Tributes have poured in for Xolani Luvuno, the South African amputee athlete who inspired a nation by overcoming every bad thing life threw at him to complete challenging events including the Comrades Marathon and the Iron Man. Xolani sadly passed away on Monday evening in his apartment. His mentor Hein Venter, who also inspired the […]

There was much excitement and laughter – and near tragedy – at an entrance to the Kruger National Park today where some visitors were taking photos of elephants outside of their cars. In a video post by Edward the Guide (@EdwardthembaSa) on Twitter, he said: “Hey…hey…hey….It almost ended in tears at Paul Kruger gate today! […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – The Pietermaritzburg High court in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, on Tuesday resumed a trial that has dragged out for years over a $2 billion arms deal involving former president Jacob Zuma, whose legal team sought to remove a prosecutor they accused of bias The trial over the 1990s deal was meant to start […]

An incredibly special NSRI crew member, Patrick van Eyssen, who has volunteered for 50 years without a break, has won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) Awards Ceremony. Amongst incredible stories from around the world of search and rescue (SAR) workers’ dedication, selflessness, bravery and innovation, the NSRI won two […]

Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, says whistleblowers remain an important aspect to combatting corruption. Speaking during the first webinar in a five-part series, which will explore the importance of whistleblowing and the challenges that whistleblowers experience, Adv Mothibi said: “More often, corruption goes undetected until a whistleblower comes out. To bring any […]

The Cape Town International Airport domestic terminal has continued its post-third wave recovery for the first two weeks of September, with the domestic passenger numbers reaching 49% of 2019 levels. The periods compared are 1-12 September 2021, and 1-12 September 2019. While the figures are still much lower than 2019’s, with international passenger terminal recovery […]

KLERKSDORP, South Africa (Reuters) – South Africa’s largest private rhino breeder – John Hume – says he has kept the rhino on his farm safe from poachers for four and a half years but cannot continue if he is not allowed to sell their horns. Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine and prized […]

State must provide court with reports every six months with details of steps taken to eradicate pit toilets… By Ciaran Ryan. In 2014 five-year-old Michael Komape drowned in a pit toilet at his school outside Polokwane. Earlier judgments ordered the Limpopo education department to eradicate pit toilets at schools. But after the department provided a […]

Investigations are underway following the tragic deaths of 63 African penguins inside the Boulders African penguin colony in Simonstown, which was recently made world famous by the Netflix show ‘Penguin Town‘ which featured the endangered African penguins. The penguins were found dead on Friday morning, 17 September 2021. It’s believed they died suddenly some time […]

Johannesburg’s newly elected Executive Mayor, Jolidee Matongo, has tragically died in a car accident in Gauteng, South Africa. Matongo was allegedly on his way home from Soweto where he had been engaged in the ANC’s election campaign, headed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Matongo was elected just last month, following the death of former Mayor Geoff […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa was booed and chased away by the Naledi community in Soweto today, during the ANC’s voter registration drive. The residents, who are apparently living without power, accused the ANC of only caring about them when it comes time to vote. People in Soweto reportedly protested outside Ramaphosa’s family homestead, demanding better service […]

Nobody yet knows what triggered South African mom Lauren Dickason to murder her three daughters on Thursday, just over a week after they began their new life in New Zealand… but another South African mom, living in Sudan, has written a heartfelt post sharing her own near-tragic personal experience that sheds some light on mental […]

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber pulled no punches and offered no excuses after South Africa went down by 30-17 to the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship Test match in Brisbane on Saturday, admitting that they were outplayed in all areas. Nienaber described the performance as the Boks’ worst since 2018, and said they will need a […]

An outstanding performance from a well-organised Australia inflicted a 30-17 defeat on the Springboks at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday – their heaviest loss in 29 Tests since losing by the same margin to Argentina in Mendoza in 2018. The Wallabies scored four tries – two each to centre Len Ikitau and wing […]

If you’d like to help South Africa get moved off the UK’s Red List – whether you’re an expat desperate to get home to visit your family, or you’re a British citizen dying to visit SA’s beautiful beaches, mountains, wildlife, culture – here are a couple of suggestions. Background: The UK announced this evening that […]

The UK announced Friday evening that South Africa is to stay on its Red alert list. The news has been met with shock, disappointment and fury. It means that anyone who visits SA from the UK has to quarantine in a government-appointed hotel for 10 days, at their own cost (at least £2,000), on their […]

Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, is facing a litany of challenges. The Conversation Africa asked Professor Anton Eberhard, director of the Power Futures Lab at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, to pose questions to the power utility’s CEO, André de Ruyter. BY Anton Eberhard, University of Cape Town Anton Eberhard: The […]

When a bus breaks down far from town, and people have nothing to eat or drink, who you gonna call? Gift of the Givers, of course! A caring traffic officer, Mr Skota, did just that when he attended to a bus that had broken down 15 km outside of Graaff Reinet in the Eastern Cape. […]

The Constitutional Court today handed down judgement concerning the ongoing Jacob Zuma matter, finding that the former president did not meet the statutory requirements for a rescission application. It was a majority decision and Zuma is now left with the bill for legal costs. The case – JG Zuma versus the Secretary of the Judicial […]

A South African mother, Lauren Dickason, who recently moved to New Zealand with her family, has been charged with murdering her three children on Thursday at their new home in Timaru, a port city about 157 km south west of Christchurch, a haven for many SA expats. Lauren and Graham Dickason emigrated with their children […]

Teaching is a difficult profession, especially in some of South Africa’s poorest schools. But for many educators, it’s a rewarding calling. Now, despite the odds, a headmaster working in a remote village in Limpopo has won the Global Principals’ Award. This week, Carte Blanche meets the man who has been recognised for his excellence – […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his condolences on the passing of Professor Hlengiwe Buhle Mkhize, the Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. Mkhize passed away today at the age of 69. The cause of death has not been disclosed. The President extended his condolences to the family, […]

JOHANNESBURG, 16 SEPTEMBER 2021 – South Africa is free of the Beta Covid variant according to official data issued by the South African government. The data indicates that there has been no measurable level of Beta genomes sequenced for at least two weeks in the country. This is hopefully good news for travellers! Following the […]

Just after 8 p.m. EST on Sept. 15, 2021, the next batch of space tourists lifted off aboard a SpaceX rocket. Organized and funded by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Inspiration4 mission touts itself as “the first all-civilian mission to orbit” and represents a new type of space tourism. The four crew members are not the […]

An advertising agency in South Africa – NET#WORK BBDO – just decided to ignite a new era by burning its multitude of awards! But there’s a fantastic reason. Renowned SA writer Gus Silber explains all in this brilliant piece… The Meltdown – by Gus Silber “I have mixed feelings about awards,” the great South African […]