Breathtaking landscapes. Abundant wildlife. Vineyards. Ocean views. Mountains and more. It’s the video everyone’s sharing this week: “Incredible Drone Footage from South Africa”. It was uploaded by Unilad on Monday, and has already attracted over 3.9 million views. UPDATE 27 March 2017: It’s just over a year later and the video now has almost 8 […]

In South Africa we didn’t have the luxury of easing into the year – for us 2016 exploded into life, sparked by racist social media posts followed by a backlash that has us angry, confused, pained, despondent and some crying out for leadership. Leadership is a fascinating concept, a nebulous concept at times and at […]

Congratulations to Brandon Stone who won the South African Open on Sunday, securing the first European Tour trophy of the year. It was an emotional victory for the 22-year-old who confessed that he had to have “a little silent pep talk” with himself after not playing “the most convincing golf” of his life earlier on in the tournament. He turned it […]

As Egyptian geese and other wild birds make their way into urban areas, numerous locals have kindly stepped in – and, in the case of one Johannesburg police offer, even stopped traffic – to help the families and young goslings to reach safety. In Johannesburg earlier this week, it was reported that the police aided an Egyptian goose crossing […]

In 1666 the Dutch East India Company began the construction of the Castle of Good Hope. Now, 350 years later, the star-shaped stone fort is becoming as much an image of colonial rule as an edifice promoting inclusion and reconciliation. On 2 January, the Kaapse Klopse parade for the Tweede Nuwe Jaar coincided with the birthday ceremony at the Castle, with […]

Watch one of the best cover versions of Toto’s Africa ever performed… Using a unique intro – the kind that will make you want to rub your hands together! – the Angel City Chorale, from Los Angeles. recorded this video at least two years ago…but it has recently gone viral again on social media. If you haven’t […]

Hashim Amla’s cricket career has been impressive. In both Test and one-day international cricket matches over the past five years, the right-handed batter has excelled. In 2014, he was named as the Test captain, but he announced his resignation from the role on 6 January 2016. Amla said his resignation from the role was a […]

A news presenter for eNCA TV channel now probably regrets that he called out the Minister of Education Angie Motshekga on air for mispronouncing the word “epitome” in a speech this week – a week to remember when emotions seemed to be running particularly high on various fronts. Andrew Barnes has been suspended, according to eNCA, which […]

In a Mark Zuckerberg-like gesture of incredible kindness and philanthropy, the head of a Johannesburg-based fund manager controlling $35 billion has given his family’s controlling stake in the company to a charitable foundation, according to news reports and a statement by the company. Control of Allan Gray and its Bermunda-based partner Orbis Investment Management has been transferred to the […]

Cape Town has had one of the busiest-ever holiday seasons, according to early figures – and it’s not over yet – the Cape Town tourism authority has said. Two major attractions, Table Mountain Cableway (with 28 percent more visitors than December 2014) and Robben Island (with 43 percent more visitors, almost 47,000 in December), had record-breaking numbers, […]

Think you know Africa? Think again. Our continent holds a fascinating range of histories, languages, amazing people, and diverse and complex cultures. From Algeria to Zimbabwe, here’s a quick quiz to test how much of Africa you know. (Click on the answer you think is correct, and the right answer will appear below. You can Google, […]

Almost daily there is an amazing heartwarming story of someone going out of their way – from game rangers to ordinary civilians – to help trapped, injured or almost-dead wild animals. Here’s a tribute to four groups of South Africans over the past two weeks who have come to the rescue of an animal that […]

Even if it is a few days after New Year, it’s well worth taking a look at the “Hip Hop 2015 News Wrap Up” by rapper Tswyza on the satirical news site ZANEWS. As the Limpopo-born rapper says, he covers everything “from Jozi to Nkandla, from Cape to Cairo”. Plus he makes it pretty entertaining. Watch the video […]

MIDRAND – While the number of grade 12 enrolments in 2015 was the highest in the history of South Africa’s basic education system, almost 800,000, the pass rate dropped more than five percent over the past year, according to the Minister of Education Angie Motshekga. At the same time it was announced that the top achiever […]

In video footage apparently taken in Sabi Sands near the Kruger National Park in December, a group out game spotting came on a leopard playing with a baby impala. And the impala played back. The impala ran around at first, then the leopard chased it, before the young antelope lay down in the grass near […]

The top matriculants of 2015 were brought together by the Department of Basic Education at a function in Johannesburg on Monday, ahead of the release of the year’s matriculation results across South Africa’s nine provinces. More than 800,000 students will receive their results on Tuesday night (with the Western Cape coming the following day), although early […]

The drought continues apace in South Africa. It’s hot as hell everywhere, including obviously Hotazel. Water shortages are a reality (even if some people in Joburg still think it’s cool to water their gardens during the day, despite the water restrictions that have been in place for a while). The Mother City isn’t taking the […]

So I woke up yesterday morning after our traditional New Year’s Day “Bugger All”. This is where we sleep as late as possible, move as little as possible, eat leftovers and try to remember why a 3am bedtime after the age of 40 is ever a good idea. I checked Facebook for news, pokes and jokes and discovered […]

In a report out today, it’s claimed that South Africa was voted ‘Best Country in the World’ at a World Countries Award (WCA) ceremony last night (Saturday, January 2). But no sooner had South Africans taken to Twitter to celebrate their country’s winning, than they realised that France, Colombia, Bhutan, Oman and other countries were […]

Cape Town city was flooded with tens of thousands of people on Saturday, as the Cape Minstrels – or the Kaapse Klopse – took to the streets in one of the best and, surprisingly, least-known carnivals around. Tweede Nuwe Jaar, or Second New Year, is held on 2 January every year and was started by […]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Mpho Tutu, has married her partner in a private ceremony which took place in the Netherlands on Wednesday. Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu, who is the fourth daughter of Archbishop Tutu (84), wed her partner Marceline van Furth in Europe where Van Furth is a professor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Vrije University in […]

A post shared on facebook this week, about a Rustenburg North clean-up, has been shared by thousands of South Africans who felt the voluntary clean-up at Foord Street intersection gave them both hope and inspiration for the year ahead. Ofile Sekete Kgalegi uploaded three photos on Tuesday with this message: “This morning I saw some of the […]

South Africa, you are beautiful… From Gauteng… All the way to… KwaZulu Natal… From Michaelhouse (KZN) above…to Langebaan in the Western Cape From Table Mountain…seen here on Christmas Eve To Sani Pass in KZN… And to the other side of Sani Pass (which joins KZN to Lesotho) You’re beautiful by day…and awesome for action and […]

An Australian couple on honeymoon in Cape Town made the most of their Christmas Day in South Africa, far away from friends and family. They spread a little cheer handing out gifts to the homeless… But Nathan and Grace Haynes’ random act of kindness wasn’t just limited to Christmas Day. The couple from Perth – […]

On Christmas Day, 1944, a young South African died tragically and far away from home, and despite his incredible achievements, bravery, creativity, not to mention the romance of his life, he still remains largely unknown in the country of his birth. George Steer, in the 35 years he was alive, crammed an exciting, dangerous and astonishing career. He […]