As the developers of the super-cool Maboneng Precinct in Johannesburg, led by Jonathan Liebmann, take hold of Durban and transform the Rivertown district into a similar wonderland of galleries, restaurants and boutiques…it’s worth noting that Durban already has some pretty cool places, with three restaurants having been launched in the last month or so that are sure […]

A week ago today a fire spread through the Kya Sands Settlement in Johannesburg, destroying 500 shacks and leaving approximately 2,000 people homeless. Photojournalist Brett Field visited the site a couple of days later, once the rest of the press had packed up and left, and what he found was the true story of Africa that […]

Fashion designer, pop star, wife of the world’s most famous football player – and now UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador – Victoria Beckham has pledged to help the “wonderful” young women  in Soweto and to raise awareness about the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV. The former Spice Girl was moved to make the announcement during her […]

Over the years, there is one observation I’ve made about black people in various social situations. Amongst fellow black people, we don’t feel the need to explain ourselves; we just ‘get’ each other, even if we’re from different cultural backgrounds. When you’re a black person amongst white people though, there seem to be a million […]

A South African-born Australian teenager, Troye Sivan, has been named as one of the 25 most influential teens in the world! The 19-year-old internet sensation, who lives in Perth when he’s not travelling the world, was listed on Time Magazine’s annual list of the 25 Most Influential Teens on the planet…alongside such notables as Pakistani youth activist Malala […]

One of the most popular videos on Facebook at the moment features a brilliant water park in South Africa, although most people don’t realise it’s in SA. They think it’s in Wisconsin, or Tennessee or even Brazil, maybe Sweden. The video, which has been shared by over a quarter of a million Facebook users in the […]

The Solms Delta wine estate in Franschhoek, in the Western Cape, goes by a tag line that says the farm is much more than just a wine estate. True to its word, Solms-Delta does not only produce classical wines, but classical music as well. The wine estate is located in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley, a […]

A set of five limited-edition lithograph prints of Robben Island prison scenes painted by South African statesman Nelson Mandela over 13 years ago fetched £13 500 – over R240 000 – at Bellmans Auctioneers in West Sussex, England, on Wednesday 8 October. Mandela, who died last year at the age of 95, spent 18 of […]

Saxby Superspar staff, with the help of South African singer Kevin Leo, surprised shoppers in Centurion last weekend with a Flash Mob performance of “Shosholoza” (watch video below). Kevin wrote the following message on Twitter and Facebook last Saturday (October 4, 2014): “Kom gou oor na Centurion Saxby Spar toe. Gaan 11:00 saam met die […]

Congratulations to South African comedian Trevor Noah who has just been appointed as one of the newest members of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’, in the USA. Trevor posted the following message for his fans on Facebook a couple of hours ago: “Thank you so much for all your love and support. Being a […]

South African athlete Themba Madima is coming second in an international Paco Rabanne Invictus competition…and needs us to vote for him every day for the next four days to help push him into first place! If he wins, a foundation for underprivileged communities in South Africa will benefit. The winner of the Invictus Award, which is in its second […]

Two of the most iconic theaters in New York City are celebrating the 20th anniversary of apartheid’s demise and Nelson Mandela’s inauguration by showcasing one of the country’s most explosive new exports, culture. Singers and artists are gracing events backed by Carnegie Hall and Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater starting this week and running through November. The […]

The #ProteaFire campaign was launched tonight with a moving TV commercial that’s guaranteed to give goosebumps to most South African cricket fans. (See below.) After the live television broadcast, South African cricketer Lonwabo Tsotsobe tweeted a photo with the proud message “We are South Africa, we represent each and every individual in SA! We play fr […]

I’m a presently-lapsed Anglican boy who once attended a Dutch Reformed church service, somewhere in a dusky Mpumalanga coal town, just so I could sit next to a certain farmer’s daughter. I was almost charged with Attemped Kerfuffling! And I never saw that girl again. But now that I’ve begun my middle-aged meanderings through the vast […]

Suzelle, the DIY Goddess who has taken YouTube by storm with her lekker South African accent, fab humour and brilliant DIY tips, has released the latest video in her “bitesized DIY webseries”. This one’s about batteries. Boring? No! First, she teaches her fans how to check if your battery is dead or alive. Take the battery […]

There was barely a dry eye at Ellis Park Stadium last Saturday (4 October) when former Springbok rugby legend Joost van der Westhuizen walked out on to the field at half-time. If you missed it, the video is below… Last year, Joost – who was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in 2011 – told BBC […]

As dignitaries, celebrities and fans around the world wish Archbishop Tutu a happy 83rd birthday today, one of the most fitting tributes comes from a fellow South African, Gauteng businessman Tshepo Motsitsi who published the following message on Facebook. It is republished here with his kind permission. Happy Birthday Desmond Mpilo Tutu – by Tshepo […]

South Africa won’t be very nice without white people, according to EFF leader Julius Malema. In an address to the Cape Town Press Club in Kelvin Grove, Newlands, last month, Malema joked “This country is not going to be very nice without you guys. We complement each other. We need each other. We’re now even beginning […]

Photographer Nic Aberdein captured these awesome photos during the recent swell in Durban. Experienced local big wave charger Ricky Basnett welcomed the conditions… Grant Twiggy Baker cashed in on every surfer’s perfect dream… Durban charger Murray Holland was on a nugget! Morning view of another perfect day in Surf city… Wave selection was vital! Not all the […]

The baby balm market is big business, if the success of South African start-up Oh- lief is anything to go by. The natural and organic beauty and baby product range went from being a modest home-based word-of-mouth success to an international brand in just four years, earning founders Louiza Rademan and Christine Buchanan R1-million from […]

Joy Activist and Laughter Coach, Sue Jameson, has just laughed her way into first place – in an international competition – with her brilliant proposal that will help turn Joburg, the so-called Unfriendliest city in the world, into JoyBurg, the city of Joy. Sue had been saddened to read that Joburg  had been named as the unfriendliest […]

There’s a spot about 1 km off of Durban called the Mound. When conditions are just right the wave that breaks there rolls all the way to the coast. Wayne Ashford and Herman Chalupsky caught this rare and awesome wave on Thursday on a double surfski. And, luckily for the rest of us, an onboard […]

As the world joined together today – October 4, 2014 – to take part in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, the people in Dubai (of which many are South African expats) went a step further. Watch this cool video in which they not only marched…but also created the shape of a rhino on […]

Here’s the video (below) behind what has to have been the photo of the week…when Joost van der Westhuizen visited the All Blacks during a rugby training session in South Africa this week. The All Blacks take on the Springboks right now at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. (Go Bokke!!!!) Let’s hope the Springboks perform as well as they did […]

As the world prepares to march tomorrow for the elephant, rhino and lions…here’s a video that so brilliantly captures the wild wonder of Africa’s wildlife, and reminds us why it’s so important that we preserve it. Filmed in Mashatu Game Reserve (which is located in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve of Botswana), it shows an adrenaline-pumped battle between hyenas […]