CAPE TOWN – The Western Cape tourism sector has experienced one of its best summer seasons, with international visitor arrivals up 29.8 percent! Briefing the Western Cape standing committee on Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Agriculture on seasonal tourism statistics for the province, Wesgro, the province’s official tourism and investment promotion agency, said the December period was a bumper season […]

KFM Breakfast has done a FANTASTIC ‘America First, South Africa Second’ video… the latest in the ‘world series’ backlash to President Donald Trump’s inaugural speech when he went on (and on) about ‘America First’. Although, as pointed out by some, South Africa is a little late to the party – the first video (from The […]

Traffic in and around Pretoria, South Africa, ground to a virtual halt this morning as truck drivers made their way to Marabastad, ahead of a protest march to the Union Buildings. The truckers, reportedly contracted to Eskom to carry coal, are protesting against the implementation of renewable energy projects and requesting it be slowed down. Eskom […]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – SpaceX plans to launch two paying passengers on a tourist trip around the moon next year using a spaceship under development for NASA astronauts and a heavy-lift rocket yet to be flown, the launch company announced on Monday. The launch of the first privately funded tourist flight beyond the orbit […]

Modder En Bloed won the prestigious Audience Choice Award – Best Feature Drama – at the annual Sedona International Film Festival in Phoenix, USA, this weekend. (Please scroll down for videos & Afrikaans version.) Writer, director and producer Sean Else was in Sedona to accept the award and hailed it as a tremendous team effort […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah is clearly laughing all the way to the bank since he moved to the United States and took over as The Daily Show host. The Wall Street Journal has revealed that Trevor has bought himself a R130-million ($10-million) penthouse in Manhattan, New York. The stellar apartment is in Stella Tower, where the […]

In a statement yesterday, the City of Cape Town said dam levels have dropped to 33%, which is 1,5% down from a week ago. With the last 10% of a dam’s water mostly not being useable, dam levels are effectively at 23%. The City reported that consumption is at 837 million litres of collective use […]

On Monday morning, at 5.30 am, the Vaal Dam in South Africa reached 100% capacity, according to the Department of Water and Sanitation. Dirk Grobler captured this drone footage of the dam, at its fullest in six years. “This video shows the dam at capacity and compares clips from previous videos in the series. 30 […]

South African Environmental Minister Edna Molewa has (finally!) released the 2016 Rhino Poaching Statistics; and outlined the government’s progress in the war against poaching. She chose to release a statement rather than hold a media conference (the last one being in May 2016). The Minister said she was pleased to report that the multi-sector ‘Integrated Strategic […]

The Executive Council of SA Rugby on Monday reaffirmed its support for Springbok coach, Allister Coetzee, as it announced the coaching and management structure for eight national teams, involving 46 individuals. Former Springbok Franco Smith was confirmed as a new member of the Springbok coaching team among a number of adjustments. A major new defensive […]

Hollywood stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway came on stage to present Best Picture. Beatty paused momentarily after the reading of the nominees, then handed the announcement to Dunaway who declared hot favourite La La Land, a musical about an inspiring actress, the winner. However, as the producers made their speeches, host Jimmy Kimmel and […]

South Africa was one of the lucky countries to experience the first solar eclipse (when the moon covers the sun) of 2017… which was only visible over parts of the Southern Hemisphere today, Sunday 26 February 2017. See photos below by MADHURI KOOVERJEE CHAVDA, MARK HARLEY, NIGEL RILEY and ALAN RUDNICKI. The ‘Ring of Fire’, […]

The Vaal Dam attracted crowds today, wanting to witness the moment the Vaal Dam sluice gates were opened. Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, held a media briefing at the Dam in Deneysville, Free State, before opening two of the gates… an event nobody could have predicted three months ago when the dam was […]

Friends of Ludi Vink’s Australian fiancé have set up a fund raising page for the South African murder victim’s parents, to help with his funeral and other expenses. A message on the GoFundMe page says: “Ludi was tragically murdered while trying to stop a fight between two people he didn’t know, pushing his mum [Danlee] into […]

The Vaal Dam is fast approaching 100%! According to Johannesburg Water the latest water level figures show the dam is 97.28% full as of Sunday morning, 26 January 2017. The Dam is expected to reach 100% later today or tomorrow.  Grootdraai Dam has already surpassed 100% in Cyclone Dineo’s ‘Domino Effect’. Soon after the downgraded Cyclone Dineo […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa will amend its laws to allow expropriation of land without compensation for owners as it tries to speed up the redistribution of land to its black majority, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday. Expropriation without compensation would mark a radical policy departure for Zuma’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), shifting […]

North West government to start donkey production programme… Writes Kimon de Greef A Johannesburg businessman was arrested this week after falsely declaring a shipment of 300 donkey hides at OR Tambo airport. Investigators suspect that the man, a Chinese national, is the leader of a local donkey smuggling ring. Gelatin from donkey hides is used to […]

PRETORIA (Reuters) – South African police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse rival marches by hundreds of protesters in Pretoria on Friday, after mobs looted stores this week believed to belong to immigrants. (See photos at bottom of story.) Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of […]

PRETORIA – President Jacob Zuma has once again called for restraint and calm as what was initially meant to be a protest against crime was marred by violence, looting and destruction of property. A group calling themselves the Mamelodi Concerned Residents had obtained permission from the City of Tshwane to march. The march commenced in […]

As xenophobic violence rears its head again in South Africa, a widely quoted figure of how many Nigerians live in South Africa is completely unsupported. Researched by Vinayak Bhardwaj Xenophobic unrest has flared up in parts of South Africa once again, with incidents of looting and violence reported in Johannesburg and Pretoria. The Nigerian government is […]

PRETORIA (Reuters) – South African police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse rival marches by hundreds of citizens and non-nationals in the capital on Friday, following looting this week of stores believed to belong to immigrants. Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with […]

Eskom has been in South Africa’s news today as it scoops a prestigious international award… and as its former (and disgraced) CEO Brian Molefe – of Saxonwold Shebeen fame – is sworn in as an MP, with possible sights on a senior cabinet position. And – perhaps putting its famous load shedding days (and nights) firmly in […]

The Vaal Dam is now over 81.64% full. Gauteng Weather said: “Massive 10,02 percentage rise in 24 hours alone! What a week it has been. We are getting closer to 100%.” According to projections, the dam is likely to cross the 85% mark late Thursday as there are still huge volumes of inflow water. Gauteng Weather […]

As tensions mount between South African citizens and foreign nationals in Rosettenville and Pretoria West, and a protest march is planned in Tshwane tomorrow, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has issued a media statement addressing the apparent resurgence of xenophobia. He said South Africa is not unique and that “as in other parts of the world, immigration […]

South Africa could be witnessing a step towards a safer country for all, as the Democratic Alliance (DA) heightens its campaign calling on the South African government to reintroduce Rural Safety Units. Crime statistics, released yesterday, show murders are on the increase and – according to the DA – it’s time for the police chief to […]