A number of existing drugs are being re-purposed and tested in South Africa for their efficiency in the potential treatment for the Coronavirus (COVID-19). “Preliminary work on the development of vaccines has started with University of Cape Town (UCT), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Biovac. Progress is expected in over 18 months,” […]

South Africa’s COVID-19 cases have increased to 709 confirmed positive cases as of the latest Coronavirus Update on Wednesday. Speaking to the public broadcaster, the SABC, on Wednesday morning, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced the latest figures which increased by 155 cases overnight. With 64 new cases, Gauteng led the pack of the provinces with […]

Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town may be closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus in South Africa, but the penguins are having a blast… and lifting the spirits of all those, preparing for lockdown, who have watched videos of the happy penguins not only going walk-about… but running and hopping too! A few days […]

At the stroke of midnight on Thursday, South Africa will go on a nationwide lock-down with the exception of essential services. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement on Monday evening, following a meeting on Sunday with the National Coronavirus Command Council. The lockdown is the South African government’s bid to contain and slow down the […]

The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has announced that as of Tuesday, South Africa has 554 confirmed COVID-19 cases. This is an increase of 152 new cases from Monday’s announcement. The update follows the President’s televised address to the nation on Monday night, where he announced a nationwide lockdown in South Africa as part […]

“No one is safe until we are all safe. The next few weeks are going to be critical — we will need to work together to reduce the spread of the virus,” explains the signup sheet of a new Covid-19 response initiative. The Cape Town Together Community Action Network is an initiative that has been […]

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has been postponed for a year, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan announced today, Tuesday 24 March 2020. In a joint statement, they said “in the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan […]

PRETORIA – Huawei Technologies has handed over a million rand donation to South Africa’s Department of Health, to support efforts to fight and contain the spread of the covid-19 virus. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize – who also received a further R2-million from the South Africa-China Economic and Trade Association, at the Chinese Embassy in […]

A rather large elephant seal has set up home on what is normally a popular tourist beach at Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. But fortunately for the seal, the chances are he won’t be much disturbed as the City of Cape Town announced that the beaches will be closed from today, Tuesday 24 […]

The DA says it welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement Monday evening of a nationwide lockdown and the deployment of the South African National Defence Force. DA Leader John Steenhuisen said after the speech: “These measures are of critical importance in our efforts to combat the spread of the Coronavirus through our communities and contain, as […]

South Africa will officially go into lockdown at midnight on Thursday night, 26 March 2020, for 21 days, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in a live streaming to the nation on Monday evening. He said that since his last address a week ago the global coronavirus crisis has deepened from 160,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases to 340,000… […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will be addressing the nation on the outcome of a meeting with business and political party leaders on ways to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in SA. WATCH VIDEO: Live streaming – President Ramahosa Addresses the Nation on Coronavirus

As uncertainty and fear grow amid the Covid-19 virus outbreak, some farms in the Western Cape are closing their doors. This could see hundreds if not thousands of seasonal farmworkers like Elizabeth Pietersen without means to provide for their families. Pietersen said she was recently dismissed “with immediate effect” without any warning. The only explanation […]

The South African business community has mobilised to combine its resources as a way of limiting the economic, social and health impact of COVID-19 on the country. This emerged at the discussions held by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s business formations on Sunday. Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), the Black Business Council (BBC) and […]

In response to government’s call on citizens to refrain from excessive purchasing and stockpiling goods as it intensifies its efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19), Dis-Chem Pharmacies has advised that it will be limiting the number of items consumers can purchase. With immediate effect, shoppers will be able to purchase a maximum of six units […]

South Africa has 402 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 128 from Sunday’s announcement… and has registered its first confirmed case in the Northern Cape. On Monday, the Health Department confirmed an increase of 128 cases. The announcement comes just hours ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on measures to be […]

Suppose you had the choice between two health policies, A and B. Policy A would result in the death of a lot of elderly people. Policy B would result in the death of a lot of children, especially infants. Which would you choose? Right now we are facing a choice between more or less drastic […]

Here is today’s letter from President Cyril Ramaphosa, keeping South Africans updated on the latest coronavirus news. Dear Fellow South African, There comes a time in the affairs of a country when, in the face of the most formidable of challenges, its very existence as a nation is put to the test. The corona virus […]

The proliferation of fake news about the COVID-19 pandemic has been labelled a dangerous “infodemic”. Fake news spreads faster and more easily today through the internet, social media and instant messaging. These messages may contain useless, incorrect or even harmful information and advice, which can hamper the public health response and add to social disorder […]

In the latest coronavirus update in South Africa, confirmed by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday evening 22 March 2020 – the country had 34 new cases that tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, bringing the current total to 274. According to the NCID (National Institute of Communicable Diseases), South Africa has tested 9,315 people. […]

South African Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos is back in Cape Town after his Olympic training preparations were thrown into disarray due to Covid-19. Le Clos, gold medallist in the 200m butterfly at London 2012 and awaiting news whether his 200m freestyle silver from Rio 2016 is going to be converted into gold, had […]

World famous Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo is the latest celebrity to announce he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 79-year-old announced his diagnosis on Sunday, posting the following message on Facebook: “I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive for COVID19, the Corona virus. “My […]

Hollywood movie producer and recently convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, who is serving 23 years for third-degree rape and sexual assault, has reportedly tested positive for Coronavirus. According to reports, Weinstein was moved from Rikers Island in New York City into isolation at Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo in New York state on Wednesday. It’s believed […]

South Africa’s The Kiffness has created an awesome version of Toto’s Africa that’s going viral faster than a virus! The Kiffness’ David Scott posted the brilliant video on Sunday, saying: “Please stay home South Africa #FlattenTheCurve” (For more info on flattening the curve, see below the video.) He calls the video “Toto – Africa (COVID-19 […]

Check out this adorable three-year-old South African child – Ibanathi Mpungose – teaching the nation how to prevent Coronavirus, in her very passionate manner. South Africans are loving her! The video, shared by her father, has gone viral – watched by over 36,000 people on Instagram; and shared on Twitter by the likes of DJ […]