SOUTH AFRICA – Yesterday was the 115th anniversary of the birth of the author Alan Paton, who was honoured in a Google doodle that showed him looking pensively out of a train window at hills that are lovely beyond any singing… writes Gus Silber. The doodle quite brilliantly captured Paton’s flinty, thin-lipped severity of countenance, […]

For Showmax overseas subscribers, January just got better. South Africans living abroad are able to tune in to all their favourite shows from home by subscribing here… with a host of top new series launching this month! From travel shows to historical documentaries to hilarious sitcoms to real-life, deliciously juicy talk shows, the new kykNET […]

Elders, the best-selling Afrikaans book about the Camino pilgrimage in Spain by writer, journalist and TV presenter Erns Grundling, is the inspiration behind Elders: Die Camino, a documentary series launching on KykNET and Showmax this January (and available to South Africans abroad – subscribe here!). The book is based on Erns Grundling’s personal experience along the […]

Oprah Winfrey’s received a standing ovation after delivering an incredibly powerful acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards last night in the USA. Watch below. Winfrey became the first black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honour which is bestowed on a “talented individual who has made an incredible impact on the […]

This year’s annual Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Second New Year) celebration – on Tuesday 02 January 2018 – was as brilliant as usual… providing a colourful display to the crowds, as over 13,000 dancers took to the streets of Cape Town to celebrate what’s known as the Kaapse Klopse Carnival. Oday Mtour captured these spectacular photographs… The Carnival’s […]

American movie critic Jesse Knight has voted South Africa’s ‘Meerkat Maantuig’ (Meerkat Moonship) as the number one film on his 10 Best Undistributed Films (in the U.S.) of 2017. Let’s hope his vote will make some US distributors change their minds in 2018! Meerkat Maantuig changed their Facebook status to “feeling thankful” and said: “Go […]

I finally got around to watching Tali’s Wedding Diary, the South African mockumentary series now screaming on ShowMax… writes Gus Silber. I say screaming, because Julia Anastasopoulos, who plays the titular Tali, so perfectly nails – as in nails skritching down a blackboard – the voice, accent, mannerisms, persona and neuroses of the northern suburbs […]

After going viral a year ago with a brilliantly choreographed video that caught the attention of US star Meghan Trainor, Capetonian choreographer Rudi Smit has created a new video that showcases the best of South African dance moves. This time the moves are made to the sounds and beat of Dutch artist Dopebwoy’s ‘Cartier’, released […]

Talented South African choreographer, dancer, actor and teacher – Lungelo Ngamlana – who grew up in one of Cape Town’s oldest townships, has been choreographing shows around the world. Nan Melville caught up with him in New York… I met Lungelo at New York Tisch Drama School where he, together with fellow South African music-maker, […]

We love our local gems on Showmax… especially since they’re available to watch anywhere in the world, bringing a little bit of home right into South African expats‘ living rooms!  These two stunning Afrikaans movies are shining at the moment and racking up plenty of views! Trouvoete and Mossie van Wyk  are fun, feel-good films, […]

Groundbreaking South African movie – ‘The Wound’ – has been shortlisted for a nomination in the Oscar Foreign Language Film category! The Wound filmmakers said: “We are so proud to announce that The Wound has made it to the Oscars shortlist! This is unreal! Thank you so much to everyone for their support! Enkosi!” The filmmakers […]

South African actress Julia Anastasopoulos proves how incredibly talented she is in this DIY Wedding Cake video – as she takes on her successful YouTube character SuzelleDIY AND her new Showmax TV series character Tali. Of course the two characters don’t get on. There’s a little rivalry and while Suzelle is all about positivity ‘Tali babes’ […]

South African musician Don Clarke has released one of the most politically incorrect Christmas carol videos you’ll ever watch! Don told SAPeople, it’s “an amusingly accurate version of Jingle Bells for the current South Africa this season… 🙂 SHARE FAR AND WIDE!” The video introduces Don’s new artist Rosie Doring. “That’s Rosie with the Afrikaans […]

Here’s this week’s Carte Blanche line-up, available for South Africans in SA on Sunday and for expats from Tuesday through Showmax International… The fight for ANC leadership The ANC is preparing for its 54th national conference which takes place in December, where the delegates will vote in a new leader. As Jacob Zuma’s time as president of the […]

South African group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, has scooped two nominations for the 2018 Grammy Awards! The isicathamiya group has been nominated in the Best World Music category, for ‘Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration’ and in the Best Children’s Album for ‘Songs Of Peace & Love For Kids & Parents Around The World’. The South […]

African – and South African – animation is officially among the best in the world! Revolting Rhymes – which was animated by South Africa’s Triggerfish and a Berlin company – won Best Animation at the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) Children’s Awards last night in London, beating off strong competition from The Amazing World […]

On Saturday Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden hosted a farewell to Johnny Clegg. Johnny, who has played at the Garden for the past 10 years, agreed to bring his Final Journey Tour to the Garden. Robyn Gwilt was there to capture these awesome photos. Clegg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago and is currently in remission. It […]

Here’s this week’s Carte Blanche line-up, available for South Africans in SA on Sunday and for expats from Tuesday through Showmax International… Abalone Poaching Abalone poaching is rampant and it’s driving shellfish to extinction in South Africa. We catch poachers red-handed, brazenly diving in broad daylight with bags of abalone. Carte Blanche asks: why are authorities […]

There have been so many awesome versions of Toto’s Africa – from the hand-rubbing version of Africa by Angel City Chorale in Los Angeles, to the lip-synced version by Hollywood stars, and the Castle lager production that made expats want to return home… but you probably haven’t see this one, which is slightly different!   […]

Here’s one more brilliant ‘morning drive’ video from Chad Chitter, from the Cape Flats – also known as DJ Skouers, and renowned for lifting moods. As he says, we should aim for “a higher positivity… and a lower negativity”. Yesterday a video of Chad singing in the car on 10 November went viral… but unfortunately […]

In a small classroom learners from Masiphumelele are learning a new skill: playing the violin. The outreach program, that takes place on the campus of non-profit organisation Masiphumelele Corporation, is run by Titia Blake. “I’m trying to teach children to do what I do, and that is to play for weddings and functions,” she says. […]

Here’s this week’s extended 90-minute Carte Blanche line-up, available for South Africans in SA on Sunday and for expats from Tuesday on Showmax International. Stock Theft Usually when a criminal is sentenced to serve time behind bars, that marks the end of his unlawful activities. But one scamster in the Free State has been running a […]

Showmax has just released the first trailer for their debut original series, Tali’s Wedding Diary, a mockumentary starring Julia Anastasopoulos… known and loved by South Africans around the world as SuzelleDIY. Premiering on 14 December 2017 (South Africans abroad can also watch on Showmax), Tali’s Wedding Diary follows a self-obsessed Sandton princess (Julia) who’s moved to Cape Town and is […]

The official trailer for ‘Zulu Wedding’, the much anticipated romantic-comedy from producer/director Lineo Sekeleoane, has just been released! Watch it right here: Watch the Zulu Wedding – official trailer https://youtu.be/sP2IXewPkw0 The film will be released nationwide on Friday, 23 February 2018, by Ster Kinekor Entertainment. Unashamedly romantic, glamorous and hilarious all at the same time, the film […]

South African actress Lara Lipschitz has won the award for Best Actress at the New York City Web Fest, which was held over the weekend in the USA. “I’m bringing that trophy home!” Lara wrote excitedly on her public facebook page. Lara entered with her series ‘Chin Up’ (watch a couple of episodes below), a […]