by Nicky Rehbock Prof Alice Walker has arrived in South Africa to deliver the 11th annual lecture honouring the late Stephen Bantu Biko, an anti-apartheid activist and leader who founded the Black Consciousness Movement. Walker, best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Colour Purple, was invited to the country by the Steve Biko Foundation, […]

South African archaeologists have found what is believed to be the earliest evidence of human-made stone-tipped arrows, 64 000-year-old stone tools – still with traces of blood and bone – that push the development of bow-and-arrow technology back 20 000 years and throw light on humanity’s cognitive development. The finds, unearthed from layers of very […]

From an email doing the rounds… You’ve just got to love South Africa!! Here’s an extra pic sent in by Jan Taljaard who now lives in New Zealand. He says: “Na aanleiding van julle fotos…. Net een uit N Zealand. Weet nie of die Kiwis die humor raaksien nie. Groete.” A shop owner in Brakpan, […]

by Janine Erasmus South African researcher Alison Kock of the Save Our Seas Foundation’s Cape Town shark centre, is one of an international group of contributors to an extensive photo library of great white shark fins – one they hope will enable them to eventually track the movements of every great white and boost shark […]

From an email doing the rounds…

It appears that low-budget South African airline Kulula keeps their prices down by borrowing international jokes. So while an email doing the rounds claims these are “uniquely South African” jokes, they couldn’t be further from the truth – they’re from Canada and they’re just fun light-hearted jokes that most of the world relates too. The […]

A young Zimbabwean is about to become a household name in Britain (and maybe the world), thanks to TV show X-Factor and her extraordinary talent. Her name is Gamu (Gamuchirai) Nhengu and she’s 18. The new season of X-Factor kicked off with Gamu’s audition in Glasgow in June. In the show, Gamu said it’s her […]

by Janine Erasmus The City of Cape Town has launched a campaign to encourage people to eat less meat – at least once a week – for the sake of the environment and the welfare of humans and farm animals. Cape Town executive mayor Dan Plato made the official announcement at the end of July […]

From an email doing the rounds. Submitted by Marie Naude. The picture is priceless, but the verse is wonderful WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say. When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang […]

by Janine Erasmus South African film Themba: A Boy Called Hope, directed by Pretoria-born Stefanie Sycholt, has scooped the Unicef Child Rights Award at the 2010 Zanzibar International Film Festival (Ziff). (Scroll down for video trailer.) Sycholt received the prize from Unicef Germany board member Anne Luetkes at the film’s premiere in Cologne on 1 […]

Former South African Idol winner Jody Williams helped launch the inaugural Youth Olympics Games (YOG) in Singapore tonight. Joined by four other singers from around the world, Jody belted out the YOG official theme song ‘Everyone’ (scroll down for a video of ‘Everyone’). Twenty-year-old Jody became the youngest person to win Idols when she took […]

Golfing hero Louis Oosthuizen spoke today of the wonderful and “unbelievable” reaction of his South African family and friends to his recent win at the British Open Golf Tournament. Appearing at a press conference for the PGA Championship in Whistling Straits, USA, Louis spoke of his recent trip back to South Africa since his win: […]

President Clinton’s daughter Chelsea Clinton and her new husband Marc Mezvinsky are believed to be honeymooning in…you guessed it, South Africa! The newly married couple are apparently on safari. It’s still rumours at this stage with her father, the former American President, declining to confirm or deny the reports. But it makes such sense – […]

South African Kelly Fairweather has been named the new CEO of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), poised to take the helm from October. Kelly has worked closely with the FIH before in his previous roles as Director of the European Regional Office and IF Relations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and as Director of […]

From an email doing the rounds…

Former South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock is set to become the Princess of Monaco in July next year. The Palace has announced the wedding between Charlene and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of July 2011. These are revised dates after the original wedding dates clashed […]

A fabulous new restaurant and bar is launching in London…and it’s serving South African food and atmosphere! AND an incredible special introductory offer for sapeople readers (see below). The restaurant is Shaka Zulu and the big launch is tonight (Wednesday 4 August). It’s sure to be a major jol with royalty flying in from South […]

by Janine Erasmus The choir of Stellenbosch University took part in the World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China, in July, and walked off with a world title in two categories. Thousands of entrants gathered in the town in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang for the sixth edition of the biennial competition, which ran from […]

by Janine Erasmus Laser physicist Dr Christine Steenkamp is one of three African women scientists, out of a group of 12, who recently received international recognition for excellence in research. Steenkamp and her colleagues, from the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Africa, were honoured at the fourth General Assembly […]

President Jacob Zuma congratulated South African golfer Louis Oosthuizen yesterday for making the country proud by winning the British Open (on a day when the newly united South Africa and the world celebrated the iconic life of former President Nelson Mandela). “For a 27-year old, this is no small feat,” said President Jacob Zuma. “Oosthuizen […]

by Mary Alexander Leaders across the world extended birthday wishes to former South African president Nelson Mandela on 18 July. US President Barack Obama: US President Barack Obama hailed the “extraordinary vision, leadership, and spirit” of the South African statesman and global icon of freedom. “On behalf of the United States, I wish Nelson Mandela […]

WELL DONE LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN. The 27-year-old South African golfer has just won the British Open…and the hearts of many spectators at St Andrews in Scotland who spent the week trying to learn how to pronounce his surname. The first thing Louis said was “I’d like to take this opportunity to say happy birthday to Mr […]

by Ndaba Dlamini, Lucille Davie and Mary Alexander President, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and statesman, Nelson Mandela, the world’s icon of reconciliation, compassion and goodwill, turned 92 on Sunday  18 July 2010. The day was the first international Nelson Mandela Day, as declared by the United Nations in 2009. On the day, people around the […]

Durban surfer Jordy Smith has become the first South African to win a World ASP Tour Event, after winning the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay this weekend, and is now leading the World Surfing Tour. He shot to the number one spot in the world ASP Rankings over the weekend, knocking veteran Kelly Slater off. The […]

Trenton & Free Radical are currently taking London by storm, and recently supported Johnny Clegg at his London gig. Their music draws on reggae, hip-hop, electro and global influences to create something uniquely melodic and hip-shakingly danceable. Originally from Johannesburg, Trenton is a contemporary nomad soul, a global citizen who spent his early life in […]