I didn’t want to write this blog. Because it seems like whenever South Africans get into the discussion of whether to stay or whether to go it only creates armies on two sides. The “leavers” and the “stayers” – both defensive, both trying to justify their case. And that is not my intention at all. There […]

The photographic exhibit ‘On the Frontline’ couldn’t be more timely. With the xenophobic attacks on nationals from other African countries barely off the front pages of the news, the show focuses on the role numerous countries – what were called the Frontline States at the time – played in the battle against apartheid. Speaking at the […]

A time-lapse video about a Great Dane, uploaded by South African director Dave Meinert, is fast approaching 1-million views on YouTube. Meinert, who is based in Cape Town, uploaded the video about his Great Dane Pegasus just eight days ago.  Dave, who is one of the few movie makers who actually enjoys working with animals, rescued […]

When I first started telling folks I was heading to Johannesburg, you would have thought I said I was headed to war. “Girl, be careful out there!” “I hear it’s dangerous. Don’t go out at night!” “It’s sorta hood. Kinda like Brooklyn.” What? Have you been to Brooklyn lately? I mean sure, if you wander […]

South African artists present a unique South African identity to the world, and the high prices many local artists fetch internationally are testament to the growing interest in the calibre of local artists – as well as in that identity. South African art is finding its place in the global art market, and several of […]

South Africa has a strong connection to the latest Hollywood blockbuster, Avengers: Age of Ultron. A fight between The Hulk and Iron Man takes place in Joburg, which features a few times in the movie, and Cape Town visual effects studio BlackGinger had a hand in the film’s visual effects. Johannesburg’s city centre takes on […]

So ja, you know you’re South African when… You respond to almost everything with “ya, no” (“ja, nee”)…or “yebo” You put the word “hey” or “man” at the end of most sentences. The sight of Christmas beetles means that summer has officially arrived. There is nothing better than a Wimpy breakfast and a Cream Soda […]

When Donald Trump picked on South Africa earlier this week – saying it was a mess – he unleashed a storm of vitriol from South Africans around the world. Many of them said the true mess was his signature combover hairstyle, while others said he should butt out of South Africa’s affairs. It wasn’t the first […]

A poem by Faieza Mx, now living in Queensland, Australia… I want to wake up to the Majestic Table Mountain Always standing, Always there, Never failing Its beauty astounding As it watches over Cape Town The ocean so blue… Camps Bay, Strand, Boulders Sea Point I want to go home to gaardtjies shouting ‘hullo, hullo, […]

The South African husband of an Australian mom who received a ‘poison pen’ letter about photos she posted to Facebook has spoken out against his wife’s so-called friends. The letter is receiving worldwide attention as it grapples with a topic familiar to so many social media users.  How many baby photos is enough? Should we really post photos of […]

South Africans woke up this morning to an announcement from Eskom, posted just after 5 am saying “Eskom regrets to announce that Stage 1 #load_shedding will resume from 06:00 to 22:00 today.” But an hour ago it just got worse. Eskom announced “#PowerAlert” revealing it will move “from stage 1 to stage 2 load shedding […]

There have been uplifting, joyous scenes at the Peace March this morning in Durban as South Africans unite to let the perpetrators of attacks on foreign nationals – as well as the African continent and the world – know that South Africans say #NoToXenophobia. Durban photographer Graham Carruthers has captured the photos on this page of the […]

The first year students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University have spread a little Ubuntu with a 2-minute video project compiled for their Computing Sciences class. “The aim of our project is to do a community service as part of a team work exercise in our programming module, to teach us some soft skills,” Head of Department […]

It has been a sad day for South Africa as over 2,000 people brought Durban’s CBD to a standstill following days of xenophobic attacks in the KwaZulu Natal province. The recent flare up of attacks against foreign nationals has been blamed by some on a recent comment made by King Goodwill Zwelithini, King of the Zulus, saying “foreigners must go”. He […]

It had to happen. After Trader Joe’s, the hugely popular and huge supermarket chain in the USA (think Woolies but a bit cheaper), brought out its South African BBQ Potato Chips, biltong wasn’t more than a whiff away. And so the store has recently rolled out ‘The South African Inspired Biltong Beef Jerky.’ The American […]

Family Comedy ‘Strikdas – ‘n Familie gedoente’ has opened with a bang at the box office in South Africa and online worldwide with South Africans abroad being able to watch the movie at the same time that their families back home are doing so. The quirky new comedy earned R1 219 664 on its opening weekend. By the […]

You might remember him as the frontman of the band Fokoffpolisie and later Van Coke Kartel. Now Francois Van Coke is going solo, with his first 12-song album just released and titled after the singer himself. The first video, released on April 7 on YouTube – a lyrical ballad Toe Vind ek Jou which he sings […]

Cees Bruggemans, Consulting Economist at Bruggemans & Associates, sees hope and a brighter future for South Africa… BREAK IN THE CLOUDS by Cees Bruggemans It must be difficult to believe, with Eskom an ever bigger albatross around our necks, an imploding post office, and so from one scandal to the next. But there are breaks […]

Check out the photos below and see if you can figure out which picture is from which city – Johannesburg or Los Angeles? Scroll down and count how many images are of LA. (Hint: your answer should be somewhere between 6 and 13). The answers are beneath each pic. Just click on the picture number to […]

When it comes to languages, South Africa – the land of 11 official languages – truly is in shift. As the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News channel said it would be axing Afrikaans and several other-language bulletins from its 24-hour news service, the government announced that Mandarin has been approved as an optional subject at […]

The reaction to Trevor Noah’s appointment as the successor to the haloed and revered Jon Stewart on his satiric ‘The Daily Show’ has quickly drawn extremes of reaction across the United States. On Twitter, there were plenty of questions. “Who?” “ Wait, who?” The South African comedian himself tweeted, “No-one can replace Jon Stewart. But together […]

Everyone knows about Table Mountain and the Waterfront, but what about the hidden secrets waiting to be discovered in Cape Town? For all the out-of-towners and overseas visitors, here’s  the lowdown from locals on where to go and what to do next time you’re in the Mother City. 1. Drive to Constantia Nek Stop at the […]

Jenna Lowe’s mom Gabi has posted a message to her daughter’s #GetMetTo21 Facebook page asking everyone to “please keep her in your thoughts and prayers” as the 20-year-old has unfortunately suffered some health set backs in the past few weeks since receiving her new set of lungs in December 2014. The Western Cape youngster became a […]

South African cricket captain AB de Villiers and coach Russell Domingo will arrive home in South Africa, after their awesome performance at the Cricket World Cup 2015, in the early hours of this morning. Their flight – SA 281 from Perth – will land at 04h40 and the two will address the media at a […]

From 6 April, anyone on a South African passport going to live in the UK for longer than six months will need to pay a ‘health surcharge’ in order to gain access to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The new ruling – announced this month by the British Home Office – will affect all temporary, non-European […]