As the commemoration to mark the 28th anniversary of the release from prison of Former President Nelson Mandela continued on Sunday, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has announced that it will issue a set of commemorative banknotes to honour the former statesman’s centenary. Mandela would have turned 100 years this year. Events have been […]

South Africans are known for being incredible entrepreneurs. And nobody proved it more than SA expat Elon Musk, when he launched his Tesla sports car into space this week! So when President Donald Trump tweeted congratulations to Elon, and claimed it as “American ingenuity at its best”, many tweeted back reminding Trump that the former […]

SpaceX has now launched the most powerful spacecraft since the Apollo era – the Falcon Heavy rocket – setting the bar for future space launches. The most important thing about this reusable spacecraft is that it can carry a payload equivalent to sending five double-decker London buses into space – which will be invaluable for […]

It’s been blistering hot in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and it appears even one of the world’s most dangerous snakes needed to cool off on Thursday evening! According to a statement by Crocworld Conservation Centre, a male teenager almost tripped over the 2.8 metre Black Mamba as he was jogging past the Cutty Sark Hotel, just […]

A powerful photo from Sullivan Photography of the Southern Cross / Donkerhoek Fire, taken Thursday night at 18h20, captures the intensity of the multitude of fires which have blazed across the Simonsberg and Overberg areas in the Western Cape of South Africa in the past couple of weeks… wreaking havoc and causing untold tragedy as […]

Capetonian freelance photographer Jan Fischer captured this awesome time lapse video of the rain approaching drought-stricken Cape Town on Friday evening in the Western Cape, South Africa. “I filmed it in Somerset West today, from 17h15 to 18h45, using an iPhone 6s with the time lapse function,” Jan told SAPeople late on Friday evening. Just […]

Many were fearing the worst when Eastern Cape Granny, Denise Bartlett, was kidnapped after an armed robbery at her home in Sterkstroom, South Africa… but the Dispatch newspaper has just reported the good news that she has been found, alive! The elderly Sterkstroom woman was found – by Komani police – locked in a house […]

While Capetonians awoke to a slightly overcast day, there is the promise that the latest Cold Front is going to start showering the region with much-welcomed rain later today, filling some of the Western Cape’s parched dams which have been drying up during its worst drought in recorded history. “Here comes thaaat Cape Town front […]

I first met Julia Albu, one of the Grand Dames of the PR industry, some 25 years ago… writes Melanie Walker. Larger than life with a voice to match, Jooooolia was definitely one person who I would always say yes to whenever she asked me to get involved in the ‘Hat Day at the Races’ […]

Immunity from prosecution for South African President Jacob Zuma is allegedly not being considered by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, according to local reports. (UPDATE: Please see ANC denial of this report at bottom of page.) News24 reports Thursday that Ramaphosa told the ANC’s Parliamentary caucus that immunity from prosecution is not part of the “transition” […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) and concerned friends and family have called on fellow South Africans to please help in finding missing Eastern Cape grandmother Denise Bartlett, who was abducted from her home in Sterkstroom on Monday evening. (UPDATE 9 February 2018: Awesome news as E. Cape granny Denise Bartlett has been found alive!) […]

A ten-member syndicate, allegedly behind South Africa’s “ATM Bombings”, has been arrested for selling commercial explosives and will appear in court this morning. The syndicate includes three police officers. The suspects were arrested in a Hawks joint operation which was conducted on Tuesday evening in the Free State towns of Thabong, Odendalsrust, Virginia and Teunissen.. […]

The South African Department of Water and Sanitation has encouraged everyone from all walks of life, wherever they will be, to pray for rain this coming weekend. Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said faith-based organisations play an important role in communities, and they can help as water challenges continue. “The lack of rain – […]

A South African expat billionaire is buying one of America’s most famous newspapers. It was reported Wednesday in the US that Tronc Inc. has agreed to sell the ‘Los Angeles Times’ to SA expat Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong… for a cool $500-million (which includes the LA Times’ sister paper, ‘San Diego Union-Tribune’). UPDATE May 2021: Dr […]

In Tanja Spykerman’s household, using less than 50 litres of water per person per day – as required by Cape Town’s Level 6b water restrictions – is a breeze! In fact, this motivated South African family of four (plus three pets) doesn’t just use less than 50 litres each… they use less than 50 litres […]

African National Congress President (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, has issued the following statement regarding his discussions with South African President Jacob Zuma about the transition in leadership. Here is the statement in full: Fellow South Africans, There has been a lot of speculation and anxiety about the position of President Jacob Zuma as the head of […]

The number of deaths caused by South Africa’s deadly Listeriosis outbreak is still escalating. According to the latest update Listeriosis has claimed 107 lives in SA, up from 61 exactly a month ago. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced on Tuesday that a total number of 852 laboratory-confirmed Listeriosis cases have been reported, […]

A South African expat’s video of thousands of children in the UK singing Toto’s “Africa” – which she uploaded for her friends in drought-stricken Cape Town – is going viral. Kae Skinner Sera, who lives in the UK, uploaded the video late on Monday night after the Young Voices performance at the O2 in London […]

The Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the African National Congress (ANC) has been postponed following an apparently “fruitful” meeting between the ANC President and South Africa’s President. The special meeting had initially been scheduled for Wednesday, 7 February 2018, “This postponement follows fruitful and constructive engagements, on various  issues, held earlier today by […]

As South Africa works out exactly what the state of the nation is, the Office of the ANC Chief Whip and DA Leader Mmusi Maimane have welcomed the postponement of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) as announced by the Presiding Officers today. The ANC Caucus said it will await the outcomes of the […]

In line with Level 6 drought measures, Deputy Mayor Alderman Ian Neilson today announced that the February 2018 water and sanitation accounts of Cape Town water users will reflect a tariff increase. He said: “This is an absolutely necessary step to reducing household demand and to ensure that the City can continue to supply water and […]

The Nelson Mandela Foundation has issued a press statement on Tuesday calling for President Jacob Zuma to resign. The foundation says it has been more than a year since it first called for President Zuma to resign. “We have now reached a point where South Africans can no longer wait for him to do so,” […]

Eikenhof Dam in Grabouw, South Africa, started releasing its water to the City of Cape Town at 11 am this morning, according to Elgin resident Cathy Shaw. Shaw uploaded the following video, saying: “This is what 10 000 cubic litres per hour looks like!” The Groenland Water Users Association in the Overberg is releasing between […]

The African National Congress (ANC) has resolved to convene a “Special NEC meeting” on Wednesday, 7 February 2018, in which it will discuss the “transition between the 5th and 6th administration of government and pending actions in Parliament”. In a statement issued in the past hour, the ANC said that during a meeting of the National […]

The African National Congress said in a statement Monday that it condemns in the strongest possible terms the assault of protestors by a grouping outside the ANC Headquarters, Chief Albert Luthuli House, earlier today. “Regardless of what some may deem as provocation by the Black First Land First Movement who intended to march to Luthuli […]