Charismatic human rights champion and Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu turns 82 today. Archbishop Tutu – or the Arch, as he is fondly known – is often considered the moral conscience of South Africa and the world. A passionate opponent of the apartheid government and “rabble-rouser for peace”, he retired as archbishop of the […]

South African supermodel Candice Swanepoel has put a smile on many faces in the past week – modelling for Operation Smile charity and posing in video clips. But the biggest  smile  was the one on her own face…when she spotted her mom at the airport in South Africa. She described it, on Instagram, as “that […]

Proving princesses do a lot more than simply pose for magazine covers, Princess Charlene  packed a variety of activities in to her recent trip to America with her husband, Prince Albert II of Monaco.  The royal couple’s September visit to America culminated in a dinner reception hosted by President Obama and his wife Michelle Obama […]

South African paddlers excelled at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Copenhagen on the weekend, with Hank McGregor and Andy Birkett both claiming titles. They were not alone in standing out, however, with two silver medals also being won, while in the Masters World Championships, which preceded the elite competition, South Africa came away […]

A nine-foot (three-metre) statue of Nelson Mandela – showing him with fist raised as he walked out of Victor Verster prison a free man on 11 February 1990 – was unveiled outside the entrance to South Africa’s embassy in Washington, DC on Saturday. The statue, a copy of one that stands outside the Drakenstein Correctional […]

Researchers at South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have developed a world-first digital laser that could be a game-changer in the field, paving the way for new laser applications in areas ranging from medicine to communications. A team based at the CSIR’s National Laser Centre has shown that, instead of resorting to […]

A powerful South African team will mount a serious challenge for medals at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships, which start in Copenhagen, Denmark on Friday and run through until Sunday. The K1 battle will see 35-year-old Hank McGregor, a two-time K1 world champion and former under-18 K1 world champ going up against his protege […]

South African 3D animated feature filmKhumba, which had its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last week, has been bought by three major international independent distributors – Australia’s Transmission, UK’s Kaleidoscope and Italy’s Eagle Pictures. Khumbais the second 3D animated feature from Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios, whose Adventures in Zambezia […]

South Africa’s Olympic sailors made an impressive return to the podium, claiming bronze in the SB20 World Championships in France over the weekend. London Olympians Roger Hudson and Asenathi Jim joined forces with Sibu Sizatu and Wadi Xamimpi to claim two race wins, one second-place and three third-place finishes during the week-long competition in Hyeres. […]

  He is a man who has brought tears of joy to an entire nation, a man who has inspired the world to create a better place, a man who has given true meaning to the concept of ubuntu; he is a man and a legend – he is Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, known fondly to […]

Walter and Albertina Sisulu: Parenting a Nation explores the private and political lives of the Sisulu family during the apartheid struggle. The exhibition, at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, in Eastern Cape, gives the viewer a deeper understanding of their role in the emancipation of South Africa, as well as of their deep love and abiding […]

From the dusty fields of Qunu in Eastern Cape, Nelson Mandela grew to become a wise and admirable man, respected and loved around the world. He is a man of integrity, who is known for his love for children. His influence on a global scale is massive, but just as significant has been his emphasis […]

We share the joy of the Mandela family at the discharge of Nelson Mandela after 89 days in hospital. May he find peace and comfort in his home, among his relatives and friends, so that his continuing medical care can proceed with dignity. We are all grateful for the outstanding care he received in hospital […]

Local designer David Tlale is jetting off to New York again this week to participate in the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, his third show at this event – and he is the only South African designer to have appeared at it. “Renowned for his undeniable knack for showmanship and elaborate designs, Tlale’s work is both […]

It all started with the murder of Mike Thomson, a Computershare executive, in his home in September 2007. From that tragedy came the Mike Thomson Change a Life Cycle Tour, which is now in its sixth year. Some 70 company executives will be pulling on their Lycra and helmets on 7 September in Swaziland, from where they […]

After weeks of waiting, and days of speculation…some brave, bare-cheeked hikers proved there truly is snow on Table Mountain today, posting a couple of “cheeky” pictures on Facebook. UPDATE August 2020: Snow on Table Mountain again? In fact the social media website was “snowed under” with pictures of Cape Town’s famous landmark covered in snow, […]

  Winnie Madikizela-Mandela felt particularly close to her jailed husband, Nelson, in October 1970, after she was released from serving 491 days in solitary confinement. She wrote to him on 26 October, saying: “In a way during the past two years I felt so close to you. It was the first time we were together in […]

When South African low-fi filmmaker Sibs Shongwe-La Mer stood up on stage at TEDx Johannesburg, a conference where creative minds gather to share ideas, he seized the audience’s attention by asking: “What happened to that inner child? What happened to the creative we have left to die?” The 21-year-old was referring to society’s willingness to give […]

Timing has a lot to do with being successful, says Joan Joffe, one of the most recognisable faces in South African business. “Well, you certainly caught the computer wave,” I mention to her when we meet at a Rosebank hotel. “I caught three waves!” she responds. “The PC wave, the cellphone wave and the black […]

South Africa’s Beverly Singh, an engineering graduate from Port Elizabeth, is the first recipient of the Bloodhound SSC Chevening Scholarship – she will work with the construction team on the final assembly stages of the supersonic car, while pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Initiated in 1983, the Chevening Scholarship programme is funded by the UK […]

Dr Mo Ibrahim, businessman, academic and philanthropist, delivered the 11th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria on 17 August 2013. He joins luminaries such as former US president Bill Clinton, former Irish president Mary Robinson, and Nobel laureate, the late Wangari Maathai, who have all shared their opinion on important […]

South Africa’s beloved statesman and father of democracy and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela or Madiba, his clan name and affectionate nickname, has many women in his life. But perhaps the three most important are his three wives, one of whom is deceased, another from whom he is divorced, and a third, his loving present wife, Graça […]

Award-winning South African author Marie Williams talks exclusively to SAPeople about love, loss, Green Goblins and discovering what makes your heart sing. Marie was recently awarded the Finch Memoir prize in Australia for GREEN VANILLA TEA, a heart-wrenching and inspiring memoir of the loss of her  husband Dom, a fellow South African. The two had […]

Cape Town is going green in more ways than one. It has a network of bicycle lanes across the city that are to be painted green to demarcate their use for bikes only. “The colour coding helps to promote safety and awareness for vehicles and pedestrians,” says the city council. It is also one of the […]

The courageous women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against pass laws were honoured for their contribution in a colourful ceremony on the same day 57 years later, in Tshwane. These days, 9 August is National Women’s Day, and although its aim is to contribute to the empowerment of […]