A South African man from Kliptown in Soweto is one of 10 finalists for the 2012 CNN Hero of the Year award, an annual campaign which honours everyday people doing good deeds in their communities.   Within hours of hearing about his nomination, Thulani Madondo has gone from being a relatively unknown Soweto resident with a heart […]

Two of the world’s most successful tennis players, sisters Venus and Serena Williams, will play each other in an exhibition match in Johannesburg in November as part of the launch of the Breaking the Mould (BTM) campaign. The initiative acknowledges South African women who have risen above challenges to succeed and inspire. BTM was created by Qondisa […]

Two women from Wits University’s Institute for Human Evolution are inspiring a new generation of scientists in South Africa by reaching out to pupils who have not had much exposure to career opportunities in the discipline. Through the medium of story-telling, Dr Mirriam Tawana, a palaeoanthropologist and Zandile Ndaba, a fossil excavator, are bringing the world of […]

Through her conscious art background, Cape Town-based artist Nix Davies is doing her bit to help fight the current plight of South Africa’s rhino population, which continues to drop in large numbers because of rampant poaching. Crash of Rhinoceros is an initiative started by Davies that aims to create awareness about rhino poaching and the […]

Johannesburg is ready to host 1 500 youth leaders from around the world who will attend the One Young World (OYW) Summit in 2013. This was announced at a press conference held in Rosebank, Johannesburg, on Tuesday 18 September by the City of Johannesburg. Mayor Parks Tau was in attendance, alongside OYW ambassadors as well as representatives from […]

“The very last anthem played at the 2012 London Paralympics was South Africa’s,” said sports minister Fikile Mbalula. “It was a fitting end to the games, and a tribute to our sportsmen and women.” Mbalula was speaking at OR Tambo International Airport, where a noisy, enthusiastic crowd of hundreds of people gathered to welcome South […]

A South African fynbos conservationist has taken the lead to establish Cape Town’s first ever public-private environmental stewardship programme to preserve the country’s valuable fynbos heritage. Fynbos is a term given to a collection of plants, mainly shrubs, which form part of the Cape Floral Kingdom. This is the smallest of the world’s six floral […]

A country’s symbols – seal, motto, flag, anthem, coat of arms and natural symbols – tell its story and play a crucial role in building pride and a sense of belonging. South Africa’s national symbols are rich in heritage, and tell the stories of the country’s abundant natural and cultural diversity. The Department of Arts and […]

Southern African Women in Aviation and Aerospace Industry (SAWIA) was established in 2009 by Refilwe Ledwaba, to ensure that the aviation industry provides a platform for women to grow, to find mentorship and guidance and to fund the opportunities for young women who wish to join the sector in the future. Before taking this step, […]

A pair of South Africans determined to see cleaner beaches around the country’s coastlines will embark on a seven-month journey from October 2012 to April 2013 to create awareness about littering and the changes in attitude that citizens should embrace. Camilla Howard, the founder of a Cape Town cooking school and Michael Baretta, a manager […]

Princess Charlene and Prince Albert have enjoyed a busy and successful few days in the UK. The Monaco Royal Couple attended the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London on Wednesday August 29, and visited the Olympic village the following day. They also attended the Variety Children’s Charity presentation of a bus to a Greenhill Primary […]

Congratulations to Natalie du Toit who won South Africa’s first gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympics yesterday! She clocked a winning time of 1 minute 09.30 seconds in the women’s 100 m butterfly final. The Capetonian swimmer, whose left leg was amputated in 2001 following an accident, has already been congratulated by South Africa’s […]

Whistles, wigs, well-wishes and a sense of wonder greeted Team South Africa for the official flag-raising ceremony in the Paralympic Village. Team South Africa was one of five countries to attend of the numerous flag-raising ceremonies ahead of  the official opening of the Games. As was the case at the Olympics a few weeks back, […]

Whistles, wigs, well-wishes and a sense of wonder greeted Team South Africa for the official flag-raising ceremony in the Paralympic Village. Team South Africa was one of five countries to attend of the numerous flag-raising ceremonies ahead of  the official opening of the Games. As was the case at the Olympics a few weeks back, […]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has pulled out of a South African event at the last minute because he does not want to share a platform with Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Nobel Peace Prize winner was due to speak at The Discovery Invest Leadership Summit on 30 August at the Sandton Convention Centre, along […]

Vote to help Johannesburg art activist get to TED California finals with her ‘pillow talk’…a bed the whole town can share…even TED! On the edge of the inner city in a much-loved area of Troyeville, lies a concrete bed in a park overlooking the main route (Bezuidenhout) into Johannesburg from the east. Passers-by and the […]

Come January 2013, tourists and locals in Johannesburg will get a chance to see the city in a way they have never done before. Bright red, open-topped buses will ferry passengers through an experience of the everyday sights and sounds, cultures and heritage of the city as part of a new tour operation by a […]

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s (NMMU) business school has been named an international business leader at the third annual Asia’s Best Business Schools award ceremony, held in Singapore in July. The awards are organised by the World Brand Congress and CMO Asia, which is an arm of the California-based CMO Council, a peer network of marketing executives […]

Dr Megan Russell is using her engineering knowledge to find practical solutions to the problems of healthcare in poorer countries by helping develop medical technology appropriate for more primitive conditions. This young South African’s enthusiasm for engineering earned her a place on this year’s Mail & Guardian newspaper list of 200 remarkable young South Africans, an […]

Every first Wednesday of the month, alternative cinema enthusiasts in Johannesburg are treated to a host of indie films at Atlas Studios in Milpark, northeast of the city centre. It’s an opportunity to watch films that are not on the main cinema circuit. Founded in 2004, the First Wednesday Film Club (FWFC) is also a networking […]

Ten years after Zakes Mda’s acclaimed novel The Madonna of Excelsior was published in 2002, a theatre adaptation is now ready for South African theatre audiences. The play is directed by Netherlands-based Roel Twijnstra and South African playwright and director Jerry Pooe. It opens on 15 August at the Andre Huguenet theatre in Bloemfontein and runs until 18 […]

From an email doing the rounds! Check out the snow on the N1 between Laingsburg and Beaufort West last week…

Congratulations to Team SA – the athletes, coaches and administrators – for a fantastic Olympic performance! With a final tally of six medals, this made London Olympics 2012 the most successful Olympics South Africa has enjoyed since its re-admission to international sport 20 years ago, in Barcelona back in 1992. Amongst the medals and the […]

Yesterday 7th August 2012 will be remembered by many, for years to come, as a magical day in various parts of South Africa…when the snow fell…and turned parts of SA into a white winter wonderland. Jo’burg became Snowburg as it experienced snow for only the 22nd time in the last 103 years! Professional photographer Kim […]

South Africa’s children have a powerful ally fighting for their rights. In and out of the court room South African advocate Prof Ann Skelton is doing ground-breaking work to advance the rights of children and bring about changes to the country’s juvenile justice system. In honour of Skelton’s work over the past 25 years to […]