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 […]

I have wanted to volunteer for the Winnie Mabaso Foundation – a charity supporting vulnerable and orphaned children in South Africa – for many years. When I recently took voluntary redundancy after 17 years of working for a Global Insurance company in London, I knew the time was right. I had said I wanted to […]

Here’s all the proof you need that many SA citizens remain proudly South African, even when they’re living abroad… and that no matter how old you are, you can learn to belt out the SA anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. Gorgeous four-year-old Allegra Garofalo – whose family left South Africa when she was a baby – surprised […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged all South African citizens living abroad to register to vote in the National Elections later this year. In a video broadcast on Wednesday, he announced a special weekend that has been set aside for SA expats to register. (Watch below.) The special weekend for voters abroad to register is Friday […]

I was in Johannesburg, South Africa, for one night a few weeks ago (before going to visit the Botshabelo orphanage) and I awoke to this beautiful summer day… writes South African expat, best-selling author and motivational speaker Trevor Romain. From the window of an Air B & B on Linksfield Ridge, where I stayed, I looked […]

South African expat Andre Mayer Hanekom has tragically died whilst being held prisoner in Mozambique, a country he and his family had called home for the past 26 years. His daughter Amanda announced this morning on Facebook: My dad died early this morning in mysterious circumstances in the hospital in Pemba. His court case was […]

On Sunday, SAPeople posted a beautiful line from a beautiful song that sends chills down most expats’ spines. It speaks to those of us that live faraway: I may be walking through the streets of a city called London But the dust on my boots & the rhythm of my feet, and my heartbeat Say […]

According to press rumours, South African expat Charlize Theron is dating fellow Hollywood star, Brad Pitt. The Star tabloid newspaper in the UK claims “the new lovebirds were all over each other at a showbiz function last week”. They were reportedly introduced by Charlize’s ex-fiance, actor Sean Penn. According to a source speaking to the […]

If you’re a South African expat living in the United States, look up into the night sky on Sunday and – if it is clear – you may witness the so-called “Super Blood Wolf Moon” total lunar eclipse, which will take a star turn across the continental US during prime time for viewing. The total […]

Coming Up on Carte Blanche this week on Sunday 20 Jan in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 22 Jan for South Africans abroad. (Take advantage of the 14-day Free Trial). From Matric to University The 2018 national matric pass rate of 78% made for some great headlines, but experts contend that the standards for a Grade 12 […]

On June 23, 2016 the United Kingdom held a referendum to decide whether it should leave or remain in the European Union. More than 30 million people took part in the vote with 51.9% choosing to leave and 48.1% to remain. Six months later, the new Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech in which […]

NAIROBI – Dual South African and British citizen, Luke Potter, was among the 14 people killed by Somali militants in a raid on a posh hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday. He died, along with an American who had survived the 9/11 attacks and two best friends from Kenya who worked to help Somalia. Since […]

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 […]

The Patagonian desert in southern Argentina is a harsh environment. Little seems to thrive on its seemingly endless red plains and parched land. Yet in this unlikely place there is a unique bilingual community. It’s made up of the Afrikaans and Spanish-speaking descendants of the about 650 South African Boers, who came to Patagonia in […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah revealed to his Daily Show audience this week just what he did at an American airport, when he realised that the souvenir he’d brought from home was not going to be okay to take through Customs. When asked by a member of the audience – during his Between the Scenes […]

Alex Kuier from Switzerland has always been passionate about South Africa, since she lived in our country a few years ago… but she never realised how much that love for SA would one day help her recover from a traumatic accident. After living in SA for six years and being a regular SAPeople contributor, Alex […]

South Africa has sent its condolences to the people of United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four people in the North-Eastern region of the country, including a South African paramedic. “The government and people of South Africa wish to extend its sincere condolences to the Government and people of the UAE […]

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has confirmed that Tristan-Lee Niemand and another six South Africans detained in China have been released from prison and will be deported this week. The department said in a statement the South African mission in Shanghai has informed Minister Lindiwe Sisulu that the seven South African nationals […]

The Royal Regiment of Scotland yesterday paid tribute to a South African soldier who passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning at Fort George barracks at Ardersier, near Inverness in Scotland. He was just 26. The Royal Regiment said: “It is with the greatest sadness that we must inform you of the tragic […]

The South African government has expressed concern at the growing number of South Africans detained abroad. In a statement this week, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said over 800 South Africans are currently in prisons across the world for visa-related violations, drug-related charges, as well as various other offences. Earlier this week, […]

Trevor Noah REALLY wants Idris Elba to star as James Bond… but the South African comedian has realised, after a trip to Scotland, that there may be one hiccup. The drop-dead gorgeous British actor may not always blend in in spots that criminals hang out in, which is the key to being a spy. In […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Famous Brands said on Tuesday its UK-based unit Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) has closed 14 out of 17 under-performing stores following the approval of a restructuring plan by creditors. A string of British store groups have either gone out of business or announced plans to close shops this year, as […]

Former team-mates, friends and customers of Barend Britz (63) have spoken today with shock of his horrific murder last night at his bar in Perpignan, in southern France, and spoken of a gentle giant who was popular with everyone. The former SA provincial rugby player – who played lock for then Transvaal and Northern Transvaal […]

The stringent international travel requirements for children travelling to and from South Africa have finally been relaxed. It’s taken years of complaints and lost revenue since former Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba introduced the laws. The Home Affairs Department (DHA) said Wednesday it was “pleased” to make the announcement. The DHA said: “From the beginning of […]

South African expat Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from California on Monday carrying 64 small satellites into low orbit around the Earth, which the company called the largest-ever “rideshare” mission by a U.S.-based rocket. The mission, dubbed SSO-A, also marked the third voyage to space for the same Falcon 9 rocket – […]