Legendary KwaZulu-Natal rugby player, Beast Mtawarira, will reach an incredible milestone tonight when he sets the record for being the most capped South African rugby player in Super Rugby history. The Sharks said in a statement on their website that Beast has become a “firm crowd favourite” with his never-say-die attitude over the course of […]

On Saturday the 13th of April, the Mdzananda Animal Clinic will be hosting its third Downward-Facing-Adopt-A-Dog yoga event in Cape Town, South Africa. Yoga lovers and dog lovers alike are invited to join this one of a kind yoga class with homeless dogs. The class will be held under the trees in the beautiful outdoor […]

Extreme weather events, such as Cyclone Idai that has recently devastated Beira, Mozambique, and Hurricane Harvey that hit Houston, USA, in 2017 are the types of climate extremes that cities increasingly have to prepare for. Cities, particularly those with extensive informal settlements in the developing world, are being hit hard by these new climatic realities. […]

Hugh Masekela is today being celebrated by Google who is treating users in the UK, US, South Africa and a few other countries to a special Hugh Masekela doodle on what would have been the late jazz musician’s birthday. The ‘Father of South African Jazz’ would have turned 80 today, 4 April 2019. The musician […]

CAPE TOWN – South African Rugby has turned a corner and recorded a small post-tax profit of R2-million ($141,122.35) in 2018 thanks to aggressive cost-cutting and an increase in revenue, reversing heavy losses from the previous two years. SA Rugby managed to keep its expenses in line with projections, but enjoyed a 9.5 percent rise […]

A KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) graduate has made sure everyone knows just how happy and proud she is to graduate, by performing a traditional Zulu dance on stage. The University of KZN said Bachelor of Social Science graduate Zandile Sanele Shange “had the crowd on their feet” with her impromptu dance. Twitter user uNdlunkulu Xoli said: “Every year, […]

In a victory on the war on rhino poaching, three members of the notorious Ndlovu rhino poaching gang have each been handed a sentence of 25 years imprisonment in South Africa today. (Update 24 Nov ’20: Ndlovu rhino poaching gang to hear judgment on Appeal.) Judge Pickering handed down the sentences at the High Court […]

Lunchtime at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, was made all the more beautiful today by the appearance of a school of dolphins. SAPeople contributor Alan Rudnicki was one of those lucky enough to witness the dolphins swimming amongst the boats. “It was amazing to see them so close to the jetty, and […]

A legendary charity swimmer has thrown his rubber cap and goggles in the ring, signing up for a “wild swim” to promote alternatives to heavy minerals mining on South Africa’s pristine Wild Coast. (See GroundUp articles on Xolobeni.) Stan Kozlowski, who has helped collect more than R12 million for conservation and other good causes over […]

CAPE TOWN – The development bank of the BRICS group of emerging economies has approved funding of $790 million for three South African projects, the bank’s president said on Monday. “We plan to end the year with total loan approvals of about $2.3 billion in South Africa,” New Development Bank president Kundapur Vaman Kamath told […]

Miniaturised frogs form a fascinating but poorly understood group of amphibians. They have been exceptionally prone to taxonomic underestimation because when frogs evolve small body size they start to look remarkably similar – so it is easy to underestimate how diverse they really are. As part of my PhD I have been studying frogs and […]

On Carte Blanche this evening (Sunday 31 March) in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 02 April for South Africans abroad in many countries. Cyclone Idai – Surviving the Aftermath With hundreds of people dead and the government of Mozambique grappling with the outbreak of waterborne diseases as they coordinate the delivery of […]

SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan has joined South Africans around the country in congratulating former Bafana Bafana defender Siboniso Gaxa who has graduated from Wits University with a Political Science and Social Studies degree. The SAFA President, a proponent of the philosophy of taking education as a priority and fall-back plan by football players, said Gaxa […]

South Africa’s central bank kept its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 6.75 percent on Thursday in a unanimous decision, saying it assessed the risks to the inflation outlook to be more or less balanced. All economists surveyed by Reuters predicted the repo rate would remain on hold. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana, Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Naledi […]

Former SA Revenue Service (SARS) deputy commissioner Edward Kieswetter has been appointed as the new Commissioner for South African Revenue Service (SARS). President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that Kieswetter will lead the revenue service for the next five years starting on 1 May. The National Treasury was confident that the selection process that was […]

On Monday while many people drove, bussed, cycled or walked to work… there was a doctor in KwaZulu-Natal who not only walked over an hour with a bag of heavy medication on his back, but even swam across a river to make sure he reached his patients! Dr John Michell, who studied at the University […]

Roger Federer (whose mom is a South Africa expat) overcame a sluggish start to defeat Filip Krajinovic 7-5 6-3, and SA expat Kevin Anderson’s booming serve proved too much for Joao Sousa as the big names advanced to the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday. Yay! “I definitely missed being on the match […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah just explained reparation in one of the most powerful, yet simple and quick ways ever. It’s a little like golf. Watch below. Trevor posted the video to social media (“for anyone confused about reparations”) just over an hour ago, and it’s already received over 2,5 million views with many applauding […]

South African bowling sensation Kagiso Rabada believes team morale is the key to success in the fothcoming Cricket World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales from May 30 – July 14. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has already taken over 100 wickets for South Africa in both Test and one-day cricket games, which bodes […]

With the electricity system gradually improving, no load shedding is anticipated for this week, says Eskom. “The improvement in plant performance, together with replenished diesel and water reserves over the last few days, as well as the increase of imports from Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa to 850MW, has positively shifted system performance,” said Eskom in a […]

In its efforts to ramp up the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination, the South African government has launched a tool to assist in combating these intolerances. The tool comes in the form of a 67-page document known as the National Action Plan (NAP). The plan, which takes its cue from the Declaration Programme of […]

South African wakeskater Matti Buys invited one of the most influential pioneers of the sport, Brian Grubb, for a trip around some of the most iconic landmarks in Durban. Here is all you need to know: – Wakeskating is an adaptation of wakeboarding without the rider being bound to the board in anyway, similar to […]

The week got off to a fabulous start in Cape Town, South Africa, where a drizzly dawn was transformed by a bright double rainbow that seemed to stretch across the entire Mother City. Several Capetonians stopped on the side of the road to snap photographs of the exquisite double rainbow as it lit up their […]

The Marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea) is a local alternative to the Jacarandas and Madagascan Flamboyants. Jacarandas and Flamboyants are some of my pet peeves when it comes to gardening and trees. Not only are they aggressive invasives throughout Southern Africa, but they are also messy and destructive trees writes Nick Bredenkamp. Jacarandas roots are very […]

Amidst the floods and devastation that Cyclone Idai has left in its wake, there are many South African heroes who are making us proud. SAPeople spoke to one of them, Soweto doctor Qasim Bhorat whose poignant messages from Mozambique make us cry, and smile… Qasim grew up in Stanger, studied at the University of the […]