A South African expat billionaire is buying one of America’s most famous newspapers. It was reported Wednesday in the US that Tronc Inc. has agreed to sell the ‘Los Angeles Times’ to SA expat Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong… for a cool $500-million (which includes the LA Times’ sister paper, ‘San Diego Union-Tribune’). UPDATE May 2021: Dr […]

In Tanja Spykerman’s household, using less than 50 litres of water per person per day – as required by Cape Town’s Level 6b water restrictions – is a breeze! In fact, this motivated South African family of four (plus three pets) doesn’t just use less than 50 litres each… they use less than 50 litres […]

African National Congress President (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, has issued the following statement regarding his discussions with South African President Jacob Zuma about the transition in leadership. Here is the statement in full: Fellow South Africans, There has been a lot of speculation and anxiety about the position of President Jacob Zuma as the head of […]

The number of deaths caused by South Africa’s deadly Listeriosis outbreak is still escalating. According to the latest update Listeriosis has claimed 107 lives in SA, up from 61 exactly a month ago. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced on Tuesday that a total number of 852 laboratory-confirmed Listeriosis cases have been reported, […]

A South African expat’s video of thousands of children in the UK singing Toto’s “Africa” – which she uploaded for her friends in drought-stricken Cape Town – is going viral. Kae Skinner Sera, who lives in the UK, uploaded the video late on Monday night after the Young Voices performance at the O2 in London […]

The Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the African National Congress (ANC) has been postponed following an apparently “fruitful” meeting between the ANC President and South Africa’s President. The special meeting had initially been scheduled for Wednesday, 7 February 2018, “This postponement follows fruitful and constructive engagements, on various  issues, held earlier today by […]

As South Africa works out exactly what the state of the nation is, the Office of the ANC Chief Whip and DA Leader Mmusi Maimane have welcomed the postponement of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) as announced by the Presiding Officers today. The ANC Caucus said it will await the outcomes of the […]

In line with Level 6 drought measures, Deputy Mayor Alderman Ian Neilson today announced that the February 2018 water and sanitation accounts of Cape Town water users will reflect a tariff increase. He said: “This is an absolutely necessary step to reducing household demand and to ensure that the City can continue to supply water and […]

The Nelson Mandela Foundation has issued a press statement on Tuesday calling for President Jacob Zuma to resign. The foundation says it has been more than a year since it first called for President Zuma to resign. “We have now reached a point where South Africans can no longer wait for him to do so,” […]

Eikenhof Dam in Grabouw, South Africa, started releasing its water to the City of Cape Town at 11 am this morning, according to Elgin resident Cathy Shaw. Shaw uploaded the following video, saying: “This is what 10 000 cubic litres per hour looks like!” The Groenland Water Users Association in the Overberg is releasing between […]

The African National Congress (ANC) has resolved to convene a “Special NEC meeting” on Wednesday, 7 February 2018, in which it will discuss the “transition between the 5th and 6th administration of government and pending actions in Parliament”. In a statement issued in the past hour, the ANC said that during a meeting of the National […]

The African National Congress said in a statement Monday that it condemns in the strongest possible terms the assault of protestors by a grouping outside the ANC Headquarters, Chief Albert Luthuli House, earlier today. “Regardless of what some may deem as provocation by the Black First Land First Movement who intended to march to Luthuli […]

The City of Cape Town has announced that Day Zero (when residents’ taps will be turned off) “is expected to move out to mid-May 2018” thanks in large part to a decline in agricultural usage. The reported date is now 11 May. DA Leader Mmusi Maimane said: “This significant victory is thanks in large part […]

KENYA – One of the world’s top ivory and rhino horn trade investigators, Esmond Bradley Martin (75), was found murdered at his home in Langata, Nairobi on Sunday. He was allegedly working on a new report exposing the illegal trade. Esmond, an American geographer, had travelled the world identifying ivory and rhino horn markets and […]

South African motorists will be relieved this week as the petrol price is expected to decrease, thanks to the stronger rand. The department of Energy has announced a price decrease in petrol and diesel this week. “The rand appreciated, on average, against the US dollar (from R13.23 to R12.20 per USD) during the period under […]

Two siblings in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal tragically died on Saturday night after playing with their father’s licensed firearm. The incident occurred at 23h50, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS). The SAPS said an 11-year-old boy was playing with the firearm when a shot went off and struck his two-year-old sister. “The victim was taken […]

Minibus taxis in South Africa have been filmed using the pavement as an extra lane! Gauteng photographer, Susan Harwood, captured the action on film in William Nicol Drive in Johannesburg on 30 January 2018 at 06h40. Her initial post was apparently removed after receiving 3,500 shares and being sent to the ‘powers that be’ to […]

The South African graduate whose heartfelt tweet of gratitude to her father made national headlines last year, when she thanked him for taking her to university “even though you are a security guard”, has sadly lost her father to an illness. Alfred Mabanga passed away on 25 January in hospital. Just as his daughter Thobile (Thoby) […]

Here are the latest topics due for broadcast on Carte Blanche this Sunday, and available for South Africans living abroad from Tuesday – 6th February 2018 – if you’re a subscriber to Showmax International. (Sign up here.) Table Mountain Knife Attacks Last week yet another hiker was robbed,  stabbed and killed in the Table Mountain reserve, […]

A South African woman, Belinda Davids, who has been bringing the house down around the world… has finally come to the attention of her fellow South Africans, thanks to social media. In December, Belinda’s incredible rendition of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ earned her a standing ovation at the prestigious Showtime At The […]

A sports injury clinic in the heart of London – with a predominantly South African team – is helping save the rhinos back home in SA. Each year Ultra Sports Clinic (USC) sponsors a different charity taking part in the London Marathon. This year they’ve selected Save the Rhino International, and will be treating all […]

Johnny Clegg was never going to bow out quietly. Despite battling cancer, he felt he owed his fans a proper farewell, and for the past several months he’s done shows across the US, and in Canada, Dubai and London during his The Final Journey world tour. TONY JACKMAN caught the penultimate show of the tour […]

South African veteran actor David Phetoe has passed away at the age of 85. He died at a Johannesburg hospital on Thursday. Phetoe was well known for his prominent role on the SABC drama, Generations as Paul Moroka, father to Karabo (Connie Ferguson) and Archie Moroka (Sello Maake ka Ncube). Channel 24 reports that the […]

The more than 900 mineworkers who were trapped underground for over 24 hours at Sibanye’s Beatrix Gold Mine near Theunissen in the Free State have all been safely rescued Friday morning, according to an SABC report (see below). Sixty-five miners had already been rescued yesterday in a very slow operation that allowed for only one […]

DA Leader Mmusi Maimane and Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste Services Xanthea Limberg, visited the Strandfontein desalination plant on Friday, and confirmed they expect the plant to be online as early as March 2018. Maimane called it “great news” and said the plant will produce seven million litres of potable water […]