JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s rand firmed against the U.S. dollar in late trade on Friday, as hopes for a rapprochement on trade between Beijing and Washington calmed investors’ nerves. The currency had suffered through much of August, sliding nearly 6% on fears of a downgrade to junk by Moody’s, and concerns about the trade dispute […]

JOHANNESBURG – South African state arms firm Denel said on Friday it had received a R1.8 billion ($118.13 million) bailout and that government would consider its request for a further R1-billion cash injection in budget planning for 2020/21. Denel, which has been struggling to emerge from a financial crisis, added in a statement it would […]

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo – The death toll from Democratic Republic of Congo’s year-long Ebola outbreak has climbed above 2,000, government data showed on Friday, as responders battle to overcome community mistrust and widespread security problems. The death in neighbouring Uganda of a 9-year-old girl – who had tested positive for the virus after […]

Japan is gripped with Rugby World Cup (RWC) fever as they brace themselves to host the world’s top rugby tournament next month. And the country, which shares a special rugby relationship with South Africa – since unexpectedly beating the Springboks in the last RWC (in the UK) – has been practising SA’s national anthem Nkosi […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has denied any wrongdoing after an alleged racial assault at a bar last weekend as he met with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following a complaint by a member of the public. Local media reports say a man was allegedly racially and physically abused in the […]

You don’t want to poke the bear when it comes to Esti van Tonder, especially not when the Olympics are less than a year away, writes GARY LEMKE. South Africa’s national women’s canoeing champion in the K1 200 and 500m, Van Tonder added the 500m African Games title to her ever-growing CV and aims on […]

A Port Elizabeth woman, Lindi-Mae Humphreys, has shared the harrowing details of her near abduction on Tuesday 27 August in the hope that her reaction will help prevent at least one abduction, one rape, one hijacking or one murder. In a Facebook post on Thursday evening, Lindi-Mae (who owns a swim school in PE), revealed […]

Grab a tissue, and turn this up! Watch Fish Hoek Primary School (FHPS) sending the Springboks their support in an inspired and enthusiastic video. It also looks like it could be the start of a very cool trend – #PassingOnTheBok! – whereby each school that participates nominates another! Sun Valley Primary School – you’re up […]

Team SA started today with 66 medals at the 12th African Games. Below is a full rundown of how the South Africans have fared in Rabat and Casablanca in Morocco. There were also more medals today from Nita Scholtz, Esti van Tonder, the women’s K2 500m, the men’s and women’s K4 500m (gold), Chanel Simmonds […]

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus believes the Springboks’ fate at the Rugby World Cup in Japan could be decided by fine margins such as the bounce of a ball, a missed tackle or a refereeing decision. Erasmus told Reuters in an interview that the team’s preparations, which included lifting the Rugby Championship for the first time in […]

The new movie “Moffie” by Oliver Hermanus is picking up significant buzz before its first showings, at the Venice Film Festival and then the London Film Festival, two prestigious international movie events. The movie is one of ten competing for the Best Film Award at the 63rd BFI London Film Festival, which takes place 2-13 […]

CAPE TOWN – The South African government may be forced to inject more money into state power firm Eskom by the end of March next year, should the struggling utility fail to meet its borrowing plan, a National Treasury presentation to parliament said on Wednesday. Treasury has already earmarked 59 billion rand ($3.9 billion) to […]

PRETORIA – Taxi drivers blockaded downtown Pretoria, South Africa, on Wednesday morning, reportedly in retaliation for the death of a colleague who had been shot a day earlier, after which looting of shops began. Taxi drivers were protesting the shooting of a fellow driver on Tuesday, after they clashed  with a group that was apparently […]

A terrified community in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, has been reassured that the government is fixing damaged fences to protect them from wildlife attacks, while it has sadly been revealed that 12 of 13 escaped lions have died. One is still on the loose, terrorising the community while game rangers try to track it down. […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today participate in a Japan-South Africa Business Forum at the Nissan Global Headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. This engagement by the President forms part of his working visit to Japan, where he arrived on Tuesday to participate in the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development. President Ramaphosa will use the business […]

WINDHOEK – Namibia is considering withdrawing from the rules that govern the global trade in endangered species, after countries voted last week to reject proposals to relax restrictions on hunting and exporting its white rhinos. Namibia has the second largest population of white rhinos after South Africa. It wants to allow more trophy hunting of […]

US award-winning entertainer Steve Harvey has announced plans to launch – and host – a South African version of popular international show ‘Family Feud’, as well as a local version for Ghana. The world famous businessman and philanthropist will be moving to South Africa in October for a few months when filming on the SA […]

JOHANNESBURG – Springboks captain Siya Kolisi carries not only the weight of an expectant nation as he leads South Africa into the Rugby World Cup in Japan but also the hopes of millions of youngsters who dream of using sport to break the cycle of poverty. Kolisi was last year named South Africa’s first black […]

BIARRITZ – A White House correspondent for the Associated Press news agency failed to recognize President Cyril Ramaphosa while he was having a chat with several leaders at the G7 summit – calling him “one unidentified leader” – and social media immediately came down on her. Ramaphosa, who had been invited to the G7 summit […]

The names of the 31 Springboks who will carry the hopes and dreams of around 60 million South Africans with them onto the field in Japan next month, for the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2019, were announced today. (See full Springbok team at bottom of page.) The Springbok squad was unveiled by various broadcasters around […]

Conspiracy theories have arisen in South Africa following the reported death of Bosasa boss Gavin Watson in what appeared to be a horrific car accident early on Monday morning, near Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Some question the ‘suspicious’ nature of the accident – the apparent speed the vehicle was travelling in around a […]

Acting President David Mabuza has, on behalf of government and the people of South Africa, conveyed his deepest condolences following the sad passing of Umkhonto we Sizwe veteran and pioneer businesswoman, Dr Thandi Cynthia Ndlovu. Dr Ndlovu passed away on Saturday in a car accident involving two vehicles which claimed at least two other lives. […]

The chief of a company repeatedly implicated in corruption allegations at the state capture inquiry died in a horrific car accident near O.R. Tambo International Airport, it has been reported. The Germiston mortuary confirmed that the body of 71-year-old Gavin Watson, chief of Bosasa, had been brought in early on Monday, according to News24 and […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africans could start withholding their tax payments due to years of corruption which might force the country to seek an international bailout, the chief of the revenue service said on Monday. South Africa has seen revenue collection fall sharply since 2015 due to weak economic growth and maladministration, leading President Cyril Ramaphosa […]

At least 75 officials working at motor vehicle licensing centres around South Africa have been singled out for fraud and corruption in the last two years, and eight were arrested on Friday in Standerton after helping falsify documents for 87 trucks, according to the National Traffic Police. The NTP, also known as the Road Traffic […]