Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche tonight, Sunday 05 May, in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 07 May for South Africans abroad in many countries. Tasmin Pepper and the First All-Woman Racing Series With a global audience of 1,7 billion people, Formula 1 is one of the most popular motor sports […]

Award-winning South African flutist and composer Wouter Kellerman has produced an amazing flute cover version of Ariana Grande’s chart-topping song, ‘7 Rings’… a play on the classic tune ‘Favourite Things’ from Oscar-winning movie, ‘The Sound Of Music’. Kellerman said on YouTube: “‘Favourite Things’ is about finding joy in small moments and simple objects, and was written […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), although heading for defeat in May 8 national elections, pledged to forge coalitions with smaller parties to break the dominance of the ruling ANC, especially at the local level. South Africans vote for a sixth time since the end of apartheid in 1994, and […]

South African Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker took surfing’s Ride of the Year trophy at the the World Surf League’s (WSL’s) Big Wave Awards held at Redondo Beach near Los Angeles on Thursday May 2. Baker (46) received the trophy for his performance on a massive wave in Maui, Hawaii, last November AND collected the Biggest Paddle […]

South Africa, as the old tourism slogan used to boast, is a world in one country: a land made remarkable by the diversity of its people, its cultures, its landscapes, its fauna and flora… writes Gus Silber. But away from the glossy brochures, the ad campaigns, the YouTube influencer videos, the truth is a little […]

As most South Africans now know, a new poll ranked the world’s sexiest accents and ‘South African’ came in second! (New Zealand came in first.) Watch below as Trevor Noah makes fun of the list with his interpretation of the New Zealand and Australian accents. Trevor asked which South African accent they specifically meant – […]

LONDON – Britain’s Princess Charlotte celebrated her fourth birthday on Thursday and her parents released three new pictures of the smiling young royal to mark the occasion. Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and his wife Kate, was pictured in the gardens at Kensington Palace in central London, and the family home in Norfolk, eastern England. […]

For South Africans living in London, life’s about to get a whole load more festive with a new party night dedicated just to South Africans! It starts in June. Lawaai Productions, which is owned by South African expats, and Bloomsbury Lanes will be hosting central London’s hottest new South African Night… aptly called Saffa Night. […]

So, imagine this. Local and international stars of South Africa’s most memorable beer and cider ads walk into a bar. Sounds like the start of a joke. Instead, it’s a recipe for magic in yet another brilliant South African commercial – a witty ad for Distell’s new beverage, EDGE. Picture the scene. Savanna’s Barry Hilton […]

SANParks is offering 40% discount for last minute specials on selected accommodation and camping. This special offer applies only to new reservations made via the online bookings platform. Qualifying accommodation and camping bookings apply to stays between 08/05/2019 and 14/05/2019 and is subject to availability. The 40% discount is available for the following accommodation units […]

It would be surprising if race played no part in South African elections. The country’s colonial and apartheid past ranked alongside America’s Deep South as among the most racist social orders in the world. If religious polarisation is also considered, South Africa often compared with Northern Ireland and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The slogan “rainbow nation” […]

PEMBA, Mozambique – Headmaster Ernesto Parivos, like thousands of people across his province in Mozambique, is watching for any signs that flood waters have eased as food supplies dwindle. Cyclone Kenneth barreled into the province of Cabo Delgado last week, knocking out power at Parivos’ School for Teachers of the Future, damaging 11 college buildings […]

A travel website with over 1.5 million readers has voted ‘South African’ – specifically Afrikaans – as the second sexiest accent in the world! Which is no big surprise. Many South African expats have been complimented on their accent for years (and ja, no well, some have been teased too). In 2011 British presenter Piers […]

Struggling Vrede farmer Meshack Ncongwane was a life-long supporter of South Africa’s governing African National Congress, but says the party won’t get his vote in parliamentary and provincial elections next week. Local ANC officials offered him what he thought would be a lucrative stake in a dairy farm in 2013. He was one of 80 […]

CAPE TOWN – Olympic 800-metres champion Caster Semenya on Wednesday lost her appeal against rules that mean female athletes with high natural levels of testosterone must take medication to reduce it. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled the regulations were necessary for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) to ensure fair competition. […]

The South African national flag will fly at half-mast at every station in the country from 1 – 7 May 2019, according to instructions from President Cyril Ramaphosa, as a mark of respect and in observance of seven days of national mourning for people who lost their lives due to the floods that have ravaged […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) appears headed for victory in next month’s election, as President Cyril Ramaphosa seeks to strike a reforming tone, with three opinion polls showing support ranging between 51 and 61 percent. The three pollsters, which used different methodologies and turnout assumptions for the May 8 parliamentary vote, […]

State-owned South African Airways (SAA) has reached an agreement in principle with lenders to roll over $642 million of debt, its CEO said on Tuesday, giving him room to execute a turnaround aimed at weaning the airline off government bailouts. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has made a point of supporting ailing state firms like […]

Durbanite singer Selkii said she “felt like a goddess” on The Voice in the US on Monday night, where the South African expat performed the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” on the Live Top 24 Performances 2019. “What an amazing experience,” she said on Facebook, adding “I need every vote and every prayer you got! ❤️”. […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africans voting for a new national parliament on May 8 will have 48 parties to choose from – more than at any election since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Many more political parties are contesting elections for nine provincial legislatures to be held on the same day. The African […]

Proud South Africans turned out in force yesterday for the famous London Marathon in the UK… and were not disappointed by the results, with the top three winning positions being hogged by athletes from the African continent in both the men’s and women’s categories. The race was won by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge who led from […]

It’s pleasing that the latest World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters without Borders rates the state of press freedom in South Africa as “satisfactory”. Satisfactory is the second best category after “good”. South Africa is on par in the “satisfactory” category with countries like Australia, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, the UK, Austria and Uruguay. […]

Landslides and floods triggered by torrential rain have killed at least 29 people in Indonesia, the disaster agency said on Monday, with thousands taking shelter in evacuation centres amid fears of disease. More than a dozen people were missing after the rain hit the province of Bengkulu, on the southwest side of Sumatra, on Friday […]

PEMBA, Mozambique – Rains grounded aid flights in northern Mozambique for a second day on Monday, hampering efforts to reach survivors of Cyclone Kenneth as the death toll there jumped to 38. Rescuers managed to use a brief break in the downpours to send one helicopter packed with aid to the island of Ibo, where […]

Thursday, 2 May, will be a day of mourning in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) for the victims of the floods that devastated Durban and surrounding areas on Easter Monday. The day of mourning was declared today by KZN Premier Willie Mchunu during a media briefing, according to SABC News. eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede was also provide updates […]