It’s no wonder Khulekani Magubane has produced 17 books by the age of 22. The young man possesses energy, something all good writers need. You can hear it in his tone, which is quick, sharp and electric. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Herman Melville and more recently, Jonathan Safran Foer, were precocious artists who produced some of […]

Mead – although the name of this wine made from fermented honey may conjure up images of medieval frivolity, this is no longer the case. Biotechnologist Garth Cambray and his team at Makana Meadery are proving that even a 20 000-year-old recipe has a place in today’s modern era. Located in the picturesque city of Grahamstown […]

Brilliant South African bass baritone Vuyani Mlinde answers questions about his amazing voice, a family photograph and the importance of remembering your heritage. Vuyani will be appearing in London tomorrow night (Tuesday 28th June) at the Rosenblatt Recitals, London’s only world-class concert season of opera and song… 1. Your career started a few years ago […]

Rosenblatt Recitals are London’s only world-class concert season of opera and song and on Tuesday 28th June 2011 the series will welcome South African bass baritone Vuyani Mlinde who received outstanding reviews in the international press in the last few years. On this occasion he will perform songs and arias by composers including Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Respighi, […]

US First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a stirring speech to young women at the world-famous Regina Mundi church in Soweto on 22 June 2011, encouraging them to take action and make a difference in society, thus shaping a new generation of leaders on the continent. Obama is on a six-day official visit to Africa focusing on […]

Two South African actresses have recently scored impressive roles in Hollywood productions: Nondumiso Tembe will star in the hit series True Blood, while Terry Pheto will play in one of the most popular and longest-running soap operas, The Bold and the Beautiful. Tembe will join the star-studded cast of the vampire series as a French-speaking supernatural being from […]

It was their first tour abroad, and they did not come home empty-handed. On their way to winning the 2011 International Rugby Board (IRB) Nations Cup, the South African Kings remained undefeated throughout the tournament and ended top of the table with 13 points. Their opening game was an emphatic 31-17 triumph against a tough Georgian […]

In September 2011, local hockey coach Craig Sieben will embark on an epic journey of goodwill and discovery across Africa. He’ll pass through 15 countries on his way to Port Said, Egypt, relying solely on people’s generosity to get there.   Sieben plans to walk some 15 000km along the continent’s eastern side – starting […]

A team of three determined South African women will soon embark on an epic 16 000km rally from UK to Mongolia to raise money for two charities, the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) and the Pink Drive Campaign. Joanne Theron, Shannon Davis and Gene Arundel – all from Johannesburg – will begin their daring journey on 23 July […]

South Africa is well represented at this week’s U.S. Open golf tournament here in the Washington area. Seven South Africans are in the field at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, including five players who have won major championships. Of the five South Africans with major titles at the U.S. Open, Ernie Els has the […]

Check out an interview with South African golfer Louis Oosthuizen, made today at the US Open after the freak incident in which his and another player’s golf balls landed right next  to each (a rare occurrence in the world of golf). Louis and fellow golfer Graeme McDowell hit their tee shots and then wandered up […]

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) remembered Arthur Goldreich, a key member of the liberation movement, as a South African who sacrificed his white privileges in a tenacious fight for freedom and equality in the country. “Not only did he sacrifice his privileges as a white South African, but he bore the pain of fighting against […]

South Africa’s Athol Fugard is to be honoured with a special Tony award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. In its citation the awards committee described him as a playwright “whose art has always spoken out against racism and who continues to be an active voice for freedom and equality”. The world-renowned Fugard will receive […]

Congratulations to Jacques Kallis who was crowned South African Cricketer of the Year for 2011 the South African Cricket Awards Gala Dinner on Tuesday night at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg. According to Cricket South Africa, this is “the second time that Kallis has won CSA’s premier award as he previously achieved the distinction in 2004. […]

Cape Town-based journalist and filmmaker Liz Fish will soon travel to Canada to receive the inaugural David Suzuki Green Award at the 32nd Banff World Media Festival, which takes place from 12 to 15 June in Banff, Alberta. Her entry, titled Fracking up the Karoo, was selected by the jury as this year’s best candidate for the prestigious […]

A South African grade 12 pupil has achieved 100% in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Maths Competition for the fifth year in a row, setting a new record in the contest’s 35-year history. Sean Wentzel from Westerford High School in Cape Town was awarded honours for his feat at the city’s Baxter Theatre on 1 […]

Just weeks after casting her vote in the local government elections, struggle veteran Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu has passed away, aged 92. The widow of former African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Walter Sisulu died on 2 June at her home in Linden, Johannesburg. According to news reports, she suddenly fell ill, coughing blood, and paramedics […]

President Jacob Zuma made international headlines with his trip to Tripoli, Libya where he held talks with the Leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi on how to end the tragic and violent conflict in Libya.    The two leaders held lengthy discussions at the Libyan leader’s home in Tripoli, where President Zuma reiterated the African Union peace plan, […]

As the countdown begins to the Springboks’ first match in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September, South Africans have been called on to rally behind their team’s defence of the title – and there are plenty of ways in which to do so. The Springboks are the current rugby world champions, […]

South African grade nine pupil Luke Taylor has made it into the finals of the 2011 Google Science Fair competition, beating more than 7 500 entrants from over 90 countries with a computer program that enables a robot to act on instructions given in English. Taylor attends the German International School in Cape Town and is a […]

At just 16, Zimbabwean-born model Nyasha Matonhodze has been named as one of the faces of luxury label Louis Vuitton’s 2011 Autumn/Winter campaign. The news has made headlines around the world, turning the shy teenager into a household name overnight. Here are 10 things you should know about her: Legend has it that she was […]

TO THOSE WHO MAY REMEMBER THESE …(from an email doing the rounds)

International Nelson Mandela Day 2011 was recently launched in Johannesburg, with a panel of tertiary students at the event expressing their views on what the celebration means to them. The UN-recognised day was launched at the premises of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, on 23 May. Mandela Day was first introduced on 18 July 2009, […]

The Africa Institute of South Africa (Aisa) will host an Africa Expo and an international conference as part of its Africa Week programme. Aisa is a science council whose mission is to conduct socio-economic and political research on the continent. Although it first came into being as an NGO, today it’s a statutory body under […]

A passion for uplifting communities and providing housing for all, coupled with innovative technology, has resulted in an invitation to South African company Moladi to show its concept at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s exhibition Design for the Other 90%: CITIES. The prestigious exhibition, sponsored by the philanthropic Rockefeller Foundation, takes place at the UN in New […]