If you’re wondering where to holiday this Christmas – head to a South African beach! A whopping 44 have obtained the prestigious Blue Flag status (actually that’s one less than last year, but it’s still a LOT). The Blue Flag programme is the best known eco-label and nod of approval a beach can get, according […]

Two awesome South Africans and a Brit have started a BIG challenge – to become the first humans to stage swim the distance of the 85 km Dubai  Emirate coastline. And it’s to spread an equally BIG message – to encourage people to reduce single-use plastic consumption (swap that bottled water for a filter!). The […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) today marched to a spot 900 metres from the Gupta Family’s compound in wealthy Johannesburg suburb, Saxonwold. They couldn’t get any closer to what they are calling “President Jacob Zuma’s REAL capture site”, due to an agreement with the family who had threatened an application to interdict the march. “Today we […]

President Jacob Zuma today officially opened the Groot Marico Heritage Site and the Liberation Heritage Route of Bokone Bophirima… where activists once crossed as they went into exile in countries like Zambia and Tanzania to continue the struggle against apartheid and colonialism. In pictures and inscriptions, the Heritage Site – near Zeerust in the North […]

KwaZulu-Natal resident Cristelle Barnes is still desperately seeking a woman who was driving a white car, which was involved in an accident last week in Durban, South Africa. Christelle posted a message to Facebook on 28 September asking friends to share her “CRY FOR HELP” in the hope it would reach the lady. She wrote: […]

A report has been released today exposing an alleged total accumulated misappropriation of R16 billion by South African national departments during the 2015/2016 fiscal year. The report, by AfriForum, is part of its national whistle-blower campaign. The national departments of Transport, Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Basic Education are the main perpetrators that are collectively […]

Just over three months ago, Hannes van den Heever filmed a video of the drought in the Namakwaland (Namaqualand) Bushmanland area. Nothing has changed since then. It’s just got worse. There has been no rain. Yesterday he filmed a new video… showing the devastation – the sick, dying and dead animals. There is nothing left… […]

The two families connected to the forthcoming ‘Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer‘ have been left shocked by news of the forthcoming Lifetime movie. Reeva Steenkamp’s parents said they were horrified to learn about the movie through social media, while they are still mourning the death of their daughter, and demand a public denial that they […]

While South African President Jacob Zuma has extended his condolences to the government and people of the United States, following the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada… SA comedian and talk show host, Trevor Noah, has given America his take on the tragedy. At least 59 people were killed and more than 527 others […]

Following a public spat between Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille and Councillor JP Smith, slinging allegations and counter allegations in the Cape Town press over the last few days… both have been placed on “special leave”. De Lille said in a statement yesterday that she felt Smith was “dragging my name through the mud […]

President Jacob Zuma is this morning hosting his Zimbabwean counterpart, President Robert Mugabe, who is in the country for the second session of the Bi-National Commission. President Mugabe arrived at the Waterkloof Air Force Base on Monday evening. The BNC will afford the two Heads a State an opportunity to review bilateral relations between the countries. Boosting […]

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), once a global conservation success story for bringing rhinos back from the brink of extinction in the fifties, is fast becoming a graveyard and failure of epic proportions under the helm of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife management… writes Jamie Joseph from SavingTheWild.com. Saving the Wild has been closely monitoring the Zululand park since […]

Legendary singer Tom Petty has passed away at the age of 66. According to reports he was found in “full cardiac arrest” – unconscious and not breathing – at his home in Malibu. He was rushed to UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ longtime manager, Tony Dimitriades, confirmed the rock musician’s death […]

The DA claims it has been reliably informed that some SABC staffers – including the Acting Head of News and the National News Editor – were “summoned” to South African President Jacob Zuma’s office. The meeting is alleged to have taken place this afternoon at the office of the Presidential Spokesperson and Head of the […]

South Africa’s petrol price is set to rise by between 25 and 29 cents on Wednesday, the Energy Department announced on Monday. And it didn’t take long for South Africans to react with typical SA humour! See below. A litre of 93 (ULP and LRP) will rise by 25 cents, while a litre of 95 […]

Just when South Africans were celebrating the Spring flowers… winter has crept back in, with rain and thunderstorms reported in several areas, and more apparently on the way. Nottingham Road Hotel posted photos in the past hour to Facebook showing the “blanket of hail” which hit them on Monday afternoon. “What a thunderstorm! First real […]

Watch the trailer below for the new Lifetime Movie – ‘Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer’. The movie – starring South African expat Andreas Damm – chronicles the events of the night that famous SA athlete Pistorius shot and killed his then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home… which ultimately led to him being found […]

At least 59 people were killed on Sunday night in Las Vegas at a country music concert, after a “lone wolf” gunman opened fire on the crowd… making this the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. (This version updated at 15h10 SA Time.) The fatalities at the Route 91 Harvest Festival included two off-duty policemen, […]

Another large bull elephant – possibly even one of the remaining iconic Big Tuskers – was shot and killed in Zambia last week, according to reports on social media. Game Animals of the Past and Present, a supporter of professional hunting for its conservation purposes, said on 25 September 2017: “Biggest elephant shot in Zambia […]

Chairs flew and there was blood on the floor during the ANC (African National Congress) Eastern Cape (EC) Conference over the weekend in East London, South Africa. As the major divisions between ANC members were laid bare – with sparring members tearing into each other physically, whilst trying to elect a new provincial chairman – […]

The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) successfully rescued a whale today that had become entangled in rope… in what was the furthest disentanglement operation to date. The whale in distress was at least 45 nautical miles off-shore, between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. The juvenile Humpback whale – of approximately 14 metres – was horribly […]

Carte Blanche will tonight pay tribute to South Africa’s legendary HIV/Aids activist and motivational speaker, David Ross Patient, who sadly passed away last week at the age of 56. (Available for expats to watch from Tuesday.) David became world renowned after he conquered his own diagnosis and brought hope, humour and motivation to thousands. He […]

A couple of weeks ago the Treasury Department confirmed in Parliament that the law change forcing South African expatriates to start paying tax will go ahead, although some amendments were made including a R1 million tax exemption per year for expats. Many South Africans living abroad were confused and concerned about how the law would impact […]

The DA has condemned South African Police Minister Fikile Mbalula’s comments made at the Pretoria West Police Academy on Friday which they say encourage “police brutality and impunity”. Whilst addressing the police’s specialised Tactical Response Team on the importance of cracking down on South Africa’s high crime rate and catching criminals, Mbalula didn’t hold back. […]

A Specialist Team has been appointed to quell the situation in Phillipi East in the Western Cape where 10 people were shot dead last night in four separate scenes in the Marikana informal settlement. An eleventh person died later in hospital from gunshot wounds sustained during the attack, according to the South African Police Services […]