TOBY SHAPSHAK | Joburg’s Education Town goes hi-tech
open_in_new
Read the original article: https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-03-27-toby-shapshak-joburgs-education…
fact_checkFact-Check Results
12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.
help
Insufficient Evidence
9
schedule
Pending
2
verified
Verified By Reference
1
“Taddy Blecher has bought the building at 56 Main Street in Marshalltown.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about Taddy Blecher's property purchase.
“The Maharishi Invincibility Institute is 25% of the way to its goal of educating 100,000 underprivileged children.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and CIDA do not mention the institute's educational metrics or funding progress. No direct evidence supports the claim.
menu_book
wikipedia
NEUTRAL
— The Community & Individual Development Association (CIDA or COMMUNITY) is a non-profit, educational development organisation that was founded in 1979 and is located in Johannesburg, South Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_&_Individual_Develop…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_&_Individual_Develop…
menu_book
wikipedia
NEUTRAL
— Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 1911? – 5 February 2008) was the creator of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and leader of the worldwide organization that has been characteri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharishi_Mahesh_Yogi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharishi_Mahesh_Yogi
menu_book
wikipedia
NEUTRAL
— Yogic flying is a mental-physical technique and exercise done by practitioners of Transcendental Meditation (TM) which features the participant hopping while cross-legged. Yogic flying is part of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogic_flying
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogic_flying
“The institute has provided 22,567 formerly unemployed people with quality jobs, generating R2.26bn annually in salaries.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm the job creation and salary figures attributed to the institute.
“Stanford University has recognized Maharishi as one of the world’s 12 most innovative educational institutions.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm Stanford University's recognition of the institute.
“The Maharishi NextUp Institute of Technology (MNIT) will focus on tech and digital skills including AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and data science.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm MNIT's curriculum focus on specified tech skills.
“David Frankel founded South Africa’s first internet service provider (ISP), which was sold to Dimension Data for R400m.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm David Frankel's ISP founding or its sale to Dimension Data.
“The Maharishi NextUp Institute of Technology (MNIT) has Altron as its anchor tenant.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm Altron's tenant status at MNIT.
“The initiative aims to transform Johannesburg into one of the pre-eminent tech capitals on the continent.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm MNIT's Johannesburg tech hub initiative.
“Blecher has built a full-sized football field in the CBD and a new security academy.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm Taddy Blecher's construction projects.
“The Jozi My Jozi initiative is backed by Anglo American, Standard Bank, Absa, iqbusiness, Nando’s, and Wits.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm the Jozi My Jozi initiative's corporate backers.
“Blecher describes the current phase of Johannesburg as 'Joburg 2.0', post-1994.”
PENDING
“Two graduates of Maharishi are employed as cybersecurity officials at major banks and support their families.”
PENDING
info
Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.