The Deaf Federation of South Africa (Deafsa) will host two international events in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in July 2011. The 16th World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, as well as the fifth International World Federation of the Deaf Youth Camp, take place for the first time on African soil. The World Congress of the World Federation […]

TO THOSE WHO MAY REMEMBER THESE …(from an email doing the rounds)

South African actress Charlize Theron recently shared a story about growing up in South Africa with some American press…and they’re still wondering why. She recounted that her mom was quite strict and was often stressed doing the housework and so, in an attempt to keep clothes washing to a minimum, she told Charlize to change […]

The South African film industry had a strong presence at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, with 24 films and documentaries on show and a handful of awards and commendations to bring home. [Read Jenni’s Cannes Film Festival blog for more!] The National Film and Video Foundation was instrumental in arranging the local representation. Even before his […]

International Nelson Mandela Day 2011 was recently launched in Johannesburg, with a panel of tertiary students at the event expressing their views on what the celebration means to them. The UN-recognised day was launched at the premises of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, on 23 May. Mandela Day was first introduced on 18 July 2009, […]

The Africa Institute of South Africa (Aisa) will host an Africa Expo and an international conference as part of its Africa Week programme. Aisa is a science council whose mission is to conduct socio-economic and political research on the continent. Although it first came into being as an NGO, today it’s a statutory body under […]

A passion for uplifting communities and providing housing for all, coupled with innovative technology, has resulted in an invitation to South African company Moladi to show its concept at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s exhibition Design for the Other 90%: CITIES. The prestigious exhibition, sponsored by the philanthropic Rockefeller Foundation, takes place at the UN in New […]

AFRIKAANS FILM ‘SKOONHEID’ WINS THE QUEER PALM 2011 OK, so ‘Skoonheid‘ didn’t win in its official category at the Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard), BUT it has won the Queer Palm 2011! The award was presented to Capetonian director Oliver Hermanus at a ceremony on Cherie Cheri Beach in Cannes. “Thank you to the […]

South Africa is filled with personalities who have won prestigious awards for various achievements. Just think of Oscar winner Charlize Theron or Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Sydney Brenner and Nadine Gordimer. Now the country can again count Helen Zille among that number. The award recognises the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader’s contribution to South Africa’s […]

South Africa’s space industry is thriving – this is the message relayed to the public by professionals in the sector at a recent media briefing in Cape Town. The event also commemorated humankind’s first foray into space 50 years ago, when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin spent 108 minutes looking at a view of the earth […]

South African students Danielle Boer and Alessio Giuricich were awarded top prizes at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in California on 13 May 2011. The two received awards for their innovative, independent research on dealing with social challenges through science. The ISEF is the world’s largest international high school science competition, which […]

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL: Daily news from Jenni Baxter at the Cannes Film Festival: Brad Pitt’s movie gets booed, first Afrikaans film – Skoonheid – in official screening at Cannes, South African CEO gets honoured by The Hollywood Reporter, photo frenzy at the Pirates of the Caribbean press conference with superstar Johnny Depp, fashion show in […]

Trevor Manuel – South Africa’s former Minister of Finance – has been suggested as a potential candidate for the recently (and sensationally!) vacated position of head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Trevor would replace disgraced French minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn who resigned last night following his arrest and charges at the weekend that he raped […]

It’s not just South Africa’s men who are shining in the golfing world. South African professional golfer, Ashleigh Simon, won the Portugal Ladies Open this weekend! Ashleigh, who celebrated her 22nd birthday just last week, finished at 16-under 200 and won by three strokes over second-round leader Gwladys Nocera. This is Ashleigh’s second victory on […]

The Association of South African Women in Science and Engineering (SAWISE) and The Hope Network  invites              female students  entering their Honours level/ 4th year of study to apply for the above scholarship. CLOSING DATE: 28 NOVEMBER 2011 ELIGIBILITY: Female students entering their Honours degree/4th year of study with an academic average of over […]

Juan van Deventer, one of South Africa’s best long-distance stars, has broken his left knee cap and will be unable to attend the IAAF World Championshps in Daegu. Van Deventer was training on a road in Ruimsig, outside Johannesburg, last week when a car lot control and hit him. Van Deventer holds the South African […]

  South African establishments took home three first prizes at the 2011 African Safari awards, which were held at Durban’s uShaka Marine World on 6 May 2011. Karkloof Spa was awarded Best Safari Spa in Africa, South African Airways (SAA) got the award for Best International Airline in Africa, and Ants Nest Riding Safaris received the award for Best Riding […]

    South African writer Lauren Beukes has made literary history by becoming the first local author to capture the prestigious Arthur C Clarke Award in its 25-year history. She received the honour for her second novel Zoo City at a glittering ceremony on 27 April 2011, held at London’s Apollo cinema in Piccadilly. The Arthur C […]

If you haven’t yet seen it, check out the video below of a LARGE shark swimming past a kayak in Fish Hoek. It was filmed by ‘brucehimself’ from his lounge on the 25th April 2011. In his post, Bruce presumed that “the paddler didn’t notice the shark swimming right past him” otherwise he “would have […]

South African sporting great Ernie Els was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday. He joins the legendary Gary Player, who entered the Hall in 1974 and Bobby Locke, South Africa’s first international golf player, who entered in 1977. The other members of the 2011 Hall of Fame class were Jock Hutchison, Doug Ford, […]

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory is appealing to the public to assist in finding missing information to accompany the many photographs they have in their collection. Over the next few months, the Centre will be publishing many of these pics on their website…and would like members of the public to supply any information they […]

A photo of a ferocious-looking lion in the Kalahari Desert is one of the key pieces in a new exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London. The photo, which was taken by Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten, is one of last year’s best entries in the Travel Photographer of the Year competition. […]

OK, there’s no real news here…except that the British tabloids published pictures of Charlize Theron chatting to Chelsy Davy’s on-off boyfriend  Prince Harry at a polo match this weekend. And judging by the smile on Prince Harry’s face, he finds it rather easy to get on with women from South Africa! The 26-year-old British Prince […]

from an email doing the rounds   Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. […]

05 May 2011   South Africa’s Minister in The Presidency Trevor Manuel has been appointed as joint chairperson of the Green Climate Fund, which is tasked with designing a finance system to help developing countries adapt to climate change. Manuel, who is the head of South Africa’s National Planning Commission, will chair the Green Climate Fund together […]