Bruce Clark is one of those unusual things – a stay-at-home dad. In his uplifting memoir Love Sex Fleas God, aptly subtitled “Confessions of a stay-at-home dad”, he talks about his troubled childhood and his ultimately successful search for direction in life. The captivating title came out of a paragraph Clark wrote in response to publisher Umuzi‘s […]

South African composers who have succeeded in the fiercely competitive international market will be recognised in a new awards programme called Wawela (Zulu, meaning “go beyond”). The initiative is driven by the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro), which is responsible for upholding and administering the rights of music composers in the region. This covers […]

Endurance cyclist Kevin Davie’s new book, Freedom Rider, tells the story of the mountain bike adventures that led him to discover some of South Africa’s most beautiful hidden corners, understand more about the history that shaped the country, and experience genuine South African hospitality. On his journey to discover more of South Africa, the seasoned cyclist […]

Tracey Chiappini-Young and Karen Jansen, founders of the soft toy maker Taunina, are on a mission to promote job creation in South Africa through the art of seamstressy. The toys are expensive – ranging in price from $201 (R1 780) to $600 (R5 320) – but keep in mind each one is handmade by women who […]

Submitted by Audy Peters You call a bathing suit a “swimming costume”. You call a traffic light a “robot”. You call an elevator a “lift” You call a hood a “bonnet” You call a trunk a “boot” You call a pickup truck a “bakkie” You call a Barbeque a “Braai” The employees dance in front […]

South Africa’s most unlikely export must be Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter from Detroit in the US. The Mexican-American cut two albums in the early 1970s which went nowhere in his homeland but were a huge hit in South Africa, culminating in the 2012 hit movie Searching for Sugarman. On stage in Johannesburg during his February 2013 tour […]

Hi Everyone Don’t forget about this weekends tours: 23 February 2013-Saturday- Jozi Inner City Flash Tours….WOOP WOOP  Why not join us for some flash tours (this means short!) in the Jozi Inner City!! These concise hour-long tours have a number of themes and focus on history, architecture, public art, street art and City culture. This is perfect for […]

A South African student has been named as a finalist for the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition, the world’s largest student photography programme and award. Zanele Plaatjie (22), from Vaal University of Technology, beat entries from over 230 universities worldwide to be named as one of 10 finalists for the Student Focus award.  She […]

    A South African electrical engineer turned author has developed 480 new Zulu words to explain contemporary science and technology terms. Phiwayinkosi Mbuyazi has combined his love for languages, science and technology to provide children with new Zulu words through which to explore the modern world, encourage a generation of enquiring minds and preserve […]

Johannah Moriti has established the first cosmetic company in South Africa to manufacture natural chemical-free products that don’t alter the structure of ethnic hair. Her products are changing the cosmetic industry, for the first time offering women an alternative to harmful chemical-based hair products. “I want to show black women that their natural hair is […]

Lorna Cochran, 89, will be swimming her 14th aQuellé Midmar Mile this year and if she makes it to the other side, she will be the oldest finisher in the race’s 40-year history. In 1999 Colin Cable finished as an 89-year-old, but he was four months younger than Cochran. She turns 90 in July. The race, recognised by […]

South African yachtsman Ralf Dominick has added his name to a prestigious list of only 150 people who have sailed through the Northwest Passage, one of the world’s most severe maritime challenges. The notorious waterway, a sea route through the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America, has historically been considered impassable by many sea […]

When it comes to the arts, Dirk Badenhorst, the chief executive of South African Mzansi Ballet (SAMB), does not believe in social barriers. Instead, he believes that talent is talent no matter where it comes from, which is why SAMB has set up a development programme in the townships of Gauteng. Through this initiative, it offers classes […]

South African entrepreneur Gildah Tshukutswane has turned her dream of creating greeting cards in African languages into a successful business. Her start-up African Greetings sells a range of colourful birthday, wedding, Christmas and thank you cards with messages in all 11 of South Africa’s official indigenous languages. Each card is illustrated with a photograph or traditional symbol […]

Sixty-five years ago today Mahatma Gandhi, one of the 20th century’s great spiritual leaders, was assassinated in India, at the age of 78. On 30 January 1948 Nathuram Godse pushed through a crowd around Gandhi, and fired three shots at point-blank range. He died on the spot. Gandhi’s 21-year South African sojourn nurtured the creation […]

From an email doing the rounds !                  

This year, the music documentary about folk singer Sixto Rodriguez, Searching for Sugar Man, has been nominated for Best Documentary in 2013, the 85th instalment of the movie awards. It is up against 5 Broken Cameras, How to Survive a Plague, The Gatekeepers, and The Invincible War. The film, which was shot in Cape Town, has also been nominated for […]

In typical Zululander style, the locals didn’t let a little flood stop them having fun this weekend. Legendary jet ski champion Dustin Motzouris took to the streets of Empangeni and thrilled the town with his daring manoeuvres.  With the police buzzing him with their sirens (but perhaps secretly impressed…and stumped on how to catch him), […]

Imagine taking a bath anywhere at any time without using the traditional method of water. A young South African entrepreneur has developed a product that will allow people who have limited access to water to maintain their standards of hygiene. Ludwick Marishane hails originally from Motetema on the border of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, a town located […]

A South African scientist has been named one of 20 ‘Youngest Power Women in Africa 2012’ by Forbes Magazine. These are women – all under the age of 45 – who are bringing about positive change on the continent by influencing African business, technology, science, policy and media. Dr Patience Mthunzi, a scientist at the Council for Scientific […]

Had it not been for the passion of a self-trained South African naturalist, the discovery of a living specimen of the rare coelacanth around this time in 1938 may never have happened. Eastern Cape native Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer originally trained as a nurse. Although her wish was to work in a museum, there were few opportunities […]

  Only in South Africa is it permissible for a company to drive on a main arterial road (in Cape Town) using a worker as a prop for glass On the back of an open vehicle at break neck speed !   I know this is “Africa” and all that but if we don’t comment on […]

When Jessica Foord was gang-raped five years ago while on a hike with her father, she vowed not to let the trauma consume her life. The survivor of a crime that reportedly takes place in South Africa every 17 seconds, Foord – who was 21 at the time – was determined to use the experience […]

Award-winning songbird Lira is set to wow the world – she’s received a request to perform at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration ball on 21 January 2013. Lira, who was born Lerato Molapo in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, is no one-hit wonder – the singer was discovered in 2000 and since then has been raking in the […]

Homer’s Iliad, the well-known Greek poem set in the Trojan War, has been translated into English versions and virtually every language in the world for many centuries, but now a South African professor in classic literature has published the first South African English translation of the epic tale. Prof Richard Whitaker from the School of Languages and Literature […]