The South African government has imposed regulations that will limit unjustified price hikes and product stockpiling, to protect consumers, as the number of COVID-19 pandemic cases in SA rises to 150. The regulations, announced by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel during a press briefing on Thursday, deal with pricing matters during the national […]

Here’s another great video from Steve Hall, the man who gave us the greatest Springboks poem ever… ‘Siyabonga Springboks‘ after South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in Japan in November 2019. Steve discusses how to explain the current “crazy times” to children and how to “keep your feet on the grass” and lead with […]

And the People Stayed Home, a prose poem by Kitty O’Meara, has been going viral since early March 2020 since the retired American teacher and chaplain published the beautiful poem on her blog, under the post title: In the Time of Pandemic. An Italian journalist Irene Vella has claimed it is a translation from her […]

It’s good news for more than 1,700 people who were being held quarantine on a cruise liner at Cape Town harbour, as news came this afternoon that six passengers who were tested for Coronavirus have all been given the all clear, testing negative for the COVID-19 virus. The 1,700 passengers and crew of Italy flagged […]

South Africa’s ‘Patient Zero’ – the first person diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in South Africa – has recovered enough to leave hospital. Authorities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) said today that “South Africa is conquering Coronavirus” and that the patient, along with his wife who was also hospitalised with Coronavirus, have both recovered enough to […]

24-hour news channels are a key source of information on the pandemic both in South Africa and globally, but it’s not always possible or practical to keep a TV running. DStv Now for web browsers has a solution in the form of picture-in-picture to keep a small news window running in the corner of a […]

South Africans Noluthando Makalima and Tracy McKay claimed silver medals in their first appearance at the ISA World Para Surfing Championships in San Diego, completed at the weekend. Makalima, a Khayelitsha surfer with cerebral palsy, typified the type of grit this group is known for when she won her medal in the Women’s Prone 2 […]

Quarantine blog. Day 1, 17 March 2020. Corona updates from deepest China! Since the Indian government (where I’m normally based at this time) has cancelled all visas and banned foreign entrants, my partner Debs and I had to pull all the trips we were offering up until November and make a quick plan… writes South […]

In response to the COVID-19 situation, DStv Now has added a new way to get free access (no DStv subscription needed) to the following 24-hour news channels: BBC World CNN Aljazeera Sky News eNCA SABC News Newzroom Afrika Euronews Now What is DStv Now and what can I see for free? DStv Now is the […]

In the face of the potential pandemic, The Gift of The Givers is issuing a call to action to all South African citizens, private & corporate, individuals and companies, to come together and support the medical staff and facilities on the frontline, who will be treating those affected by the coronavirus. To raise funds to […]

Almost immediately after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in South Africa, the jokes started. From memes featuring prominent politicians to bad puns, from TikTok video clips to pictures of people posing with silly home-made protective gear, South Africans took to Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook to make fun of the virus. It is not […]

The 114 South Africans evacuated by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) from China’s COVID19-hit Wuhan City have touched down in Polokwane, in Limpopo. The group arrived shortly after 10:30am on a South African Airways (SAA) flight. About 20 minutes after landing, the first passenger disembarked the aircraft and was swiftly escorted to one […]

Italians unanimously burst into song in Siena, finding a way to connect with each other… even during isolation and quarantine. But they weren’t the only ones. All over Italy – from the north down to Naples, there were similar scenes filmed this week, of the Europeans joined in unison – singing ballads, singing the national […]

South Africa’s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed that the Ranch Resort in Polokwane will host the 122 repatriated South Africans from Wuhan, Hubei Province, in China. On Trip Advisor the resort is rated as ‘Excellent’. “Three sites were identified. Of the three sites that were shortlisted, The Ranch Resort was selected. An agreement has […]

South Africa’s popular Ndlovu Youth Choir – who shot to fame internationally when they made it through to the finals of America’s Got Talent last year – have posted a video with tips on avoiding getting the novel Coronavirus. The choir said on social media: ” There are already many dangerous myths and misunderstandings about the […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa last night hailed the South African team travelling to Wuhan, China, on a repatriation mission, as heroes who carry the pride and hope of the nation. The team comprising members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and a medical team from the Department of Health left for Wuhan, the epicenter […]

This weekend only, DStv customers on any package will be able to livestream all the DStv channels using the DStv Now app.  Don’t make plans for the weekend of 14-15 March. Stay in and watch DStv Premium using the DStv Now app. It doesn’t matter which DStv package you’re on, as long as you’re an […]

Cindy Engelbrecht (30) from Centurion, South Africa has never let her Down syndrome diagnosis hold her back from achieving her dreams. Cindy Engelbrecht has always exceeded expectations Despite the limitations placed on her at birth and doctors saying that she would never be able to do anything by herself, Cindy has in five years become […]

China, home of kung fu, kung pao chicken and the coronavirus… writes South African teacher in China Michael Herbstein. As a Saffer living in China during these exciting times, and having a mother that some would politely describe as neurotic, I’m constantly shared an endless stream of news surrounding COVID-19 from back home. Some of […]

South Africans around the country have been graced with a fantastic view of tonight’s full moon – Monday 9 March 2020 – which happens to be the year’s first supermoon AND is known as the Worm Moon. UPDATE: See April’s Supermoon ‘Pink Moon’ over South Africa. The name was coined in North America by Native […]

Watch the Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day live right now, on a stream from the BBC below. The BBC says: “In the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and other senior members of the royal family, Petroc Trelawny introduces live coverage from Westminster Abbey in London for a Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day. […]

Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan was the most watched rugby event ever with more than 857 million people around the world watching the action via World Rugby’s network of rights-holding broadcast partners, an increase of 26 per cent from the previous tournament in England. With World Rugby producing the pictures for the first time, […]

In another step up for womens’ rugby in South Africa, the Springbok Women celebrated International Women’s Day on Sunday with the news that they will defend their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title between May and July, with the tournament featuring a historic first Test match in Madagascar. This year’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup marks the […]

Since South Africa confirmed its first case of Coronavirus, locals have predictably responded with humour (those that aren’t queuing up to buy hand sanitisers!). The Coronavirus jokes and memes are being shared (faster than the virus thank goodness!) all over social media in South Africa… (All new Corona virus jokes and memes are added near […]

On Friday 28 February 2020, Capetonian marathon swimmer, musician and mother-of-three Carina Bruwer became the first woman to swim across Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth, in support of Muzukidz, an organisation that offers underprivileged children the opportunity to learn the violin. Bruwer completed the gruelling crossing from Pollock Beach in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, to […]