NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India hosts its biggest-ever Africa summit this week as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to challenge China’s dominance on a continent that is blessed with vast natural resources and has the world’s fastest-growing population. New Delhi wants to project its soft power and historical ties to Africa, in contrast to China’s […]

STELLENBOSCH – The South African mobile social network Mxit, once dubbed the largest social network in Africa, has closed down commercial operations after a decade in business, according to news reports. All of Mxit’s intellectual property and technology assets will be donated to independent public benefit organisation The Reach Trust. Reports said that Mxit, which was launched in 2005, […]

When the famed Outeniqua Chootjoe stopped doing its breathtaking run from George to Knysna, over the Kaaimans Bridge, many lamented the passing of another famous train trip in South Africa. Truth is, there are still a bunch of fantastic train trips available (and even the George-Knysna route might operate again soon). 1. The Blue Train Started […]

South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale has said he is going to run for the post of chief of the world football-governing body FIFA, according to news reports. The 62-year-old Sexwale is the firth person to declare his candidacy for the post to soon be vacated by Sepp Blatter. The election for the post will take place on 26 […]

On her fourth out of 13 Durban curry hot (!) spots, Sarah Khan had some bunny chow, which she had heard from local food author Erica Platter people get as worked up about as they do about soccer. “Bunny followers are as fanatical as football-club supporters,” said Platter, co-author of ‘Durban Curry: So Much of Flavour’. “Once […]

In preparation for Shabbat, or the Sabbath in Hebrew, no less than 1,700 women gathered in Cape Town on Wednesday to knead dough for the Great Big Challah Bake, part of a worldwide event started in South Africa only three years ago. One of the prime movers behind the project has been South Africa’s chief rabbi […]

As students get ready to march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday, a comment by the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, has become a video sensation and made students think his words show the government does not care about their demands. In this video, the news report that caused all the trouble: President Jacob Zuma, who has […]

HONG KONG – A Chinese group has awarded President Robert Mugabe what is called China’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, with the chairman of the committee saying the Zimbabwean president was “injecting fresh energy” into the global quest for harmony, according to news reports on Thursday. The Confucius Prize, first awarded in 2010, comes with an award of […]

It might be a bit late to get to Scotland by the weekend, but this trailer shows you what exactly will be going on at the Africa in Motion Film Festival. And as you can see, some pretty amazing movies are being made in Africa. Get a taste of the festival movies in this hip video https://vimeo.com/140192562 Now […]

In its regular feature ’36 Hours in (Name a Place)’, the New York Times focuses on a great city or part of the world. This week it’s Cape Town’s chance to be in the spotlight. From museums to a revival of life in the city centre, from going up Table Mountain to eating at local markets, […]

Barely days after six lions were saved from horrendous conditions in zoos in Romania and Italy to spend their lives in a sanctuary in South Africa, Zimbabwe has given two lions captured in Hwange National Park to the Chinese to spend the rest of their lives in a small 2,000-square-metre cage in Shanghai. Two days ago, New China […]

The catchline for Spencer Conway’s new TV show says it all: ‘One Man, One Dream, 34 Countries’. The ‘dream’ is also one humungous challenge – to circumnavigate Africa by motorbike. The show, ‘African Motorcycle Diaries’, is a six-part series, premiering in early November, of motorcyclist Conway’s journey across 55,345 kilometers of road (and plenty other surfaces), and his […]

One Malian immigrant who came to Italy by boat is teaching locals about something they probably never thought an African would teach them about – food. Now he’s selling his products at several popular markets in Rome. “The Italians didn’t expect immigrants to produce yogurt or good quality food,” Suleman Diara told a reporter who stood […]

The brief to architects SAOTA from clients for their new Cape Town house was to create a home that made full use of the expansive 360-degree mountain and sea views. And did it ever! The spectacular house measures almost 1,000 square metres and lies on the back side of Lion’s Head overlooking Bantry Bay and Camps Bay. The challenges […]

Their names are Lavinia, Lidia, Marin, Tarhon Big and Petrica, and they’ve spent most of their lives “behind iron bars in dirty little cages” in a Romanian zoo – until now. The animals were flown by the rescue organisation Four Paws to South Africa and landed on Friday, and will soon be transferred to their new home at […]

There is something unmistakably common in Africa: the continent’s ageing and long-serving presidents. Its five longest presidencies stretch between 29 and 36 years, adding to a cumulative 169 years. Their longevity in office is matched by their old age, ranging from 71 to 92 years, and a combined 392 years. Gabon’s Omar Bongo had been […]

It bears all the markings of another potential social media storm like the one created by Cecil the Lion. Initial reports claimed an elephant – which some said was iconic because of his huge tusks – was reportedly shot when he strayed out of the Kruger National Park into Zimbabwe a week ago. But how much of […]

BEIJING – China has said it is banning the import of ivory obtained through hunting for the next year, according to a statement on Thursday by its forestry agency. The statement comes only days after the Chinese authorities announced the forestry police had seized almost $4 million in trafficked ivory and arrested 16 people, and other news that […]

Prime global residential rents are struggling to grow, but Cape Town and Zurich have substantially bucked the trend, according to the latest Knight Frank global rental index. In Cape Town prime rents – the top five percent of the market – ended the year to June 2015 10.2 percent higher, compared to the world average […]

What if we won the Rugby World Cup? I would guess that question has been asked many times in the last few decades. The interesting thing is that we have actually shown the world on a few occasions that we can be a nation of winners! Yes, we have actually won and defied many sceptics in the process. […]

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge in Botswana is one of nine hotels vying for the top hotel award at this year’s World Architecture Festival, to be held in Singapore in November. The 12-suite lodge’s unique shape has been likened to an upturned boat or a big wooden ribcage, although we prefer the allusion to the endangered pangolin. […]

JOHANNESBURG – Crowds of protestors took to the campus of Wits University on Wednesday over plans to raise fees by more than 10 percent. The increases are meant to go into effect from 2016, and have been caused, among other things, by reduced subsidies by government, according to reports. A flood of messages about the protest, which began this morning, […]

Mozambique was declared clear of landmines only last month, and one of the reasons which made it possible was because of the little-publicised rats that have been trained to sniff out the deadly explosives. Widely known as Hero Rats, they are part of a programme run by the nonprofit organisation APOPO, whose slogan is “we train rats […]

The title of Evan Haussmann’s video says it all: ‘How to film a charging rhino (and not crap yourself).’ Says photographer journalist Haussmann, who took the video in 2012 (although it continues to get circulated for the ‘rush’ it gives): “So I’m minding my own business while working in the greater Kruger area and this […]

BEIJING – In a sign that China may be taking a harder line on the trade in wildlife products, police there have seized one of the biggest hauls of smuggled ivory and other rare animal parts and have arrested 16 people, it was reported on Monday. Police in Beijing took possession of 804 kilograms of ivory, 11 kilograms of rhino […]