There are many ways to spend your lockdown or quarantine time – and maybe even put that excess toilet paper you’ve collected to some use (except you’ll have to roll it up again!). An avowed fan of “domino or chain reactions,” Kaplamino, has posted a YouTube video of an intricate way he figured out to […]

The spread of the coronavirus has forced millions all over the world to retreat to base and abandon outdoor exercise and gym sessions. If they own a big house and garden, it’s manageable, but many live in shacks, cramped houses or tiny high-rise flats. How can they avoid going to seed during lockdown? Gavin Evans […]

Lwazi Sithole has lived on the streets of Durban for over eight years, but since the national lockdown to disrupt the spread of Covid-19, the 28-year-old has moved to the Denis Hurley Centre, and has started to rethink his life… writes Nokulunga Majola. “I had forgotten what life is like off the streets. Here at the […]

South African musician and expat Johan de Cock is currently presenting an online piano concert via YouTube in the UK. Watch below… “I’ll be playing some works by Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin and Gershwin. If you fancy some beautiful, relaxing classical music, please join us. “The great thing about an online concert is that you don’t […]

This Sunday, Carte Blanche investigates how hundreds of desperate South Africans stuck abroad on almost every continent are dealing with this crisis. You can watch the show on Sunday 5 April in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries abroad from Tues 7 April on Showmax International. C O V […]

A South African Police-led operation has ended the occupation by refugees of the Central Methodist Church on Greenmarket Square, writes James Stent for GroundUp. A large contingent of police officers broke down both entrances to the Central Methodist Church on Thursday afternoon, before entering the church as a group. The police appeared to meet very […]

American singer Chris Mann’s brilliant Adele parody of Hello – his version being “Hello (from the Inside)” – has now been viewed by OVER 6 million people on YouTube since he posted it on 26 March. The reason it’s been so popular worldwide is that everyone can relate! The song begins: “Hello, it’s me, I’m […]

The short dragon movie “Zog,” animated by Cape Town’s Triggerfish and voiced by famous actors of film and TV like “Game of Thrones” Kit Harington, has won the International Emmy for Best Kids Animation. The 27-minute short film, produced by Magic Light Pictures and co-directed by South African Daniel Snaddon (“Stick Man”) and two-time Oscar […]

As South Africa enters Day 7 of a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Eskom has announced that it will double maintenance work at its plants. “With the COVID-19 national lockdown in full effect, Eskom has experienced a significant reduction in demand for electricity. “Electricity usage has dropped by between 7 500MW and 9 000MW since the lockdown […]

Shenzhen has passed a groundbreaking law to ban the consumption and production of dog and cat meat, the first city in China to do so. The ban – which also addresses the wildlife trade – has been welcomed by longtime anti-dog meat trade campaigners Humane Society International as a watershed moment in efforts to ban […]

It is a fact that 70% of cars in South Africa are not insured (see AA’s research below); and for this reason, the Government is working on a plan that makes third-party car insurance mandatory in South Africa. Uninsured car problems affect both motorists and pedestrians. If an accident is carried out by a person […]

Although our current three-week lockdown will temporarily suppress transmission in the South African epidemic, it won’t eradicate it. And if we just go back to business as usual, we will have endured the lockdown for nothing, writes Alex Welte. Those of us trying to model the Covid-19 pandemic should try to be humble; there is […]

As South Africa is experiencing its 21-day lockdown, Durban photographer Kierran Allen has ventured out for SAPeople to capture the surreal scenes of the usually busy KwaZulu-Natal beach resort. Kierran says after the President’s “inspirational speech and strong show of leadership”, he has noticed a divide in society between those who are conforming and adhering […]

Watch South Africa’s beloved Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi appeal to South Africans around the country to fight this Coronavirus COVID-19 together. Kolisi says this is not the time for jokes. This is serious. We need to fight the virus together. He asks those South Africans who are teasing soldiers and provoking them to stop. There […]

The Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has announced exceptional tax measures from 1 April to counter the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, including a tax subsidy to certain employers and the easement of some tax payments. The Ministry of Finance said in a statement that there was a critical need for government interventions to assist with […]

Almost 300 water tanks have been delivered to vulnerable communities in Gauteng, included in Soweto, over the past two days. The Department of Water and Sanitation delivered 100 tanks, each with a capacity of 2,500 litres, to Soweto on Sunday and 187 to communities across Gauteng a day earlier. Gauteng now has the highest number […]

South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has appealed to members of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) to protect and educate South African citizens about staying safe from Coronavirus, and not to abuse them. The Minister has been fielding questions on radio and TV this morning about filmed footage showing army soldiers appearing to humiliate […]

How many people could Covid-19 kill in South Africa? Researchers at the University of East Anglia in England have used data from the Chinese and Italian epidemics to make an online tool that estimates the potential number of deaths in other countries, including South Africa. Led by Professor Peter Lloyd-Sherlock the team, known as the Potential Impact […]

Cape Town’s main roads were eerily quiet on Friday morning, the first day of the three-week lockdown ordered by President Cyril Ramaphosa to suppress the Covid-19 epidemic. Both the police and the army are enforcing the lockdown. The Department of Transport issued a statement saying that 22,347 traffic officers have been deployed across the country […]

Tonight Carte Blanche visits Bloemfontein Zoo where animals were left starving after the zoo was closed down a few months ago. Some even died. Fortunately it was announced in the last week that most have now been relocated to ethical facilities. The current affairs show also investigates how COVID-19 will affect the economy here in […]

As South Africa enters its first day of a 21-day national lockdown, this performance by the award-winning Ndlovu Youth Choir is so welcomed… by a nation that is pulling together (separately, with social distancing!) in these tough times. The choir posted the video on the eve of lockdown saying: “God bless our nation. Our spirit […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited all South Africans to take part in a National Day of Prayer wherever they are, in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). The President made the call on the eve of the 21-day national lockdown, which will start at midnight Thursday (tonight). Following discussions with religious leaders, President Ramaphosa called on citizens […]

At the stroke of midnight on Thursday, South Africa will go on a nationwide lock-down with the exception of essential services. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement on Monday evening, following a meeting on Sunday with the National Coronavirus Command Council. The lockdown is the South African government’s bid to contain and slow down the […]

“No one is safe until we are all safe. The next few weeks are going to be critical — we will need to work together to reduce the spread of the virus,” explains the signup sheet of a new Covid-19 response initiative. The Cape Town Together Community Action Network is an initiative that has been […]

Our intrepid correspondent Bruce Marais, who is usually travelling, has been in self-imposed quarantine in Casablanca, Morocco, for almost two weeks. For South Africans about to go into 21 days of lockdown he has some useful tips. “Dear friends in South Africa who are going on lockdown this Thursday, I’ve been in isolation for 13 […]