South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced, with profound sadness, the passing of Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa. Minister Molewa passed away at a Pretoria hospital today, after a short illness. “I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Minister Edna Molewa as well as to her colleagues in Cabinet and across all […]

Over 500 rhinos were poached for their horns in South Africa in the first eight months of 2018… which while still horrific, is a 26 % drop from the 691 who were slaughtered in the same period last year, the Department of Environmental Affairs said on Friday as it released the latest South African rhino […]

This week’s episode of Carte Blanche, screened on Sunday in South Africa, is available to South Africans abroad from Tuesday 25th September 2018 – if you subscribe to Showmax.This week’s topics include: Hangberg on Edge Missing and presumed dead, small-scale fisherman Durick van Blerk disappeared overboard after a confrontation with anti-poaching police patrol in August. […]

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – More than 100 bodies have been retrieved after a ferry sank on Lake Victoria, Tanzanian state radio reported on Friday, and hundreds more were still feared missing as rescuers searched for survivors from daybreak on the morning after the disaster. Radio TBC Taifa reported the latest toll from the sinking […]

PRETORIA (Reuters) – South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a multi-billion-dollar stimulus programme on Friday, earmarking funds for job creation and infrastructure development as he seeks to make good on a pledge to revive the country’s ailing economy. Speaking a day after the central bank disappointed some in his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Ajay Gupta, one of the business friends of ex-president Jacob Zuma, denied on Thursday making any financial offer to South Africa’s former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas or threatening to have him killed if he ever spoke of the matter. A public inquiry is reviewing allegations that the Gupta brothers – who […]

Over the past year, tourism in Cape Town has suffered as considerate – or concerned – tourists have avoided the Western Cape region during its heavy drought… a drought which made world headlines after Cape Town announced that residential taps would be turned off on ‘Day Zero’. The day fortunately never arrived… as Capetonians worked […]

PRETORIA – South Africa’s central bank left its benchmark repo rate on hold at 6.5 percent on Thursday, in a tight call, with the bank’s governor striking a more hawkish note than at the last rate meeting in July. The rate decision by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) was closely watched after emerging market […]

JOHANNESBURG – A South African man was arrested and will be charged in court for posting a video on social media in which he hurled racial abuse at President Cyril Ramaphosa, police said on Thursday. It was the latest such incident to cause a public outcry in South Africa and shows the racial tensions that […]

Since South Africa’s highest court decided Tuesday to allow the private use of marijuana, these are just some of the jokes and memes that South Africans have been sharing:

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s highest court on Tuesday allowed the private use of marijuana, upholding a lower court’s ruling that found the criminalization of cannabis was unconstitutional. Activists who include members of the Rastafarian movement and traditional healers greeted the ruling with loud applause. They have held marches over the years to demand that […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged on Monday there would be no mass layoffs of public sector workers as the South African government considers various ways to pull the economy out of a recession that has rattled the rand and investor confidence. The economy slipped into recession in the second quarter for […]

An economic stimulus package for South Africa, adopted by Cabinet, is set to spark economic activity and boost the country’s growth, according to the country’s president. President Cyril Ramaphosa shared with South Africa’s business and labour leaders an outline of the economic stimulus package during a consultative meeting on Friday. The meeting in Pretoria was […]

(Reuters) – AfriAg Global Plc has hired a law firm to help with the application process to become a licensed medical cannabis cultivator and producer in the UK, the South African haulier said on Monday. Britain proposed in July to allow doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis starting this year and several countries, including Germany, Italy […]

Capetonians have gathered at the V&A Waterfront harbour, South Africa, to photograph the latest international celebrity to visit the Mother City – the 126,2 metre long Octopus superyacht. Regular SAPeople contributor, Madhuri Kooverjee Chavda, was dockside on Friday to capture the photos on this page. “It was a beautiful afternoon at the V&A Harbour admiring the […]

You never know who you’ll bump into on the beach! iSimangaliso Wetland Park posted these two surprising photos last night after their Infrastructure Manager, Mike Bouwer, happened across a hippo taking a dip on the KwaZulu-Natal coast in South Africa. “You just never know what you’ll find in iSimangaliso!” said the Park, which is home […]

South African Pro Surfer Jordy Smith is featured in a new video campaign letting the world know that Cape Town and the Western Cape are still here… after international headlines earlier this year warned overseas visitors of the water restrictions in Cape Town. In a video uploaded by Discover Cape Town and Western Cape, it […]

JOHANNESBURG  – The judge leading an inquiry into claims of influence-peddling (or ‘state capture’) against former South African president Jacob Zuma rejected an application by the Gupta brothers to cross-examine witnesses, saying they could only do so if they testified. The public inquiry, which is being telecast live in South Africa, is reviewing allegations that […]

A set of quintuplets has been safely delivered in South Africa, only the third set since 1994! The Buthelezi babies were born at Clinix Botshelong Empilweni Private Hospital in Vosloorus, Gauteng. Clinix congratulated the South African medical team, led by Dr Moeng Pitsoe, on the successful delivery; and also congratulated the proud parents and wished […]

South African rhino poaching documentary, STROOP, has been selected as the opening night screening for an international film festival in Germany, Europe. The elated producers called the invitation, to open the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam on 24 October, “unbelievable news”. “We feel really honoured as the festival director phoned us to tell us the good […]

The release of crime statistics in South Africa always triggers great angst among ordinary citizens, and obfuscation on the part of the South African authorities. This year was no exception. In their latest release of crime statistics, the South African Police Service seem to have tried to downplay crime rate increases (and exaggerate crime rate […]

A small stone flake marked with intersecting lines of red ochre pigment some 73,000 years ago that was found in a cave on South Africa’s southern coast represents what archaeologists on Wednesday called the oldest-known example of human drawing. The abstract design, vaguely resembling a hashtag, was drawn by hunter-gatherers who periodically dwelled in Blombos […]

South Africa is celebrating the world’s first lion cubs born through artificial insemination, which experts say is a pioneering moment in the conservation of the big cats. The fluffy pair were born on August 25, 2018 at the Ukutula Conservation Center in the North West province. They were conceived through non-surgical artificial insemination using fresh […]

South African artist Portchie is currently exhibiting in London, and expats have until Sunday to soak in the wonderful art… featuring fabulous flowers and both South African scenes as well as UK scenes (check out the London Taxi cushions!). The packed opening night last week, of The Special Moments Exhibition, was buzzing with South African […]

An independent team has been appointed to investigate the cause of the sad death of two learners in Gauteng, South Africa, yesterday. The deceased were siblings – a 10-year-old in Grade 4, and a seven-year-old in Grade 1. Both were at Kumalo Primary School in Katlehong. The elder child allegedly first complained in class of […]