Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer on Wednesday named an unchanged starting XV to face New Zealand in the first Rugby World Cup semi-final, on Saturday at Twickenham in London. The only change to the match-day squad is at replacement lock, where Victor Matfield has overcome his hamstring injury and takes over from Pieter-Steph du Toit, bringing […]

South Africans who live in the UK have had a wonderful month of being able to celebrate their “South African-ness” and proudly show their support for the one rugby team they will always support and believe in…the Springboks, as their new country hosts the Rugby World Cup (RWC). Here’s a song, a video and photos […]

We couldn’t resist posting another page full of petals from Pretoria and Joburg…as the Jacaranda trees blossom so spectacularly this year, and shower the pavements with a carpet of purple petals. Blossoms & Blessings from Pretoria RIA VILJOEN took most of these photos in Brooklyn, Pretoria where the tree-lined avenues are so beautiful she has already […]

A musician from Durban has created a Jacob Zuma remix with electronic dance music and those now famous words the South African president uttered ten days ago at an ANC conference. The Durbanite Kyran Garton calls it “a Melbourne bounce mix featuring our president”. In an attempt to compare the current ANC membership figures with those […]

Italy got a double dose of Carina Bruwer last week when the South African’s pop group gave its first concert there and then she swam an epic 21 kilometres solo for her charity back home the very next day! Bruwer’s swim in Bergeggi, Liguria, was part of the annual SwimTheIsland race, Europe’s largest open-water event, with over 2,000 competitors swimming between 800m and 6km. […]

A video has emerged of South African prop Trevor Nyakane doing the macarena a la Welsh flyhalf Dan Biggar. In a friendly, good-humoured skit, the SA rugby player “gets his dancing shoes on and does the Dan Biggar dance” (according to the YouTube description). Dan has become renowned for his goal-kicking ritual (see video at […]

South Africa’s national cricket team was almost as happy as Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer after Fourie du Preez scored a try last night at Twickenham, against Wales, to ensure South Africa’s inclusion in the Semi-Finals of the Rugby World Cup tournament. Watch below as the Proteas react to the try. Dale Steyn uploaded the video […]

The brief to architects SAOTA from clients for their new Cape Town house was to create a home that made full use of the expansive 360-degree mountain and sea views. And did it ever! The spectacular house measures almost 1,000 square metres and lies on the back side of Lion’s Head overlooking Bantry Bay and Camps Bay. The challenges […]

The video showing Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s reaction to the final whistle has gone viral. Meyer, who was criticised so heavily after the Japan loss at the start of the Rugby World Cup (RWC), was thrilled as South Africa booked its place in the semi-finals next Saturday. So thrilled he said afterwards “I actually wanted to […]

South Africa triumphed over a strong Wales’ team tonight in a tight, nail-biting game at Twickenham in London to become the first team to make it through to the Rugby World Cup (RWC) Semi-Finals for 2015! It was a match that had us choking back tears from the beginning, through the anthem where even the Beast shed a […]

Okay! South Africans are ready…follow the Tweets below if you can’t get near a TV screen… Lee Devilliers‎ – “On our way to Twickenham.” Suku van Staden – “Go BOKKE. …with love from the van Stadens…in Maun, Botswana.” Pemalu – “Bryan’s having Welsh rarebit for tea! Are you?” Amelia Zwicker – “In Aus celebrating.” (Australia) Video from […]

No matter where they now live, South Africans around the world will be united at 5 pm South African time this evening…to watch their national team, the Springboks, take on Wales in the Rugby World Cup quarter finals at Twickenham in London. Here’s a round-up of pics, messages and venues from around the world… FRANCE From the Blue Lady […]

Springbok captain Fourie du Preez said yesterday that whatever happened in the past, at the Rugby World Cup (RWC), at Twickenham or between South Africa and Wales, will have no bearing on Saturday’s first quarter-final in London. Du Preez was asked if his team’s solid recent record at Twickenham and their good overall record against Wales […]

Teenager Ewan Taylor is representing South Africa in Le Mans at an awesome international karting event this weekend at the legendary Le Mans racetrack. The 17-year-old will be racing in the IAME International 2015 which takes place at the historic race track. Ewan is one of 33 international drivers taking part in the X30 shifter class (which includes a […]

It’s hard not to get chills as you listen to former President Nelson Mandela’s voice in the video below: “It is my dream – win or lose – that every South African will once again walk on the moon…” As the Springboks faces Wales this afternoon in the 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) quarter-finals in London, […]

The Springboks will run out at the iconic Twickenham Stadium for the first time during the Rugby World Cup when they face Wales in the first quarter-final on Saturday afternoon. It will be the Boks’ first visit to the home of English rugby since they played there last November, beating England in a pulsating encounter. […]

A new television series launching in South Africa tonight – ‘Four Weddings’ – looks like it’s going to be really interesting…if the trailer is anything to go by. Watch the reactions below when three of the four brides realise that the fourth, Dinah, is going to have a traditional township wedding…including inviting over 400 people (the entire […]

Their names are Lavinia, Lidia, Marin, Tarhon Big and Petrica, and they’ve spent most of their lives “behind iron bars in dirty little cages” in a Romanian zoo – until now. The animals were flown by the rescue organisation Four Paws to South Africa and landed on Friday, and will soon be transferred to their new home at […]

It was National Dessert Day on Wednesday in America, and since South Africa doesn’t have its own dedicated day (although Melk Tart does have a national day on 27th February)…we thought we’d use this excuse to celebrate with South African desserts this weekend. [vc_button title=”1″ color=”default”] Peppermint Crisp Tart Peppermint Crisp tart is a South […]

It’s been a big week for South African tennis player Kevin Anderson. At the start of the week it was announced that he has made it into the elite group of Top 10 highest ranked ATP male tennis players in the world…and this week he beat the world’s no. 6 for the first time (but has […]

This week the South African jokes have been flying on social media, centred around the President’s fumbling of numbers, Springbok rugby players meeting the Queen, and the forthcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) quarter finals between SA and Wales on Saturday. Here’s a selection… 1. That number blunder A video went viral of President Zuma fumbling over […]

Popular South African radio and TV presenter Darren Scott is out of surgery and will now begin his road to recovery. His wife, Sarah-Kate, reported on Facebook this evening that her husband is in recovery after a successful five-hour operation today. Darren announced on Facebook yesterday that his melanoma cancer had returned for the fourth time (joking that it […]

New Zealand’s ‘The Crowd Goes Wild’ (CGW) sports show has compiled this light-hearted video comprising a press conference with the Springboks and footage – speeded up – of them training on the Pennyhill Park manicured field (which matches that of Twickenham)…as if it’s a Benny Hill skit. Last weekend the Springboks moved into the English team’s training camp at the […]

What if we won the Rugby World Cup? I would guess that question has been asked many times in the last few decades. The interesting thing is that we have actually shown the world on a few occasions that we can be a nation of winners! Yes, we have actually won and defied many sceptics in the process. […]

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge in Botswana is one of nine hotels vying for the top hotel award at this year’s World Architecture Festival, to be held in Singapore in November. The 12-suite lodge’s unique shape has been likened to an upturned boat or a big wooden ribcage, although we prefer the allusion to the endangered pangolin. […]