If you wander the world, there are few places where you will find such electrical storms as those that blaze across South Africa, lighting up our magnificent skies. Eastern Cape freelance photographer Christopher Scott captured these awesome photos on Thursday night. “There was a short lightning show all the way out near St Francis Bay […]

A ten-member syndicate, allegedly behind South Africa’s “ATM Bombings”, has been arrested for selling commercial explosives and will appear in court this morning. The syndicate includes three police officers. The suspects were arrested in a Hawks joint operation which was conducted on Tuesday evening in the Free State towns of Thabong, Odendalsrust, Virginia and Teunissen.. […]

The South African Department of Water and Sanitation has encouraged everyone from all walks of life, wherever they will be, to pray for rain this coming weekend. Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said faith-based organisations play an important role in communities, and they can help as water challenges continue. “The lack of rain – […]

This February, South Africans living abroad can curb their homesickness with a bumper crop of new Mzanzi Magic, kykNET and Via series. South Africans living abroad have access to a uniquely South African catalogue of series and movies – with the latest seasons of some of the biggest series currently airing in South Africa. (And […]

A South African expat billionaire is buying one of America’s most famous newspapers. It was reported Wednesday in the US that Tronc Inc. has agreed to sell the ‘Los Angeles Times’ to SA expat Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong… for a cool $500-million (which includes the LA Times’ sister paper, ‘San Diego Union-Tribune’). UPDATE May 2021: Dr […]

In Tanja Spykerman’s household, using less than 50 litres of water per person per day – as required by Cape Town’s Level 6b water restrictions – is a breeze! In fact, this motivated South African family of four (plus three pets) doesn’t just use less than 50 litres each… they use less than 50 litres […]

A South African expat’s video of thousands of children in the UK singing Toto’s “Africa” – which she uploaded for her friends in drought-stricken Cape Town – is going viral. Kae Skinner Sera, who lives in the UK, uploaded the video late on Monday night after the Young Voices performance at the O2 in London […]

Eikenhof Dam in Grabouw, South Africa, started releasing its water to the City of Cape Town at 11 am this morning, according to Elgin resident Cathy Shaw. Shaw uploaded the following video, saying: “This is what 10 000 cubic litres per hour looks like!” The Groenland Water Users Association in the Overberg is releasing between […]

At about 4.30pm on Saturday, an urgent message was sent out on the WhatsApp groups and Facebook community groups in my neighbourhood in northwestern Joburg… writes Gus Silber. A 12-year-old boy named Charlie, who has autism, had gone missing from his home in the suburb of Quellerina. “He is most probably on a white bicycle,” […]

The City of Cape Town has announced that Day Zero (when residents’ taps will be turned off) “is expected to move out to mid-May 2018” thanks in large part to a decline in agricultural usage. The reported date is now 11 May. DA Leader Mmusi Maimane said: “This significant victory is thanks in large part […]

South African motorists will be relieved this week as the petrol price is expected to decrease, thanks to the stronger rand. The department of Energy has announced a price decrease in petrol and diesel this week. “The rand appreciated, on average, against the US dollar (from R13.23 to R12.20 per USD) during the period under […]

The annual MTBS competition is famous in South Africa for the cheerleading by the participating schools… and there’s no video that has been shared more than this one featuring DF Malan High School at the inter-schools athletics competition back in 2013. The next MTBS gathering is on 07 February 2018. Hoërskool DF Malan at the […]

A slow start against England converted into a classy display as the Blitzboks Sevens side booked their place in the Hamilton Sevens quarter-finals in New Zealand on Saturday. Wins against Papua New Guinea (36-5) and Russia (38-0) had come in their first two Pool B games and it was everything to play for in Game […]

Here are the latest topics due for broadcast on Carte Blanche this Sunday, and available for South Africans living abroad from Tuesday – 6th February 2018 – if you’re a subscriber to Showmax International. (Sign up here.) Table Mountain Knife Attacks Last week yet another hiker was robbed,  stabbed and killed in the Table Mountain reserve, […]

A South African woman, Belinda Davids, who has been bringing the house down around the world… has finally come to the attention of her fellow South Africans, thanks to social media. In December, Belinda’s incredible rendition of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ earned her a standing ovation at the prestigious Showtime At The […]

A sports injury clinic in the heart of London – with a predominantly South African team – is helping save the rhinos back home in SA. Each year Ultra Sports Clinic (USC) sponsors a different charity taking part in the London Marathon. This year they’ve selected Save the Rhino International, and will be treating all […]

Johnny Clegg was never going to bow out quietly. Despite battling cancer, he felt he owed his fans a proper farewell, and for the past several months he’s done shows across the US, and in Canada, Dubai and London during his The Final Journey world tour. TONY JACKMAN caught the penultimate show of the tour […]

Multichoice announced on Wednesday that it will not renew its contract with the 24-hour News Channel ANN7, when the contract expires on 20 August 2018. The decision has been met with mixed feelings – with some concerned for what this means to media freedom, and others welcoming the end of “dishonest journalism”. Following an internal […]

The more than 900 mineworkers who were trapped underground for over 24 hours at Sibanye’s Beatrix Gold Mine near Theunissen in the Free State have all been safely rescued Friday morning, according to an SABC report (see below). Sixty-five miners had already been rescued yesterday in a very slow operation that allowed for only one […]

DA Leader Mmusi Maimane and Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste Services Xanthea Limberg, visited the Strandfontein desalination plant on Friday, and confirmed they expect the plant to be online as early as March 2018. Maimane called it “great news” and said the plant will produce seven million litres of potable water […]

A series of tweets posted today by Western Cape paediatrician Alastair McAlpine have gone viral, trending in places as far away as Glasgow in the United Kingdom. The tweets reveal what children with terminal illnesses most appreciate and love about being alive… The Meaning of Life According to Kids – tweeted by Dr Alastair McAlpine […]

Check out this version of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, performed by a cockatoo, which has been going viral since last year and has attracted over 8 million views with no end in sight! As someone explained, part of the joy in watching the bird, believed to be an Indonesian cockatoo species, is recognising so many […]

If you look up right now, wherever you are, there’s a beautiful bright super-moon orbiting our planet. Today – 31 January 2018 – we’re blessed with a rare lunar occasion… the sight of a full moon, a total lunar eclipse (not visible from South Africa unfortunately), a blue moon and a super-moon all at the […]

In the face of panic that schools will be forced to shut in the event of Day Zero, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has today reassured parents and principals that the provincial government will continue supplying water to schools in the drought-stricken province… although that means increased security will be necessary as the threat of […]

2018: A Better year – yes or no? writes Steuart Pennington. 18 Reasons why the answer is “YES” “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one” – Voltaire. In breezing through the Sunday papers, notably the Sunday Times and City Press I was struck by Mavuso Msimang’s question “is the clean-up in […]