The South African Rand has raced to its highest in almost 20 months, in a six-day winning streak (its longest since September), following positive sentiment towards emerging market currencies. It comes on the same day that the SA Competition Commission announces that 17 banks will be prosecuted for price-fixing. Of the Rand’s high today Bloomberg said […]

Congratulations to Sergeant Marlon October who started the week by arresting two train robbers on Monday… before he had even got to work. (And a shout out to an unnamed commuter who put his life at risk to help protect the victim.) The Rapid Rail Unit sergeant, who was on his way from the Strand […]

PRETORIA –  Following the horrific murder of a family of four on a farm in Mpumulanga, South Africa, on Tuesday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the reintroduction of rural safety units. A man and his wife, along with both his parents, were found murdered, with bullet wounds, at their farm house in Modderbult yesterday. According […]

Two separate reports have revealed that Eskom’s loadshedding ‘problems’ in 2008 were in fact – allegedly – deliberate… in a ploy by top management figures, at South Africa’s national power provider, to line their own pockets. The two probes into the blackouts – by Dentons and Deloitte – which were commissioned by Eskom and conducted […]

The latest update on Dineo, the Severe Tropical Storm which is expected to hit the Kruger National Park later this week, is that its track has become more westerly and it is likely to reach Tropical Cylone status within the next six to 12 hours before making landfall in Mozambique this evening. According to Kevin Rae, Chief […]

Cape Town’s dam levels are at a 37 year low… and yet, according to authorities and many living in Cape Town, not everyone is taking the water situation seriously. Somerset West vlogger Nic Red decided to do something about it – by filming four of the major dams with a drone. He says: “Take a look […]

Democratic Alliance (DA) Chief Whip John Steenhuisen, had strong criticism for President Jacob Zuma, the Speaker and several members of the ANC, at today’s 2017 SONA (State of the Nation) Debate. He said that Zuma, in his monotonous voice with a speech written by Luthuli House, had put his own benches to sleep and made […]

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane delivered the following speech to the National Assembly at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) Debate in South Africa on Tuesday… and it’s been causing a buzz on Twitter ever since. Users described Maimane’s speech as ‘profound’ and ‘to the point’. Maimane said the ANC has “turned from liberator […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah is coming home… well, not forever. But he has announced he will be launching his new tour on 10 and 11 August at the Dome in Johannesburg. Tickets go on sale on 20 February, and are expected to sell out within hours. In a special video message on Valentine’s Day, […]

The tropical weather system expected to affect parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces – including the Kruger National Park – in South Africa later this week, is still on course and expectations are now that it will reach Tropical Cyclone stage. Yesterday the South African Weather Service (SAWS) had reported that it was “not expected to intensify to […]

A tropical weather system, bringing floods and heavy rains, is expected to affect parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, including the Kruger National Park, later this week. If the storm develops as expected, it will be called Dineo. (IMPORTANT – VIEW LATEST CYCLONE DINEO UPDATES – PHOTOS & VIDEOS.) The South African Weather Service (SAWS) […]

President Jacob Zuma and President Donald Trump of the United States of America held a telephone conversation this afternoon, 13 February 2017 at the request of President Trump. It went a lot better than Trump’s call earlier this month to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia! According to the Presidency, President Zuma congratulated President Trump […]

A beautiful letter of gratitude to former President Nelson Mandela, written by a child, was shared today at the NM Foundation’s launch of the Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018 ‘Be the Legacy’ two-year programme. Madiba would have turned 100 years’ old next year, on 18 July 2018. The programme to honour Mandela, was launched at Donaldson Orlando Community Centre […]

The South African Presidency has confirmed a request from the White House in Washington for a teleconference between SA’s President Jacob Zuma and US President Donald Trump. The call is expected to take place Monday afternoon, 13 February 2017. Jokes and memes have been posted on Twitter, referring to the now famous picture of Zuma being […]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Jazz and R & B singer Al Jarreau, a seven-time Grammy winner whose hits included “We’re in This Love Together” and “Moonlighting,” died on Sunday in Los Angeles at age 76, just days after announcing he was retiring from touring because of poor health. (Scroll down for South African Arts Minister’s comments.) […]

The South African High Commission (SAHC) in New Zealand has announced the launch of two South African Visa Application Centres in New Zealand – in Auckland and Wellington – which will be run by VFS Global. This follows the outrage since the introduction of the visa last month, with New Zealand passport holders having to travel to […]

South Africans sent shivers around the world on Friday, with an outpouring of love, grief and tributes to their beloved rugby legend – Joost van der Westhuizen – and the country he “loved with all his heart”, South Africa. On their own, or in groups, South Africans were united across borders and oceans on Friday […]

A minute’s silence (and/or applause) is being held in honour of Joost van der Westhuizen, who passed away on Monday, at each of the Six Nations matches this weekend. Six Nations organisers posted a photo Saturday afternoon to Twitter of the minute’s silence before the Ireland vs Italy match in Rome. The message said: “A rugby legend. […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Whale rescuers in New Zealand linked arms in neck-deep water on Saturday to try and prevent about 200 pilot whales from stranding themselves again in a remote bay, where 300 of the animals died this week. The incident, in the shallow muddy waters of Golden Bay, at the northwest tip of South […]

If you missed it earlier, these are the two videos most people have searched for on SAPeople, following rugby legend Joost van der Westhuizen’s public memorial service at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria on Friday. Tribute from Amor Vittone, mother of Joost van der Westhuizen’s two children Tribute from Sumari (Sumi) Botha, Joost’s Niece MORE Video, […]

Virginia Machpelah suffered from Alzheimer’s. She was fun-loving, a good person, a fellow South African… and tragically she was also one of the 94 victims of the Gauteng Health Department’s #LifeEsidimeni blunder. On Wednesday night her sister Christine Nxumalo said: “She loved kids and was just generally a very good person who didn’t do nothing wrong, really. […]

South African athlete and Rio Olympics 800-metre gold medallist Caster Semeyna is in line to be awarded an additional Olympic gold medal. This could transpire following media reports that Russian runner Maria Savinova has been stripped of her 2012 Olympic gold medal for doping. Associated Press reports that Savinova, who won the 800-m title at the […]

45 white doves were released for every year of Joost van der Westhuizen’s short life. And beautiful tributes were delivered for the rugby hero, who became a legend when he fought a disease so bravely and publicly… and reached out to help others affected by the same Motor Neurone Disease (MND) with his J9 Foundation. Sports Minister […]

A different battle was fought on the streets of SONA (State of the Nation Address) in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday – one that saw ANC school children aggravate EFF supporters, resulting in police using unnecessary force to disperse children no older than 15… writes JUSTIN SULLIVAN. An elderly man raising his hand to a younger […]

South Africans from New Zealand and Australia, to Hong Kong and the Philippines, Gibraltar, the UK, USA and Canada… not to mention South Africa, Kenya and everywhere in between are wearing their Springbok colours today, to pay tribute to Joost van der Westhuizen. From sunny Australia… To a snowy Canada… On public transport… And at […]