Eighty20 Fact-a-Day

New Zealand Scrabble player Nigel Richards won the French World Championship in 2015 after studying the French word list for just nine weeks, even though he did not speak French. In 2024, he repeated the feat in Spanish, winning 23 of his 24 games despite not speaking Spanish either. Source: linkly.link/2nibH

In the 1950s. There are an estimated 10¹²⁰ possible chess games – far more than the roughly 10⁸⁰ atoms in the observable universe. Even if every atom represented a different game, it wouldn’t come close. After centuries of play, we’ve explored only a tiny fraction of chess’s possibilities. Source: linkly.link/2nXe7, linkly.link/2nXeC

In South Africa, influencers earn an average of around R4 354 for a static post and R7 335 for a reel. Celebrity influencers with over one million followers can charge as much as R34 333 for a single reel. Source: linkly.link/2nCms

Since 10 December 2025, social-media platforms in Australia must take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from having accounts on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X. It is not a complete internet ban as under-16s may still view public content without logging in and use services such as WhatsApp and online gaming platforms. Source: linkly.link/2n87y

South Africans spend an average of around 9 hours and 24 minutes per day looking at screens, the highest amount among the countries included in a widely cited global comparison. That is almost 40% of an entire day spent online, streaming, scrolling or using digital devices. Source: linkly.link/2n3xq

Twitter’s first post was shared on 21 March 2006 and simply read: “just setting up my twttr.” The platform originally limited posts to 140 characters because it was built around SMS messages. Today, X allows posts of up to 25,000 characters, almost 179 times longer. Source: linkly.link/2mdJP, linkly.link/2mdJT, linkly.link/2mdJW

In 2025, South Africa’s pay-TV subscriptions dropped by 9.6%, from 7.4 million to 6.7 million. More viewers are moving to flexible, on-demand platforms such as Netflix, Showmax and Prime Video instead of traditional TV packages. Source: linkly.link/2mZyA

Tears are not just water – they contain water, oil, mucus, electrolytes, enzymes and proteins that help lubricate, clean and protect the eyes. Humans also produce emotional tears, but scientists are still studying their exact purpose. Source: rebrand.ly/19dbaku

Tears are not just water; they contain water, oil, mucus, electrolytes, enzymes and proteins that help lubricate, clean and protect the eyes. Humans also produce emotional tears, but scientists are still studying their exact purpose. Source: rebrand.ly/ef0bdc

Dreams are still not fully understood. Experts think they may help the brain process memories and practise real-life challenges, but there is no proven answer. Even stranger, most people dream every night – they just do not always remember it. Source: rebrand.ly/sia30ce

Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), or Todd’s syndrome, is a rare condition where the brain distorts how a person experiences size, distance, or even their own body. People may feel that objects are shrinking, growing, moving closer, or appearing farther away, even though their eyes are working normally. Source: rebrand.ly/481d08

Hiccups are caused by sudden, uncontrolled spasms of the diaphragm, which make the vocal cords close briefly and produce the “hic” sound. While common triggers are known, the exact biological purpose of hiccups remains unclear. Source: rebrand.ly/4ox6otc

African football made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 9 of Africa’s 10 teams reaching the knockout stage, the continent’s strongest World Cup performance yet. Source: rebrand.ly/f30e04

Norway arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with more than just boots and kits: they reportedly shipped over 1,000 kg of food to their base in North Carolina, including 300 kg of fish, 116 kg of traditional brown cheese and 6,000 oranges. For a team making its first World Cup appearance since 1998, it was both a nutrition plan and a taste of home. Source: bit.ly/4oX6a3Y

Brazil stand as the most iconic powerhouse in FIFA World Cup history. They are the only nation to have appeared in every tournament since 1930 and hold the record for the most titles, with five championships. Their legacy spans generations of legendary talent, including Pelé, the only player to win three World Cups and the youngest player ever to score in the tournament. Brazil also lead the all-time World Cup scoring charts with 237 goals, underlining their attacking dominance across generations. Source: bit.ly/44DPRj8

Shakira has featured at more FIFA World Cups than her ex, Gerard Piqué: she has been involved in four tournaments, while Piqué played in three. Sources: rebrand.ly/02rrm1i, rebrand.ly/4yzuwly

On 14 June 2026, Curaçao became the smallest nation by population ever to play at a men’s FIFA World Cup, facing Germany in Houston. With a population of around 150,000, the island reportedly had about 6,000 fans at the match — roughly one in every 25 Curaçaoans. For context, if Germany had sent the same share of its population, around 3.4 million German fans would have descended on Houston. Source: rebrand.ly/071325, rebrand.ly/usg1dzl

Support to youth is vital if we are to see shifts in youth economic inclusion. Harambees latest income survey of 3,167 respondents showed that every time a young person lands a structured, decent work experience, there is a lasting economic dividend – individuals are 10 percentage points more likely to remain in the labour market and 10 percentage points more likely to secure further wage employment. Learn more about how data and bold action can transform the youth employment landscape: bit.ly/4g4YmuR

While there are some hot spots of growth in our economy, there are systemic level failures to connect youth to any pathway (work, education or training). These barriers contribute to South Africa’s alarming 46% NEET rate (Not in Employment Education or Training). Young people point to data and transport as the heaviest costs of work seeking, with expenses reportedly climbing as high as R1470 per month. To help break the cycle of exclusion and address systemic level barriers, SA Youth provides pathways and line of sight to various opportunities at scale. Learn more about how data and bold action can transform the youth employment landscape: youthcapital.co.za/beyond-the-cos…

Youth employment is being unlocked in growing sectors such as retail, global business services and tourism. On the SA Youth platform, 40% of formal employment opportunities recorded were in retail, confirming the sector as an important entry point into the labour market. Learn more about how data and bold action can transform the youth employment landscape: bit.ly/4g4YmuR