Load shedded South Africans are no strangers to being without power…but tonight we’re being asked to switch off our electricity deliberately…as part of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF’s) larger global movement – Earth Hour. South Africans around the country – including cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro), Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille and Zolani Mohale from […]

Everyone knows about Table Mountain and the Waterfront, but what about the hidden secrets waiting to be discovered in Cape Town? For all the out-of-towners and overseas visitors, here’s  the lowdown from locals on where to go and what to do next time you’re in the Mother City. 1. Drive to Constantia Nek Stop at the […]

Fans may have thought the early mornings of getting up for the Proteas were over when South Africa was knocked out of the 2015 World Cup in the semi-final against New Zealand…but this morning they were up bright and early one more time to welcome their beloved cricket team back home. “What a brilliant welcome for […]

Professor Jonathan Jansen, President of the South African Institute of Race Relations, has described the  #RhodesMustFall movement as “anti-educational and anti-progressive” and questions the justifications given by those who have benefited from Rhodes Scholarships to now “spit” in the face of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes. With the kind permission of Professor Jonathan Jansen, who is […]

Jenna Lowe’s mom Gabi has posted a message to her daughter’s #GetMetTo21 Facebook page asking everyone to “please keep her in your thoughts and prayers” as the 20-year-old has unfortunately suffered some health set backs in the past few weeks since receiving her new set of lungs in December 2014. The Western Cape youngster became a […]

South African cricket captain AB de Villiers and coach Russell Domingo will arrive home in South Africa, after their awesome performance at the Cricket World Cup 2015, in the early hours of this morning. Their flight – SA 281 from Perth – will land at 04h40 and the two will address the media at a […]

The video hoax of a German tourist annoying a game ranger highlighted how crucial it is to find the right job….and how important it can be to know your bush etiquette when you’re out on safari. As a South African safari guide, based in Tanzania, I have to admit there are a few slightly annoying things that happen over and over […]

The video below – of a South African game ranger losing it with a German tourist – has turned out to be a hoax and nothing more than a sales ploy from a careers website. The German tourist in the video is portrayed as being Africa’s version of the noisy cinema-goer who eats popcorn and talks throughout the movie! […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah is using his platform as an international comedian to educate and, well, chastise the world on a few issues. Taking his role as an ambassador of South Africa and the entire continent of Africa seriously, Trevor has been putting the world straight…while making them laugh. At the end of last […]

South African author Marlene van Niekerk is one of 10 authors from around the world – four of them from Africa – nominated for the Man Booker International Prize. The award, worth £60,000, will be awarded on May 19. Van Niekerk was joined on the list by other Africa nominees Mia Couto of Mozambique, Ibrahim […]

During the summer months, South Africans gather every Sunday at sunset in Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden. The iconic gardens set the scene for performances by much loved local and international musicians. Food, friends, family and famous flora are all on the bill. The series of concerts promote local talent and provide a platform within […]

On the 28th of December 2014 mist like smoke rolled over Table Mountain. A human rainbow formed on the lawns facing the stage. The prospect of rain did not dampen the crowd’s spirit; instead, braais were ignited, South African flags were distributed and laughter was shared. Members of Hot Water and other contributing artists occupied […]

On the 31st of December 2014 Kirstenbosch was alight with anticipation.The stage was bathed in reds, ambers, purples and blues as the sky changed from blue, to purple, to amber, to red. The air was sweet and the scent of mist lingered. The year was coming to an end, but Mango Groove and Arno Carstens […]

After touring the USA extensively, The Parlotones graced South African crowds with a performance at the iconic Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on the 11th January 2015. They shook things up with a colourful show that had the crowd singing louder than lead singer Kahn Morbee. The band’s tattooed arms, “make-upped” faces and graffitied musical instruments […]

On the 8th of February 2015 Freshlyground got into the Cape Town vibe as they danced barefoot across the stage. They like to keep things fresh with their refreshing humour and extravagant, yet authentic, performances. With songs ranging from Love to Mugabe, the variety of their music and talent is as diverse as the flora […]

The auction of South African art at Bonhams in London last week might have been slightly less record-setting than in other years, but two art legends once again came out on top – Irma Stern and Jacob Hendrik Pierneef – with their paintings fetching millions. Stern’s “Fisherman, Madeira” sold for £338,500 (R6.1 million) making it the highest […]

A man from Hanover Park in Cape Town is inspiring young students with his long and dedicated journey to education. Eric van der Byl spent four years walking 34 km every day to get to university and home again. His long walk ended with his graduation this week. And already he is employed and teaching the next generation […]

As international Wellness guru Deepak Chopra (67) wraps up his trip to South Africa with an observation that Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg “were uniquely enlightening experiences”…here are some of our favourite enlightening quotes from the author below. The New Age speaker was in the country to discuss “wellbeing”…of which he said South Africa as a nation was […]

Groot Constantia’s 2013 Chardonnay has beaten over 800 Chardonnays around the world to be crowned the best in the world….well, to be crowned Chardonnay du Monde to be exact. The South African wine was judged the world’s best at the recent 22nd annual Chardonnay-du-Monde competition in the Burgundy wine region of France. As can be gleaned from […]

1. Some people seem to believe that Johannesburg is a beautiful place. 2. They make ridiculous claims about it being the largest man-made forest in the world. 3. But this makes no sense. 4. Because in reality the place is a practically a desert. 5. Nothing exciting ever happens there. 6. There is literally nowhere […]

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has done it again. The diverse Cape floral kingdom has been awarded top position in the  2015 International Garden Tourism Awards. This comes just a couple of weeks after Kirstenbosch’s suspended walkway, the Boomslang, was declared Most Beautiful Object in South Africa at Design Indaba Expo 2015. These awards highlight the significant role that Kirstenbosch […]

We watched Americans trying South African snacks (and making the cardinal sin of forgetting to dunk their Ouma Rusks in coffee!). Now South Africa has responded with a video of South Africans (including children) trying American snacks. The original BuzzFeed video has been viewed over 1.5-million times since it was published on 7 March 2015! In […]

Congratulations! South Africa has powered through to the World Cup Cricket Semi-Finals with a whopping nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the quarter finals today! This is South Africa’s first-ever World Cup knock-out win since it entered the arena in 1992. Protea bowler JP Duminy pulled off a hat-trick – the first hat-trick ever by a South […]

South African dentist Jaco Marx from Bethlehem, Free State, has today been named the winner of the South Africa National Award, part of the prestigious 2015 Sony World Photography Awards. Marx captured his winning image during a rare sighting of a Brown hyena in Namibia. The image, named ‘Strandwolf’, was selected as the single best photograph taken […]

A humble car guard made newspaper headlines in Durban on Friday thanks to both his integrity and that of those who benefitted from his principles. This story is republished here with kind permission of journalist Mariclair Smit and the Northglen News in uMhlanga: Residents Surprise Selfless uMhlanga Car Guard by Mariclair Smit It has often been said, […]