Rugby World Cup (RWC) has joined fans around the world in wishing Joost van der Westhuizen a happy birthday today. Joost, who has inspired South Africa and the world with his battles both on and off the rugby field, turns 45 today. Joost was diagnosed with destructive degenerative disease Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in 2010, […]

Last year LLOYD KOPPEL was invited along for both the local and international #meetsouthafrica bloggers’ road trips… to film and capture their experience on video. “What a privilege to travel around South Africa with some of the best travel bloggers and travel writers in the country. Amazing people! Amazing road trip!” says Lloyd of the first video. […]

From secret beaches to speakeasies to best views of the sunset to a party where you showcase your favourite artist, Catherine Franklin uncovers some of Cape Town’s little secrets. Whether it’s Fish Hoek, the city centre or the Northern Suburbs, they all have some great gems. Now – as they say – it’s time to get out! 1. […]

The murder of a British pilot, Roger Gower, shot down by elephant poachers near the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania on January 28, highlighted the scale of the threat posed by armed crews of poachers. Tanzania’s elephant population has crashed from 109,000 to 40,000 in the past seven years. The threat to the African rhinoceros […]

The SONA2016 debate might be over, and while there were some pretty low points, there were also some highs worth remembering. One of them was the speech of the Democratic Alliance’s Zakhele Mbhele. Only 31 years old, and the shadow minister of police, he talks the talk a lot better than parliamentarians twice his age. And […]

South Africa’s sole Winter Youth Olympics entrant, Elizabeth Olivier, wrapped up her Olympic campaign in Lillehammer, Norway today, Thursday. After ending 36th in the giant slalom on Tuesday, the Eastern Cape teenager competed in the women’s slalom this morning, and was due to do her second and final run this afternoon. We don’t yet have the results but we […]

Get lost in nature… Go hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains… 2. Or cool off on the river banks… 3. Relax in a tree-hide… 4. Visit our beautiful gardens – like Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens… 5. Or take a road-trip – be prepared for views like this… 6. Then there’s Table Mountain – one of the world’s Seven […]

For anyone who loves animated movies like “Finding Nemo” or “Wallace and Gromit”, Cape Town is the place to be for the next four days as the Cape Town International Animation Festival offers a glut of movies and talks and workshops from around the world. Included in the features available will be the highly praised […]

There’s a new restaurant in town (Cape Town that is) that’s causing quite a buzz in South Africa. Brownies & Downies. As its name suggests – the restaurant, which was first created in the Netherlands in 2010 – sells brownies. And its patrons are served by a wonderfully friendly team of children with special needs from […]

In this elegy to Johannesburg’s magnificent ridges, Kathy Munro of the Heritage Portal says this striking geographic feature of the city for some reason often gets overlooked, as do the three gorgeous roads that run up their sides – Sylvia Pass, Munro Drive and Stewart Drive. She reflects on the history and the lore, and how the ridges were tackled […]

Here’s the remaining 21 of 42 interesting tidbits about South Africa to enrich your understanding and save you several lifetimes trying to truly experience all SA has to offer. With a buffet of landscapes from mountain ranges to sprawling savannahs, forests to white sandy beaches – it’s a feast for the hungry tourist (and yes, I am biased)… […]

CAPE TOWN – The son of Eskom CEO Brian Molefe is one of eight people, six of them students, arrested for overnight violence at the University of Cape Town that left three vehicles firebombed, including a UCT bus, as well as paintings and photographs from residences burned. Molefe, who was appointed as permanent CEO of the […]

I captured this portrait a few days ago in Imizamo Yethu (Our Efforts) Settlement in Hout Bay, South Africa. I came across some children playing in between the informal houses. I knelt down to greet them and ask their elders for permission to take a photo. They continued to play and couldn’t be bothered by […]

Democratic Alliance premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille is a well-known and pithy Tweeter, and her recent response in her Inside Government newsletter to SONA2016 is no exception. Zille said she hadn’t been more optimistic in years, and South Africa had made 300 years of progress in just a week. The extract was part of a speech she […]

South Africa is a country of extreme contrasts. It’s home to some of the oldest known human fossils and the world’s youngest language (ja, nee…Afrikaans). The land itself—though mired by its history of battles over ownership—is one of resplendent beauty. Speaking as a local, you may accuse me of bias. But I assure you that […]

A video of a South African Police Service (SAPS) unit hard at work has emerged, showing that it’s not all skop, skiet en donner in the SA cop force! Although it is movie scene fast car (well, motorbike) chases… The video was uploaded by CICA (Crime Intelligence & Community Awareness) on Valentine’s Day, reporting that the […]

In honour of International Childhood Cancer Day 2016, Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – was lit up in blue last night, 15 February 2016. According to CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation, South Africa) this day was started as a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to […]

Radlyn Naidoo is a 19-year-old in Pretoria with Tourette Syndrome, but he doesn’t let that stand in his way of living his life and promoting a message that is brilliant, even for people without Tourette. In his first video (see below) Radlyn not only explains what he’s trying to achieve with his Facebook page, but he […]

South Africa’s legendary playground Sun City is due to undergo a dramatic rejuvenation project worth R800 million rand over the course of 2016. According to a media release from Pilanesberg National Park, which lies next to the iconic resort, Sun City will offer new food options including a micro-brewery themed gastro pub, as well as a “raft […]

Travellers to South Africa have been confused by headlines claiming that the law requiring minors to travel with an Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) had been “scrapped”. The law has not yet been scrapped… but Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said in a statement today that his department is in “intense discussions” with Home Affairs to implement […]

For those who haven’t grown up in South Africa, the closeness that often grows between a domestic worker and her employer’s family can be hard to grasp. But the bonds and emotions run deep for many, with ‘family’ becoming a blend of both the domestic’s and employer’s children. And when there’s a heartbreaking death in the ‘family’, everyone […]

One of the things many South African expats miss is a spectacular lightning storm… so when the lightning strikes, on a trip back home – they capture it! Bev Tromp – formerly from 5FM – took these pics on Sunday evening during her holiday back to South Africa. “It was one of those wonderful wild crashing, light up the entire […]

BERLIN – The latest movie from South African director Oliver Schmitz, called “Shepherds and Butchers”, a courtroom drama about a man on death row, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday. The movie also has a theme song, “Angels”, produced by Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb and Vusi Mahlasela. (Watch clips of the movie and […]

It is the 22nd year of our beloved South African flag. And here, on its birthday year, are 22 ways we love it. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

At the 2016 #UbuntuAwards on Saturday night President Jacob Zuma said “South Africa is a beautiful country with wonderful people”. Addressing guests at the second annual Ubuntu Awards at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the president said: “Today we honour those who hold our beautiful flag high, and who contribute to not only telling, but demonstrating […]