As 2019 comes to an end GroundUp reflects on another tumultuous year. South Africans came out in their numbers to protests against gender based violence. The army was deployed to the Cape Flats to assist police with gang violence. Refugees and asylum seekers were chaotically evicted from outside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ offices in Cape Town and […]

While Durban celebrates being voted Greenest City in the World (for the green spaces in the coastal holiday town), the city is actually making headlines around the planet for its devastating plastic pollution. The UK’s Daily Mail, one of the most read media outlets in the world, said: “Waves of PLASTIC crash towards litter-strewn South […]

South Africa’s national carrier, South African Airways, has been placed in voluntary business rescue. It’s an historic moment as it’s the first business rescue attempt of a state owned entity. The decision places the country in unfamiliar territory – politically, economically and legally. What happens next will determine whether the decision was the right one […]

In a historic move, Donald Trump has been impeached… although that does not mean he will stop being the President of the United States. That is a decision that can only be made by the Senate. And in an incredible outburst he appeared to attack a widow for voting to impeach him, as if she […]

Every now and then an important film hits our screens, a film that’s not just entertainment… but which resonates with many and sends an important message that every single South African should hear and see. Moffie is one of those. The film – by acclaimed director Oliver Hermanus – has already premiered at the Venice […]

Tonight South African expat and comedian Trevor Noah will be interviewing Miss Universe on The Daily Show. It’s extra special since Miss Universe is of course South Africa’s own Zozibini Tunzi. (Watch video below.) Zozi and the Miss Universe page shared preview photos of the interview – which, with the way they’re both laughing and […]

With a drop in demand during the holiday period and a return of some generating units to service, Eskom is not expecting to implement load shedding today. “Eskom will continue to use emergency reserves to supplement capacity if necessary over this period,” said the power utility on Wednesday. Eskom has not load shed in four […]

Intercape, a luxury coach transport service in Southern Africa, has confirmed that eight armed robbers held up one of its buses travelling from Johannesburg to Harare (in Zimbabwe) on Saturday 7 December 2019. The incident, in which four of the gang members had apparently boarded the bus previously pretending to be passengers, occurred at around […]

Messages of support and sympathy have poured in for Samantha O’Keefe, winemaker and owner of Lismore Estate Vineyards in the Overberg, near to Greyton, South Africa, where a devastating wildfire – allegedly begun by children – has apparently destroyed both her homestead and cellar. Friends, colleagues and customers have expressed their “heartbreak” and “devastation” for […]

An exceptional maths and science teacher from Newcastle in South Africa – Khangelani Sibiya (known to many as KWV) – has been named Best Global Teacher of the Year at the Global Education Awards ceremony in Dubai. Sibiya, who teaches with passion and energy, was selected from 80 of the top teachers in the world […]

CAPE TOWN – New Zealand did the double at the fifth instalment of the popular Cape Town Sevens in South Africa as their men’s and women’s teams were crowned champions on a weekend where new sevens records were set in the Mother City. With a women’s tournament added to the action for the first time, […]

I totter around the Pick n Pay in Germiston with my fresh platinum rinse and a trolley as my perambulator. Octogenarians overtake me with their sneaky leopard-crawling techniques, beating me to the till… writes Viv Vermaak (who had double knee surgery a few days ago). “Are you a pensioner?” the cashier asks me. “Excuse me…?!” […]

Eish, South Africans may have one of the sexiest accents in the world… but turns out it’s also one of the most difficult to master, even for someone who once played a magician! Watch the ‘Escape from Pretoria’ official trailer below, and you’re likely to wish Harry Potter could wave his magic wand and improve […]

This “has to be the luckiest and bravest pangolin in the world”, says Phinda Private Game Reserve conservation manager Simon Naylor. The little pangolin was abandoned, possibly run over and almost died… but thanks to luck and the dedication of a whole bunch of kind people in South Africa, he is now thriving in the […]

The Botswana Government says that the two hunters involved in the “unfortunate incident” in which a collared research elephant was shot, have voluntarily surrendered their professional hunting licenses to the licensing authority, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Botwana named the hunters as professional hunter Michael Lee Potter, and Kevin Sharp, a citizen hunting […]

The Springbok Sevens team fell at the final hurdle of the Cape Town Sevens on Sunday when they were beaten 7-5 by New Zealand in a very tense and tough final in front of 55,804 fans at Cape Town Stadium. The Kiwis were ecstatic when the final whistle blew after they lost the final to […]

South Africa’s golf star Ernie Els was humble in defeat on Sunday as the United States won their tenth Presidents Cup in Melbourne, Australia. Els, who captained the International Team in the Presidents Cup 2019, said to Tiger Woods’ players – “You deserved to win this. We gave it our everything, but you were the […]

South African photo-journalist Shiraaz Mohamed, who was taken hostage in 2017 in Syria, has escaped according to Gift of the Givers. Shiraaz was in Syria to highlight the plight and suffering of refugees and civilians displaced by the ongoing conflict in that country… when he was abducted on 10 January 2017 in Darkoush. Today Gift […]

The Springbok Sevens team have progressed to the Cape Town Sevens semi-finals after they beat Kenya by 17-5 in a very physical quarter-final characterized by a couple of massive hits on Sunday morning. The Blitzboks scored three tries – with Ruhan Nel dotting down twice – and had the big crowd on the edge of […]

Springbok Sevens Coach Neil Powell says South Africa will have a ‘serious look’ at their discipline as they head into the final day of the Cape Town Sevens. The SA Sevens team continued their good form by finishing top of Pool A, beating Fiji 26-14 and the USA 21-15 after a 49-0 demolition of Japan. […]

In an emotional final, with tears flooding the studio, South African expat and dancer Oti Mabuse, together with her celebrity partner, actor Kelvin Fletcher, has been crowned winner of the UK’s popular Strictly Come Dancing! UK reporters expressed their “delight” for Oti. “A glitterball win has been a long time coming (for her),” said a […]

Cricket South Africa (CSA) today announced the appointment of Mark Boucher as head coach of the Proteas and Enoch Nkwe as assistant coach at a Media Briefing at Newlands in Cape Town, South Africa. It was Acting Director of Cricket Graeme Smith’s first opportunity to engage with the media and he also outlined the timeline […]

The Springbok Sevens team topped Pool A at the Cape Town Sevens in South Africa after they held on in their final match of the day on Saturday to beat the USA by 21-15. Discipline was again an early issue for the Blitzboks as they conceded too many penalties, while Chris Dry and Seabelo Senatla […]

Drakensberg Boys Choir School Executive Head Greg Brooks is “recovering well”, after being critically injured during an attack at his home on the campus in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, earlier this week. According to the School – which is usually more famous for its award winning Drakensberg Boys Choir, Brooks was due to be transferred out […]

Almost every South African expat in London – and friends and family who visit them – has laughed at one point or another at the ‘Mind the Gap’ warnings that are announced at many Underground stations, where there’s a space between the train and the platform. But there’s one station where the announcer’s voice is […]