PRETORIA – President Jacob Zuma has appointed an acting chief of the South African Police Service after suspending General Victoria Phiyega pending an enquiry into her fitness to hold office. The Acting National Commissioner will be Lieutenant-General Johannes Khomotso Phahlane, currently the Divisional Commissioner for Forensic Services, it was announced by the president’s office on Wednesday. A […]

The experienced JP Pietersen is back in the Springboks’ starting line-up for their Rugby World Cup (RWC) quarter-final against Wales at Twickenham in London on Saturday afternoon. Pietersen – who scored a hat-trick against Samoa in the second pool match – is included in the only change to the starting team that beat the USA […]

One country, one language, I heard the Cosas activists chant during a march in Stellenbosch two weeks ago. The language these angry young people were talking about, is the language of the British Empire that had colonised South Africa and many other African states and had systematically brutalised indigenous people for centuries. The young people’s […]

Many people have welcomed Al Jazeera’s portrayal of Africa in a segment on ‘UpFront’ called ‘Reality Check: Africa is not a Country’. Some said it heralded a welcome contrast to the depiction of Africa that is often presented by other large global news media of a continent filled with doom and gloom that needed outsider […]

South Africa. A place where you can dive into swimming pools or sky dive above breathtaking scenery. Surf the wild ocean or cruise the wild safari parks. Spot monkeys on your neighbour’s wall and dodge cows on the road. These are a collection of video memories since 2010 from Ronald Langeveld who filmed the following clips “on […]

World Rugby has issued a statement following allegations of biting, made against Frans Malherbe by a British newspaper, after the Springboks won their Rugby World Cup (RWC) match against the USA at London’s Olympic Stadium last night. The UK paper published a photo by Kevin Quigley which appeared to show the South African prop biting US lock […]

The Rugby World Cup (RWC) match between the RSA and the USA kicks off in less than an hour…and we’ll probably all have our eyes on our boys in green and gold, and on one member of the USA team. Number 9. Niku Kruger. It’s a big night for the South African expat. Playing for […]

A few months ago, my host mother in South Africa shared a nugget of wisdom which I found quite profound. She said, “Lydia, sometimes you look and wait for a sign towards something when actually, you’ve already been given the sign, you just missed it because you chose not to see it or it wasn’t what […]

In one of the most moving moments of the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2015, former South African President Nelson Mandela was posthumously inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame on Saturday, ahead of the match between the Springboks and Scotland. And it was his old ally and former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar who was there […]

Here’s what one YouTube user imagines a David Attenborough nature documentary would sound like “if David had been from Vereeniging” in South Africa. Afrikaans4Dummies uploaded the following video saying “Everyone of all ages grew up with the iconic voice of BBC naturalist, David Attenborough. His crisp delivery captivated and mesmerized us, and for many it […]

South African expat CORNEL MARAIS, who has been living overseas for nine years and is now based in Hong Kong, answers the Top 20 Questions South Africans at home have for an expat*… [button color=”” size=”” type=”]1[/button] Why did you cop out – didn’t you have the guts to stick it out for the long run? […]

Following the success earlier this year of ‘The Endless River’  at two major international film festivals, two new South African movies are making their marks on doing likewise. ‘For Love and Broken Bones’, directed by Tebogo Malope, and Sara Blecher’s ‘Ayanda’ – which premiered in South Africa last night – both come short on the heels of Cape Town […]

Following the devastating fires that ravaged the Southern Cape Peninsular in March this year, the flora is blooming and a new book, “The Cape Aflame” has been launched. The book features more than 200 iconic photographs by some of South Africa’s top professional and amateur photographers. “The Cape Aflame” tells the story of the Muizenberg Fire with first-hand accounts […]

Harbour House and Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, South Africa, took a beating from the ocean yesterday…possibly causing thousands of rands worth of damage, following Sunday night’s supermoon when the moon came closer to the Earth and had more of an impact on the tide. Photographers ROBYN GWILT and KIM BOUCHIER were there to capture these photos… UPDATE: View […]

On different continents last week, two South African women were in the news for their remarkable achievements in mining and justice. In New York, Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, chairwoman of Kalagadi Manganese, was named the Most Outstanding Woman in Business at the 2015 African Business Awards. At the same time, in South Africa, Justice Mandisa Muriel Maya was appointed the […]

Here’s a delicious collection of South Africa’s fabulous and unique recipes for the #ProudlySouthAfrican at home and far away who’d like to celebrate their heritage this weekend! Or any weekend for that matter… [vc_button title=”1″ color=”default”] Milk Tart There is nothing like a proper homemade South African milktart (melktert in Afrikaans). Quick and easy for tea […]

It’s been almost 72 hours since you realised your loss against Japan. I’m sure you’ve seen all the jokes, all the memes, all the abandonment threats and all of the harsh words. You may think that you have disappointed or embarrassed a nation. You are well aware that the South African nation is a nation that […]

Braaivleis, bokke fans, free toilets and thunderstorms. These are a few of the things that South Africans abroad miss most according to a fun new list on Matador Network. The list – 19 things South Africans miss most when they’re abroad – was compiled by South African blogger Caroline van Looy. Take a look and then let us know if […]

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, taking place this weekend, has become the first run in Africa, and the 22nd worldwide, to receive silver-label status from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The marathon, which happens on 20 September, has also been declared carbon neutral. To receive the silver status a race has to, among other things, have […]

After the recent shout out to #ConstableMiracle in Cape Town, two policemen in Johannesburg have been praised on social media for their “great and speedy work” after a Bryanston football team had an altercation with armed men. Working together the Bryanston Warriors soccer team and police were able to track one of the stolen phones […]

Former England halfback Matt Dawson, together with the Battersea Ironsides rugby team, has created the Hakarena, to rival the All Black’s legendary Haka. It’s in jest of course. Matt claims that the pre-match ritual is the advantage that New Zealand has over England, winning the match with its Haka before the rugby has even begun. The Hakarena […]

The three most valuable corporate brands in South Africa are multinational mobile company MTN, Vodacom and Sasol, according to a Top 50 list released on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Brand South Africa and Brand Finance Africa in Johannesburg. The other top 10 spots were taken by Standard Bank, FNB, Woolworths, Nedbank, Absa, Investec and, in 10th position, […]

DURBAN – Strong action will be taken against protesting students who contributed to the destruction of property at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus, the government said on Tuesday. On Monday, students damaged buildings and burnt at least two cars at the Westville campus in protests focused on funding and lack of accommodation, according to news reports. The Department […]

Here’s a little bit of typical South African humour to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which began at sundown yesterday (Sunday 13 September 2015) and ends tomorrow evening (Tuesday)… Watch Video: South African moms do Rosh Hashana

After Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba reassured the media and public last week on Thursday that a review of dual citizenship is not on the cards, it has been revealed today that the government is gathering statistics on South Africans with dual citizenship. A message sent to South Africans in the Philippines this morning, from the […]