Imagine…if you will…that you could bottle South Africa’s sunshine and carry it with you wherever you went… And always see the glass half FULL… It would be a love potion… And every reflection would remind you the grass is greenest where you water it… And the sun still shines, even with a slice of lime… You could carry […]

So one day when I was a journalist at Scope, I realise that due to various family commitments and unforeseen bills I need to generate some extra cash. I would take a few days’ leave and head off somewhere with photographer Les Bush and we would find some stories and sell them off to various […]

With the escalating poaching of rhino causing rhino figures to tragically dwindle it’s become a rare sight and privilege to view a rhino in the wild in South Africa…let alone to witness a mating pair of Black Rhino who bring hope to the country and to the species. So when Gavin Udal from Wendy’s Country […]

The Springboks may have broken a few fans’ hearts this afternoon, but South Africa’s swim sensation Chad le Clos brought it home for SA in Russia. Chad won gold in the 100 metre butterfly final at the FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Championships in Kazan. The popular South African swimmer went hell for leather and not only won the […]

Springbok Captain Jean de Villiers predicted last night that the players in today’s Springbok squad will want to use their opportunity today and in the coming weeks to push for inclusion in the Rugby World Cup squad. De Villiers, who will lead the Boks again today for the first time since his serious knee injury in November […]

When an elephant has to drink, he has to drink. And if there isn’t a running river or waterhole nearby, he won’t think twice about surprising tourists by dipping his trunk into a camp swimming pool (or even a toilet – see video below). But today Lorraine Botha discovered a couple of elephants that are even smarter and […]

Kruger Sightings recently added this gorgeous video of a tiny new-born elephant to their YouTube page. The elephant calf can be seen trying to chase away swallows that are flying low around him. The video was taken by a tourist called Susan on the H3 near Berg en Dal in the Kruger National Park, in […]

A proud South African – and proud fiance – Bruce Fensham has uploaded a video which he claims is the “most romantic engagement video ever made”. And it is romantic (although a little spoilt by one of those viral push messages on YouTube saying: “You wont believe how this guy proposed to his sweetheart in #WildAfrica. What she […]

A post on Facebook thanking two police officers in Riviersonderend for doing a sterling – and caring – job has gone viral and restored many South Africans’ faith in our police service…reminding us of some of the wonderful individuals who give their time – and risk their lives – for us. Neville Cooper from Gordon’s Bay sent […]

BBC Lifestyle this week announced its judge and presenter line-up for new local commission The Great South African Bake Off. The series, which will search for the nation’s best amateur baker, will be judged by renowned chefs Shirley Guy and Tjaart Walraven and presented by comedians Anne Hirsch and Donovan Goliath. The ten-part series is produced […]

It was fast. It was fun. It was clearly something people in our lovely country should do. And thanks to Kia SA for making it possible after my trusty SUV broke down just in time to not leave! Read about the trip down memory lane – Part One and Part Two. Despite all the bad […]

Tributes have poured in for former South African cricket captain Clive Rice since he tragically passed away last week at the age of 66…though none have touched us as much as one which was intended to remain private, but which was too special to be kept a secret. It’s a fitting tribute to the sportsman who became […]

Jean de Villiers remarkable road to recovery will continue on Saturday when he will captain a Springbok side – also featuring the return of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi – in the match-23 for the first time since 2013, when South Africa host Argentina at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban. De Villiers, who suffered […]

Dave Hurwitz from Simon’s Town Boat Company captured these awesome photos of whales having a proverbial “whale” of a time two days ago. Dave told SAPeople that “we find if it is windy, the whales become super active.” On Facebook he wrote “It was wild out there this morning [3 August 2015] – the sea […]

Need to relax? Check out these epic aerials showcasing the coast of Durban, from Umhlanga Rocks down to uShaka Marine World. The footage was shot in the summer of 2014 and uploaded to YouTube a couple of weeks ago. To capture the great shots a Dji Phantom 2 with Gopro Hero 3 Black was used. A GoPro was used […]

Listeners to a radio talk show in Cape Town proved recently that they live not only near the Cape of Good Hope, but in the Cape of Good Wishes and Kindness. A mom by the name of Lizanne, from Tableview, called in to Cape Talk’s Kieno Kammies to ask for help for her daughter Amber – a […]

It may be winter, but Durban dazzled today for the long-awaited second South African Ironman 70.3 race. (The 70.3 figure refers to the total number of miles…which is equivalent to 113 km – 1.9 km swim, 90km bike ride, 21.1 km run) Within four hours and seven seconds, Stuart Marais became the first ever Standard Bank Ironman 70.3 […]

South Africa’s much loved DIY Goddess Suzelle is back with a brilliant video to help you declutter your life. And this time Marianne IS in the video…because this is a job that requires a helping hand. Suzelle advises that the questions you should ask when deciding whether to keep something or not, are: 1. Is this […]

So, you’ve decided to move to South Africa. First time visit? Fantastic. You’ll probably spend the first weeks walking around in safari gear with your wallet strapped to your balls, looking for wildlife. That’s ok, I get it. (Afterall, I’ve been through it – I moved here from the Netherlands.) Wherever you’re from, I’m sure […]

A wine critic for the Wall Street Journal has declared South African fine wine “the best bang for your buck” in the world. Critic Will Lyons said, when asked about non-branded wines, he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend South African wines, writing that “the one country that consistently offers outstanding value is South Africa.” (He said […]

South Africa finished the Tour de France (TDF) yesterday on a high. It has been an incredibly emotional and successful three weeks for Team MTN Qhubeka in this, their debut in the legendary cycling event. Team member – Edvald Boasson Hagen – sprinted to a brilliant fourth place on the Champs Elysees in Paris in the final stage […]

A baby rhino in a South African wildlife park seems to have sought out the “comfort” of cars after losing its mother in a phenomenon known as “imprinting”. Debbie English, who is in her fourth year of veterinary science at Onderstepoort, posted some touching photos this weekend of a little rhino calf who was stranded without its mother. “This little guy […]

Firefighters in Alberta, Canada, have expressed gratitude and awe for the South African firefighters who have joined them to help fight fires this season. The Alberta Wildfire facebook page posted a video of the South Africans’ morning chant, with a message saying: “Wildland firefighters from South Africa sure know how to start the work day off […]

My many years of living in Cape Town (from The Netherlands) have resulted in a large variety of interesting cultural integrations. In South Africa, I’ve learned to love biltong, understand all of Trevor Noah’s jokes, question statements by asking ‘is it?’ and when I encounter a difficulty at any establishment, I immediately ask for the […]

Well, that was a whistle-stop tour of the country. And yes, would have loved to have been able to take much more time doing it, revisiting every little fun thing I’ve seen over the years, but alas, time constraints and a couple of pre-teens (my twins, the Pixies) filled with ennui precluded that from happening… […]