A new portrait photograph of Queen Elizabeth II was released on Wednesday (1 June), ahead of celebrations to mark the queen’s Platinum Jubilee which start on Thursday (2 June). There will be four days of events, parties and parades to honour the 96-year-old’s record-breaking reign (70 years!). The Royal Family said: “Her Majesty The Queen, […]

A light aircraft had to make a daring emergency landing on the R44, close to Winery Road, between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, on Wednesday. The two pilots have been praised for their skill in landing the plane without causing any fatalities, avoiding cars and pedestrians. Both pilots were treated for minor injuries at the scene, […]

(Reuters) – A Virginia jury on Wednesday ruled that actor Amber Heard defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp in a widely watched six-week trial that featured graphic testimony detailing the former Hollywood couple’s soured relationship. By Lisa Richwine. (Watch videos at bottom of page.) While the seven-person jury also ruled in favour of Heard on one count […]

Growing up, for me, it was always about the Lion. Being born from the Lion Clan made it worse and I heard many stories about this formidable King of the Beasts… writes Jinxy S Luther, a safari guide and operator at Delta Guides Safaris in Botswana. One day, probably I was only 7 to eight […]

It was quite an emotional day today for everyone who fell in love with Felix, a Subantarctic Fur Seal that has been relaxing on Klein Brak Beach on the Mossel Bay coast the last few days. At around lunchtime, Felix wandered back into the ocean and swam away. Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (SMART) – […]

The pothole situation dotted around most provinces in South Africa is dire. Last year Carte Blanche called it SA’s Pothole Pandemic. Now Gauteng is doing something about it. The province’s Roads and Transport Department has launched a new app that allows road users in Gauteng to report poor road conditions, along with other road maintenance issues […]

South Africa has welcomed much-needed humanitarian aid from Qatar. The aid, which was delivered on Sunday, will bolster efforts in response to the devastating floods that recently hit KwaZulu-Natal in both April and May. Qatar is not the first country to step forward to assist the flood-stricken province. Last month China’s Ambassador to SA, Chen Xiadong, […]

Pieter Coetzé ensured South Africa continued their gold rush at the Mare Nostrum swimming series on Saturday – claiming two victories on the opening night of the final leg in Canet, France. The 18-year-old, who collected two silvers and a bronze at the previous leg in Barcelona last week, kicked things off with a gold […]

The iconic Hout Bay harbour – top of the itinerary for many visitors to Cape Town, if only for the best serving of snoek and chips in the country – is being torn apart by copper thieves, tik addicts, vandals, and opportunistic criminals. “I have fond memories of Hout Bay harbour,” says Carte Blanche Executive […]

Bridgitte Hartley won a bronze medal for South Africa in the short course race at the ICF Marathon World Cup in Prague on Saturday. The veteran Olympian, and deputy of South Africa’s Athletes Commission, had to bounce back from a mishap midway through the race to secure her place on the podium, and fire her […]

International star Idris Elba’s latest movie – BEAST – was filmed entirely in South Africa, with locations including the Northern Cape and Limpopo provinces, as well as the City of Cape Town in the Western Cape. Due for release in August, Beast has been touted as a survival thriller, pitting Elba and his family against […]

Activist Sarah Fabie runs her own advice office. By Peter Luhanga. Sarah Fabie nearly lost her daughter in 2001, when the six-year-old fell into a pond from which families in Chatsworth in the Swartland drew their water. Furious, residents marched to Parliament demanding piped water. They won their battle, and today Fabie is the small town’s […]

KLM will celebrate 30 years of flying between Cape Town and Amsterdam… by offering even more flights! As travel demand between the cities continues to increase, the airline has announced that it will be celebrating this milestone by adding three additional direct flights between the two cities per week from the beginning of November this […]

South African National Parks today, 25 May 2022, welcomed yet another heavy sentence handed down to three rhino poachers by the Skukuza Regional Court on Tuesday, 24 May 2022. Isaac Zitha 41, Oscar Ndlovu 38, Richard Mkhombo 39, – all South African – were convicted by the court on twelve charges related to rhino poaching. […]

Princess Charlene of Monaco has revealed to local media that she is feeling better although her health is still “fragile”. The 44-year-old South African expat last night attended the fashion awards at the Monte Carlo Fashion Week (of which she is a patron), with her 7-year-old daughter Princess Gabriella. Princess Charlene posted a loving mother-daughter […]

Huge blockbuster TOP GUN MAVERICK opens in South African cinemas nationwide on Friday, 27th May 2022. It’s been called the ‘perfect blockbuster’, the action takes you inside the cockpit of fighter planes with enough  power and pizazz to blast away all memories of the pandemic… and cruise back into the unbeatable experience of watching movies […]

Princess Charlene of Monaco has delighted royal fans with a beautiful photo of herself and her daughter, Princess Gabriella, dressed for a fabulous night out at the Monte-Carlo Fashion Week. The annual fashion week is held under the ‘high patronage’ of HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco. This year it runs from 23 to 27 May, […]

At a small event held at Father’s House Church in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) on Thursday afternoon, two young learners were surprised with some exciting news that could change the course of their future for the better. Norman Msaka (from Swartkops Primary) and Shaun Johansson (from Parsons Hill Primary) were informed, via a live Zoom session, […]

Although 15 countries have collectively reported more than 140 monkeypox cases, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed that there are currently no cases of the virus in South Africa. In a statement on Monday, the NICD reported that on 13 May 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was notified of two laboratory-confirmed […]

At 14 years old, Amy Martin began to experience weakness and difficulty moving the left side of her body. A neurologist confirmed a devastating diagnosis: Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma – a rare brain tumour affecting children. Amy’s inspiring story from a dreadful diagnosis to a PhD is featured on Carte Blanche tonight – you can watch on […]

(Reuters) – Ratings agency S&P revised  South Africa’s outlook to “positive” on Friday, saying it reflects favourable terms of trade and a path toward contained fiscal expenditure for the country. S&P upgraded its outlook from “stable”, and affirmed the “BB-/B” foreign currency as well as “BB/B” local currency ratings on South Africa. “Recent favourable terms […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his “warmest congratulations” to SABC news presenter Leanne Manas who was this week honoured as a Knight of the French National Order of Merit for her immense contribution to journalism, media and charitable causes. The South African president said: “We look forward to many more informative and inspirational mornings with you […]

One day in 2015, wearing his PT vest and shorts, a young man named Refentse Morake stood on the pavement outside his parents’ home in the suburb of Unitaspark in Vereeniging, the riverside town where a treaty was signed with the British Empire to end the Second Boer War in 1902… writes renowned SA writer Gus […]

International Tea Day (21 May) is a highlight on every tea lover’s calendar – no matter where in the world they find themselves… especially if they love South Africa’s Rooibos! According to the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) more consumers than ever are sampling Rooibos, but interestingly, every nation has its own distinct way of drinking […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Dripping with champagne, diamonds and catty dialogue, two made-in-Africa reality TV series have transfixed viewers on the continent, showcasing ritzy lifestyles that are a far cry from stereotypical images of African hardship. By Sisipho Skweyiya. On Netflix’s “Young, Famous & African”, a group of music and showbiz celebrities from around the continent […]