From lockdown trends to local hits, here’s what South Africans have been binge-watching this year… Lockdown trends on Showmax At the start of the national COVID lockdown in March, South Africans were suddenly confined to their homes, which had a dramatic impact on viewers choosing to stream entertainment on Showmax. Here are some interesting insights […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences to the government and people of the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) following the sad death of Eswatini Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini at the age of 52. PM Dlamini passed away yesterday – Sunday, 13 December 2020 – while being treated for COVID-19 in a […]

Following a video showing what appeared to be a packed crowd dancing at a Cape Town venue on Sunday, with flagrant disregard to Covid-19 protocols, the federated hospitality association of South Africa, FEDHASA, has condemned in the strongest terms what it brands “irresponsible behaviour by hospitality establishments and consumers” which may contribute to the increased […]

If you’ve never heard of this beautiful South African Christmas carol, turn it up, sit back and let the music and lyrics wash over you. It’s called ‘Come, Colours Rise’ and was composed by Grant McLachlan with lyrics by Frank Barry. It will leave you with a lump in your throat as big as Africa. […]

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged South African motorists to remain vigilant on the roads during this festive season following three major crashes this past weekend. “(Motorists) are urged to choose daytime driving and to keep their lights on at all times. Motorists are also warned to refrain from speeding and from driving […]

How do we save whales and other marine animals from plastic in the ocean? Our new review shows reducing plastic pollution can prevent the deaths of beloved marine species. Over 700 marine species, including half of the world’s cetaceans (such as whales and dolphins), all of its sea turtles and a third of its seabirds, […]

South Africa has recorded 7 999 new COVID-19 cases while 170 more people lost their lives, bringing the country’s total tally to 860 964 and the COVID-19 death toll to 23 276. The Eastern Cape recorded 94 deaths, Free State 11, Gauteng 3, KwaZulu-Natal 4, Northern Cape 4 and Western Cape 54. “We convey our […]

Rogue, the new action movie from Showmax, not only showcases the butt-kicking skills of action hero Megan Fox as Samantha O’Hara, but also those of some of South Africa’s top talent who fight alongside her in this exciting new film. Meet the South Africans… 1. Greg Kriek – Mike Barasa Greg may be a Cape […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on Monday evening, 14 December 2020, on developments in relation to South Africa’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The address follows meetings today, Sunday 13 December 2020, of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC), and a special sitting of Cabinet, said the Presidency […]

Last night, as the Gauteng skies lit up with bold bolts of lightning, fans of Christo Smith’s photography hoped that he was out there capturing the incredible scene. When he posted his final composite image, they were not disappointed! Christo Smith Photography has become synonymous with South Africa’s iconic Highveld thunderstorms. Christo – who is […]

Tributes have poured in for rising Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana defender Motjeka Madisha who died in a horrific car accident in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to shocked members of his club. Photos and video of the aftermath of the tragic crash, in which the car burst into […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has launched a petition to oppose the South African government’s plans to extend license fees to streaming services such as Netflix, Showmax, and others. South Africa is proposing broadening the definition of a ‘broadcasting service’ to including online broadcasting services. This means that South Africans will have to cough up more […]

Starfish launched their annual ‘Dinner of Hope’ drive for the festive season, on 1 December (World AIDS Day), and are now inviting anyone anywhere in the world to join in and host a fun dinner with friends and, at the same time, help vulnerable children in South Africa. As Starfish says, these kids are even more vulnerable […]

South Africans can breathe a sigh of relief as the planned loadshedding today, Sunday 13 December, has been cancelled. Eskom said in a statement on Sunday morning that it was pleased to announce that the emergency generation reserves had sufficiently recovered overnight and subsequently no loadshedding would be required. “Eskom thanks the people for their […]

Eskom announced some good and bad news to South Africans on Saturday evening. The bad news is the loadshedding will continue on Sunday between 06h00 and 23h00. The good news is that it will be  reduced to Stage 1, thanks to the recovery in the emergency generation reserves showing “significant progress”. South Africa’s power utility […]

Well-known South African actors and filmmakers Anel and James Alexander will be hosting a beautiful benefit show, all the way from their home in Hollywood! Local and international artists like Rubber Duc, Nathan Smith, Ziya, Christiaan Baartman, Sincerely Anne, Petronel Baard, Brad + Nicole (from the USA) and Stefan Jansen have given up their time, […]

A black rhino in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, that was struggling to walk, with a giant splinter stuck in his foot, has had the obstruction removed thanks to the awesome work of world-famous wildlife vet Dr William Fowlds and his great team. According to Buffalo Kloof Private Game Reserve, the black rhino was spotted […]

The Democratic Alliance has not only welcomed the judgement against the tobacco ban imposed in South Africa during Lockdown, but has called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire the person behind the ban, COGTA Minister Dlamini-Zuma. Yesterday three judges of the Western Cape Division of the High Court found that Regulation 45 of the Disaster Management […]

This week Carte Blanche meets a 100-year-old survivor of another global pandemic – the Spanish Flu – which swept across the globe in 1918. You can watch the show on Sunday 13  December in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries from Tues 15  December if you’re abroad. STORIES OF […]

It’s an early Christmas for Eskom which has struck a deal with service provider ABB to recoup over R1.56-billion which had been irregularly paid by the power utility to the Zurich-based industrial giant. According to the SA government news service “ABB was fingered in suspicious payments relating to contracts awarded in 2015 involving the control […]

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced with “great disappointment” that it has taken the difficult decision to reduce its operations from South Africa to Amsterdam with effect from 13 December 2020. UPDATE 16 December: KLM resumes planned flights after SA authorities revise air crew regulations. KLM said in a statement on Friday: “On 3 December […]

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has today set aside the decision to rewrite the Mathematics Paper 2 and Physical Sciences exams, following a leak of the exams papers. Judge Norman Davis ruled in favour of AfriForum and the organisation’s co-applicants who were four matriculants. The court ruled that the decision of Minister Angie […]

For Christmas, South Africa’s the Kiffness has created yet another Corona parody – this time, it’s based on popular Christmas carol, We Three Kings. David Scott (aka The Kiffness) says: “This time of year I’m normally traversing through the country with my two wise bandmates, performing to audiences all across South Africa. Instead, I am […]

Ace Magashule’s former bodyguard has been convicted by the Free State High Court of the theft of a Pierneef painting from Magashule’s office during his term as the province’s Premier. The painting by well known South African painter JH Pierneef is estimated to be worth around R8-million. Although Magashule’s former bodyguard Ricardo Mettler claimed to […]

It’s been a tumultuous year filled with uncertainty, social distancing, lockdowns and travel restrictions with South Africans finding ways to escape, travel and connect with the real world. And What We Watched 2020 – this year’s South Africa viewing trends on Netflix – reflects those high and lows. This year, South Africans more than doubled […]