In South Africa it's all too easy to be overwhelmed by the weight of negative sentiment swirling around us. State capture, corruption, threats of ratings downgrades, increased taxes, unemployment often take up column inches in newspapers and hours of airtime on radio and television.But we would do ourselves a favour by seeing some of the positives that our country and its people have to offer.There's the work of Shannon McTiernan, Merishka Archary, Jade Dave-Midlane and Richard Parry - four Grade 11 17-year-olds - who have won the inaugural national interschool Entrepreneurship Competition by creating recyclable sleeping bags for the homeless.There's the work of leading South African scientists who will make history this week when they administer, as part of a large-scale HIV trial, the first shot of a vaccine designed to prevent a strain of HIV prevalent in Southern Africa.It's a "momentous occasion" and if the trial is successful it will put us on the path to licensing a vaccine that could contribute to ending the HIV pandemic.There's Johannesburg schoolgirl Kiara Nirghin, 16, who in the middle of the country's drought created a super-absorbent polymer, using orange peel and avocado skins, that is capable of storing reserves of water hundreds of times its own weight, forming reservoirs that would allow farmers to maintain their crops at minimal cost.We are going to need to remember these positive news stories and look out for others, particularly in the next few days.President Jacob Zuma heads to court tomorrow to argue why Thuli Madonsela's state-capture report should not be released. Expect much mudslinging.And then expect the rand to take a knock on Wednesday when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan appears in court on fraud charges.But don't expect to lose hope - we have a lot to offer one another and the world...