More than 1.4 million people have sent online emails lobbying the African National Congress members of parliament to support the no-confidence debate against President Jacob Zuma scheduled to be heard on Tuesday. The Democratic Alliance in December asked for the no-confidence debate and it was confirmed in January. It will take place at 2 p.m. South African time on Tuesday. […]

Race relations in South Africa are good, and the “acrimonious” debate that has raged in social media recently is not a reflection of what most South Africans feel, according to the Institute for Race Relations. In a statement on Monday accompanying a newly released study, IRR Policy Fellow Sara Gon said, “The results should fill all […]

A study by the non-profit Good Governance Africa has found that nine out of the 10 top municipalities in South Africa – out of a total of 234 – are in the Western Cape. Nine of the 10 worst are in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The results of the survey could inform the decision of […]

It’s tough being a rich white male. Alright, now that I’ve got your attention … I’ve witnessed a tectonic shift in this country’s narrative over the last 18 to 24 months. Today, as a white South African, I’m feeling vulnerable. I feel like I can’t speak freely. I feel like I’m damned if I do, […]

Barclays PLC Chief Executive Jes Staley has decided to shut the bank’s operations in Africa, the Financial Times said on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The bank’s board took the decision last week at a review led by Staley and plans to announce the exit on Tuesday, the FT said. The board has […]

The town of George on Friday became the first in South Africa whose airport will get a lot of its power from solar energy. The launch ceremony of the 750Kw plant on Friday was attended by the Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters and the mayor of George, among others. Skhumbuzo Macozoma, the head of Airport Company South Africa, […]

If the Los Angeles Times has its way, South African-born Margaret Sixel will win the Academy Award tonight for her brilliant editing of the Charlize Theron movie “Mad Max: Fury Road”, Sixel’s first action pic. “Margaret Sixel’s Herculean effort cutting together the massive amount of footage shot by her husband, George Miller, is the favorite,” […]

Drumming up support for  their ICC T20 World Cup campaign in India next month, the Proteas have released their own rendition of the Pitbull’s hit Fireball. Maybe there’s also a career in music! Watch the video above or below. .@faf1307 is on FIRE &in leopard print in the Proteas’ latest video. #WATCH #Fireball here: https://t.co/UyEfBMoqDx pic.twitter.com/yulQugBzdO — […]

So many people replied to our story “12 of SA’s Best Movies You Might Have Missed” – especially “Dirkie”, which triggered many a childhood memory – we thought we’d add some of the most popular suggestions that didn’t make it onto the first list. 1. e’Lollipop (aka Forever Young, Forever Free) (1975) A black South African boy […]

A flurry of heavily charged words – about maliciously leaked documents, rumours and gossip, reputations being destroyed – has suddenly erupted from the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan and the office of President Jacob Zuma over an investigation by the Hawks into an apparent “rogue” unit that was operating in the South African Revenue Services several years ago. […]

Appletiser, South Africa’s famous sparkling, apple-flavoured drink that was somehow before its time – fun, bubbly but also healthy – is celebrating its first half century. The now famous drink was “mastered by French-Italian Edmond Lombardi in the Elgin Valley” and “developed with the help of Swiss technology”, according to Appletiser’s website. “The apple aroma taunts your taste-buds, and the […]

The South African businessman and former politician Tokyo Sexwale has withdrawn from the race to become the new president of the international football governing body FIFA, according to news reports on Friday. Sexwale made his announcement only minutes before the first round of voting for a new president of FIFA was to start in Zurich […]

Many people know “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – a song often associated with the movie “The Lion King” – but few people know the famous tune was born in a small town in South Africa almost a century ago. In tribute to that song – originally titled “Mbube” – we thought we’d post several of the countless wonderful versions that have been done […]

The British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has begun an attempt to run 27 marathons in South Africa – or 1,126 kilometres – in 27 days, one for each of the years Nelson Mandela was in jail, and all in aid of Sport Relief. The British non-profit Sport Relief organises events where people run for charity, and […]

A quick safari goer managed to film a rhino that began charging across the veld, not realising that it was aiming for a white vehicle right behind her.

Host of the Daily Show Trevor Noah told his audience this week that if they thought the U.S. Presidential race was crazy – with bad-hairdo businessman Donald Trump shocking everyone by winning state after state in the race for the Republican nomination – they should check out Uganda. “Americans say this (Trump’s ongoing success) is […]

In a highly anticipated and greatly watched budget speech that many are hoping will gird the South African economy and save it from a ratings downgrade, finance minister Pravin Gordhan was today even-keeled as he said the country needed to work together to grow, giving a few surprises, although probably not as many as were anticipated. Gordhan stressed […]

The woman accused of kidnapping Zephany Nurse from Groote Schuur 18 years ago – before the child was reunited with her real parents in a bizarre twist of fate – has told a Cape Town court she was “given” the baby, according to news reports. The alleged kidnapper, identified only as a 51-year-old woman from Lavendar Hill, is appearing in the Western […]

The South African minister of defense has accused pilots who left the Air Force of taking planes with them and putting them in museums, which is why there are no planes for today’s pilots to train in. Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula made the accusation in parliament on Tuesday. She was replying to a question about why Air Force pilots were being […]

A Johannesburg dog that had been missing for 200 days and was searched for ceaselessly since then has been found by, and reunited with, his owners in a pretty emotional reunion. Watch as Leuci and Lu are reunited The beagle named Lu apparently got loose in July 2015. He didn’t have a collar on at the time and […]

The great continent of Africa seems to be the flavour of the month. As the world wakes up to its potential, I can’t help but cringe each time an “African tech” article is published on a popular medium like TechCrunch (the magazine where this article first appeared). The lack of data and “exotic charm” of […]

The new head of the SA Post Office, former businessman Mark Barnes, has asked the government for up to R3.5 billion to help turn around the state-owned enterprise, which has been driven into the ground by years of poor management and service, fraud and skyrocketing debt.   Barnes, the former chairman of financial services company Purple Capital, […]

We all know about “Tsotsi”, which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and Leon Schuster’s blockbusters that people might titters at but go see anyway. We also know those movies about South Africa with foreigners trying to pass off as locals (“Cry Freedom”, “Long Road to Freedom”). But here are 12 little screen gems born and bred […]

PRETORIA – Almost as if he was trying to reignite a terrible fire, President Jacob Zuma told a room of journalists on Monday that Des van Rooyen, his short-lived choice for finance minister after he had inexplicably fired Nhlanhla Nene last year, was the best man for the job. The statement could not have been worse […]

South Africa is train-travel country. It has not only one of the world’s best luxury trains, but two – Rovos Rail (pictured above) and the Blue Train. As we reported yesterday, now there’s a third train that is almost luxury, the Shongololo Express, which has been taken over by Rovos. What’s more, all three trains offer something […]