The much-hyped Mall of Africa opened its doors on Thursday, and the traffic began before the crowds started flooding in – and neither had not eased off by midday. “It’s 12:48pm and they decided to close the entrance to the mall. They are making a KILLING today! #MallOfAfrica,” @zowie_jean tweeted. The 300-store mall in the new Waterfall development, […]

Almost three dozen lions that were rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia since 2014 are finally going to make the last stage of their journey back to a better place, and will fly to South Africa on Friday. The organisation of the massive airlift by Animal Defenders International is going through its final phases before the aptly named […]

Thirty years ago today, 26 April 1986, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in the then Soviet Union. A South African who recently visited and took these pictures says the site, now in the Ukraine, is one of the eeriest places he has ever visited. “After the explosion, the Soviets kept it quite […]

If it hadn’t been for a grandmother who was left sobbing on the floor of a Pick ‘n Pay supermarket, it should have been a good day on Tuesday for the supermarket chain, after it said it had its strongest annual growth since 2010. But the incident with grandmother Iris Beukes got all the publicity, unfortunately […]

The Presidency announced Friday morning that the National Day of Prayer that was to take place today, at Absa Stadium in Durban, has been postponed. No reasons were given. The Day of Prayer and launch of Africa Month was to be addressed by President Jacob Zuma with religious leaders officiating as well in leading prayers […]

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula announced Monday that he has revoked the right of Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket SA (CSA), Netball SA (NSA) and SA Rugby Union (SARU) to host international tournaments because of their failure to reach the agreed transformation targets. He said the measures are to speed up transformation which is vital morally and […]

Watch the full versions of Al Jazeera’s interviews with South African opposition leaders Julius Malema (EFF) and Mmusi Maimane (Democratic Alliance) which have been making headlines in the press over the past few days. In his interview with ‘Talk to Al Jazeera’, Malema talks about being ready to remove the Zuma ANC government by force if necessary, going as […]

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane was joined by Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille and other party leaders in the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg as they launched the party’s election manifesto on Saturday. In his speech to a crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000, Maimane focused on the party’s six-pronged election platform of “opportunity, responsive government, service delivery, […]

Twenty-year-old Brad Binder has become the first South African to win a Moto 3 GP race in 36 years in an incredible performance that saw him take the lead at the 2016 Spanish Moto3 Grand Prix, after starting stone last. “Take a bow, Brad Binder,” said one British commentator who claimed it was the most incredible […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has revealed that the directors of VFS, the company which processes – and profits – from foreigners’ visa applications to visit South Africa, are allegedly President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta (one of the Gupta brothers). The Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Haniff Hoosen, exposed the directors’ names in parliament yesterday. […]

PRETORIA – The office of President Jacob Zuma said on Friday that letters of reprimand had been sent to one cabinet minister and two former ministers, following the Constitutional Court ruling over the contested security upgrades at Nkandla. The presidency said that the court on 31 March ordered Zuma to comply with the remedial action taken against him by […]

CAPE TOWN – Dene Smuts, the well-known former editor of Fair Lady magazine and a member of parliament for the Democratic Party, has died suddenly. The Democratic Alliance said it was with sadness that it noted the passing of Smuts, who served in parliament for 25 years, from 1989 to 2014, where she made history […]

JOHANNESBURG – Steinhoff has increased its stake in Darty to 20.4 percent, it said on Friday, a day after a frantic bidding war with French rival Fnac for Europe’s third-largest electric goods retailer. Five new offers in less than 24 hours lifted Darty shares by more than 23 percent on Thursday to their highest since […]

NAIROBI – Kenya Airways has announced this week that will connect Cape Town to the Victoria Falls and Nairobi. The flight, which will run each way three times a week starting in July, will fly to the Kenyan capital via Livingtone, Zambia, gateway to the Victoria Falls. It is Kenya Airways’ second destination in South Africa, after […]

A company that says it brings space into your home (or your laptop) has released footage from the heavens of Cape Town, the Pyramids of Giza and Dubai. The company Urthecast took the ultra high definition footage from an Iris camera attached to the International Space Station, according to news reports. Look closely and you can see cars […]

“We will run out of patience very soon and we will remove this government through the barrel of a gun” if the African National Congress continues to respond violently to peaceful protests, Julius Malema apparently tells Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull in Sunday’s episode of Talk To Al Jazeera. Malema at the same time said that […]

The wildly successful singer Prince died on Thursday, at age 57, according to news reports quoting his spokesperson. A massive outpouring of condolences and grief overwhelmed social media. Prince had many hits including “Purple Rain”, “Kiss”, “Diamonds and Pearls” and “When Doves Cry”. No cause of death was immediately given, although questions were raised earlier this month […]

Charlize Theron has been named one of Time’s Most Influential People of 2016 for her contribution towards AIDS awareness, while South Africa-based anthropologist Lee Berger was also on the list. In a tribute written by Blake Mycoskie, founder of the philanthropically oriented Toms Shoes, he wrote: “A lot of celebrities know how to raise awareness. Charlize Theron […]

LONDON – SABMiller sold 4 percent more lager in its most recent quarter than a year earlier as momentum improved in the second half of its financial year. The brewer of Miller Lite, Castle Lager and other beers said its revenue rose 7 percent in the quarter ended March 31, with sales volume up 4 […]

President Jacob Zuma has released the report by the Commission of Inquiry, who were appointed in November 2011 to investigate allegations of Fraud, Corruption, Impropriety or Irregularity in the Strategic Defence Procurement Package (the Arms Procurement Commission), saying they found no evidence of wrongdoing. “There are no such findings (of wrongdoing) and the Commission does […]

Proudly South African congratulated Nestlé South Africa for its role in economic growth and job creation in South Africa, as the multi-national celebrates 100 years of operation in the country. “We salute Nestlé for its investment in our country over the years – particularly for its investment in the local economy through skills development programs, job […]

The successful US coffee shop chain Starbucks opens its first store in South Africa on Thursday, and then another before the end of the month, both in Johannesburg. But possibly the most South African coffee doesn’t seem to be on the menu (besides moerkoffie, that is). The two stores, in Rosebank and the soon-to-open Mall of […]

An open letter from Oakbay employees to the chief executive officers of ABSA, FNB, Standard Bank and Nedbank was sent on Tuesday pleading with the banks to reopen their accounts before the end of May… or Oakbay’s business will close. The workers say they have done nothing wrong and “how will we feed our families?” […]

African National Congress member of parliament, Strike Ralegoma, has called for the Springbok emblem to be removed from national team rugby jerseys in favour of there being one emblem – the Protea – for all South Africa’s sports teams. Ralegoma made the call Tuesday during a meeting of South Africa’s parliamentary portfolio committee on sport and recreation. […]

GRAHAMSTOWN – Women at Rhodes University on Tuesday led a protest against sexual violence on the campus by taking their tops off and baring their breasts. Earlier in the day women had formed a human chain after going to residences in search of alleged rapists. A list of names had been published on Sunday and was put […]