President Cyril Ramaphosa has learned with deep sadness of the passing of financial expert and former Algerian Minister of Finance, Abderrahmane Benkhalfa. During President Ramaphosa’s year-long term as Chairperson of the African Union (AU), the President appointed Benkhalfa as one of five AU COVID-19 Special Envoys to mobilise international financial and other support for the […]

A South African woman who is devoting her life to helping animals in Mexico is pleading for help after her mother was robbed of all her money this weekend. Claudia Mamet is an angel in Puerto Angel in Mexico. She lives on a shoestring, teaches English at the local university and spends her humble salary […]

South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has paid tribute to publisher, Nadia Goetham, describing her as a literary powerhouse. Goetham passed away on Sunday due to COVID-19 related complications. “Not only did she understand the importance of books and storytelling, but she was also extremely passionate about developing others. She believed […]

The North Gauteng High Court on Monday granted an interdict to AfriForum and Solidarity that prevents the payment of any fees from the Department of Tourism’s equity fund. The two organisations had launched an urgent application to the court after the Minister of Tourism announced that the department’s fund for the recovery of the tourism […]

Google has today – Tuesday 27 April 2021 – published one of its famous doodles to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day. This year the search engine giant has selected the country’s national flower – the King Protea. “On this day in 1994, South Africa held its first post-apartheid elections, which granted citizens—regardless of their race—an […]

South Africa’s President and the country’s Arts and Culture Minister, along with thousands of other South Africans have welcomed the big SA win at the Oscars last night – Best Documentary Feature Academy Award for ‘My Octopus Teacher’. Here’s just some of the praise heaped on the spectacular underwater film: President Cyril Ramaphosa: Congratulations once […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga province say they have launched a “frantic manhunt” after the “heartless” and “sad incident” in which a mother and son were murdered on Saturday, during a robbery on a farm outside Nelspruit. Fifty-six-year-old Anna-Marie Botha and her 34-year-old son Ruan Britz (named as Rohn Britz by SAPS) […]

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the arrest of Michael Lomas by the United Kingdom authorities in connection with Eskom’s R745 million Kusile power station corruption case. The businessman’s arrest in London earlier this month brings to five the number of people arrested in relation to the alleged crimes. He was granted a R1.7-million […]

My Octopus Teacher has WON the Oscar! A huge win for South Africa’s tiny octopus. Whoop whoop! The mesmerising underwater doc, which was filmed in the Cape Peninsula waters, emerged as the winner of the Best Documentary Feature category at the 93rd Academy Awards last night. The film charts the special relationship a man develops […]

As Elon Musk’s SpaceX sent more astronauts into orbit this week, his family have rallied to congratulate him for the historic achievement – using a ‘recycled capsule and rocket’. As Endeavour arrived at the Space Station today, SpaceX confirmed the safe docking and said “second time at the space station for this Dragon”. NASA said […]

SA Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s decision to invoke his ministerial powers and strip Cricket SA of national recognition is a “devastating blow” to South African cricket, says DA Shadow Minister of Sport, Tsepo Mhlongo. “This decision will be devastating for South African cricket as the future of the game in our country now hangs in […]

A woman who was the victim of a gang rape almost 40 years ago, is seeking to change the law of prescription in civil matters, in order to sue those she says are responsible. In South Africa civil claims for sexual offences must be brought within three years unless the victim can show they were […]

It’s a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled motor vehicle), but it is also a mobile library. On Thursday, the VUSA Academy Programme launched its mobile library initiative in Langa. Lungile Moferi drives the library slowly around the streets of Langa, and makes his first stop at an early childhood development centre called Dalukhanyo Pre-School. He is greeted […]

Lightning tonight struck the Satara Rest Camp in South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park, setting fire to a cottage chalet and burning it to the ground. Fortunately nobody was injured, although one or more guests’ vital chronic medication was destroyed and they have had to immediately leave the park. The South African National Parks (SANParks) […]

In a year when we’re all holding thumbs that My Octopus Teacher wins an Oscar, we’ve got good news for South Africans on where you can watch the 93rd Academy Awards live. Where can you watch the Academy Awards / Oscars in South Africa? You can be a part of one of the world’s most […]

Brilliant South African author Deon Meyer has received France’s top cultural award – the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) – at a ceremony in Stellenbosch. Meyer, whose Afrikaans books are translated into French and numerous other languages, received the award on Tuesday, 20 April 2021. It […]

South Africa’s beloved former Public Protector Thulisile (Thuli) Madonsela, has had the French knighthood officially bestowed upon her in a beautiful ceremony in Stellenbosch this week. Writing on Twitter, Madonsela said she was “immensely overwhelmed with gratitude”. Prof Madonsela was appointed as Knight of the Legion of Honour by France’s President Emmanual Macron in November […]

The Snail and the Whale, directed by Max Lang and South Africa’s Daniel Snaddon, has won the Annie Award in Los Angeles for Best Special Production, which recognises excellence in animation. Animated in Cape Town by Triggerfish and produced by Magic Light Pictures, The Snail and the Whale (which is currently streaming on Showmax across most […]

African National Congress (ANC) veteran and businessman Tokyo Sexwale addresses the media, about his claims that billions (or trillions) of rand have been stolen from the WSB (White Spiritual Boy) Heritage Fund after being deposited at the central bank. The SA government refuted Tokyo’s claims. Watch video below. The National Treasury and South African Reserve […]

The SA Cabinet has welcomed the recommendation by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority to lift the suspension of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) Sisonke Vaccination Programme. The suspension in SA followed the suspension of the J&J vaccination rollout programme in the USA after six people, who received the J&J vaccine, developed a rare type […]

After reaching out to schools across South Africa with his coding project, Prof Jean Greyling from Nelson Mandela University has grave concerns regarding the new Coding and Robotics Curricula in the country. Prof Greyling has consequently written this open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa… Dear President Ramaphosa I am inspired and emboldened to write you […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has tonight, Wednesday 21 April, announced 27 October 2021 as the date on which local government elections will take place. In a statement on the Presidency, it said this will be the sixth time under South Africa’s democratic dispensation that voters will elect leadership and public representatives at metropolitan, district and local […]

As of this week, Showmax mobile subscribers across Africa will pay on average 20% less for access to the full Showmax catalogue on a single mobile device. Showmax reduces cost for its mobile-only entertainment plan while all other prices remain unchanged. Speaking about the price change, Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO for Connected Video, says: […]

Second-year student Elizabeth Pretorius was busy preparing for a Sociology tutorial on Sunday morning at her student residence, Graça Machel Hall, when the fire broke out which was to tear through the University of Cape Town campus and spread across the mountain. “It was a normal Sunday morning. I made plans to go out for […]

The devastating fire that ran its course across the side of Table Mountain in Cape Town this week has put the spotlight back on the management of an iconic range that’s home to some of the most biodiverse vegetation in the world. And what should – and could – have been done to reduce the […]