I moved overseas to Germany in 2014, but like approximately 820,000 other SA ex-pats, my family still live in South Africa writes Anelia Heese. In order to stay in touch, we had to become experts in the nuances of digital communication. On a video call in my kitchen, I will ask my tannie how to […]

I wrote this on my personal Facebook page a few days ago, and from the responses realised that other South African ex-pats might be also affected by, or experiencing, this dynamic and so thought to share it writes Sandy Jonker Geyer. Last Tuesday COVID-19 took a much-loved member of our family. Buyiswa Zibi, a beautiful […]

Two doctors have written a scathing letter in the South African Medical Journal, criticising the United Kingdom for hiring a disproportionate number of health workers from foreign countries. Professor Johannes Fagan from the University of Cape Town and Professor Mahmood Bhutta from the Royal Sussex County Hospital wrote: “The UK already has one of the […]

It’s freezing in Vienna, Austria, after two weeks of on-off snow… but while most people have snuggled up inside to keep warm, Proudly South African expat Ferdi de Beer has been out there enjoying the weather in his Springbok shirt, shorts and sandals like only a South African can! Watch below. When Ferdi ventured out […]

South African expat Marnus Labuschagne is being hailed a legend in the making for his consistent great performance for Australia’s national cricket team, after striking a century in the opening day of the fourth test between Australia and India at the famous Gabba, the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Compliments for the South African-born player included “he’s […]

South Africans in the UK loved last week’s safari episode of ‘South Africa with Gregg Wallace’, and tonight’s episode is sure to delight homesick South Africans again… watching Gregg make Koeksisters, savour boboti and taste the best of SA’s wine. The show – showcasing Cape Town’s stunning Table Mountain, colourful Bo-Kaap and fabulous Franschhoek is […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah has reportedly bought a fabulous mansion in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, for a whopping $27.5-million. (In dollars to rands, that’s over R420-million!) The LA home boasts its own private gym, six bedrooms, a private home theatre, and an infinity pool with sweeping views of the city, Santa Monica mountains and the […]

South African expat and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has today – 7 January 2021 – overtaken Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $188.5 billion, according to The New York Times. (BBC puts the figure at $185-billion, just $1-billion ahead of Bezos.) In December, […]

UK celebrity Gregg Wallace, best known for presenting MasterChef and being a food expert, says there’s nothing quite like a South African braai. In a new series for ITV – ‘South Africa with Gregg Wallace” – it’s clear that Gregg fell in love with the country: its foods, its people, the wildlife, the culture, the […]

As the world discusses her haircut and husband’s latest paternity suit, Princess Charlene of Monaco has gracefully posted a Christmas message with family photos on her Instagram page. The former South African Olympic swimmer, born Charlene Wittstock, said: “Merry Christmas to all our friends and families, love you all ❤️” The main photo on Instagram […]

Colin Gertse, a 57-year old South African family man and pastor from Montagu, travelled to the US in March to earn money as a truck driver and create a better life for his family back home in SA… but sadly, in October he suffered an aneurysm. Colin is currently in critical care in a St. […]

On Tuesday Forbes announced that South African expat Elon Musk has become the second richest person in the world, after his fortune surpassed that of LVMH luxury brand chairman Bernard Arnault (by less than half a billion). The only person with greater wealth is reportedly Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos. UPDATE 7 Jan 2021: Elon Musk […]

Tomorrow, Sunday 29 November, it will be exactly a year since South African expat Darryn Frost’s life was turned upside down and he became known worldwide as the ‘narwhal tusk hero’ after bravely stabbing the London Bridge attacker with the tusk and holding him down. In the UK this week, there was a “huge reaction” […]

South Africa’s Consul General to Los Angeles, Thandile Sunduza, has been unanimously nominated by the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce for the position of 2021 Vice Chair and 2022 Chair of the Diplomatic and Commercial Officers Group. The Group provides the infrastructure and venue for members of the consular corps and trade officers to work […]

South African expat and comedian Trevor Noah will host Music’s Biggest Night® – the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, it was announced by CBS today. The American television broadcasting company said: “New Year, New Host!” The show will be aired on CBS, live around the world, on Sunday 31 January 2021… and the South African stand-up […]

Around the world, people will be watching tonight’s new season of the popular Netflix series, The Crown… and most are waiting in anticipation to see the actress who plays Princess Diana. Her name is Emma Corrin, and she is the daughter of a South African expat who still (like many expats) shares close ties with […]

We are delighted to announce that the Democratic Alliance (DA) and DA Abroad, in conjunction with SAPeople, today submitted petitions to Parliament with over 15,000 signatures calling for South African citizens living abroad to receive their citizenship and travel documents timeously, and for urgent assistance to those currently unable to apply to renew their passports. […]

South Africans have been excited to discover that through Melissa Cohen Biden they may have a close link to the White House if Joe Biden wins the US Election (as has been projected). It turns out Melissa Cohen is Joe’s daughter-in-law, wife of his son Hunter, and a South African expat from Johannesburg. The 33-year-old, […]

South Africa’s High Commissioner to the UK, Nomatemba Tambo, has reassured concerned South Africans in the UK that the appointment system will remain in place during Lockdown, despite the SAHC’s earlier pinned post on Facebook announcing the Embassy’s closure for the UK’s second lockdown, and that all appointment services were to be closed. Ms Tambo […]

The South African High Commission (SAHC) in the UK, one of the busiest SA foreign missions in the world, has announced its decision to close until further notice, due to the latest UK Lockdown which began today. This is sure to compound the already shocking delays that South Africans living and working in the UK […]

South African expat and comedian Trevor Noah has been blasted for tweeting a video of the US state of Florida being blown up by the Death Star. The tweet was actually posted by The Daily Show and not Noah personally, but as the host of the award-winning show he has come under fire. The video […]

An extremely high demand for SA passport renewals in the UK has led to a backlog in some administration, South Africa’s High Commissioner to the UK, Nomatemba Tambo, told SAPeople today. She reassured South Africans living in the UK that this problem should be resolved within the following week. With the SAHC’s website in the […]

South African diplomats abroad, though many of them are good at doing their job, are constantly seeing their efforts undermined by colleagues who are alleged criminals and cadres making exorbitant demands who never think about doing the job they were put there to do, as repeated and urgent queries by South Africans in different countries […]

A young South African expat living in Los Angeles, California, has written and produced a song with a voice that will tear at your heart and lyrics that will stir your soul, set to a backdrop of visuals highlighting the spectacular, heartbreaking beauty of South Africa. Edward Smith – whose real name is Dewald Smit […]

South African student Talia Smith, who is currently studying at New York University (NYU) in the USA, has won GOLD in the prestigious 2020 Student Academy Awards for her poignant short film ‘Umama’, based a true life account of her ‘domestic worker’. Talia received the news of her incredible achievement from none other than legendary […]