Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche tonight, Sunday 05 May, in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 07 May for South Africans abroad in many countries. Tasmin Pepper and the First All-Woman Racing Series With a global audience of 1,7 billion people, Formula 1 is one of the most popular motor sports […]

South Africa, as the old tourism slogan used to boast, is a world in one country: a land made remarkable by the diversity of its people, its cultures, its landscapes, its fauna and flora… writes Gus Silber. But away from the glossy brochures, the ad campaigns, the YouTube influencer videos, the truth is a little […]

For South Africans living in London, life’s about to get a whole load more festive with a new party night dedicated just to South Africans! It starts in June. Lawaai Productions, which is owned by South African expats, and Bloomsbury Lanes will be hosting central London’s hottest new South African Night… aptly called Saffa Night. […]

So, imagine this. Local and international stars of South Africa’s most memorable beer and cider ads walk into a bar. Sounds like the start of a joke. Instead, it’s a recipe for magic in yet another brilliant South African commercial – a witty ad for Distell’s new beverage, EDGE. Picture the scene. Savanna’s Barry Hilton […]

It would be surprising if race played no part in South African elections. The country’s colonial and apartheid past ranked alongside America’s Deep South as among the most racist social orders in the world. If religious polarisation is also considered, South Africa often compared with Northern Ireland and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The slogan “rainbow nation” […]

The South African national flag will fly at half-mast at every station in the country from 1 – 7 May 2019, according to instructions from President Cyril Ramaphosa, as a mark of respect and in observance of seven days of national mourning for people who lost their lives due to the floods that have ravaged […]

With so many South Africans breaking through on the international stage, we’ve put together a catch-up guide to the best of what’s come onto Showmax recently. There’s a lot. And it’s all Proudly South African. You can stream the shows here (and many are available for expats too!). 1. Everything Must Fall Premise: An unflinching […]

It’s pleasing that the latest World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters without Borders rates the state of press freedom in South Africa as “satisfactory”. Satisfactory is the second best category after “good”. South Africa is on par in the “satisfactory” category with countries like Australia, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, the UK, Austria and Uruguay. […]

The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Afriforum are opposing each other in the Johannesburg Equality Court. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is asking the Equality Court in Johannesburg to declare the display of the old South African flag hate speech and harassment under the Equality Act. The case is likely to set the boundaries between constitutionally-protected free […]

South African consumers will have to dig even deeper into their pockets as both grades of petrol are set to increase by 54 cents a litre this week. The Department of Energy on Sunday announced that the price of both grades of petrol, 95 and 93 (ULP and LRP), will increase by 54 cents. This […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on (Sunday 28 April 2019)  in South Africa and from Tuesday (30 April) for South Africans living abroad. Stream it here if you’re overseas, or watch on the DStv Now app if you’re in SA (or some other countries on the continent). Break-In Alert – Could Your Car be Next? Every […]

South African expats will tomorrow head to the country’s high commissions, embassies and consulates-general around the world to cast their votes in the national and provincial elections. The date, 27 April, coincides with exactly 25 years to the day South Africans first voted in the first democratic elections in 1994. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), […]

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has launched an inspirational campaign, ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, that dares the world to “see what South Africa can be when we are one”… Dubbed #ItsMoreThanCricket, the series of videos celebrate the diversity of the country… and of the Proteas team… “There is no other country […]

The Ramaphosa Village graveyard in Patensie, Eastern Cape, is in a sad state. GroundUp found pigs rooting in the graveyard, headstones knocked over, and graves vandalised. Villagers use the unfenced property as a shortcut. A number of shacks have also gone up on the very edge of the cemetery. A legal dispute lodged by a […]

More than 50 people were killed in southern and eastern parts of South Africa after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides, authorities said on Wednesday. Rescue workers were digging through collapsed homes and other buildings in coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal province, where the death toll stood at 51, local officials said. There are also over […]

South Africa’s ‘little’ rhino horn film with a huge message has won one of the world’s top wildlife prizes. The groundbreaking South African film, STROOP – journey into the rhino horn war, which local distributors declined to take on because they didn’t think it would attract enough of an audience, continues to blaze on the […]

Guests on holiday at Giant’s Castle in the Drakensberg, South Africa, were treated to a spectacular ‘clash of the Titans’ scene this weekend as Cape Vultures and Bearded Vultures rushed in to eat, and to chase off a jackal trying to get in on the mountain action. Check out the spectacular photos by Paul Labuschagne, […]

The year 2019 marks South Africa’s silver jubilee and, as the young democracy marks this milestone, the Department of International Relations (DIRCO) has taken stock of the country’s foreign policy. To assess the country’s foreign policy, the department appointed an 11 member review panel, chaired by former Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad, a year ago. […]

The Electoral Commission has agreed to extend voting hours at some foreign missions on 27 April to accommodate Jewish voters celebrating the Sabbath. “The decision to extend voting hours at these missions followed a request from the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) to accommodate Jewish voters who will be celebrating the Sabbath on […]

Brand South Africa has announced the appointment of Thulisile Manzini as the new Acting Chief Executive Officer, with immediate effect. Manzini is tasked with marketing a positive brand image for South Africa domestically and internationally. Her appointment comes amidst a number of organisational challenges, amongst which is the suspension of Kingsley Makhubela as CEO, who […]

The first episode of Game of Thrones has aired! It’s one of the biggest shows in the entire world and there are only six precious episodes before the battle for Westeros ends. Who will live? Who will die (please please please not Tyrion)? Who gets to wipe the sneer off Cersei’s face? What does Jon […]

University of Johannesburg (UJ) official Nomsa Mahlangu has been recognised for her contribution to varsity sport by being elected president of the Federation of African University Sports. The senior director of sport at UJ, Mahlangu won the election with a big majority when it was held in Entebbe, Uganda, last month. “There were four of […]

South Africans have had enough of their Ford Fiesta motor vehicles being broken into, so much so that there’s a Facebook group called “My FORD was Broken into…South Africa” that has over 3,800 members… many of whom are tagging Carte Blanche in a bid to get the current affairs show to investigate the problem, as […]

Visitors to the Kruger National Park in South Africa made a lucky escape when an elephant, which had been feeding next to the side of the road, suddenly decided to charge them. Fortunately there were no cars behind them BUT the gravel road was “extremely slippery” as it had been raining, so reversing was a […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on (Sunday 14 April 2019)  in South Africa and from Tuesday (16 April) for South Africans living abroad. Stream it here if you’re overseas, or watch on the DStv Now app if you’re in SA (or some other countries on the continent). Xolani Luvuno Inspiring South Africans Xolani […]