The sun was shining and spirits were soaring on Sunday – along with kites – as South Africans shed the winter lockdown blues and embraced a fabulous new almost-normal, as big events returned with today’s Dolphin Beach Kite Festival and the famous Cape Town Cycle Tour (see more below). Dolphin Beach Kite Festival Photos by […]

Squid Game is anything but your typical, saccharine, soft-glow Korean television drama. In this biting commentary on life in South Korea today, viewers are presented with a twisting, technicolour story of violence, betrayal and desperation. All of this is set around a series of macabre games in which players literally fight to the death. Despite […]

It’s that time of the year again – when Pretoria transforms into a beautiful purple haze, as the Jacaranda trees burst into bloom, and purple petals carpet the city’s pavements. Yesterday morning, Friday 8 October, as rain fell on Pretoria (one of South Africa’s capital cities), local resident David (Dawie) Jacobs captured these stunning photos of […]

A much loved and loving family pet, Kei, is to receive a Heroism Award for risking his own life to save that of the family that adopted him from the SPCA last year. During a horrific home invasion in Benoni, South Africa, on 3 October, Kei almost lost his life after he bravely attacked an […]

CRADOCK – The organisers of the Fish River Canoe Marathon in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, have sadly confirmed the deaths of two participants during the first stage of the two-day race on Friday. 53-year old Pretoria paddler Axel Marggraf died after falling out of his K3 canoe in Soutpansdrift rapid, while 31 year old […]

You can watch Carte Blanche on Sunday 10 October in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries from Tuesday 12 October if you live abroad (in most countries). Here are this week’s must-watch topics: The Mysterious Case of Dead African Penguins Penguins are an endangered species spending most of their […]

South Africans can now download their digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate following the official launch by the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla. Addressing a media briefing on government’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19 and the national vaccination rollout programme on Friday, the Minister said the certificate could be used for travel and tourism, sport […]

South Africans are to be plunged into loadshedding land for the entire weekend… through to Thursday morning, Eskom has announced. The organisation said that to continue replenishing the emergency power generation reserves in South Africa, and address additional risks, Stage 2 loadshedding will be extended from 21:00 tonight until 05:00 on Thursday. Yesterday, Thursday, South […]

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has urged consumers in South Africa to return 100% Apple juice produced by Pioneer Foods. This includes both LiquiFruit and Ceres 100% apple juice. “Consumers who have these products must not consume them but return them immediately to the point of purchase,” said the NCC in a statement on Friday. […]

South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks) has launched an investigation into the construction of the so-called R15 million Lesseyton sports facility in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality in the Eastern Cape… which was exposed this week by former DA Leader Mmusi Maimane. Maimane declared on Monday, when the stadium was launched: “The #TsotsiGame must […]

Over 260,000 more people have died in South Africa since May 2020 than expected. This is according to researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC), who estimate that 85 to 95% of these “excess” deaths are directly from Covid. This is nearly three times as high as the official Covid death toll published by the […]

Wolfgat restaurant in the small fishing village of Paternoster – a two-hour drive from Cape Town – has been named as the 50th Best Restaurant in the World! The fabulous west coast eatery, enjoyed by none other than South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, has also been named as Africa’s Best Restaurant in the latest awards […]

South Africa is finally being removed from the UK’s dreaded Red List! From Monday!!! This means anyone entering the UK from South Africa, who is double-vaccinated, will no longer need to spend £2,000 on mandatory 10-day quarantine in the UK! The news comes as a huge relief for South African expats who haven’t seen their […]

The DA has told residents of Cape Town that “we are ready to end load shedding” (the term South Africans use for Eskom’s power cuts which have blighted homes and businesses for the past decade or so). The DA said over the past 13 years, Capetonians have demonstrated “tremendous resilience in the face of the […]

Following a furore over DA posters in KwaZulu-Natal which declared “The ANC called you racists. The DA calls you heroes”, the DA has announced today that it is in the process of removing all the posters that have “inadvertently caused offence”. Dean Macpherson – DA KZN Chairperson – said in a press statement on Thursday: […]

Voting for the World Travel Awards closes on 24 October and Cape Town is once again up for a host of awards, including the World’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2021, a title it currently holds. To make sure that the City of Cape Town retains this prestigious accolade – which helps boost the local tourism […]

Hank Biasatti was the first athlete born outside of the US to play in the NBA, way back in 1946. Born in Italy and raised in Canada, Biasatti spent a season with the then Toronto Huskies playing six games before being drafted by the Celtics prior to the 1947 season. He played a grand total […]

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has lifted its advice ‘against all but essential travel’ for over 30 countries and territories. The change, announced today, means UK travellers will be able to visit these destinations with greater ease… although still not South Africa. SA is not on the list of 32 countries and, […]

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai today announced at Google for Africa’s first virtual event that the company will invest $1-billion in Africa over five years. The investment will cover a range of initiatives, from improved connectivity to investments in startups. (Watch the full event on the video at the bottom of the page.) These […]

Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu will turn 90 on Thursday (October 7). To celebrate this momentous occasion and honour the life of South Africa’s beloved African Anglican cleric and human rights acvitist, Reuters has compiled an 18-minute video (watch below) which includes his meetings with politicians, royalty and special humans like Mother Teresa. Desmond Mpilo Tutu […]

A homeless man, Rajah Brigmouhoun, was sitting on a bench in Cape Town when well known South African philanthropist BI Phakathi and musician K.O sat next to him… (Watch the video at the bottom of the page.) The three started chatting and Brigmouhoun shared that after being seriously injured at his last job, he was […]

South Africa’s fabulous Babylonstoren Farm Hotel has been placed at number one in Southern Africa, and number 34 overall in a prestigious list of The Best Hotels in the World. Over 800,000 readers of Conde Naste Traveler (CNT) took part in the survey to find the world’s best hotels. “Congrats to our team!” said Babylonstoren. […]

PRETORIA: Following reports in local media on Tuesday that South Africa’s Digital Covid-19 Vaccination Certificates had been launched, many South Africans were frustrated when they unsuccessfully tried to download their new Vaccination Certificates… and were met by System Error messages. It turns out the reports were a little ahead of themselves, and the certificates are […]

Man dies during NUMSA march in Gqeberha… By Masego Mafata, Joseph Chirume, Nokulunga Majola and Marecia Damons Thousands of workers affiliated to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa went on strike across the country on Tuesday. One worker in Gqeberha collapsed and died during the march through the town on Tuesday. Steel workers […]

South Africa’s foreign affairs department – DIRCO – has terminated the employment of its Chief Financial Officer, Caiphys Ramashau, who was embroiled in the controversial (and hugely wasteful) R118-million New York Pilot project. The axing comes at the end of a disciplinary case which had been instituted against Ramashau. The ex-CFO faced charges related to […]