Test your smarts on your general knowledge and news reading this week. This round features 10 questions covering stories we tracked in Idea Accelerator during the week, alongside a few cultural curveballs and local history.
Good luck with the quiz! You’ll find the answers at the end of the post.
The Questions
1. Before it was renamed after a former Prime Minister, and much later became Cape Town International, what was the original name of the city’s primary airport?
A) Wingfield Airport
B) Bellville Airport
C) South Peninsula Airport
D) Cape Town Municipal Aerodrome
2. Johannesburg’s prestigious Hyde Park suburb was declared a residential area in 1955. After which world-famous location was it named?
A) Hyde Park in Sydney, Australia
B) Hyde Park in New York, USA
C) Hyde Park in London, UK
D) Hyde Park in Chicago, USA
3. Which independent South African chocolate manufacturer—founded by a Belgian master chocolatier in 1987—recently entered liquidation following a high-profile dispute with Woolworths?
A) Lindt & Sprüngli
B) Beyers Chocolates
C) Afrikoa
D) Honest Chocolate
4. Garfield, the world’s most famous lasagna-loving cartoon feline, was modeled after which specific type of cat?
A) Siamese
B) Orange Tabby
C) Maine Coon
D) Russian Blue
5. South Africa is mourning the loss of a global icon and opera legend who died this week at the age of 93. Who was this world-famous soprano?
A) Pretty Yende
B) Pumeza Matshikiza
C) Mimi Coertse
D) Sibongile Khumalo
6. What is the vocabulary word used to describe “roundabout language”—using many words where fewer would do, especially to avoid a direct answer?
A) Eloquence
B) Circumlocution
C) Brevity
D) Soliloquy
7. In the world of Artificial Intelligence, what is the specific term for when a model confidently generates false, nonsensical, or inaccurate information?
A) Glitching
B) Buffering
C) Hallucination
D) Ghosting
8. In the world of Formula 1, what is the current disparaging “nickname” often used by critics to describe the modern, high-tech hybrid cars?
A) Ghost racers
B) Battery cars
C) Slot cars
D) Turbo-tanks
9. Which South African-linked energy giant listed on the Nasdaq this week, raising R17 billion for its small modular reactor (SMR) technology?
A) Sasol
B) X-energy
C) Eskom Holdings
D) Red Rocket
10. Despite the ongoing influences of climate change and global warming, how many days of sunshine does Cape Town continue to average annually as of 2026?
A) Roughly 200 days
B) Over 300 days
C) Exactly 365 days
D) Fewer than 150 days
The Answers
- B) Bellville Airport. It was originally named for its proximity to the town of Bellville and served domestic routes before being renamed at the request of the Bellville Federation of Taxpayers.
- C) Hyde Park in London. The suburb was named to reflect the prestige and “garden city” feel of the famous London park.
- B) Beyers Chocolates. Founded by Kees Beyers, the company entered liquidation this month after losing its long-standing supply relationship with Woolworths.
- B) Orange Tabby. While his personality is one-of-a-kind, his physical traits are famously those of a ginger/orange tabby.
- C) Mimi Coertse. A true pioneer, she was the first South African to conquer the major opera stages of Europe, including the Vienna State Opera, in the 1950s.
- B) Circumlocution. Derived from Latin, it means “talking around” a subject. A common example is using “polite” avoidance—such as referring to someone as being “in a delicate condition” rather than simply saying they are “pregnant.”
- C) Hallucination. This term describes AI errors where the system “dreams up” facts that aren’t true but presents them with total confidence.
- B) Battery cars. A term used by F1 purists who miss the roar of the older, naturally aspirated combustion engines.
- B) X-energy. The company is a major player in the “Nuclear Renaissance,” projecting a massive market opportunity for its reactor technology by 2050.
- B) Over 300 days. Even with shifting global weather patterns, the Mother City maintains its reputation as a premier sunny destination for locals and tourists alike.
