South African Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom was awarded with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at a ceremony in South Africa yesterday evening. German ambassador, Walter Lindner said the award – which is the highest bestowed by the German government to individuals for services to the nation – is “well deserved”. […]

A visitor to the Kruger National Park in South Africa captured this adorable scene on film… of an elephant calf excitedly learning new tricks with its trunk, including how to pull off a very sweet hand stand! Fiona Adler Sadman filmed the little elephant’s antics on 5 May 2016. Watch Video: Baby Ellie in Kruger […]

The South African contingent performed spectacularly in Rome today with Wayde van Niekerk, Sunette Viljoen and Caster Semenya ALL winning gold in their events. The SA team was competing in the 2016 International Association of Athletics Federations Diamond League (IAAF DL) event in Italy, the fifth leg of the international track and field campaign. Caster Semenya, who was tipped […]

South African athlete Wayde van Niekerk has won the 400m in Rome, Italy, this evening. In an interview this week he said his focus now is on the 400m… and he meant it! Wayde – who made sprinting history in March when he became the first man to ever run faster than 10 seconds for 100m, […]

The success of Emirates’ anti-poaching wildlife message has truly gone sky-high with the fifth A380 to join the campaign unveiled on Monday… although this jet will be grounded! It will be featured at the famous traffic roundabout leading to London’s Heathrow airport. The site – as most South Africans who’ve travelled to London know – is […]

Of the 8.7 million species of animals, plants and fungi thought to live on Earth, we have only named 1.2 million: 86 percent of the natural world is uncharted. For most people, both this incredible richness and our ignorance are hard to fathom. Imagine that each of the 6.5 million species thought to live on land – […]

South Africa’s favourite DIY goddess, Suzelle, has posted a short video to bring her best friend Marianne up to date with the Kardashians, the American family who’ve become famous with their reality TV shows. The video has nothing to do with DIY… but it’s a lesson “which is important for things like popular culture” Suzelle […]

Nando’s is without a doubt the best example of a company using South Africa’s crazy political trajectory for publicity – and providing laughs at the same time. Here are five of our recent favourite local advertisements, and the incidents that (we think) inspired them. 1. News that almost R9 million of the police budget has been spent […]

If you’re missing home, or have never visited Cape Town in the Western Cape, here’s the perfect video to not just watch… but immerse in. It’s interactive with incredible 360 degree views of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, Bloubergstrand and Hout Bay in South Africa. The footage of one of the most beautiful cities in […]

The city of Springs boasts the largest number of small-scale Art Deco buildings in the world, outside of Miami in the United States. The style, which has become synonymous with the coastal Florida city, is achieving more and more attention as a potential tourism money-spinner for Springs. The Art Deco style had its hey-days between […]

On a night when Alison Botha desperately needed a hero – after being raped, stabbed and left for dead – she became one. Her story is heartbreaking and empowering. Painful and uplifting. And has now been turned into a film – “Alison the Movie” – which will have its world premiere on Friday. (Watch trailer below.) For […]

After being chased by an elephant whilst on safari in South Africa, Arnold Schwarzenegger – who’s no stranger to extreme action – admitted “some of us had to change our pants” afterwards! Fortunately the frightening experience hasn’t stopped the Hollywood star from being “in awe of these beautiful, strong creatures” and urging people to stop killing […]

South Africans leaving or returning to the country are often faced with this dilemma: how to relocate with one’s beloved pets. Sometimes you’re not even moving to a new country, or town. You just have to downsize. And when you’ve exhausted all options, and suffered sleepless nights, you have to face the heartbreaking truth: you cannot […]

So you’ve had enough of South Africa – the rand taking a dive, crime and corruption on the increase, and load shedding has caused you to head to that emigration seminar in search of the utopia of greener pastures that they promise is overseas. Before you make that all-important decision to emigrate, take a few […]

New Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has appointed his first Springbok captain – Vodacom Bulls player, Adriaan Strauss. The hooker will become the 57th Springbok captain and will lead South Africa in the Castle Lager Incoming Series against Ireland, which starts on 11 June in Cape Town. Coetzee made the announcement on Monday afternoon in Stellenbosch, where the national […]

Comrades Marathon winner David Gatebe received a standing ovation this morning at the Old Mutual Comrades prize breakfast where he was honoured for his new Comrades Race record of 5 hours, 18 minutes and 19 seconds. Gatebe, who previously won the 2013 Two Oceans Marathon, graciously attributed his win to his coach’s regime. He had […]

Almost 300 South African firefighters arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, in western Canada on Sunday night, heading to help battle the massive fires spreading across the province – and their first reaction was to immediately burst proudly into song. The 281 firefighters, who have helped out in Canada before, will join a team from Canada and the United […]

I have been on many tours, and I’ve been to many museums around the world, but I don’t think any of them had me as psyched as the one I did today – the infamous and iconic Ponte City in Johannesburg. Ponte’s designer, the 29-year-old Rodney Grosskopf, probably didn’t start out with the intention of creating something iconic, but because […]

Take a listen to a rap and reggae mix, filmed in South Africa with a French flavour. The track – Irie – is performed by French singer Nik DaFrik and locals Lord Harmony, Melody and Sbonda. It features a blend of African and Western influences… set in the Capetonian ambience at the beginning of summer break. […]

On what happens to be #WorldHungerDay, members of a poor community in the Western Cape – Sanddrift East – have expressed gratitude today, to “two angels” particularly, for the donations of food parcels, blankets and nappies made to those in need in their area. Penny Lezar Jagger was one who thanked Stephen and Gert on […]

The lion which became famous for escaping from the Karoo National Park not once, but twice, woke up in his new home this morning – Addo Elephant National Park, about two hours outside Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The lion – known as ‘Sylvester’ in the media – first made headlines when he escaped from the […]

Mpumalanga – which means ‘the place where the sun rises’ – is one of South Africa’s most gorgeous provinces, overflowing with an abundance of breathtaking natural beauty and wildlife.  It attracts tourists from around the world and is home to the country’s biggest game reserve the Kruger National Park – which covers almost two million […]

Hollywood star, seven-time Mr Olympia and former Governor of California  Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted strolling through Sandton City this afternoon. He’s in the country for the inaugural Arnold Classic Africa 2016 which is showcasing some of South Africa’s top boxing talent along with 46 other sports codes. (UPDATE: Watch Arnold Schwarzenegger gets chased by elephant on […]

Lots of countries around the world are upping their flights to South Africa, but none more so it seems than the United Kingdom. British Airways (BA) had barely announced it would begin three weekly flights from Gatwick to Cape Town when it said it would add more flights from London over the summer as well […]

For all those who have been following the story and blog of a South African expat living in Canada who kindly offered her kidney to her former schoolmate, Di Wilkinson in Johannesburg, there is some good news! “We have a match!” says Di’s daughter Legh. “Speechless. Overwhelmed. Emotional. Grateful.” Potential donors go through extensive tests to […]