With perfect weather forecast all along the Overberg coastline, Thursday was the perfect day to conduct the first Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit aerial southern right whale survey for 2019… writes marine conservation photographer Jean Tresfon. I arrived at the airfield early and was already warming up the gyrocopter on the apron before sunrise when […]

Eastern Cape draughts player Landikhaya Makeleni has been invited to play draughts (checkers) for four days in the United States, from 4 to 7 October for the Go-As-You-Please (GAYP) World Qualifying Tournament. Participants include players from Italy, Burundi, Croatia, US, Kenya, and Congo. Each country sends two players. Makeleni will travel with another South African […]

Mitchell Slape, the new CEO of Massmart, the retailer owned by America’s Walmart that has more than 425 stores throughout Africa, will start work on 1 September, it was reported today. Slape, who has worked with Walmart in Argentina, Japan and Mexico, had been appointed earlier in the year, but he has just received his […]

In spite of the phenomenal success of Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, numerous other coastal towns in the Western Cape with the potential to develop the tourist potential of their harbours remain unused. The province wants to change that and create more jobs. The province’s finanical MEC, David Maynier, said in an interview on CapeTalk today […]

JOHANNESBURG – South African mobile phone operator Vodacom Group will spend more than R9 billion ($589 million) this year on network enhancements particularly in rural areas in its home market, its Chief Technology Officer said on Thursday. Vodacom, majority-owned by Britain’s Vodafone, invested 9.6 billion rand in 2018, Andries Delport said during a media briefing. […]

It’s official! New Zealand travellers to South Africa no longer need a visa to visit SA’s beautiful shores! Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced Thursday that nationals from four of the seven countries for which he granted visa-free status during his Budget Vote speech will now officially be able to travel to South Africa without […]

South Africa’s iconic artist and designer Carrol Boyes passed away last night, after a brief illness, her company said in a statement on Thursday. Tributes have poured in from South Africans around the country, and world. Gauteng publicist Georg Knoke said: “Such sad news! RIP Caroll Boyes! Apart from being one of the most admired […]

A South Africa court on Thursday awarded a second punitive costs order against the country’s top anti-corruption official, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, after finding an investigation conducted by her office showed “gross negligence”. Pretoria High Court Judge Ronel Tolmay ordered the Public Protector’s office to pay 85% of the costs of the Democratic Alliance and the Council for […]

The South African rand firmed early on Thursday, pulling back from a slide to its lowest in nearly 11 months as investors digested signs of global economic recession and looked to buy the currency at cheaper rates in anticipation of sharper falls. The rand was up almost 1% at 15.2250 against the U.S. dollar after a low of […]

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, will on Thursday host the 2019 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) to recognise the participation of women in research. Now in its 15th year, the prestigious awards recognise and reward excellence by women scientists and researchers, and profile them as role models for younger […]

This morning South African women hand over a petition signed by over 62,000 people saying enough is enough. SA women are fighting back, gatvol of being raped, abused and murdered in South Africa. Tired of losing their relatives and friends. Tired of living in fear for their safety. The final straw was passionate horse rider […]

Lunga Ntuli, a former car guard from South Africa, has been making headlines in the UK after his dazzling watch designs were brilliantly showcased on the catwalk during Africa Fashion Week London, on Friday.   Lunga, who used to live off tips from taking care of people’s vehicles, has made headlines overseas. He’s the brains […]

A popular male lion, which had been photographed frequently by hundreds of visitors to Hwange National Park in west Zimbabwe, was shot dead by hunters this last weekend on World Lion Day (10 August). In a heartbreaking message on social media on Wednesday evening, Captured in Africa (CIA) Foundation founder Drew Abrahamson announced the devastating […]

The African National Congress (ANC) Study Group on Health says it is pleased with the introduction of the National Health Insurance (NIH) Bill, to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee (PC) on Health. It claims the NHI will guarantee that all South Africans have access to free, comprehensive and quality healthcare in the country’s health facilities… and disputes […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s double Olympic champion Caster Semenya, who has been locked in a battle over her testosterone levels with world athletics authorities, said on Wednesday that she has not felt supported by other women in sport. The South African athlete will not be able to defend her 800-metres title at the world championships […]

LONDON – South African sprinter Akani Simbine will look to become the fastest man on earth at next month’s world championships but he will run with a heavy heart that his compatriot and friend Caster Semenya will not be joining him in Doha. Simbine, 25, has enjoyed a stellar year in preparation for his fourth […]

JOHANNESBURG – South African private education firm Curro Holdings will invest 223 million rand ($14.66 million) in opening four new campuses, it said on Wednesday, after reporting a 44% rise in half-year headline earnings. Founded in 1998, Curro, which runs schools and tertiary institutions in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, has been growing at a […]

One month after setting her sights on corruption within her department, new Public Works and Infrastructure MInister Patricia de Lille has said investigators have uncovered years of public officials creating shell companies to exploit government contracts, over-quoting, and delivering poor service. This, she said on Tuesday, had become the norm. As a result, she said, […]

Last month Mossel Bay resident Andre Pieterse felt compelled to act when he saw a Facebook appeal written by a mom, Elonia Campher, from nearby George in the Western Cape. She was desperately seeking help for her two-year-old son, Alestiano who was born with incurable COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). As a result of the […]

DURBAN – The leadership of the African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal has after a lengthy delay decided to remove the mayors and executive committees of the troubled cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, it announced in a statement today. At the same time it pledged the support of the ANC in the province, formerly a stronghold […]

Former minister of tourism Derek Hanekom is suing Jacob Zuma for defamation over a comment that he was a known enemy agent inside the African National Congress, according to news reports today. The lawsuit, for R500,000, will be heard next week. In late July former president Zuma commented on Twitter that Hanekom, a well-known supporter […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s rand weakened on Monday, stretching losses to a new 11-month low as political uncertainty and a bleak economic outlook was worsened by uncertainty over the chances of a resolution to the trade standoff between Beijing and Washington. At 1515 GMT, the rand was 0.5% weaker at 15.3375 per dollar, its weakest […]

After the public protector lost yet another case in court, the Democratic Alliance has repeated its call for parliament to expedite proceedings to remove the controversial Busiswe Mkhwebane from office. “The longer she remains in office, the more she will erode the nation’s faith in this very crucial Chapter 9 institution,” the DA said in […]

MITCHELLS PLAIN – After a bloody weekend in Cape Town, where 47 murders took place, the Minister of Police Bheki Cele on Monday said more than 1,000 people had been arrested for violent crimes since the army entered the city’s townships in Operation Lockdown one month ago to help the police battle crime. Earlier in […]

Large-scale protest action in Hong Kong has led South African Airways to cancel its flights between Johannesburg and the Chinese city, where the growing pro-democracy mass action has shut down the main airport, one of the busiest in the world. There were two SAA flights, one in either direction, scheduled for today. In a notification […]