South Africans across the country will today participate in World Read Aloud Day which is dedicated to highlighting the importance and power of reading aloud and sharing stories with children. The day will see South Africa attempting to break the Read-Aloud record by reaching 1.5 million children today. Spearheaded by Nal’ibali – this year’s story […]

JOHANNESBURG – The SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) has scrapped a plan to lay off nearly 1,000 staff, and says it will find other ways to save money after the government said it was reducing financial support. Last year, a parliamentary inquiry found widespread corruption and mismanagement at the SABC and recommended its board be […]

Public health research suggests that concerns about alcohol advertising and accessibility warrant strong regulatory action. Alcohol is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. It’s also a key risk factor for preventable illness and death in Africa. For example, alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with many adverse effects on children. These include […]

A free-to-use web tool, which helps smaller businesses with labour relations processes and matters, has gone live. The tool is a joint initiative of the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and Business Unity South Africa (BUSA). It allows entrepreneurs to source information on how to recruit staff; how to manage employees and build […]

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) said on Thursday that it would strike over a proposal to split up struggling state power firm Eskom, arguing the restructuring would lead to massive job losses. Eskom also revealed Thursday that three of its power plants have only 10 days of coal stockpiles left. Experts […]

South African retailer Edcon needs R3 billion ($226 million) in funding over the next three years to “fix” the business, its chief executive Grant Pattison said on Thursday. Edcon has been grappling with an over-leveraged capital structure for several years, after troubles in its credit business in 2014 coincided with an economic slowdown and weak […]

JOHANNESBURG – A settlement offered by South African mobile telecoms provider Vodacom to a former employee drew tens of protesters on Thursday calling for a better deal. Vodacom was ordered in 2016 by the country’s top court to pay Nkosana Makate for his role in creating the company’s call-back messaging service. The Constitutional Court did […]

South African fruit and vegetable exporting companies will show off their wares at the upcoming Fruit Logistica Trade Fair in Germany. The trade fair will get underway on Tuesday 5th February in the country’s capital, Berlin. “The Fruit Logistica Berlin, which is regarded as the world’s leading international trade fair for the fresh fruit and […]

UPDATE: For South Africans abroad there will be a special overseas voter registration weekend from the 1 – 4 February at all SA foreign missions. Don’t miss this opportunity to register to vote! The 2019 National Election is going to be one of the most important that South Africa faces since 1994. All South Africans living abroad can […]

The CEO of one of South Africa’s top four banks – Absa – announced this week that she is retiring after 10 years in this role. Employment equity at the bank improved under Maria Ramos’s guidance. Both the number of black women and men in senior management positions increased during her period as CEO. Given […]

The transformation of the arts in South Africa has been on the cultural agenda since the dawn of democracy in 1994. Prior to that the apartheid government was deeply vested in advancing and funding the performance of Western European art forms. More inclusive performance arena and funding models have emerged in the past 30 years. […]

The nationwide shutdown in Zimbabwe last month hit hospitals hard. Nyasha (not his real name) tells how his dying mother was treated… Following a call by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, much of Zimbabwe closed down from 14 to 18 January. Demonstrators took to the streets in protest against a sudden steep hike in […]

As of Tuesday 29 January, South Africans living abroad can watch the latest episode of Carte Blanche (details below) – stream it on Showmax International (14-day Free Trial). Zimbabwe Shuts Down  A mere seven months after promising to put Zimbabwe on a new path to growth and prosperity, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has dealt citizens a shocking blow […]

During 2018 there was a decrease in farm murders in South Africa, but a sharp increase in farm attacks, according to findings disclosed by AfriForum today. This indicates that even though the problem is becoming worse, people are looking after their safety better while also defending themselves better, the civil rights organisation said during a […]

South African lender Absa said on Tuesday its chief executive Maria Ramos, who has been at the helm for ten years, will retire at the end of February after the firm completed its separation from Barclays PLC and relaunched its brand. “With the separation on track and our new strategy as a standalone financial institution […]

South Africa’s government would like to see South African Airways debt restructured as soon as possible, Transport Minister Blade Nzimande told Reuters on Monday. Late last year a consortium of local and international investors reportedly proposed a R21-billion private loan to South African Airways (SAA)… on condition that the consortium receives a 51% equity share […]

STOCKHOLM/FRANKFURT/JOHANNESBURG – South African media and e-commerce Naspers said it was in talks to increase its stake in Avito, confirming a Reuters report that the group was close to taking control of Russia’s largest classified advertising platform. “We can confirm that we are currently engaged in a process to potentially increase our stake in Avito,” […]

Zimbabwe’s army claimed on Thursday that soldiers accused of beating residents in townships following protests over fuel price hikes were impostors who tarnished the name of the military. Security forces have been cracking down on violent demonstrations that erupted last week after President Emmerson Mnangagwa decreed a sharp increase in the price of fuel. Rights […]

More than half of South Africa’s farmers are suffering depression and anxiety as SA’s farms lost R7 billion ($510 million) in potential revenue and 31,000 jobs were cut since January 2018 because of the severe drought ravaging parts of South Africa, according to a survey of farmers. The figures were released by Agri SA on […]

The impact of Kenya’s recent terrorist attack will be felt greatly by its tourism industry. Terrorism, and insecurity generally, is largely responsible for the sector’s poor performance over the last decade. Between 2011 and 2017, there were on average 60 attacks each year carried out by different groups, each varying in magnitude. Over half of […]

The world’s largest private rhino owner, John Hume has issued an urgent appeal through the Rhinos of Buffalo Dream Ranch facebook page for help, as his rhino – which make up 10% of the world’s remaining white rhinos! – face starvation due to the drought that has gripped the North West province in South Africa. […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Eskom could be split into three separate firms under proposals from experts President Cyril Ramaphosa has hired to help revive the ailing state power company, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Reforming Eskom is vital to get South Africa’s economy firing on all cylinders. Eskom supplies more than 90 […]

A massive but simple telescope is being made from wire mesh, PVC and telephone poles. A new telescope that is being constructed in the Karoo will have one aim: to look at the cosmic dawn and find the first ever signals of the birth of the first stars in the universe. Nobody has yet detected […]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on Tuesday for sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted and said the South African government was in discussions with Harare about how best to help. He said Zimbabwe’s situation was a challenge for the whole of Africa and he planned to meet its President Emmerson Mnangagwa at a later […]

National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole has condemned the attack on three police officers in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday morning. In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said the officers, who are members of the Nongoma Visible Policing unit, were ambushed while responding to business robberies at two filling stations. “On arrival at […]