Phew, goosebumps! Watch this video of South Africans aboard a cruise ship last night, moored off the coast of Miami, singing their hearts out for the land they love and miss so much right now. Natalie Fine, a South African citizen working on board the ship alongside 24 other South Africans (and 50 other nationalities), […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s says he has a message for those “callous criminals” trying to take advantage during Lockdown. “The criminal justice system is not on leave,” the President tweeted on Monday morning. “You will be arrested, you will be tried and you will be put behind bars.” In the President’s latest letter to fellow South […]

For the first time, most South Africans – and Christians around the world – have celebrated Easter at home with their family in lockdown… writes filmmaker and photographer Kierran Allen, who has captured these photos of Easter Sunday, in Durban, South Africa. As we head into our second phase of trying to ‘flatten the curve’, […]

Almost half a million people around the world tuned in to watch Italian music maestro’s solo Easter Sunday performance at the magnificent Duomo cathedral in Milan. If you missed it, join over a million people who have since tuned in to listen – watch below. Bocelli said he was honoured by the invite to perform […]

More than 100 South Africans who found themselves stranded at Heathrow over two weeks ago are finally heading home on SAA Flight 4239, along with about 200 others stranded in the UK! And it’s largely thanks to an incredible team of South African volunteers from around the world who have been keeping their spirits high, […]

South African Airways (SAA) is involved in the ongoing repatriation of thousands of foreign nationals to reunite them with their families in their respective home countries, after getting stuck in SA by the national lockdown, which came into effect at midnight on 26 March 2020. SAA acting General Manager for Operations Tebogo Tsimane said “we […]

Johnny Clegg’s family say they are “deeply moved” by the Stormers’ performance of the late singer’s ‘The Crossing’. In a statement posted by Johnny’s son Jesse, the musician’s family said: “We are deeply moved by The Stormers adopting The Crossing as their official team song. “Their heart and passion shines through in their performance and […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged the millions of South Africans, who are commemorating Good Friday, to take courage and strength from the message of Easter as the country deals with COVID-19. The President on Thursday, 9 April announced a two-week extension of the previously announced 21-day national lockdown, which is part of efforts to slow […]

The earth’s oceans are under grave threat, writes Kira Erwin. Scientists in many fields have pointed to the large-scale negative shifts brought about by human-made pollutants, mining and overfishing. How people now choose to behave, make collective decisions and build solidarity around the health of oceans has an impact not just on our own species […]

A Bloemfontein mother’s open letter to the SA president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is striking a chord with South Africans around the nation. Writing in Afrikaans, Cathy de Lange, a blogger and owner of Meringue Mama, says she knows the chance of the president reading her letter is very slim, but that the message was heavy on […]

A Durban organisation has made sure that a group of homeless people do not go hungry… at a time when  their suffering has been intensified by lockdown conditions in South Africa, reports filmmaker and photographer Kierran Allen. The Umbilo Business Forum (UBF), a voluntary membership and non-profit organization, delivered the first load of food – […]

Being stuck at home inevitably means more time in front of the TV or scrolling on your phone. While it’s great to finally binge those series you missed or want to watch again from the beginning (15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, anyone?) and be entertained by a brilliant action movie like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, […]

Whether you’re working remotely, home-schooling, or just binge-watching an old favourite to pass the time, you’re probably putting in maximum time with your devices. Chances are that you’re reading this article on a phone or tablet right now! When was the last time you gave the screen a good wipe?  Disinfecting surfaces is one of […]

South African-based Blood Lions and the Humane Society International are two of the 241 conservation bodies around the world that have appealed to the World Health Organisation to publicly confirm the serious threat of live wildlife markets to human health, as evidenced by the Coronavirus pandemic. In a joint interview this week, some of them […]

A video capturing the sound of South Africans in Sea Point, Cape Town, singing the National Anthem – as they do every night during Lockdown – has not only sent goosebumps around the world, but is now leading to impoverished families being fed during this challenging period. The video posted by Cape Town resident Shelley […]

Never a dull moment during lockdown, says the Bloemfontein SPCA, who bravely rescued a monkey during dangerous windy conditions from the top of a 50-metre high tower in an informal settlement where the wind was blowing, and the angry crowd was throwing rocks at the animal… and later at the SPCA rescuers. When the SPCA […]

The public broadcaster and the Department of Basic Education have launched a COVID-19 learner support initiative in an effort to limit the impact of the lockdown on the school calendar. The multimedia learner support initiative, the SABC and the DBE said in a joint statement, is part of the broader efforts to prevent the total […]

A young Spanish tourist, who so enjoyed his trip to SA, has reached out to help a South African tour operator through the tough times. Gilda Swanepoel from Eenblond Tours said she was blown away by an unexpected foreign payment she received last week of almost R4,000 from Alex Blanco. “Alex did five tours with […]

South Africans who have found themselves stranded and destitute in London, when their flights home were cancelled on or around 26 March (when Lockdown began at midnight on that Thursday), are to be repatriated to South Africa. After we received several queries on Wednesday morning, DIRCO spokesperson Penny Ehlers confirmed to SAPeople that an SAA […]

Tonight there’s something beautiful to brighten our locked down lives – 2020’s biggest, brightest Supermoon of the year is shining over South Africa. And regular SAPeople contributors Andrea Ben in Johannesburg and Ed Robbins and Andrew Gorman in Cape Town have captured it making its way across SA’s night sky. Andrea said it has been […]

The spread of the coronavirus has forced millions all over the world to retreat to base and abandon outdoor exercise and gym sessions. If they own a big house and garden, it’s manageable, but many live in shacks, cramped houses or tiny high-rise flats. How can they avoid going to seed during lockdown? Gavin Evans […]

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly in “good spirits” after being transferred to the ICU unit at St Thomas’ Hospital in London last night. According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the 55-year-old PM confirmed that Johnson is being given oxygen but is not on a ventilator. His condition overnight was described as “stable”. […]

South African singer David Kramer’s hit song ‘Welcome to Cape Town’ just got a Corona twist with new lyrics. #TsekCorona! is a music video with a positive stay-at-home message from South Africa during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown. The song is performed by the KaapKreools Collective featuring Emo Adams and Loukmaan Adams (vocals), David Kramer (guitar), […]

On 26 March 2020, Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that a 21-day lockdown be implemented until 16 April 2020. As part of these measures, the SANDF was deployed to assist police in ensuring residents stay indoors during this lockdown, except to buy food and medication or to get medical attention… writes Durban photographer Kierran Allen who is […]

The British High Commission in South Africa announced on Sunday chartered flights for its citizens and permanent residents from SA back to the UK, pending approval from the SA government. There is a chance that these flights may also be used by South Africans stranded in the UK to head back to their families in […]