rain to pour upon us and upon our lands, to drench the soil and bring forth the shoots that there might be verdant life abundant and the sheep and cattle can eat off the land and not from the troughs filled with man-made pellets, which for so many of these farmers is the only way they've been able to keep their flocks alive for five consecutive long summer seasons of either no rain or too little rain, and too late. And having been accepted into their community as a longhair Ingelsman, you find yourself listening more than speaking, for they have more to teach you than you them, and so you learn about their lives and their ways and their problems, and you wonder what it could be like if all of us could just shut up with all the race-baiting rhetoric and the mutual distrust and listen to the other and try to understand them; and maybe we'd find that, hey, these are good people, no, these are wonderful people; and the conceptions about them that so many have may very well be misconceptions. How the hell will he get to know you if you don't take the trouble to know him? And I got to thinking, if we all could do that, slot into the other's ways, see things through their eyes, we'd find more common ground than we knew there was. So I've learnt to cook the chops on hot flame, side down at first to cook all that delicious fat, to braai wors on cooler coals, steak on the hottest, and to put the skilpadjies right on the sides of the grid to cook slowly, otherwise they'll fall apart. I've been shown how to braai ribs sideways-on, on the side of the braai, after first scoring the fat in a diamond pattern and then rubbing in salt and Worcestershire sauce. To then put it in a hinged grid and balance it, or even hang it, to one side of the braai for as long as you can, with the bone side facing the flames and coals, before finishing it off fat-side down on the coals once the other meat has been cooked. Ludi even gets out the stepladder, climbs up to roof height with the grid, and puts it right on top of the chimney to cook ever so slowly and become beautifully smoked. Now there's something a verdomde Ingelsman would never have thought of. I've learnt that some of these dudes cook right in the flames on occasion. I don't mean just a flicker of flame here and there. I watched in utter astonishment last December as a young man made a massive fire in a very large indoor braai and, when the flames were at their most vigorous and hottest, shove a load of marinated steaks right in there so that you couldn't even see the steaks for fire. To cook them insanely quickly in hellfire itself, and come out – perfect. Charred, sure, but many of us like our steak that way. And what an old-fashioned charred-steak taste that was, like a steakhouse steak used to taste, before everyone got all coy about charring for fear that we'd all be dead from cancer by Monday morning. More about that in this column I wrote earlier in the year. Hak hom Blokkies is a great song, a touching story of a past-it rugby player reminiscing about his glory decades, now an old man, and here was a roomful of people who, especially the kids, will one day remember where they were when Siya Kolisi steered his team of Springboks to rugby glory, and recall every stage, every penalty kicked by Handré Pollard, and watch over and over in their mind's eyes as Makazole Mapimpi scored the first try of the game and then Cheslin Kolbe set down the second. They may have felt just a little responsible for that last try in the dying minutes. Yells of ' nog ene! ', 'one more try!' and ' nog 'n piep! ' had punctuated the room in those breathless, lump-in-throat moments, and down the ball went again behind the posts as the roof all but lifted off the little golf clubhouse in Cradock. To be toasted – what else? – in beer, Klippies, prayer and braaied lamb and wors later on that unforgettable day. Coda I didn't stay with teetotal orange juice for the entire game. As the excitement of the game built up I got my ou vriend daar agter die bar to add a vodka to it after a while, and then another, and another. For luck, you understand. DM
Mail & Guardian
01-07-2025
- Science
- Mail & Guardian
National bird in peril: Blue crane numbers plummet in Overberg
Blue cranes are uplisted to vulnerable due to threats such as habitat loss, powerlines, fences and poisoning. (Supplied) South Africa's national bird, the distinctive The uplisting of the elegant, pale blue-grey bird, known for its long, black wingtip feathers that trail on the ground, means that it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium term. This is according to the While the Karoo boasts the highest number of blue cranes in the country, its decline is of particular concern in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, where they occur at higher densities than anywhere else in South Africa. Data from the long-running citizen science project, 'These dramatic figures are especially concerning given that this region once had a thriving … population,' the conservation organisations said. In the Karoo, Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts figures showed that populations had declined prior to 2017. But, this data is dated given that the organisation's counts are no longer done in this region, they said. To fix this, BirdLife South Africa has formed a working group with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and International Crane Foundation partnership; the Overberg Crane Group and the FitzPatrick Institute to reinvigorate the project, particularly in areas like the Karoo. The citizen science project is conducted twice annually, relying on dedicated volunteers who count birds along fixed routes creating one of the most robust long-term datasets for large terrestrial birds in the country. The organisations pointed to recent research by The key drivers of nest failure in the Overberg are disturbance and high temperatures, research by MSc student Since 1991 the Overberg Crane Group, along with partners such as CapeNature and the Endangered Wildlife Trust and International Crane Foundation, have driven blue crane conservation efforts in the Overberg. This involved engaging actively with landowners to raise awareness and ensure that farming and cranes coexist peacefully. Similar programmes were initiated in the Karoo and Drakensberg, under the auspices of the South African Crane Working Group. The success of these interventions meant that the blue crane population increased and was regionally downlisted to near threatened in 2015, based on data up until 2010. 'As the population was doing well, conservation efforts for blue cranes were reduced in the Western Cape and Karoo. This can be attributed to the fact that conservation resources are limited and work needs to be prioritised to species that need it the most.' All three crane species in South Africa — the blue, wattled and grey crowned — are found in the Drakensberg region. Ongoing 'The uplisting has demonstrated that this species is dependent on ongoing conservation efforts, especially as they occur almost entirely outside of protected areas.' Within the Overberg, blue cranes are primarily found in wheatlands. 'As new technologies are implemented, cultivars are developed and farming methods are adapted, blue cranes populations are being affected,' they said. 'Indications are that an increase in the practice of minimum till and increased canola production may have reduced the availability of suitable feeding and breeding areas for cranes.' More research was needed to confirm this. Blue cranes have become the secondary, or unintended, victims of poisoning in the Overberg and Swartland regions, often from substances intended for other species, such as geese or rodents. Research has revealed that Still, collision with powerlines remains the main threat to blue cranes. The conservation organisations said ongoing mitigation is necessary, especially as new powerlines are added to connect renewable energy to the grid. This is particularly a threat in the renewable energy development zones of the Overberg and Karoo. Blue cranes have a strong association with agriculture across their range in South Africa and a variety of conservation expertise is required to conserve the species. 'Encouragingly, many farmers have already embraced their role as custodians of these birds, showing that agricultural productivity and biodiversity conservation can go hand in hand,' the groups said. 'Their commitment forms the backbone of South Africa's blue crane conservation efforts.' Kevin Shaw, the chairperson of the Overberg Crane Group, added that the Red List assessment is the determination of extinction risk. It looks at how well the species is doing over a period of time and measures it against set criteria, allowing assessors to assign a conservation status. 'What is often forgotten is that the survival of a species is governed by two forces: the threats on the one hand and the mitigation efforts to combat these threats. If the population of a threatened species is improving and it is uplisted (as was the blue crane 10 years ago) then we all rejoice, clap one another on the backs on a job well done and walk off to tackle the next species, forgetting that the threats are still there and the only reason why the species 'recovered' was because of conservation actions.' It therefore came as no surprise to him that the blue crane had been uplisted again 10 years later. 'The threats are still there, and there may be even different ones because … we don't have a clue on what is going on, on the ground. There is a lot of speculation, but with finite resources , we need to be damn sure, otherwise we could be wasting valuable resources on conservation actions that will not achieve relevant results.' According to Shaw, the biggest problem for the blue crane is that the largest portion of its population occurs on agricultural land. This is not seen as a conservation priority as it does not contribute to the country's target for conservation in terms of land within protected areas. 'Also this is where the largest human impact is, with landowners changing the landscape on a large scale influenced predominantly by agricultural trends and economics,' he said. 'The latter are constantly changing and, without keeping abreast, it becomes difficult to assess where and what the threats are and, subsequently, the best conservation actions to mitigate these threats.' The lack of presence on the ground is a big factor in the species' decline, he noted. 'This not only refers to a fieldworker but government staff as well. In the past, we had agricultural extension staff in the regions, which we knew well and could rely on to indicate what is happening on the ground.' These staff no longer exist. 'Also the [Overberg Crane Group] and the fieldworker were well supported by the then provincial conservation department, now CapeNature. With budget cuts and lack of resources this has dwindled and conservation work has been reduced to work on protected areas with off-reserve conservation left to a few officers having to work over large areas, resulting in predominantly reactive work.' This situation is not restricted to the Western Cape but is relevant to all provinces and is indicative of the state of conservation in the country. 'Also, conservation effort within an agricultural landscape is still something of an anomaly within South Africa, with conservation priorities set to save target percentages of natural vegetation types/percentage of the country within protected areas. This is an easier target to set, easier to defend and easier to strategise to achieve.' The conservation groups said that, with the help of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's planning specialist group, the Endangered Wildlife Trust- International Crane Foundation has coordinated a multi-stakeholder conservation planning process for blue cranes. Other partners involved include the Overberg Crane Group, CapeNature, Wool Growers Association, Kogelberg Biosphere Rehabilitation Centre, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eskom and BirdLife South Africa. This 'We are confident that, with coordinated, evidence-driven conservation action, we can turn around the environmental status of the blue crane.'
News24
27-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- News24
Six recipes to fire up in your potjie pot this weekend
Supplied It's cold, it's the weekend, and nothing beats a good potjie bubbling over the coals while you wait with a drink in hand. Whether you're cooking for the crew or making sure Monday's sorted on the leftover front, these six recipes bring the heat and the comfort. Pair it with some warm homemade bread for the ultimate winter meal. Want to make this later? Tap on the bookmark ribbon at the top of your screen and come back to it when you need to shop for ingredients or start cooking. Lamb potjie with cheesy bacon dumplings The traditional lamb potjie is elevated with a comforting side of cheesy, smoky bacon dumplings, with corn folded in, to soak up all that meaty gravy. ER Lombard/YOU Spicy Spanish chorizo mussel pot This potjie pot is quick, easy, and packed with flavour. The chorizo brings the smoky heat, while the mussels bring the sea, its the perfect recipe for something fiery and comforting but fresh. This is a proper bowl of comfort. It's hearty, wholesome, and full of slow-cooked goodness. It makes a generous, thick, brothy batch, so you'll have leftovers to freeze for the next cold front. Creamy, indulgent, and made extra rich with a handful of biltong thrown in. It's a coastal-meets-Karoo twist that simply works. Chicken, chorizo and orzo potjie This pot wonder features smoky chorizo, tender braaied chicken, and orzo pasta that soaks every flavour. It is finished with lemon zest, herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil. Trinchado steak with charred onions Tender slices of steak, charred onions, and a bold, spicy sauce come together in a pot that delivers richness and depth. It's best served with crusty bread to mop it all up.
