South Africa

Something of the savannah came to London's South Bank last week, with the installation of a large treehouse. Inspired by a real South African safari lodge, the treehouse was created by Virgin Holidays in a bid to promote interest in its vacations.

It might not offer the durability of your trusty Husqvarna, but a 3D-printed lawn mower has shown it's up to the task of keeping your lawn in shape. Hans Fouche designed and produced his new machine with a custom-made 3D printer dubbed Cheetah, which he has hopes of eventually bringing to market.

The Bloodhound Supersonic Car group, along with its partner, the Norwegian/Finnish aerospace and defense group, Nammo, announce that they've successfully tested a large hybrid solid/liquid rocket engine at Nammo's test facility in Norway.

A team of designers and architects based in South Africa has produced this charming prefabricated tiny home designed especially for the climate and conditions of their country. The versatile POD-Indawo can operate on or off-grid, and sports a decent-sized porch and an upstairs sleeping area.

Scientist at the University of Southampton, with the help of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, hope to use the Moon to detect the most energetic particles known; Ultra-High-Energy (UHE) cosmic rays.

Coca-Cola South Africa has partnered with bottler Coca-Cola Fortune and communications company BT Global Services to provide underserved South African communities with free Wi-Fi ... which will be built into Coke vending machines.

Airbus is getting behind a project to examine the potential for using hydrogen fuel cells on commercial airliners – not to power the jet engines, but to replace the Auxiliary Power Units (APUs).

Claimed to be Africa’s first home-grown military aircraft, the Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC), is designed to perform duties similar to both attack helicopters and reconnaissance planes.

The watch manufacturer Rolex has developed a pair of bespoke analog instruments as backups for the Bloodhound SSC, the jet-powered car being built for an attempt to set a new world land speed record of 1,000 mph (1609 km/h).

South African property developer Citiq has provided us with a timely reminder that shipping containers continue to be relevant in architecture with its new shipping container-based student digs in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Samsung has launched its Digital Villages project in South Africa with plans to take it to Gabon and Ethiopia by the end of 2013. Digital Villages brings healthcare, education and connectivity to remote villages to improve living standards and enable local businesspeople to develop sustainably.

Johannesburg-based design studio, Architecture For A Change has recently completed the construction of an off-the-grid prefabricated unit located in Mamelodi, South-Africa. The tiny prototype is designed with the aim of raising local living conditions, while also providing affordable housing.