A teenager from Philippi Village in the Western Cape, Siphelele Xabendlini, has beaten the odds to become the top student in Science in South Africa with an incredible mark of 100%. The 18-year-old also scored a whopping 92% for Maths. According to Philippi Village’s facebook page, Siphelele believes determination and dedication are all that’s needed to succeed. […]

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma kicked off the new year by declaring that God was on the side of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Speaking ahead of the ANC’s 105th birthday celebrations which took place at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, he reiterated a statement he has made several times before – that the […]

HASHIM AMLA today became the eighth Protea to complete a century of Test match appearances for the Proteas when the third Sunfoil Test match between the Proteas and Sri Lanka started at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium this morning. He follows in the footsteps of Jacques Kallis (165 matches), Mark Boucher (146), Graeme Smith (116), Shaun […]

OR Tambo International Airport has announced it will remove lion cub petting images from the walls of its international arrivals corridor. These posters, promoting the petting of lions in South Africa, have been up for more than a year and, according to a statement Thursday from OR Tambo, the images were supplied by South African […]

South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal have been pleasantly surprised to discover a Hollywood celebrity in their midst over the past few days. American actor Neal McDonough has been spotted in Tiffany’s Shopping Centre in Salt Rock (north of Durban) where he happily posed for photos with fans, and at Spurs and Casa Nieto’s in Empangeni. The latter posted photos […]

There can’t be many better ways to start the day than out kayaking off the shore of Mouille Point in Cape Town, South Africa… except to be out kayaking and enjoying the sight and sound of dolphins flipping all around you. Local resident Marcus J.B. Zandhuis was out yesterday morning in a group with Kaskazi […]

Hooters restaurant in Port Elizabeth has introduced the ‘Order an Angel Shot’ initiative to its female customers who are feeling unsafe or “a bit weird” on a date. The poster lets women know certain code words to use at the bar if they feel they are in danger or unsafe on a date. The staff […]

A former flight attendant, Adrian Thomas, was shocked yesterday when a video he uploaded back in August 2013 suddenly went viral on social media. The video has clocked up over 665,000 views on Facebook after it was posted on 8 January by Abu Kad who said “Kulula doing what they do best. Always fun travelling […]

Northern Irish professional golf player Rory McIlroy had a very close call with a lion on a South African safari over the weekend! The 27-year-old tweeted a video of the encounter saying: “We’ve had a trip of a lifetime to Londolozi over the last few days. This big guy came to say hello last night!!” He told […]

New Zealand rugby player Sonny Bill Williams has taken time to congratulate South Africa’s Proteas batsman Hashim Amla ahead of his 100th Test tomorrow, 12 January 2017. Proteas Cricket have been posting several #TheMightyHash videos from Hashim’s team mates, congratulating the cricketer on his awesome milestone. Proteas Cricket said: “Watch close friend and fellow sportsman […]

FARHAAN BEHARDIEN has been appointed as stand-in captain of the Standard Bank Proteas for the first two matches in the KFC T20 International Series against Sri Lanka. Cricket South Africa (CSA) has named a 13-man squad that includes six new caps in this format – Jon-Jon Smuts, Theunis de Bruyn, Mangaliso Mosehle, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson […]

Crowded beach fronts over the new year’s period have become a sensitive point for racism and irresponsible social media comments in South Africa over the past two years… writes Johannesburg-based photographer JONATHAN WOOD. The comments of Penny Sparrow in a tweet last year began: “These monkeys that are allowed to be released on New Year’s […]

Standing on a rock on the slopes of Sir Lowry’s Pass in the Western Cape of South Africa, overlooking the ocean and Somerset West’s skyline, surrounded by untamed landscape – this is where Dutch entrepreneur Henk Maris stood 12 years ago and had a vision for this place, Bezweni Lodge – “If this is heaven…” Maris is […]

A ring – most probably a wedding ring – was discovered on a beach in the Western Cape in mid-December 2016. As the owner has still not been traced, the search has now turned to social media in a bid to return the romantic ring. Tracy Curnick de Beer posted this message a few days ago: “My brother Tony Curnick […]

Seventeen-year-old Sasasa Dlamini, from Westville Boys’ High School in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has been accepted to prestigious Harvard University in the USA… an achievement that is the ultimate dream – often out of reach – for so many students around the world. South African media have been celebrating the outstanding student’s scoop, using the hashtag – #WestvilleToHarvard. His proud school […]

While the ANC were celebrating their 105th birthday down the road at Orlando Stadium in Soweto this morning, the Mayor of Johannesburg – Herman Mashaba from the DA – spent his Sunday morning addressing concerned residents gathered outside an electricity substation in Roosevelt Park. Power had been off since Saturday midnight, as well as for several […]

Heavy rains fell in Gauteng, North West and Mpumulanga provinces in South Africa yesterday bringing a welcome inflow of enough water to fill approximately 22,000 Olympic-sized pools to the Vaal Dam. Gauteng Weather retweeted a message saying the Vaal Dam has received an “approximate inflow of 640 cumecs over past 24hrs” which “is equivalent to 22,000 Olympic swimming […]

Despite the rain, and contrary to critics’ predictions, and EFF leader Julius Malema’s call to not fill the stadium for the ANC’s 105th birthday celebrations today – the Orlando Stadium in Soweto is pretty full! In fact the atmosphere is electric and the stadium so packed that people are being allowed to occupy the pitch area […]

MPUMALANGA – The Sabie River near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park has been overflowing today after a heavy downpour of much prayed-for rain. ASHLEIGH ROBERTSON filmed the video footage below of the overflowing river, as well as the Skukuza camp site which was flooded. Ashleigh, from Hilton in KZN, filmed the overseas tourists’ tents […]

They say every dog has its day… and in South Africa that certainly seems true! Check out the video below, that’s gone viral, of a very cute Yorkshire terrier at the robots (traffic lights) in the Western Cape. Izette Soine uploaded the video just over a week ago showing Bailey. She had seen him – and his owner, Bloemfontein […]

A South African-built Hilux came second yesterday, just 44 seconds behind the winner, in Stage Five of the Dakar… currently taking place in South America. Spanish rally racer Nani Roma was in the driver’s seat, with Spanish co-driver Haro Bravo Alex, for what is touted as the toughest and greatest rally in the world, pitting about […]

In a country in which wine making is still predominantly a white, largely male profession, South Africa’s first black woman winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela, is a pioneer: her latest achievement, the creation of her own brand, Aslina. Biyela is no novice to wine making, having brought accolades to red wine producer Stellekaya for the past 13 […]

Johnny Clegg ushered in the new year with good vibes and great music at a New Year’s Eve concert at Kirstenbosch in South Africa. MARGUERITE DE VILLIERS captured the photos below… “Each picture has a lyric extract from the song ‘It’s an Illusion’ – a song which I had heard Johnny singing a couple of […]

If you put anything on the Internet these days, it lives forever and sometimes gets accidentally revived annually on social media when the same month in which it was originally released comes around again. Two years ago, in January, this hip hop version of ‘Ys Ys Baba’ was posted. This month it’s going viral again […]

The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival also known as ‘Tweede Nuwe Jaar’ is celebrated annually on 2 January. The colourful costumes, face paint, music and comical dancing bring this unique Cape Town event to life. Many thousands of people perform in the parade in one of the South African city’s biggest tourist attractions. The face painting process […]