The ecologist and author Craig Packer has spent 30 years researching the overhunting of lions in Africa and is deeply pessimistic about their future. Here he talks about dishonest hunting operators, the urgent need for global money, why he takes issue with animal groups – and what we’ve learned from Cecil. Craig Packer likes sticking […]

Dear Springboks Thank you. Thank you for giving us something to believe in. Something that is bigger than ourselves. Thank you for giving us something intangible that can’t be described, only felt. What a World Cup you’ve had so far. Look how far you’ve come. Look how much you’ve learned. And look how well you have […]

Tragically, South Africa’s elephants appear to have become the latest target of poachers, with the Kruger National Park announcing on Friday that at least 19 elephant have been killed there this year after a decade where only two were poached, both only last year. Kruger spokesman William Mabasa said the majority of the elephants were poached in the northern part of the […]

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer on Wednesday named an unchanged starting XV to face New Zealand in the first Rugby World Cup semi-final, on Saturday at Twickenham in London. The only change to the match-day squad is at replacement lock, where Victor Matfield has overcome his hamstring injury and takes over from Pieter-Steph du Toit, bringing […]

Springbok wing Bryan Habana on Tuesday paid tribute to Zukisa Kela, a teacher from Johannesburg who died in tragic circumstances over the weekend following a gang attack. The 25-year-old Kela was a teacher at Westbury Secondary School. According to media reports, his last words to his principal before he left school at the weekend were […]

We couldn’t resist posting another page full of petals from Pretoria and Joburg…as the Jacaranda trees blossom so spectacularly this year, and shower the pavements with a carpet of purple petals. Blossoms & Blessings from Pretoria RIA VILJOEN took most of these photos in Brooklyn, Pretoria where the tree-lined avenues are so beautiful she has already […]

Italy got a double dose of Carina Bruwer last week when the South African’s pop group gave its first concert there and then she swam an epic 21 kilometres solo for her charity back home the very next day! Bruwer’s swim in Bergeggi, Liguria, was part of the annual SwimTheIsland race, Europe’s largest open-water event, with over 2,000 competitors swimming between 800m and 6km. […]

Springbok captain Fourie du Preez said yesterday that whatever happened in the past, at the Rugby World Cup (RWC), at Twickenham or between South Africa and Wales, will have no bearing on Saturday’s first quarter-final in London. Du Preez was asked if his team’s solid recent record at Twickenham and their good overall record against Wales […]

The Springboks will run out at the iconic Twickenham Stadium for the first time during the Rugby World Cup when they face Wales in the first quarter-final on Saturday afternoon. It will be the Boks’ first visit to the home of English rugby since they played there last November, beating England in a pulsating encounter. […]

It was National Dessert Day on Wednesday in America, and since South Africa doesn’t have its own dedicated day (although Melk Tart does have a national day on 27th February)…we thought we’d use this excuse to celebrate with South African desserts this weekend. [vc_button title=”1″ color=”default”] Peppermint Crisp Tart Peppermint Crisp tart is a South […]

PRETORIA – President Jacob Zuma has appointed an acting chief of the South African Police Service after suspending General Victoria Phiyega pending an enquiry into her fitness to hold office. The Acting National Commissioner will be Lieutenant-General Johannes Khomotso Phahlane, currently the Divisional Commissioner for Forensic Services, it was announced by the president’s office on Wednesday. A […]

The experienced JP Pietersen is back in the Springboks’ starting line-up for their Rugby World Cup (RWC) quarter-final against Wales at Twickenham in London on Saturday afternoon. Pietersen – who scored a hat-trick against Samoa in the second pool match – is included in the only change to the starting team that beat the USA […]

One country, one language, I heard the Cosas activists chant during a march in Stellenbosch two weeks ago. The language these angry young people were talking about, is the language of the British Empire that had colonised South Africa and many other African states and had systematically brutalised indigenous people for centuries. The young people’s […]

Many people have welcomed Al Jazeera’s portrayal of Africa in a segment on ‘UpFront’ called ‘Reality Check: Africa is not a Country’. Some said it heralded a welcome contrast to the depiction of Africa that is often presented by other large global news media of a continent filled with doom and gloom that needed outsider […]

South Africa. A place where you can dive into swimming pools or sky dive above breathtaking scenery. Surf the wild ocean or cruise the wild safari parks. Spot monkeys on your neighbour’s wall and dodge cows on the road. These are a collection of video memories since 2010 from Ronald Langeveld who filmed the following clips “on […]

World Rugby has issued a statement following allegations of biting, made against Frans Malherbe by a British newspaper, after the Springboks won their Rugby World Cup (RWC) match against the USA at London’s Olympic Stadium last night. The UK paper published a photo by Kevin Quigley which appeared to show the South African prop biting US lock […]

The Rugby World Cup (RWC) match between the RSA and the USA kicks off in less than an hour…and we’ll probably all have our eyes on our boys in green and gold, and on one member of the USA team. Number 9. Niku Kruger. It’s a big night for the South African expat. Playing for […]

A few months ago, my host mother in South Africa shared a nugget of wisdom which I found quite profound. She said, “Lydia, sometimes you look and wait for a sign towards something when actually, you’ve already been given the sign, you just missed it because you chose not to see it or it wasn’t what […]

In one of the most moving moments of the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2015, former South African President Nelson Mandela was posthumously inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame on Saturday, ahead of the match between the Springboks and Scotland. And it was his old ally and former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar who was there […]

Here’s what one YouTube user imagines a David Attenborough nature documentary would sound like “if David had been from Vereeniging” in South Africa. Afrikaans4Dummies uploaded the following video saying “Everyone of all ages grew up with the iconic voice of BBC naturalist, David Attenborough. His crisp delivery captivated and mesmerized us, and for many it […]

South African expat CORNEL MARAIS, who has been living overseas for nine years and is now based in Hong Kong, answers the Top 20 Questions South Africans at home have for an expat*… [button color=”” size=”” type=”]1[/button] Why did you cop out – didn’t you have the guts to stick it out for the long run? […]

Following the success earlier this year of ‘The Endless River’  at two major international film festivals, two new South African movies are making their marks on doing likewise. ‘For Love and Broken Bones’, directed by Tebogo Malope, and Sara Blecher’s ‘Ayanda’ – which premiered in South Africa last night – both come short on the heels of Cape Town […]

Following the devastating fires that ravaged the Southern Cape Peninsular in March this year, the flora is blooming and a new book, “The Cape Aflame” has been launched. The book features more than 200 iconic photographs by some of South Africa’s top professional and amateur photographers. “The Cape Aflame” tells the story of the Muizenberg Fire with first-hand accounts […]

Harbour House and Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, South Africa, took a beating from the ocean yesterday…possibly causing thousands of rands worth of damage, following Sunday night’s supermoon when the moon came closer to the Earth and had more of an impact on the tide. Photographers ROBYN GWILT and KIM BOUCHIER were there to capture these photos… UPDATE: View […]

On different continents last week, two South African women were in the news for their remarkable achievements in mining and justice. In New York, Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, chairwoman of Kalagadi Manganese, was named the Most Outstanding Woman in Business at the 2015 African Business Awards. At the same time, in South Africa, Justice Mandisa Muriel Maya was appointed the […]