CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – In South Africa’s Franschhoek mountains a helicopter drops off abseilers to cut down invasive pine trees that are choking off water supplies to millions of Cape Town residents already facing climate change-induced shortages. By Wendell Roelf. The crews are there to help to remove 54,000 hectares of alien trees by 2025, […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been one of the first to congratulate SA’s new Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane, who was crowned at a glittering event in Cape Town on Saturday night. The President tweeted: “Congratulations to our new #MissSA2021, Lalela Mswane, who took the hotly contested title last night against a group of highly inspirational […]

On Sunday morning, the office of Chief Whip Hon. Pemmy Majodina issued a statement – in light of South Africa’s local government elections, coming up on 1 November – admitting to challenges in the ANC’s service delivery, but insisting that improvements are being made. But for many citizens it’s too little, too late. Across the […]

She’s 90 years old and thrashing runners half her age! Undefeated by lockdown or the pandemic, South Africa’s astonishing Deirdre Larkin kicked off her ninth decade with a gentle 10km run. This Sunday Carte Blanche meets the humble, humorous South African running legend, a national treasure who turned 90 on SA’s Heritage Day (24 September).  […]

South Africans are going crazy for Adele’s new single ‘Easy On Me’ (WATCH VIDEO BELOW), with Adele’s name topping the Twitter Top 5 trends in SA for the second consecutive day… since the British singer-songwriter made her highly anticipated music comeback on Friday, releasing her first new record since the 2015 Grammy award-winning album “25”. […]

Learners from five primary schools in the township of Langa, Cape Town, will now benefit from a bus transformed into a fully equipped mobile classroom. The 42-seater Atlas Digibus is kitted out with laptops, two teaching stations, and Wi-Fi for learners to participate in online teaching programmes like coding. After successfully launching its tuk-tuk mobile […]

Nederburg has been showered in medals awarded by the 2021 International Wine & Spirit (IWSC) Competition based in London, winning three gold and three silver medals across its multi-tiered range, with Cabernet Sauvignon taking centre stage. All IWSC entries are tasted blind. Niël Groenewald, Nederburg’s managing director, says: “We’re delighted with our IWSC medals and immensely […]

Nelson Mandela’s family will be auctioning over 70 of his treasures in New York City on early December, in order to help finance the building of the Mandela Memorial Garden, which is being created in Qunu where the late great statesman is buried. The auction, by prestigious auction house Guernsey’s, will take place on 11 […]

A total of 34.7% of the adults in South Africa have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Department of Health, 19 668 177 doses have been administered to 13 799 325 eligible vaccinees since the start of the country’s inoculation rollout programme. […]

An online South African insurance company has stepped up to pay for hero dog Kei’s medical bills. Kei, who was adopted last year from the Boksburg SPCA, has become a household name in South Africa since he helped save his human family from tragedy when their Benoni home was traumatically broken into by two armed […]

South Africa’s very own Rambo is back! if you remember, Leo Prinsloo became a global internet sensation after leaked footage went viral of his reaction to an attempted high-value goods-in-transit heist. Stunned by Leo’s cool attitude and focused action in a crisis situation, South Africans (and the world!) had an example of what can happen […]

WINDHOEK (Reuters) – A Namibian court ruled on Wednesday that the son of a gay couple, born via surrogacy in South Africa in 2019, is a Namibian citizen by descent, in a decision hailed as a “big win” for same-sex couples. In a test case for Namibia, High Court Judge Thomas Masuku ruled that a […]

South Africans have responded so well to the call to support their local restaurants during Restaurant Week… that it’s actually been extended now until 14 November! Restaurant Week provides patrons with special foodie deals and experiences at some of South Africa’s firm favourites. SA’s hospitality association, FEDHASA, said it thanks South Africans for their “incredible […]

Kei, the hero dog from Benoni, South Africa, that bravely fought off an armed intruder and helped save her human family ten days ago, has finally been released from hospital after suffering grave injuries when the intruder shot her through the face. The Lamont family say she is so happy to be home… but is […]

South African athlete Ernst van Dyk raced to a fantastic third spot in the Boston Marathon Men’s Wheelchair Race on Monday in the USA. This is the 21st time that Ernst has competed in the Boston Marathon… and the 18th time that he has won a podium position! Ernst has famously won the race a […]

In the face of South Africa’s stark inequalities it was clear that many people were likely to fall into even more desperate circumstances once the reality of COVID-19 restrictions set in. Many immediately lost jobs or saw their businesses collapse, and a host of other restrictions led to unprecedented changes in how we lived. By […]

Over 10 million adults in South Africa have been fully vaccinated, as of Monday. This comes after 139 899 either received the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson or two-dose Pfizer vaccine. This means there are now 10 059 118 eligible citizens who are fully jabbed, which translates to 25.28% of the country’s adult […]

Takesure Ranjisi worked as a waiter in Gqeberha for three years before he was retrenched in the 2020 lockdown, without any notice and with no payout, he says. He gave up trying to get Unemployment Insurance Fund money as his former employer did not cooperate. Ranjisi decided to set up his own pizza takeaway – […]

Matt Sates continued his storming form at the second leg of the FINA World Cup series in Budapest, Hungary, over the weekend. His haul of five gold medals guided the South African team to third place on the medal table behind the USA and Australia. The Pietermaritzburg teenager claimed another clean sweep of the individual […]

The sun was shining and spirits were soaring on Sunday – along with kites – as South Africans shed the winter lockdown blues and embraced a fabulous new almost-normal, as big events returned with today’s Dolphin Beach Kite Festival and the famous Cape Town Cycle Tour (see more below). Dolphin Beach Kite Festival Photos by […]

It’s that time of the year again – when Pretoria transforms into a beautiful purple haze, as the Jacaranda trees burst into bloom, and purple petals carpet the city’s pavements. Yesterday morning, Friday 8 October, as rain fell on Pretoria (one of South Africa’s capital cities), local resident David (Dawie) Jacobs captured these stunning photos of […]

A much loved and loving family pet, Kei, is to receive a Heroism Award for risking his own life to save that of the family that adopted him from the SPCA last year. During a horrific home invasion in Benoni, South Africa, on 3 October, Kei almost lost his life after he bravely attacked an […]

South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks) has launched an investigation into the construction of the so-called R15 million Lesseyton sports facility in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality in the Eastern Cape… which was exposed this week by former DA Leader Mmusi Maimane. Maimane declared on Monday, when the stadium was launched: “The #TsotsiGame must […]

Wolfgat restaurant in the small fishing village of Paternoster – a two-hour drive from Cape Town – has been named as the 50th Best Restaurant in the World! The fabulous west coast eatery, enjoyed by none other than South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, has also been named as Africa’s Best Restaurant in the latest awards […]

The Nobel Prize in Literature, considered the pinnacle of achievement for creative writers, has been awarded 114 times to 118 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2021. This year it went to novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah, who was born in Zanzibar, the first Tanzanian writer to win. The last black African writer to win the prize […]