South Africa’s top jazz acts, including legendary jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, will be showcasing the country’s cultural zeitgeist at the prestigious annual EFG London Jazz Festival, which kicks off today, 14 November. This year’s top South African acts will be featured as part of the SA Season in the UK, a programme which is designed to […]

Turn up the videos below and watch the Loeriesfontein dancers having a blast at the recent ‘Rieldans’ competition in Clanwilliam in the Western Cape, South Africa. Rieldans is one of South Africa’s oldest dancing styles and can be traced back to the Khoi San of the Cape. It’s danced at a highly energetic pace with […]

A Norwegian group has made a brilliant video spoof, highlighting the fact that stereotypes about Africa harm dignity, and calling on viewers to challenge the perceptions and vote for better fundraising campaigns that don’t perpetuate debilitating myths of Africa. The video opens with a scene from a “reality show” in which volunteers race to throw food at “starving” […]

Ask anybody who has spent any amount of time in Johannesburg and they will tell you that it has to be one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. Egoli, the city of gold, is Africa’s commercial and economic capital, and anybody who wants to do business on the continent will have to spend time there (staying in […]

What was a well-kept South African secret is now kind of out the bag. National Geographic Adventure magazine has named Muizenberg as one of the 20 Best Surfing Towns in the world, joining such esteemed company as Byron Bay in Australia, Hanatei in Hawaii, Biarritz in France and Bukit Peninsula in Bali. Most of us […]

Today is Remembrance Day (or Poppy Day) when members of the Commonwealth remember those in the army who fought and died in the First World War of 1914-1918.. The Tower of London moat in the UK has been decorated with an incredible ceramic poppy installation to mark the Centenary of the start of the conflict […]

A South African advertising agency could be taking its cue from the iconic Kevin Costner movie In ‘The Field of Dreams.’ In the movie, Costner’s character gets this crazy notion that he must build a baseball field in the middle of his corn farm in Iowa. A voice keeps telling him, ‘If you build it […]

South Africa’s zef-rap rave band Die Antwoord are hot news this week. Well, even hotter than usual. And even more global than usual. The last few days saw the release of the  ‘Chappie’ trailer featuring Die Antwoord alongside Hollyood heavyweights, as well as the launch of their new music video guest-starring international celebrities. Die Antwoord already have […]

The much-anticipated trailer for Chappie is finally here! And it looks like South African Canadian writer-director Neill Blomkamp has got his mojo back.  Blomkamp has returned to his much-loved bizarre sci-fi roots that earned his directorial debut District 9 an Oscar nomination. His second film Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, was less enthusiastically received. But […]

It’s no secret that South Africa has some of the best (and wildest) open-water swimmers in the world. The British have the English Channel, but we have the Mozambique (read: shark-infested) Channel, which became a body of water to traverse (or is it traswim) when Thane Williams and Jonno Proudfoot did so in April. That […]

If there’s one positive thing to come out of the latest Ebola outbreak it’s that the rest of the world may learn a little about Africa, its size and the location of its many countries! Update below. Any South African abroad has been asked at least once where exactly on the continent South Africa is, […]

By now, most people in South Africa have seen or taken part in the #NotSenzosDad phenomenon trending on Twitter. But is it healing or hurtful? And how does it feel for Senzo’s dad? Within a day of murdered Bafana Bafana star Senzo Meyiwa’s funeral, the jokes began. At the funeral, which was held at the […]

A barefoot 20-year-old street musician with a haunting voice – who hails from Kommetjie in the Western Cape – is drawing crowds in Berlin…and now, thanks to her breathtaking performance at a TEDx Berlin Talk, she is starting to gather fans on YouTube and across the globe. (See videos below.) Alice Phoebe Lou always knew that when […]

What? Six? Sheesh, I could give you six dozen reasons to climb in a car and come and kuier with us here in the Heartland. However, in honour of short-number listings, let’s look at a sixpack of motivations, beginning with that crazy-creative festival they stage out in the Tankwa Karoo every autumn: AfrikaBurn. www.afrikaburn.com At […]

There’s another Suzelle DIY on the block…or rather the screen. This is Typhane K…better known as South African actress, singer and cabaret artist Kate Normington. But instead of dishing out DIY advice for those with time on their hands to cook and create…Typhane’s advice is more hardcore – how to survive in Sandton! In this first […]

A South African woman came by my Swedish brother- and sister-in-law’s bakery in Billeberga, Sweden the other day, and mentioned that she’d heard of another South African (me) who was flitting about town. And as the story goes with most South African expats – she proceeded to make a case for why she and her husband […]

The International Kite Festival kicked off today in Muizenberg with brilliant blue-sky conditions providing the perfect backdrop to showcase those kites. Zaahid Appoles and Robyn Gwilt were there to capture the photographs on this page – from Cape Town-loving kites to international flags, Pegasus, a shark, a dragon (of course!)…and many more. “I woke to a really calm, windless morning….but […]

South Africa’s legendary Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson has received two rescued lion cubs from Spain…and it’s clear from the video on this page that the cubs couldn’t be in better hands. A few hours ago Richardson posted the following excited message on his facebook page: “THE CUBS ARE HERE, THE CUBS ARE HERE!! Meet George and […]

Thirty percent of South Africans have an alcohol problem or are on the verge of having one. Sixty percent of road traffic accidents in South Africa are a result of someone driving under the influence of alcohol. In South Africa, the penalty for driving under the influence is a maximum of R120,000 or six years in jail […]

After years of talking about it, months of organising it, and one crazy day of filming it – Durbanite Marc Williams has produced a Zombie short film just in time to get us in the mood for Halloween. The film – which lasts about six minutes – took Marc an entire year of on and off editing…but […]

South Africa’s dance community has come together to support prize-winning Cape Town choreographer and dancer Christopher Kindo who is battling cancer. Kindo has moved back onto the Simonstown property from which he was evicted as a child. Born in 1955, he grew up in Simonstown but his family was moved to Ocean View under the […]

Oops, it appears the very smart people at Forbes Africa have created a website that’s not that intuitive or, um, smart enough for us simple folk to use! So here’s a guide on how to Vote for South Africa’s Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, AND make sure your vote definitely worked! 1. Go to this URL: http://www.poy2014.com […]

A young South African – who celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday – has started a serious conversation in the country, with a kind invitation to join her at her 21st party next year. Although she’s not sure if she’ll be there. Jenna Lowe cannot breathe on her own, and will need a new pair of lungs […]

The 2014 edition of the HSBC Expat Explorer survey spins a really good story for South Africa. Expatriate workers looking for a balance between work and a decent family life rated South Africa the second best destination in the world, after New Zealand. The annual survey measures four categories: earnings, lifestyle, raising children and the […]

Most of us, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, have complained at some point about the ‘thieving’ monkeys in South Africa who brazenly enter our homes and steal our bananas. But deep down we’re secretly a little fond of them. We admire their agility, apparent humour and ability to outwit us! And we quite enjoy the fact that […]