When the going gets tough, South Africans helpmekaar. With the recent heavy rains causing road closures in and around Lephalale (formerly Ellisras), the town has been supplying food and petrol to farmers who have been cut off. UPDATE: The area is now on a flood warning as 4 dam walls have allegedly broken. Local Lephalale […]

Even before Oscar Pistorius’ trial began for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, South Africans were in a tizz over the world media being allowed to broadcast proceedings. A week later, the armchair judiciary was up in arms over Judge Thokozile Masipa’s perceived lenience towards the defence. In their sights was Advocate Barry Roux who raised […]

It was a bitter-sweet win for South African cyclists Nolan Hoffman and Cherise Stander today at the Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour (phew, that’s a mouthful!). The male and female winners of the famous 109-kilometre race both had someone special in their hearts who couldn’t be there to witness and share in […]

The Cape Town chapter of the 5th World Naked Bike Ride took place this morning at 10 am. Cyclists (and those on rollerblades, scooters and wheelchairs!) were invited to “come as bare as you dare”. Photos captured by Simons Pics (thank you!). This earnest group of naked and semi-naked cyclists were not out to provoke […]

Tens of thousands of expats who made the effort to register, often in cities far from where they live, will not be able to vote in the forthcoming South African Election because they are unaware that they have to fill in an online VEC10 form notifying the IEC of their intention to vote abroad. A few […]

Grab the tissues. This is so beautiful. So South African. Yet  universal. It’s about fabulous friendship. And love. South African mom 35-year-old Gerdi McKenna – who has a five-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter – was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago. Last month one of her friends wrote an email to all […]

Congratulations to Carina Bruwer and the 14 swimmers who braved rough and cold waters yesterday to swim around Cape Point in the ‘Swim for Hope’. All the swimmers who took part in one of the world’s most extreme open water challenges successfully completed the 8 km swim AND broke male and female records along the […]

This is incredibly sad. A video has been uploaded to YouTube showing a young rhino – with its horn cut off – staggering helplessly in the Kruger National Park, before disappearing into the undergrowth. The video was filmed by tourists last week, on the 28th of February, near Phabeni Gate. They alerted the South African […]

Fifteen brave swimmers from all walks of life will take on one of the most extreme open water swimming challenges in South African waters this morning. All for charity. They’re raising money to support the Little Fighters Cancer Trust, a local charity that offers support to children with cancer and to their families. The group […]

It’s been raining down in Gauteng this morning bringing traffic to a standstill in some places. Acclaimed South African photographer Emil Wessels captured these photos next to Westdene Dam under an hour ago. At least one driver hurtling past the Dam got stuck after their engine was submerged in the flooded road. Award-winning photographer Emil […]

Congratulations to South African surfer Bianca Buitendag who has made it through to the Semi Finals of the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast of Australia, in the first ASP World Tour event of the year. “My expectations for this year is to take every opportunity with as much excitement and enthusiasm as I can,” […]

People in cities across the world – from Hong Kong and Brisbane to Paris, London, LA and Kampala  – will be marching to save South Africa’s lions on Saturday 15th March 2014. The Global March for Lions, which will take place around South Africa as well, has been initiated by local wildlife activists who wish […]

Eish. A video posted by South African motorist Symon Scott after witnessing rather unsavoury cyclist aggression has gone viral. In the video – which Simon recorded on his cellphone on Sunday – a group of cyclists, angry with a parked vehicle, violently attack the driver. The driver, who luckily only suffered bruises, was Tyberberg student […]

In the midst of a rather bland Oscars this year, there was one actress who stood out – Lupita Nyong’o who received the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Patsey in “12 Years a Slave”. The audience had to choke back tears as she admitted “it doesn’t escape me for one moment that […]

The multi-award winning globally renowned Soweto Gospel Choir will perform at a special Nelson Mandela tribute at Westminster Abbey in London today. Archbishop Desmond Tutu will also be in attendance.  The special Service of Thanksgiving to Celebrate the Life and Work of Nelson Mandela will be held at Westminster Abbey today at 12 noon. The South African […]

U2’s ‘Ordinary Love’, which they wrote for “Nelson Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom”, lost out at the Oscars last night in the Best Original Song category to ‘Let It Go’ from “Frozen”.  (And John Travolta couldn’t figure out how to pronounce Idina Menzel’s name when introducing her ‘Let It Go’ performance.) So South Africa’s […]

Unfortunately there will be no big South African winners at the Oscars tonight, but Charlize Theron will be on stage as a presenter …and U2’s ‘Ordinary Love’ (which they will perform this evening) could win the Best Music award for “Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom”. Previous South African Winners (and those who almost […]

As the international media descend on South Africa to cover the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, his family have called for an end to “public commentary”, but whether the media are commenting on Oscar – or on South Africa – it’s unlikely to stop just yet. Oscar’s uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said that with the start of […]

Cape Town celebrated Gay Pride 2014 today, and used the opportunity to march for those around Africa who can’t – with many placards calling on other African countries (particularly Uganda) to drop their homophobic laws and attitudes. “Cape Town’s diversity came alive at the Gay Pride today,” says Corinne Gans, a Cape Town based photographer […]

The last of Reggie Yates’s three-part BBC3 series on “Extreme South Africa” will air on Monday night in the UK with a focus on one of Johannesburg’s controversial “mega-churches”, The Church of Incredible Happenings. This week the British TV presenter – who has already delved into the largest white slum in Pretoria and covered knife crime in […]

A photo of a rather full African Rock Python has caused a bit of a stir on Facebook in the last couple of days. Andy de Wet, from De Wet Enviroscaping, uploaded the above photo of the snake after it was discovered on his neighbour’s farm in the Hartebeespoort/Brits area, having just eaten a duiker […]

Former Bafana Bafana, Kaizer Chiefs and Leeds United football star Lucas Radebe returned to his old primary school to give away magazines, much to the delight of the school kids there. Inspired by Brent Lindeque’s “A South African #NekNomination” video, this was Lucas’ own Random Act of Kindness (#RAKNomination). See video below. The South African […]

Ben Affleck, Hollywood actor and director of  Iran hostage-crisis drama “Argo”, reprised one of his more serious roles this week, as expert on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a far cry from his next on-screen role as Batman! Affleck testified on Wednesday in Washington D.C. on the murder and mayhem in the DRC. […]

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will present the Budget Speech to Parliament today (26 February 2014) at 14h00 South African time. It’s been a disappointing year financially for South Africa with slow economic growth, a plummeting rand and escalating government spending. With the controversial introduction of initiatives like e-tolls, many South Africans have a lot to […]

The perenially cool Wendy Oldfield turns 50 today. Happy Birthday to one of South Africa’s most beloved rock stars! Wendy burst onto the South African rock scene at the age of nineteen in the ’80s as lead singer of The Sweatband, with the very catchy single “This Boy” (which still works today – take a […]