South African citizens in the UK, with passports that are expiring, have inundated SAPeople with desperate messages after saying they have been unable to get hold of anybody at the SA Embassy in London for months. Phones have gone unanswered. Offices have been closed. And since around 12 August, the website no longer exists. We […]

A lekker new South African restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, has been opened “in loving memory of our old President Mr Mandela”. The fast food restaurant – Madibaz – was launched on Nelson Mandela’s birthday, 18 July, and is aptly called Madibaz! The South African Ambassador in Thailand, Geoff Doidge, performed the honours to officially open […]

Naked Wines has launched an exclusive case to raise over £225,000 to support  South African winemakers affected by the strict ban on domestic alcohol sales. The online wine retailer launched the online crowdfunding event this week – to raise funds for South African winemakers impacted by Covid restrictions in the country The South African wine […]

My name is Jayne Fraser*, and I’m reaching out to SAPeople readers as I am facing a crossroads in my life. I live in Cape Town with my husband and younger daughter, Suzi. Suzi graduated last year and is concentrating on her career in the arts. My eldest daughter, Marianne lives in the city where […]

The Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, recently announced a further extension of visas for foreign nationals in South Africa. However, in the words of the Democratic Alliance (DA), he has “bizarrely refused” to make any provision for South Africans abroad whose passports will expire as a result of the extended lockdown. The DA is […]

A South African expat in Canada, Dr Walter Reynolds (45), was tragically attacked and killed at his medical clinic in the city of Red Deer in Alberta, Canada on Monday morning. The region is popular with SA expats, sitting halfway between Calgary and Edmonton. There has been an outpouring of love, grief and donations from […]

Birthday wishes have poured in for South African expat and Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron. Her African Outreach Project (CTAOP) said: “As we continue to push forward through these challenging times, there is NO ONE we’d rather have leading our tribe. Your sharp wit and sense of humor always keeps us on our toes. Your integrity […]

A beautiful BnB in Spain – Almijara Residence – which is owned by South African expats Paul Tilly and Maurice Jonker, has been voted the fifth best Bnb in the whole of the European country. A delighted Paul, who grew up in Zimbabwe, announced the news on social media today, saying: “As years go, 2020 […]

Many South Africans living abroad are losing the right to work, receive healthcare and remain legally resident in foreign countries because the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has been unable to process their passports and other crucial documents in a timely manner, says Democratic Alliance (DA) Abroad Leader, Dr Rory Jubber. While passport renewal applications […]

For South Africans returning home from abroad during the current pandemic, it is now possible to apply to self-quarantine at home during the 14-day mandatory quarantine period. (See self-isolation application form at bottom of page.) Previously South Africans returning to SA had to remain in state-assigned quarantine facilities. Now it’s possible to apply to spend […]

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has announced additional categories of passport applications that will be accepted at DHA offices during lockdown. The categories include applications by SA citizens who need to take up employment abroad, who need to be reunited with their families abroad, who need to take up permanent residency abroad or who […]

Children born in other countries are entitled to South African citizenship as long as one parent is South African, the Constitutional Court has ruled. A seven-year legal battle is finally over and the court has ruled that the Department of Home Affairs must immediately recognise as citizens Yamika Chisuse, born in 1989 in Malawi; Martin […]

South African Springbok rugby player, Eben Etzebeth, has extended his contract with French Rugby Club Toulonnais for three more seasons. The delighted club announced on Thursday that since Etzebeth still has one year of his current two-year contract remaining, it now means that he’ll play for Toulon (which is in southern France) until June 2024. […]

People returning to South Africa from abroad may now apply to self-isolate for a fixed period rather than staying in quarantine facilities provided by the state, according to new regulations published in the Government Gazette. AfriForum, which has campaigned for four months against compulsory quarantine in state facilities, welcomed the announcement but cautioned that the […]

Former Capetonian Stelio Savante, is an actor/producer who has been living in the USA for over 30 years where he has now accumulated over 125 film and television roles, and close to 100 theatre roles in his career. But it is Savante’s three new projects – releasing very soon – that have been making headlines […]

On their ninth wedding anniversary, Monaco’s Prince Albert II and his South African expat wife, Princess Charlène, have shared a few special family portraits on their social media channels. On the day of their anniversary – Thursday 2 July – they shared a gorgeous photo taken at the Royal Palace with their children, Prince Hereditary […]

It’s happened again. In spite of holding all necessary legal documentation from the South African Embassy in China, 23 South Africans have been refused permission to board a connecting flight on Air Asia from Guangzhou in China to Kuala Lumpur, after which they would be repatriated home to SA. Some, who had spent their last […]

Most of the South Africans stuck in Panama, who issued an urgent plea on 8 June for help in getting home to SA, have made it back just in time, and are happily ensconced in quarantine… thanks in large part to the incredible support of embassy staff in Panama and Mexico, who went above and […]

South Africans who have been stranded abroad for months were finally – and with great relief – set to return home today from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on a TUI Airlines flight… however, at the last minute they have been informed that the flight is not cleared to land in South Africa! A few days ago, […]

Pleas for DIRCO to help South Africans stranded abroad, or stuck in SA with jobs abroad, have increased as many run out of money, medicine and hope. The DA today issued a call for Dirco to liaise better with embassies in helping get citizens home; and AfriForum this morning issued urgent court papers in an […]

In welcome news for stranded expats who need to head back to their homes or jobs in the UK, or from London to South Africa, two potential flights have been announced for next week. The target timing of the flights is 11 and 12 June, but a minimum number of 450 passengers (in- and outbound) […]

The Dragon Endeavour, carrying two astronauts, has safely landed at the International Space Station (ISS). An elated NASA said this is the “first time in human history” that NASA astronauts have entered the ISS from a commercially-made spacecraft, referring to the Dragon Endeavour which was built by South African expat Elon Musk’s Space-X private company. […]

South African seafarers on board a cruise ship that was off the coast of the USA and is now on the North Atlantic, have sung – loudly and proudly – at news that they are finally heading home to SA. Watch below (and try not to cry!) as they sing In The Jungle… but with […]

South African expat Elon Musk is poised to make American history tonight, 27 May 2020, when his company Space-X sends two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. And his proud mother, model Maye Musk, has posted a photo of her and Elon when he was just a baby in […]

The fight for the rights of South African citizens who work, live or study abroad to be allowed to leave the country is looking positive. Locked in South Africa (#LISA), which represents around 3,500 South Africans stuck in SA, confirmed today (Monday) that “this morning, the State Attorney made contact with our legal representative and […]