JOHANNESBURG (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – For more than a decade, musician Thomas Nhassavele has been busking next to the parking payment machine at Johannesburg’s Rosebank Mall, South Africa, where drivers often dropped their change into his guitar case. By Kim Harrisberg But Nhassavele’s takings have dwindled in the past year or two as growing numbers […]

A video has captured the moment an amazingly obedient – and rather large! – baboon does as requested in a hotel room in South Africa! The incident reportedly took place at Sun City. A woman can be heard politely begging: “Please go…” and then adding incredulously “udl’ushukela” (you eat sugar?)… to which the sugar-loving baboon […]

The police officers that used to search his belongings looking for drugs are now among “the shoe doctor” Eric Poku’s best customers. “The police thought I was selling drugs and using the shoe business as a cover,” said Poku, a cobbler who has been running his shoe-stitching business at Bosman Street in Pretoria Central, Tshwane […]

The UN General Assembly has elected South Africa, along with 13 other states, to the Human Rights Council for a three-year terms which starts on 1 January 2023. The other newly elected states are: Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Morocco, Romania and Vietnam. Germany and Sudan also won second terms on the […]

(Reuters) – Angela Lansbury, the British-born actress who was famous around the world – including in South Africa – has died at the age of 96, her family said on Tuesday. Lansbury’s career spanned eight decades and produced indelible portraits of a wide range of characters from villainesses to sleuths and light comic roles in […]

The massive blackout in Durban tonight (Tuesday 11 Oct) – which has plunged half the city into darkness – has been caused by an explosion at the 275kv Klaarwater major substation, according to eThekwini Municipality. (Wed 12 Oct: See Update at bottom of page.) The Municipality said the explosion resulted in “widespread power outage to […]

South African swimmers Matt Sates and Chad le Clos have their sights set on this year’s FINA World Cup in Berlin, Germany, later this month. The overall prize money is $1.2-million, before even factoring in for bonuses. At just 19-year-old, Matt is last year’s FINA World Cup overall defending champion with 18 medals. Last year […]

Although the area is notorious for violence and assassinations, there are many residents working together to make it a better place. By Greg Arde and Benita Enoch. In the shack lands of Cato Manor in Durban, everything is a hustle. If you want to find a room, you have to know someone. If you want to […]

Incredible drone footage (watch below) has captured the scene as a pod of dolphins appear to chase a Great White away from Plettenberg Bay, where two fatal shark attacks have taken place this year, the most recent just over a fortnight ago. Thirty-eight year old Cape Town mom and restaurant owner Kimon Bisogno was tragically […]

According to the DA, there are 229 “desperate” South African students studying in Russia who had until Monday 10 October 2022 to pay outstanding accommodation and tuition fees, or face the risk of being homeless in not just a foreign country, but a foreign country at war. The DA says this comes after the Mpumalanga Department […]

National Hawks Head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya has lauded the seizure of a firearms cache and arrest of 20 suspects linked to illegal mining during an operation at a mine shaft in Stilfontein in the North West. Lebeya on Monday hailed the operation, warning that these measures were “only just the beginning”. In a continuous […]

Looking up at the moon in the night sky, you would never imagine that it is slowly moving away from Earth. But we know otherwise. In 1969, NASA’s Apollo missions installed reflective panels on the moon. These have shown that the moon is currently moving 3.8 cm away from the Earth every year. By Joshua […]

The “resolute resistance” of Johann Ferreira, CEO of long-distance bus operator Intercape, in the face of unabashed official bullying was to be commended, Makhanda High Court Judge John Smith has said. Last week we reported that the Eastern Cape High Court ordered Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula to protect Intercape, a long-distance bus company. On Friday Judge […]

London Underground did a lekker thing for South African musician Jeremy Loops when he played in London on Thursday. Hammersmith tube station not only posted a message to ticket-holders with directions on how to get to the venue (Eventim Apollo) BUT even customised the message, playing on the name of Jeremy’s latest album ‘Heard You […]

The fee for a new adult South African passport is due to increase from R400 to R600 if you’re applying within SA and to three times as much – R1,200 – if you’re applying abroad, which will come as a shock to South African expats who currently wait months for new SA passports, whilst those […]

The seafront home of Oscar-winning director Craig Foster – whose film My Octopus Teacher won an Oscar in 2021 – burnt to the ground in a mystery fire in Simon’s Town, South Africa, on Thursday. Coincidentally, it was just two days before World Octopus Day. According to various reports, the luxury mansion was valued at […]

Kite enthusiasts enjoyed a brilliantly windy day today at the 28th Cape Town International Kite Festival, where both good spirits and colourful kites flew sky-high, raising awareness of World Mental Health Day (Monday 10 October) and funds for mental health support. From a large pink airplane to a kite depicting a dementor from the Harry […]

Loadshedding will be implemented daily at 16:00 – 00:00 (4pm to midnight) from Monday to Wednesday, Eskom announced on Sunday. The power utility says it endeavouring to “limit load-shedding to night-time to have minimal impact on the economy and population.” “The loadshedding will be used to replenish emergency generation reserves during the night to bolster […]

Die Antwoord is a South African band that uses hip-hop music to create a style it calls “zef”. Since it first appeared in 2009, Die Antwoord has been criticised for cultural appropriation (using cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative way). It’s accused of copying the lyrics and styles of Cape Town artists […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this weekend. You can watch the show on Sunday 9 October in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries from 11 October if you’re abroad. Deadly Coal Run Carnage and death stalk the coal road as drivers put profits before lives. War in […]

Cradock – Andy Birkett and Bridgitte Hartley were crowned SA K1 River champions after wrapping up victories in the men’s and women’s races at the 40th Fish River Canoe Marathon on Saturday. By Dave Macleod. A week after he won the world marathon title, Birkett showed his class and form as he added another four […]

The Ukrainian woman, Anichka Penev (35), who was kidnapped in Cape Town, South Africa, just over a week ago has been safely found and reunited with her family. A video of her terrifying abduction on 29 September went viral. The incident occurred on Ipswich Street Blackheath, in front of Nioro Plastics, a plastic bottle manufacturing […]

The DA has made an urgent call to the Northern Cape government to support firefighting initiatives in the Kalahari region with airplanes and helicopters. (Watch video below.) The desperate plea has come from firefighting teams that have been battling raging fires in the area between Kuruman and Danielskuil, Kuruman and Kathu, and in the Lohatlha […]

South Africans are expected to wake up to no load shedding on Saturday morning for the first time in at least three weeks following the suspension of load shedding. State power utility Eskom has underwent several weeks of challenges with breakdowns and slow returns to service at multiple power stations causing severe constraints to the […]

Amidst news of load-shedding, corruption and crime, there’s one post that’s providing a flicker of hope and joy for South Africans… reminding everyone that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side, and that together we are stronger to tackle issues, and should celebrate all the things that make South Africans unique and […]