While visiting the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday I dropped my iphone in the parking lot without realizing it and thought never to see it again writes Sergio Coelho. Here is the story Sergio shared on his Facebook page yesterday: On Sunday evening around 10.30 pm, I received a call on Melissa’s cell […]

Seven years ago at the age of 3, Ubuko Mpotulo from East London had both his legs and a finger amputated after being diagnosed with Meningococcal Septicaemia.  This condition caused damage to his blood vessels, narrowing of his arteries and ultimately the cutting off of the blood supply, resulting in the amputations. Despite coming from […]

There are not many South Africans who have been honoured by having a statue of themselves erected in London… writes Peter Ball from The Heritage Portal. Only two come readily to mind and they are Jan Smuts and Nelson Mandela, whose statues stand proudly in Parliament Square, Westminster. However, there is a lesser known South African […]

I am writing this story for me. I have always written, and it has always helped to offer insight and gain perspective. It is cathartic and, right now, I know that I need it to heal. I am writing this story for Mick, Alessia and Claudia. I had never, ever wanted to live as much […]

Canada, as everyone knows, is awesome… writes Phil Maloney from Maple and Marula. We invented all the best stuff in the world, like the internet, steak, clothes, and Beyonce. OK, like, maybe we didn’t INVENT all that stuff, but we HAVE it in Canada. And, to America’s constant surprise, we also have running water, electricity, and […]

While statistics reveal the sad state of so many households in South Africa where children are growing up with absent fathers, there are men like 27-year-old Sabelo Malusi Thabethe whose greatest dream is to hold down his job so that he can buy a home in a safe area and take care of his daughter. […]

When Free Speech is counter-attacked by intense scrutiny, intimidations and death threats because of unpopular views, we should all be concerned as that’s not how Constitutional democracy operates, write Neo Nino Mofokeng. Shashi Naidoo is yet another high profile South African who has been scrutinised, viciously attacked by the popular left and in the extreme, […]

British Airways is adding some extra sparkle to customers’ journeys ahead of Prince Harry’s marriage to American TV star Meghan Markle. To celebrate the Royal wedding this Saturday, 19 May 2018, the BA93 to Toronto – the city where their relationship took off – will be operated by an all-star crew of only Meghan and Harry’s. The […]

The South African Cabinet has extended well wishes to the Muslim community as they begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan next week. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, as they spend time deepening their spirituality. Ramadan in 2018 will begin on the evening of May 15 and will end on the […]

On the south east coast of South Africa, along the Elephant Coast, there is a campground called Mabibi. It is the ideal escape, hours from civilisation, across the semi-tropical coastline… writes Annie DuPre-Reynolds. Disclaimer: if you dislike finding sand in your clothing for weeks to come, stay away. Mabibi is not glamping. It is rugged, wild and […]

Twenty-four years into democracy and we still have people who live fearful because of what skin colour they were born with. Rituals and spiritual philosophies about albinism have led to brutal murders, especially of children. This is despite the campaigns initiated around South Africa to curb the attacks on people with albinism. It is no […]

No other woman – in life and after – occupies the place that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela does in South African politics. A stalwart of the African National Congress (ANC), she nevertheless stands above, and at times outside, the party. Her iconic status transcends political parties and geographical boundaries, generations and genders. Poets have honoured her, writers […]

One of the most mind-blowing things about South Africa is its wildlife… writes Phil Maloney. Have you ever watched the National Geographic channel on TV? It’s like that, but with the added thrill of getting malaria (for real – if you go to the Kruger Park, take malaria medication). There are kabillions (rough estimate – […]

Scandal Veteran actor, Sandy Mokwena has died at the age of 68, writes Wendy Mothata. Mokwena is well known in South Africa for his role as Eddie Khumalo on eTV’s popular weekday soap, Scandal!… a role he has played since 2005. Sunday World reports that the channel’s spokesperson Michael Pocock confirmed Mokwena’s passing. “We can […]

South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), has a new president – Cyril Ramaphosa. But who is he? Ramaphosa cuts a fitting figure to take over government, stabilise the economy, and secure the constitutional architecture that he helped create at the end of apartheid. But to expect more would be expecting too much. […]

South Africa’s Chris Barnard stands out in medical history as the heart surgeon who became a global household name after transplanting the first human heart on 3 December 1967. The historic surgery captured the world’s imagination and was hailed by 20th-century historians as socially and scientifically of equal significance compared to the moon-landing in 1969. I examined […]

The annual family vacation is a time that we all look forward to, but deciding where to go and planning it can be a real challenge! With large families that have a diverse range of likes and members of various age groups, it can become tricky to plan a holiday that offers something for everyone. […]

“Why on earth would you do that?” It was the question that surprised me from many Australians who thought I was mad to move to South Africa… writes Ed Charles. After all, isn’t Australia full of South Africans trying to escape that terrible country (and crime-ridden Johannesburg in particular)? Well, not quite. But let’s rewind […]

Clare Wiese-Wentzel shares an interview with her father – South African retail tycoon Christo Wiese – on what defines happiness, what doesn’t matter and what keeps him grounded… A few years ago (OK, if I were to give away my age and be brutally honest, I would confess it was about 14 years ago), I found myself working […]

(I wonder, can anyone anywhere be considered an outsider given the implications of the election results for the world at large?) The ongoing protests and occasional riot against Donald Trump’s election are growing tiresome. Imagine for a moment the reaction had Clinton won and Trump’s supporters staged protests or, God forbid, riots. This election confirms the […]

It’s very fitting that as South Africans and the world celebrate the 85th birthday of one of the most inspiring and happiest men in the world, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, it is also World Smile Day. Well wishes have poured in for South Africa’s beloved ‘Arch’ all morning, with an endless stream of photos of […]

There is a debate in South Africa about who Nelson Mandela belongs to, as though he is the property of someone, a political party or a faction of the African National Congress. Added to that, there is a new generation of young people – the “born frees” who never lived under apartheid – who now […]

Back in 2000, Los Angeles native Samantha O’Keefe took a major chance on a winemaking career and an untested wine region when she purchased a farm in South Africa’s Overberg. Today, her Lismore Estate Vineyards wines consistently achieve 90+ ratings from Robert Parker and other industry heavyweights, and she’s considered a pioneer of a region […]

UPDATE 16 March 2017: The City of Cape Town has experienced one of its worst disasters in history with the Hout Bay Fire. It has been beautiful to witness communities come together, but heart wrenching to see some of the negative engagements arise on Social Media… writes photographer JUSTIN SULLIVAN, who has been in the […]

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Muhammad Ali’s hometown Louisville, Kentucky, for his memorial today as a procession takes his body past sites that were significant in his life. Outside of America, there was perhaps no other continent as significant in his life as Africa. The American boxing legend had a deep connection with […]