“Did you know I was a falconer?” Johnny had said to me some time ago. “I used to have falcons, you know, as pets.” I remember how he smiled with his eyes. His voice sang with laughter and amusement as he told the story of how he would need to feed the falcons mice, and […]

JOHANNESBURG – Ratings agency Fitch downgraded the outlook for South Africa’s sub-investment credit rating on Friday, citing fiscal pressures including increased support for struggling state firms such as the power utility Eskom. South Africa’s public finances are under huge strain as economic growth has proved weaker than expected while a handful of state companies have […]

In an affidavit submitted to the state capture inquiry, and now made public, President Cyrial Ramaphosa has given details of his meetings with the Gupta brothers and Gavin Watson, the head of Bosasa, the company at the centre of many of the state capture allegations because of allegedly bribing numerous government departments for work. The […]

The cigarette maker Philip Morris has opened a flagship store in Johannesburg, hoping to promote its heated tobacco product IQOS, according to the company. The store for IQOS, which stands for I Quit Ordinary Smoking, is in Sandton. South Africa, with an estimated 7 million smokers, is the only market in Africa where the company […]

Watch the Johnny Clegg memorial service – being held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg – live below. (Update: the service is now over but you can still watch it below. It’s very moving…) Dr John Kani opened the proceedings. He said: “Today we pay tribute to an incredible human being, a cultural reservoir, […]

There’s a Proudly South African family living on a farm in the North West, with some amazing employees and friends, who are giving us all goosebumps and inspiring the nation on how we could all work and play together. Watch the video below – filmed on Bona Bona Game Farm in Buisfontein (between Klerksdorp and […]

Records have been broken across Europe as a heatwave grips the continent again… caused by a cauldron of hot air from Africa’s Sahara desert being drawn northwards by high pressure. South Africans living abroad – who are used to the humidity in Durban and the hot, hot Karoo – shared their experiences with SAPeople today […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Presidential Health Compact on Thursday, which will make the way for a new health care system in South Africa that doesn’t discriminate against whether a person is rich or poor. “It has as its stated goal: one country, one health system. This means quality of care must be the same […]

The crack all-women anti-poaching team the Black Mambas, who have helped reduce poaching in their territory near Kruger National Park by 75 percent, and their founder have won two of four prestigious awards at a world tourism conference in Johannesburg, once again highlighting their environmental successes. At the African Resilience Summit, which was held yesterday […]

Rating agency Moody’s said the South African government’s proposal to provide additional financial support to struggling state-run power firm Eskom was “credit negative” for the sovereign as it was a further drain on fiscal resources. Eskom, which supplies more than 90% of South Africa‘s power but had to implement power cuts earlier this year, is grappling with high debt […]

South Africa has lost yet another 16 endangered black rhino… but this time they fortunately weren’t poached. They were dehorned, and moved for their own protection across SA’s borders to eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) – to a habitat that is “ideal” – and safer, according to the eSwatini national wildlife authority. As South Africa has tragically […]

The capacity of dams serving Cape Town have risen above 70 percent, an astounding gain of almost 10 percent over the past two weeks and almost three times as much as during Day Zero in 2017, according to the City of Cape Town. Heavy rains over the Western Cape during the last few days have […]

Dr. Reuel Khoza has been appointed as the first non-political chairman of the state-owned Public Investment Corporation, the largest asset manager in Africa, the Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni announced at the new board’s inaugural meeting today. Khoza is a former chairman of Eskom and Nedbank, and the author of numerous books. A new 13-member […]

The KwaZulu-Natal former realtor Penny Sparrow – who made world headlines and set South Africans’ rainbow nation dreams back a step when she posted a racist remark on Facebook in January 2016 – has died. Her family said in a statement on Thursday morning: “The family of Penny Sparrow wishes to inform the media that […]

The head of the Independent Power Producers Office, Karen Breytenbach, who has overseen more than R200 billion invested in renewable projects in South Africa since 2011 – at a time when the country has been trying to move away from coal energy – has been asked to vacate her position early because of what the […]

The former minister of tourism Derek Hanekom today confirmed that he met with the Economic Freedom Fighters, after allegations were made by EFF leader Julius Malema that Hanekom was one of two ANC leaders who in 2017 provided inside information in a bid to unseat former president Jacob Zuma. Hanekom, a staunch supporter of Cyril […]

On Monday members of the Royal Family were treated to a military display in Wales by members of South Africa’s Zulu ‘impi’ regiment, to mark 140 years since the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 when members of the Royal Welsh regiment fought at Rorke’s Drift. (Watch video below.) https://www.facebook.com/TheBritishMonarchy/photos/pcb.2531354623553019/2531351610219987/?type=3&theater The Prince of Wales, Charles, and his […]

Two South African u19 boys and girls canoe polo teams are preparing to fly to Northern Ireland where they will compete in the Junior International Canoe Polo Championships next week. It’s an exciting competition for the youngsters – who are all still in school and have an average age of 16. “This tour is a […]

Gale force winds and torrential rains have battered parts of the Western Cape today, causing flooding and damaging properties in Cape Town and surrounding areas. And there’s been snow in the Karoo in the Northern Cape. The City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management said Tuesday that the heavy downpours, which as predicted began on […]

The International Monetary Fund’s latest report on the World Economic Outlook has predicted that South Africa will continue to have a slower growth that much of sub-Saharan Africa, even slower than previously anticipated. In its report, “Still Sluggish Global Growth,” which was released today, the IMF predicted growth in South Africa of 0.7 percent in […]

JOHANNESBURG – The progress in South Africa since 1994 – the growth of the black middle class, access to education and basic services, and a decline in poverty – has been undermined more recently by stagnant growth, flagging investment, maladministration and corruption, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a sober but uplifting speech today. Addressing a […]

South African firefighters from Working on Fire (WoF) have yet again inspired the locals in Canada with their song and dance routine. Watch below. Alberta Wildfire in Canada posted a video of the South African crew dancing and singing on Mandela Day (18 July), and said: “Today is #MandelaDay2019, when the legacy of Nelson Mandela […]

Prince Albert II of Monaco was in South Africa this weekend to present the Rhino Conservation Awards (RCA) 2019 to all those heroes who dedicate their lives to conserving Africa’s iconic rhino. The Prince – who is married to South Africa’s former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock – said he admires all those honoured as well […]

In a dream come true, top South African epidemiologist Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim has officially become a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society, the world’s oldest science academy… over three decades after he first made it his goal as a student while studying at the London School of Economics. Professor Karim joins the ranks […]

Travel between Germany and more parts of South Africa will be easier, now that Lufthansa and Mango, the low-cost subsidiary of South African Airways, have started a code-sharing agreement. In 2017 Mango took over certain routes from SAA, such as such as Durban, Port Elizabeth and George. Because it did not have the same interline […]